Fall is the perfect time of year to clean out and reorganize your pantry. Thanksgiving is just around the corner and Christmas is less than 100 days away! Organizing your pantry now will ensure that you are ready to go when the holidays arrive.
Ugh! Have you ever gotten caught in the middle of a recipe only to find that the oil is rancid, the flour or rice has weevils, or that one crucial ingredient is out of date? Have you ever made homemade bread and noticed that the yeast has expired? You think to yourself, “Well, it is probably still good.” Wrong! The bread never rises and you not only have wasted your precious time, but you have also wasted money on ingredients, and you may now be under pressure because you promised that you were bringing your famous homemade bread to the party! Stress!!
Do not get caught in a bind because you do not have everything you need on hand to make your signature holiday dishes and your yummy homemade desserts.
Below are 10-Tips that will make cleaning and organizing your pantry a breeze. Follow these steps, and by the time the holidays get here, you will be in great shape and ready to bake your favorite dishes and desserts!
Unloading and cleaning
1. Remove everything from the pantry and place in a like-with-like manner on the counter or in bins (spices with spices, canned goods with canned goods, etc)
2. Wipe down the pantry shelves with a non-toxic cleaner of your choice. Replace shelf paper if needed.
3. Bring in a large garbage can and a donation box, and then check expiration dates on all items.
4. Discard canned goods that are rusted, dented, or seeping.
5. We all have items in our pantries that we will never use. If you are never going to make the green thai curry dish recipe, or if you have sworn off eating Spam, then it is okay to donate the curry paste now…before it expires.
4. Even staples that have a long shelf life should be evaluated. For example: Crackers and nuts – if they smell rancid, they need to be tossed. Same goes for cooking oil.
5. You can test your baking powder and baking soda to make sure they are still active. To test baking powder: mix 1 teaspoon of baking powder with 1/2 cup of hot water. It should bubble immediately. To test baking soda: mix 1/4 teaspoon with 2 teaspoons of vinegar. It should bubble immediately.
Reloading the pantry
6. Make sure items going back into the pantry are not sticky or dusty. Wipe them down as needed.
7. Keep the items you use regularly up front and center.
8. Place items like-with-like (snacks with snacks, cereal with cereal, canned goods with canned goods, etc).
9. Consider using clear containers to hold pasta and staples like flour and sugar. Glass mason jars can also be used to hold beans, rice, pasta, dried herbs, etc.
10. Review the recipes you plan to make and note any ingredients you need to purchase. Put those items on a Holiday Grocery List. Not only can you spread out the cost of groceries, you can pick up the items when they are on sale. As an added bonus, you will know exactly what you have and exactly what you need which will eliminate duplicate purchases thus saving you money.
Need some help getting organized? Simple Organized Solutions can help you in your home and in your business office. Visit us at https://professionalorganizeraz.com/get-started/ or call (480) 382-1085. We turn “chaos into calm.”