There once was order, then it kind of succumbed to disorder.
Keeping an eye on it is the key. The secret heart of every
kitchen is its pantry. In the pantry is stored everything we
use as the basis for our meals, along with snacks and
sometimes pet food too. However, a poorly managed pantry can
be a huge source of frustration, wastage, and can even
attract vermin. Here's how to run your pantry so that it's
both practical and waste efficient.
!! Steps !!
You might need to remove it all to go through it thoroughly Take an
inventory of what you already have. This inventory should include the
product type as well as how many of each item you have. If you're
really keen, type up a list and use it for future reference; using a
laptop, notebook, or iPad as you work through the pantry can make it
easier to type straight in.
Clear out old food. Use this inventory opportunity to dispose of
anything past its use-by or sell-by date. Also toss anything you
don't ever intend to eat (for example, that exotic stuff you bought
as it was a special price, but ended up wondering what to do with).
With dated foods, while many may hypothetically be okay, it's still
a risk. Dispose of anything that may be starting to spoil or is
infested with moths or weevils. It can be quite surprising that
food that otherwise looks fine has already spoiled, so check
closely.
* If the food is in good condition and within its lifespan, donate
it or give it to someone who can use it.
Look at how your foods are stocked on your shelves. To reduce the
messiness and difficulty in finding things, it's important to plan
how to group the foods together. Quite often the most frequently
used foods, such as tea or coffee, seasonings, sauces and frequently
used tinned goods occupy the shelves in the middle range, as this is
the easiest area to access.
* It's usually best to group cereals, flour, pasta, rice and dried
beans together.
* Then it's practical to group all canned goods and all jar products
together.
* Or, you may find it better to group things by type, such as
preserves in one group, but pasta sauce in another. Sort in the
way that is most practical for you.
Invest in small shelving units. These will enable you to double
stack tinned goods, jars and other condiments, creating more space
and making it far easier to see what's in the pantry with just a
glance.
* Sachet foods, such as spices, desserts, instant soups and other
products can end up being a hassle in a pantry because they can
slide behind other food and don't sit neatly. It's best to place
all sachets together in one container (like a basket or a lunchbox
with or without its lid, or if practical, store the sachet
contents in a jar. This works well for spices and you can recycle
the jars.
* Consider removing sachets from bulky boxes and adding the sachets
to smaller storage containers. If the box has cooking
instructions, cut these off and tape them to the container lid for
easy reference. This way surplus boxes can be gotten rid of to
save space.
* Use a pantry "Lazy Susan" to be able to turn items around. This
item is great for spice and herb containers, cans, and condiments.
Look for a double decker one to make the most of the space.
Don't leave heat sensitive food in the pantry. Unless your pantry is
naturally and consistently cold, don't store anything that is heat
sensitive (such as eggs, chocolate, or butter) in there unless you
have something such as a polystyrene box or other heat-proof
container to store them in. The fridge is usually undesirable for
some foods that only need a cool environment (especially chocolate),
but in hot environments, it's the best alternative.
Keep your pantry clean by wiping the shelves and products down
every week or so. As the doors of pantries seldom stop swinging,
lots of dust and other debris can find their way in and settle on
foods. Moreover, general movement of spices, herbs, grains, and
packets of food tends to leave a trail of food residue on the
shelves. This is bad if you store things such as bread on the
shelf, where it is better to store them in a paper bag. It's also a
vermin attractant, so be sure to clean it all up regularly.
Place heavy products on the lower shelves. This makes them much
easier to retrieve and less likely to cause injury if they fall.
* If the floor's cluttered, it's much harder to keep tidy
Avoid storing any foodstuffs on the floor. Foodstuffs situated on
the floor space makes it much harder to clean the floor and vermin
or pests can hide behind them or be attracted to the food more
readily.
Invest in some sealed containers. Sealed containers are ideal to
store foods that can perish when exposed to the environment; sealing
them in will help to prevent spoilage. It can also prevent a weevil
or other pest outbreak from spreading. Many foods, such as rice,
sugar and flours already come sold in resealable screw top plastic
canisters that can be cleaned and reused to store other foods.
Charity stores also sell them cheaply secondhand, including the
normally expensive products such as Tupperware®, but you don't
always get matching containers.
* Gradually build up your sealed containers whenever there are sale
prices on them. This is the most affordable way to collect them
provided you're patient. Also keep an eye out for people moving
house who list such items on online auctions; you can grab an
entire set of pantry containers for next to nothing if you're
lucky – just be sure to wash them well.
Practice FIFO. FIFO refers to: "first in, first out". This means
that you use up the food stock in order that you purchased it. This
prevents old foodstuffs sitting on the shelf for many years and
ensures that what you're eating is at its freshest.
* Supermarkets practice FIFO, especially in the dairy or
refrigerated section. The oldest stock is usually right at the
front of the shelf, with the fresher foods behind these. Shoppers
who don't take care often reach for the nearest product and
consequently take home foods that will not last as long. It's
recommended to check the spoilage dates and buy the freshest one
that has the longest lifespan; such smart shopping will prolong
the life of your foodstuffs.
Pin up a whiteboard or a magnetic shopping list you can reuse inside
the pantry. That way when you are cooking and use the last of
something, you can write it down to buy more while it is fresh in
your memory.
Put back ingredients where you took them from as you use them. If
necessary, label the place, but this can be a little over the top
unless you're really absentminded. It is a lot easier to stay tidy
if you get into this habit of returning ingredients straight after
use and a well managed pantry is easy to return stock into because
the space where the item should be hasn't been jammed with other
things.
* Educate other people in your household where things are, so that
when they want to cook, it's easy for everyone to find what they
need. Also encourage them to put everything back in its place;
simply make this a rule of participating in a well-functioning
kitchen.
Look at how you cook and match it to how you shop. If you do a lot
of baking, it makes sense to buy flour in larger portions to save
costs and to take advantage of bulk-savings. The same applies for
rice, pasta, beans and other pulses. The aim however, is to store
them properly in screw top, or rubber seal containers (or any good
sealed containers), so try to get the container before you get the
large quantity purchases. Also buy or make scoops, cups, and other
implements that will help you to transfer the ingredients from the
storage containers to your kitchen workspace; it's not much fun
lugging a very heavy flour container to where you need it!
* Non perishable foods on special can be a good bargain, providing
it is a genuine special, and not just because the foods are
nearing their spoil dates. Pasta sauces are sometimes sold as a
special for several jars and if it is something you will use in a
reasonable time, it's fine to take advantage of these specials. On
the other hand, if you know it's too much food, leave it for those
who will use it rather than having food going off in your house.
* Tidy every time it seems to be getting disordered Every
month, go into your pantry and do a check. Anything that is in
surplus, or has limited lifespan left you should plan to use
within the week so it is not wasted. Throw out anything old and be
sure to remove empty packets and containers.
!! Video !!
!! Tips !!
* Once the pantry is in order, apart from a little wipe-down of the
shelves, they are really low maintenance.
* It makes it far easier to cook when your pantry is in order
firstly because you know what you have (so don't end up buying
more than you need), but also that you know where it is and how to
use it.
* Keep children and animals out of the pantry whenever possible.
* When choosing storage containers, square options will store more
in less space than round ones will. Not all containers are food
safe, and some will leave food with a flavor or odor.
* To help motivate you keep your pantry in order, take and keep a
picture next to it. This also helps as a guide for replacing
items after using them.
!! Things You'll Need !!
* Storage containers
* Lazy Susans for a pantry
* Shelves
* Canisters
* Cleaning wipes
* Shopping list or checklist and marker
!! Related WikiHows !!
* How to Stock a Kitchen Pantry
* How to Stock a Vegetarian Pantry
* How to Outfit Your College Pantry
* How to Plan a Meal Using Only What's in Your Pantry
* How to Make Facials from Pantry Ingredients
!! Article Tools !!
* Read on wikiHow
*
0 comments:
Post a Comment