Pamper Your Pantry
Pamper Your Pantry
By Alia Lambert
Pastry Chef
I know that it’s a little early for spring cleaning…but with all the cold and snow filled days we have been having why not use the time inside to get a jump start. Since the kitchen is the center of most households, than the pantry is a great place to start.
Below I have outlined some easy ways to get your pantry organized so you can use your valuable time in the kitchen creating great meals instead of rooting around for ingredients. These tips will work whether you can commit 30, 60 or 90 minutes to pamper your pantry.
If you have 30 minutes:
-Start by going through every jar, box or bag of ingredients and discard anything that is expired.
-Organize items into categories on the shelf-for example: baking ingredients, sauces, snacks, pastas, canned items, spices, breakfast cereals, drinks, etc.
If you have 60 minutes:
**Follow the steps above plus**
-Consolidate open, like items and put into storage containers. If you don’t have them in your kitchen already, storage containers can be found in a variety of sizes and prices at most grocery stores. This step prevents dry ingredients such as rice, pasta, cereal, flour, etc from going stale and helps to prolong shelf life.
If you have 90 minutes:
**Follow the steps above plus**
-Label the shelves according to categories such as the ones listed above. This can be done with hand written labels or by using a label maker. Label makers can be found at most large craft retailers from $15.00-$60.00.
Bonus tip:
Before your next trip to the grocery store, think of the dishes you make on a regular basis. Make a list of your “go to” ingredients that you don’t have in your pantry. Having your “go to” items and an organized pantry will give you more time to create meals and memories in the kitchen.
Happy organizing happy creating happy cooking!
alia.pastrychef@gmail.com
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