"You don't have to cook fancy or complicated masterpieces - just good food from fresh ingredients." - Julia Child
It's time to organise your food pantry! This is a simple organising project, but can take a fair bit of time if you have a lot of food on hand.
Here are your steps:
1. Purchase some small plastic bins at the dollar store, and maybe a medium sized one. Get shelf liner if you'd like. Maybe a spice rack. Also some of those plastic step shelves or coated metal shelves if you think they might be handy (see #7 below). Have options, return what you don't need.
2. Clear the table or countertop so that you have room to work.
3. Take all food items out of the pantry and put onto your work surface.
4. Wipe down and clean the pantry shelves. If you're like most people, this hasn't been done in years, so do a good job. If you'd like, now is the time to line your shelves with shelving paper or spongy liner - look in your homeware or dollar shops.
5. Look at every food item for it's expiry (expiration) date. Throw out (recycle containers) all expired food items. Put to the side any items that are still safe & good to eat but that you won't eat.
6. Group like items together.
7. Put all back into the pantry, with labels facing forwards. Use small plastic bins to organise smaller items such as packets or spices. Use a medium plastic bin for any oils or sauces that you use only a little bit each time, as they tend to drip onto the shelves. If you want to get fancy, you can get plastic step shelves or coated wire shelves - good for creating more space, just be sure glass jars are on stable surfaces.
8. Use a label maker to print labels to put on the edge of the shelves.
Great you're done! Here's some tips:
When you open the last container of something, add it to the shopping list.
Do not over purchase due to sales, belive me, there will be another sale! Be conscious of your space availability, bigger is not always better.
Enjoy the fruits of your labour!
