Pantry Organization And Kitchen Storage

How many times have you opened up the pantry only to be greeted with a sense of frustration?
Can you relate to these scenarios?

Nothing is where it should be and your kitchen storage is at a minimum.
It is hard to find what you need when you are in a hurry.
You know you bought it last week but why can’t you find it

Pantry Organization Will Also Save You Money!

When you can easily see what food you have on hand it will be used and not be left to spoil in the far back reaches of a bottom shelf

Have you noticed how much space canned foods take up in your pantry?
They do take up the most room but they are one of the easiest things to organize.
Cans are durable and they can be stacked or they are perfect for can racks that you can group all of your can together and you will use them in date order.

By grouping cans into food groups it will help meal planning when checking to see if you have canned tomatoes for pasta sauce or canned fruit for a pie
I group my mine into food groups such as:

Tomatoes
Beans
Tuna/Salmon
Milk/Coconut Milk
Fruit – Apple, Peaches, Pineapple

Then I can quickly replace or buy what I need

Declutter The Pantry With Food Canisters

The other overwhelming part is all the boxes and packets of food.
Often when something is half opened and clipped shut you cannot see what is in the bag or the packet.
I use to double up on so many ingredients thinking I had run out only to find half full packets

Putting dry ingredients into jars and canisters not only looks neater, it will keep you able to manage your pantry inventory plus it stops pests from getting into your food.
Pantry moths and mice cannot get into an airtight container.
Getting containers for food storage does not have to be an expensive undertaking
Read this article about Budget Pantry Jars.

What Sort Of Food Storage Containers?

If you do want to buy some new containers then make sure you look for the term “Air Tight” and of course BPA free plastic.
You can buy Food storage sets that have 12 or even 16 different sized containers – right from the smallest up to large for cereal and tall for spaghetti
The different sizes in a set will allow you to stack them neatly and use all available space in the patry

Some ingredients also need bigger canisters and mouth openings.
I need my flour in a large canister as I put measuring cups in to grab the amount of flour I need – So the opening must be able to fit a measuring cup.
You also need those larger containers for cereal and pasta.
You cannot jam these into small containers unless you want crumbs!

Getting a decent set of containers really helps to create more storage space as they created room so that the family can now easily reach the airtight containers that were hiding at the back of the shelves.

A Cohesive Looking Pantry Is The Goal

Just remember your jars and canisters do not all have to match.
If you have some with black lids some with wooden lids, some square and some round – It doesn’t matter as long as there is something cohesive about all of them and this is easily done by a great set of pantry labels and these are the ones I have bought and now recommend

 
You can grab them on Amazon by clicking on the image

Spice Jar Organization

Be careful keeping spice jars close to where you cook
Don’t have them above your cook top as heat and steam is not a friend for your spices!
Keeping them in jars will keep them fresher than keeping them in packets.
I currently have mine in small preserving jars and they fit into a drawer next to my oven
I have labelled their lids so I can see what I need when I pull the drawer out
Spice racks also work really well and they can be kept on a countertop or you can put them into your pantry.
It is easier if you keep your spices in some sort of order
You want to be able to quickly grab the ones you use the most and then to be able to put them back when done with them

The Pantry Door Is A Great Place To Store Smaller Items

The back of a pantry door is an area that you can make use of!
Use it to hang hooks for shopping bags
Or use an over door organizer or there are some light weight racks that can be nailed/screwed into a cupboard door. If you have a door that is suitable but it needs to be fixed – There are kitchen cabinet repair services. You do not want to damage your pantry door.
These racks are perfect for spice jars and other small condiments or small loose items
Another way you can utilize the space at the back of your pantry’s door is to use a shoe organizer.
They come in clear plastic and you can easily store small lightweight items here and they will be  easy to find and grab.

Storage Bins for the Refrigerator

If your family is all about quick meals , storage hacks for the refrigerator are a necessity.
Something as simple dollar store bins can make a world of difference.
If you have children, you can place their after-school meals in each container.
Place stickers with their names on it, so they’ll know what bin belongs to whom. Or, you can dedicate each container to a specific meal.
For instance, if lunch for the week is sandwiches, place all the items needed for a sandwich inside.
That way, it’s super easy to grab everything in one swipe; this hack works well for planning weekly dinners too.

Professional Organization Help.

Now  pantry organization can be fun once you have got all your jars, canisters and labels assembled.
If you are looking at it and it just seems to much.
Consider using a Pro Organizer and their will be one local to you if you do a search.
They truly are their weight in gold and they can quickly assess what you actually need help with and where to start.

The post Pantry Organization And Kitchen Storage appeared first on GQ Central.