Get That Pantry Under Control!

Sun Aug 07 2016

• Kitchen

Ever feel frustrated with how messy and cluttered your panty looks? Canned and dried foods comes in all different shapes and sizes so it can be difficult to find an orderly way to present and locate your food. Rest assured, we’re here to help your frazzled brain get your non-perishables under control!

 

 

Step 1: Purge It's easy to forget how long ago it was you purchased that Throw away any expired products and any items you doubt you’ll ever use (that half used Onion soup packet or Spiced pepper jelly you were gifted last Christmas).

 

Step 2: Storage Bins Nothing is worse than simmering your grandmother's famous spaghetti sauce and not being able to find that can of diced tomatoes you swore you bought a week ago. Storage bins keep foods organized for easy accessibility while also keeping dry foods fresh.   

• Airtight Clear Storage - Store your baking staples like flour, sugar, etc. in clear, airtight matching storage. It not only looks nice, it makes finding that ingredient easy when you’re frantically cooking up dinner.
• Easy View Baskets - Whether plastic or wicker, large open baskets can help organize random sized pantry food by type or use, and will help you avoid duplicate purchases. We especially like wire baskets for storing pantry produce such as potatoes, squash or onions.
• Corral Cans - Can racks are a great investment if you buy canned goods in bulk. By storing cans on their side, the next can in line can easily roll to the front to replace the one you just retrieved.

Step 3: Customize Those Shelves. Many pantries have adjustable shelving. Though it can feel painful to readjust those shelves in the moment, it is well worth the effort to have cereal and snacks easily accessible. If your pantry shelves are deep, consider some form of sliding shelving, to take full advantage of that back-of-the-shelf space. There are many different options for slide-out racks, drawers and baskets. Another option to tap the back-of-the-shelf unused space is to add risers to lift the back row foods up half a level and visible to the eye.

 

Step 4: Take Advantage of Unused Space Corners and upper shelves are often unused in pantries and closets alike. The Lazy Susan is an excellent option to using that dead space in the corner of the pantry. Vertical space is also neglected, as who wants to store food/dishes in spaces one can’t reach? Keeping a step stool handy can easily solve this issue. Inexpensive plastic steps ladders can even be folded flat and hung on a hook if space is an issue. On the flip-side, if you have the space for a full ladder and want to add a touch of class to your food storage, you can install a sliding ladder.

 

Step 5: Add some light Shedding light on clothing makes getting dressed delightful, so why shouldn’t we do the same for our food and pantry area? Many pantries have poor or worse yet, no lighting at all. Installing some quality LED lighting can make a huge different in your food presentation. Also, consider adding some under shelf lighting to help illuminate those dark corners. If your pantry is behind a closed door, you can even install motion sensitive lighting, so that the pantry comes alive as you enter it. Just as every kitchen is a unique space and offers different qualities and challenges, each pantry space will vary. We challenge you to use these tips in your own space and share with us your own clever food storage solutions!