GlassAngel at Home

As we talked about in the first part of this topic, Organizing your pantry, Part 1, pantries can be tricky things. Keeping them neat and clean is a battle that you have to fight every time you open the door. Returning items to their proper homes each and every time you use them is key, as is taking the time to set things up in a way you can use them best. In this second part of the topic we are going to talk about how to keep your pantry free of spills, sticky messes and pests.

One way to tackle all 3 is to think about the packaging that your products come to you in. Rice, dry beans, flour and all kinds of sugar come to you in a bag of some sort. These paper or plastic bags (and boxes) are not always the best quality and cause you the most hassle in keeping things in order. All of these items I recommend get repackaged either as soon as you bring them home or as soon as you open them. Anyone who has ever grabbed the powdered sugar bag from the shelf only to get a shower with it know what I am talking about. If you look at the Stocking your drygoods pantry list, a lot of the baking items should be put in containers with tight seals to keep them from spilling or infestations.

First off what should be repackaged?

• anything that is in a flimsy bag/box or doesn't reseal tightly
  
• anything you need to be able to scoop out like flour or sugar
  
• anything you won't be using all of after you open it the first time, like rice, pasta or dry beans
  

What do I put them in? I can hear you asking. Well that is going to depend on what you have for space. It is also going to depend on the size you buy of these items. Using my baking supplies as a example let me show you what I use.

When I was looking at containers I chose ones that had wide mouthes so I could fit a measuring cup in them. Then I thought about the package size for each item, Flour 5lbs, white sugar 2lbs, powdered and brown sugar 1lb each. Then I matched the size to each item so that I could fit a whole bag, plus a little more in each. That way when I was toward the end of something and I brought home a new bag I could add it right to the container. Since as soon as I bring it home it looses the low quality bag, I have less messes due to the bags getting holes poked in them.

I use both bought and repurposed glass and plastic jars for most of my storage. I save any well sealing jar that could nicely contain one of my not as nicely sealed pantry items. Squarish containers work best since they take up less cabinet space, but I use whichever one will hold my item the best for it's use. Matching the container to the items and how you use it is what helps you to keep things neat and mess free.


Some items like honey, oils and vinegars can leave sticky messes on your shelves. Since my balsamic vinegar always leaks I keep it on the turntable that I store my oil and daily used spices on. Trays and turn tables can help to take care of these messes because you can clean them more easily than your pantry shelves. Both can be lined with parchment paper or shelf liner to make clean up easier. Plastic and metal styles can be thrown in the sink and scrubbed down when the honey bottle decides to leak all over. An added benefit to using trays is that you can pull the whole thing out to find what you are looking for and not make a mess rummaging through your cabinet.

Keeping items clean and wiping up any spills as soon as you find them is the best way to keep pests from finding your pantry. Having all of your pantry items tightly sealed is the next best thing. If you find pests in your pantry, hunt out the item that is causing the problem and get rid of it. Then scope out your other items to make sure they haven't gotten into anything else. Place any (no mater how old) drygoods you had near there in the freezer for 4 day. This will kill any eggs and bugs that may have been in them. Make sure to use any older items on your shelf first and remember to rotate your new stuff in as you buy it since this will cut down on the possibility of new pests finding there way into your pantry.





Previous Kitchen Series Posts

1. The Kitchen Series: Tools I love....
   
2. The Kitchen Series: Stocking your drygoods pantry.
   
3. The Kitchen Series: Stocking your fridge and freezer.
   
4. The Kitchen Series: Stocking your spice pantry.
   
5. The Kitchen Series: Making your own mixes
   
6. The Kitchen Series: Making you own stock.
   
7. The Kitchen Series: Organizing your pantry, Part 1
   
   

Posted in: In The Kitchen, The Kitchen Series on Sunday, June 8, 2008 at 9:00 AM