It’s about that time of year to start sweeping behind the fridge and
re-organizing the kitchen cabinets, right? So why not clean out and the pantry while
your at it?
I did this over the weekend and am embarrassed to say that I found cans that “expired” in 2006!! And the truth is, if I were making a meal that needed that particular ingredient I probably would have never looked at the date and used it anyway! Hmmmm… I wonder how many times I have eaten butter beans from 2006? Or better yet, how many times have YOU eaten butter beans that expired in 2006;)?
So, that got me thinking that it might be a good idea to share so cabinet-cleaning tips with you guys, just to make sure non of us get stuck eating food from the 1900′s!
• Clear House – Start by removing all items off the shelves so you can give the shelves and bottles a good wipe down. Sometimes vinegars and honeys can a little sticky and as the warmer weather rolls in, this can attract unwanted bugs!!
• Grouping – As you place all the items back on the shelves group them so that they are easy to find. For example, you can organize in groups like this: oils and vinegars, beans and soups, canned seafood (tuna, salmon, anchovies, etc.), nut butters and jellies, condiments, etc. This will save you lots of time when you need to make a quick meal.
• Dates - Check the expiration dates on all canned or packaged goods. The truth is, you can usually get away with an item being a little past the date but once you start getting in to years, I wouldn’t take any chances!
• Usability – If you have items in your pantry that you bought a year ago and haven’t thought of since, ask yourself if you are really going to use it. If the answer is probably not, then dump it
• Old to New – try to store the older items up front and the newer items in the back. This way you get to use everything before it expires!
• “AB-C YA” – do yourself a favor… if you have any items in your pantry that include hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oil in the ingredients, get rid off them. As a matter of fact, if you find any ingredients that you can’t pronounce it’s a pretty safe bet that it’s not the healthiest choice!
A few other things to keep in mind:
• Keep your oils away from light or heat – This will give them a longer shelf life. Remember, if they smell bad, that’s because they are bad… trust your nose and toss them!
• Protect your spices from light, heat and moisture – Again, this will ensure a longer shelf life.
So that’s what I came up with! What do you guys do to keep your cabinets all spruced up? Do you have any good tips that I missed??
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Have found that spices, some cake mixes, jelly’s & other products do not generally show an expiration date. I use a majic marker to note the date I purchased the item on the top of the lid or side of the package. If the item does have an expiration date I do the same so it is easier to read. This way when it’s time to do the purging of the pantry it’s easier to see the date’s…if over a year old it is thrown out.
Perfect timing Dani! I was just gonna do this next week! Thanks for the tips!
Paula – Great tips!! Often times spices, etc. don’t have dates so marking them yourself makes a lot of sense! Thanks for sharing.
Wani – Anytime;).
I keep a bowl of soapy water to dip my kitchen cloth into. As I wipe down the spice rack, I wipe the spice containers, too. They pick up so much dust. Same with fridge. I wipe down the jars and bottles. I rinse my cloth in water many times. Oil bottles cry for this little bath, too.
Remember that what you don’t want in your pantry can be used by food pantries. Sometimes there are places where you can put these things out marked “free” so that someone else can use them.