Organizing your Kitchen Pantry - Part One Declutter

A pantry can be a real help to the home cook if it is neatly organized.  Although there are many pantry “systems” that can be purchased for quite a bit of money, a little elbow grease and some smart thinking can go a long way toward organizing your kitchen pantry.

The first step to an organized pantry is to start with a clean slate.  Remove all items and wipe down shelves with a moist cloth to remove dust and crumbs. Vacuum the floor and wipe down the walls of any splatters or spills. Then go through everything you currently have and ask these three questions:

Do I like it?

Do I use it?

Is it expired?

Throwing away anything you have that is expired is a no-brainer.  But what about that cool Himalayan salt you bought last winter?  Rule of thumb is, if you haven’t used it in 6 months, you are probably not going to use it.  Pitch it.  Your pantry will thank you!  If you feel guilty about throwing away “perfectly good food”, take it to a local food bank or homeless shelter.  As long is it is unopened and within the sell by date, they will have a use for it.

Clearing your pantry will give you have a clear view of your space and the number of items that need to go into it, so you can really get into the nuts and bolts of organizing your pantry.