Keeping an organized pantry in your Mt. Pleasant rental home could be a very daunting task for some. You must arrange things in an order that will allow you to keep things fresh and neat. To make certain that your food supply is fresh and easy to access, keep track of these simple pantry organization tips.
1. Create a System
Most people approach pantry organization with a relatively simple system: grouping similar items together. There are, however, multiple ways to organize a pantry. Consider taking your pasta noodles and sauce, or even baking essentials, and group them together since these are items that are often used together. Grouping a pantry can be done in many different ways, though.
Frequently used items can also be placed together in easy-to-reach spots. Another idea is to make zones or stations inside your pantry. You use these to group your items according to function, or used during the time of day. Examples of this might be a coffee station, a bin with after-school snacks, or a shelf for breakfast. You should be able to use any system to your advantage, as long as it mirrors your daily routines inside your own pantry.
2. Rotate Your Storage
An overlooked approach to pantry organization is a regular rotation of food items. Very often, food items will get shoved back and forgotten for several months at a time. To avoid having to discard expired food, put a first-in, first-out system for your pantry. When restocking each shelf, place new items behind older items. To make sure that your expired items are properly disposed of, make sure to check your pantry regularly so that you can keep track of expiration dates. In doing so, you can ensure a pantry that’s always fresh.
3. Choose Proper Storage Containers
Choose the ones that aren’t necessarily just expensive, but are good at keeping your food fresh. Storage containers allow you to make sure that each item is stored properly in your pantry. There are items in your pantry, unlike canned food, which need airtight containers to keep fresh. Most of the time, you’ll need to remove them from their packaging and store them elsewhere.
To ensure long-term freshness, decant flour and other grain-based food items by taking them out of the bags they come in and placing them in glass or plastic containers with tight-fitting lids. Flour, cake mix, or other similar items should be taken out of their original bags and stored in a different container because their bags could be hiding insect eggs and other problems. I’m sure you don’t want to come home to a pantry that’s infested with bugs.
Another thing to take note of is the set of rules that guide the grouping of pantry items. There are foods that shouldn’t be stored close to others. For example, onions and potatoes. If you have both in your pantry, make sure to separate them. If you don’t, the onions’ strong odor can permeate the potatoes and cause them to spoil faster.
Finally, a good storage container is one that you can fit in your pantry shelves; but, they should also allow you to easily access its contents. Mason jars are usually used for storing rice. But, because of its narrow mouth, scooping the rice becomes quite difficult. When looking for containers, consider also the ones that are easy to label with different information about the item, as well as its expiration date. Using removable labels will make it more convenient for you to update your container whenever the need arises.
4. Size Matters
Finally, don’t forget to leave room in your pantry for bigger items, too. Don’t let all the smaller items like spice jars take up all the space! There are also smaller shelving or trays that you can use to separate different-sized items. If possible, create some taller spaces for cereal boxes, bottles, or other tall or oddly-shaped items.
Ultimately, you can always opt to carefully plan and organize your pantry in a way that is convenient and effective in keeping your food supply fresh.
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