Organizing the Kitchen Pantry

I am getting ready for turning 60 pounds of fresh tomatoes into jarred tomato sauce, so having enough room in the pantry is critical. It seems that every few years I need to organize the kitchen pantry. Here is the story of before and after and how I use this small, yet efficient space. The pantry is original to our historic home so all the narrow shelving and bead board reflect kitchen life over 100 years ago.

The Before~Messy and Unorganized

As embarrassing as this is, I have to show you the “before” picture of my kitchen pantry.  How do things get this messy?  It becomes the room that we just toss stuff in.  You can’t even walk inside.  Moan. After hanging onto the door frame and stretching long and reaching in, nearly breaking my neck, I decide it was time to clean it.

Sorting and Organizing

This first step is removing everything from the pantry. There is a breakfast table nearby for easy access to stack and see what items are actually currently in the pantry. I throw out all the expired food (2017, really?) and donated all the “near” expiration dates and those items I have multiples of (way too many garbanzo beans). Surprisingly, this removes a good percentage of the canned goods.

All the food items are now organized alphabetically.

Making a decision on how to use this space may vary per family member. I use this for all canned goods, back up supplies (plastic wrap, coffee pods, etc.) and cookbooks.I do not use this for small appliances that I infrequently use (such as a crockpot). But when you live with others, they can just dump things in here when they don’t have a better location. That is always a challenge.

Beverages are now organized and in one place. The open shelves allow a quick glimpse to see what is in stock.

Do you have alot of recipes?

I finally sort and organize piles of recipes I had cut out of magazines or printed off the internet. Years ago, when I was busy with 3 little children, I hired my friend Linda to sort and organize my recipes.  She created these fabric covered binders which I use ALL the time.

Each recipe is in a plastic sheet protector which proves beneficial around this messy cook.

After my aunt passed away, I was delighted to get her handwritten recipe cards. I am currently looking through and sorting them. What a fun glimpse into foods from decades ago. These will be placed into the binders in their appropriate tab.

I reduced my cookbook collection significantly, only keeping those I use frequently or cherish.

Staying Organized

Shelves are labeled so hopefully, other family members will know where things are located.

Cleaning out this room made me realize we don’t need to buy Ziploc bags for a long time! It also helps to create a grocery list where items are needed and encourages me to use those products where I have multiples.

My sweet husband polished all the copper Martha Stewart cookie cutters I purchased long ago.  The salami and cheese ball are fake, but fun to use when staging for a party.  The miniature utensil rack is a gift I received several years ago from my sister, Joanie. No reason not to make your pantry pretty.

The After

Here is the “after”:

Ok. So I’m a little giddy over this.  I can actually walk in the pantry, finally!

There are 9 foot ceilings in our home and I use the upper sections for hanging large platters that don’t seem to fit anywhere else.

The original pantry had one door that unfortunately would swing right into the adjacent door to the basement.  We resolve this by putting in two narrow swing doors with metal mesh screens.

We feel so fortunate to have this space within the kitchen area. As I try to can and preserve food from either the garden or a local farmer, this space is ideal.

Often I am inspired to tackle a project after seeing someone else sorting and organizing. Hopefully you will feel a need to tidy up an area of your home after reading today’s post.

Have a wonderful week!