DIY Network

Stocking and Organizing Your Pantry Learn how to stock and organize your pantry properly. From "Home Made Easy" episode DHME-123

Guest Karen Bussen joins host Stephanie Lydecker and shares a few basic tips on stocking and organizing one of the most important areas of any kitchen—your pantry.

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Karen shares basic tips to help you organize your pantry.

Organizing your Food Items

• You should always keep your pantry organized with like items together. Whether you have a small cupboard or two, or a walk-in closet with shelving units you want to assign a space for everything you'll need.

• Things like veggies and beans should always be kept together.

• You should also keep all of your spices and herbs together.

• Date your spices on the back of the bottle with a permanent marker so you can keep track of how long they have been around. Normally spices should be kept for only six months to a year.

• Keep all of your oils, vinegars and cooking wines together.

• Keep soups, canned sauces and stocks together in one place.

• Be sure to keep lots of canned vegetables on hand to incorporate into last minute meals.

• Keep all of your vegetables that don't need refrigeration together—like potatoes, onions and garlic. You don't want random cloves of garlic rolling around your pantry.

Organizing Your Non-Food Items

• It is important to keep storage items together as well. It will help make clean up much easier.

• Be sure you have several sizes of ziploc bags as well as items like aluminum foil and parchment paper on hand. Create a section for them in your pantry.

Baking Items

• You should always have baking supplies like flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, etc. on hand and they should be kept together.

• Transfer loose, powdery items like sugar and flour into airtight, labeled glass containers for easy access, and so you can see how much you have on hand.

• A piece of parchment paper works wonders to transfer loose items into a container without any mess.

Organizing With Glass Jars

• Store pasta in jars, which is both attractive and practical.

• Get taller glass jars for spaghetti and angel hair pasta. Use smaller jars to small pasta or rice.

• Glass jars also work really well for any items that are packaged like nuts and beans.

Miscellaneous Tips

• Buy a couple of scoops and hang them in your pantry so you can use them to take out just what you need from each jar.

• Instead of scoops you could also use half or one cup measuring cups as scoops—that way you are sure to get the exact measurement that you need.

• Be sure your cans face outward, this will make it easier to see what you have.

• Make sure your pantry area is cool and dry—don't use under the sink cabinets or shelves directly over the stove to store pantry items because it could affect their quality.

• Be sure to read storage instructions on packaging.

• Remember that once you open certain foods (soy milk, stocks, sauces, etc.) you may need to refrigerate them.

GUESTS :

Karen Bussen
Author, Simple Stunning Weddings
E-mail: Karen@karenbussen.com
Website: www.karenbussen.com