The connotations of “spring cleaning” lead to images of sunny days, clearing out the old and shaking down the cobwebs. Of wiping down walls until they shine and filling the air with the scent of lemony goodness.
Your pantry deserves the same love as your den or your bedroom! It’s easy to fall into bad habits during the cold winter months. This is the time to rejuvenate the space, restock essentials and get you excited about cooking once again!
First, the obvious. Clear out anything that’s visibly expired. Melted down potatoes, sprouted onions, clumpy spices? Get ‘em outta here. Only the freshest supplies for your kitchen!
You then want to clear everything out (onto your dining room table or kitchen island) leaving you with a blank slate of shelves. You really should be cleaning/wiping down this area more than once a year – but the specifics vary.
In an article earlier this year on MarthaStewart.com, author Madeline Buiano argues that you should be doing so every three to six months. That is probably ideal – but that window will vary depending on your needs and ability. Your tools will depend on the level of mess: a vacuum for larger particles of debris. A simple wet rag for dust. Perhaps a scrub pad or brush and a cleaner for more intense spills of liquids and items that might stain.
That brings us to the question of cleaners. Some have no issues with run-of-the-mill bleaches, cleaning wipes, furniture polishes and more. However, some prefer a more sustainable route. The cleaning product industry is becoming more self-aware by the day and investing in some more sustainable, lower impact products that are better for you and for the environment. More options are available to you now at the store than ever before.
However, you might like to take the DIY route instead. This article contains some recipes for gentler homemade cleaners. As always when working with chemicals, make sure you have adequate ventilation in your space and you are working with any appropriate protection (gloves, safety glasses, etc.).
Once your shelves and the physical space of the pantry are clean, the real fun begins. Some may choose to stack product on bare shelves. Some may put down some type of matting or contact paper; spring cleaning is the perfect opportunity to pull up/change that contact paper – it might be stained or worn and fresh paper can add that extra pop of color (and protection) the space needs.
The specifics of a restock vary based on your needs. Restock your spice rack with any frequent flyer baking ingredients and favorite seasonings. Check the levels of your flours. Replenish your stock of any canned goods. The pantry offers the perfect place for bulk storage, so it might be time to think of a local grocery store (or co-op) run. You want to invest in purchases that are going to help feed you and your family for a large portion of the season.
It’s important to have a good organizational system at play – especially if you’re storing everything at the same level and not incorporating things like lazy susans and smaller, inset shelving/racks. Grouping by like item is fairly self-explanatory. Some advocate for a kind of “first in, first out” system, sorted by expiration date, front-to-back. You have to figure out what works best for you and your family.
This article from the MSU extension has some other pointers around organization and storage.
Don’t feel overwhelmed – it can and should be a fairly streamlined process. If done well, it will set you and your family up for successful culinary adventures for the rest of the year.
by Andy Haman
