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Cleaning Out Your Kitchen to Make More Space for New Food
Debra Redalia
I found all the foods that had been sitting around for a long time because I purchased them to try them and then never did. Now they are all together on a shelf with a sign that gets my attention to eat them.
Now that I am actually writing and publishing Wholefood Cuisine instead of thinking about it, I decided I needed to reorganize my kitchen to really make it efficient for preparing wholefood cuisine.
I’ve been preparing food in this space for about two-and-a-half-years and I found there were things in the space that didn’t need to be here. Like a manual spiralizer I had purchased just before we moved here and have never used. As fun as it is to eat zucchini noodles, part of my ethic now about food is to really keep it simple and have a prepared dish be an expression of the food I am preparing, rather than using the ingredient as raw material forced to look and/or taste like something else. So the spiralizer is in the box that is going to the Goodwill.
I also had what I considered to be a lot of food sitting on shelves—not because I was storing it, but because it was waiting for me to have time to try it and experiment with it. I will often buy a food because it looks interesting but then don’t have time to follow up and actually prepare it. So I gathered up everything I still wanted to try and put in all on one shelf with a sign that says “EAT ME.” That will get my attention!
Then I hunted for anything that I could remove from shelves to give me more space. I found one shelf had a row of bottles containing all the salt-free seasonings I could find at Costco—in 2012. I was attempting a salt-free diet so that’s what I did. I haven’t eaten them I think since 2012. They were not only expired, they were as hard as rocks. That opened up a whole shelf for big storage jars for nuts and beans and grains.
It’s good to go through your kitchen every once in a while and toss out anything you no longer use or want and make space for new foods and equipment and ideas.
So I invited you to do the same as we embark on our journey together to create wholefood cuisine.
I found space for large jars of nuts and beans and meals on a top shelf laying on their side. This is more efficient use of space and easier to access than standing them up on a shelf two-deep. I removed a row of jars that contained salt-free spice mixes that expired in 2012.
I did something today that was at least semi-lifely. I cleaned out my old pantry items. I found some old spices and herbs, that while they are a bit worn out for cooking, they were perfect to spread in the garden for use as aromatic, non-toxic pest repellents!
Excellent!
I’ve been starting to clean out my kitchen cabinets this week . I started on a rainy day so I wouldn’t be tempted to go out and sun or work in the garden. I got through three small shelves. I am tossing (or composting) anything canned older than 2018 and more recent dry items that seem stale such as pasta. Some of the excess cans were here when I moved in. I inherited the house from a hoarder. Others can with us from our move here in 2017.
The main problem will be keeping order and avoiding clutter. My partner tends to be very disorganized and forgetful. I am neither. He wants to hang onto things that are not good or are broken, ‘just in case”.
I am still thinking about what to do with my Instant Pot. I bought it on Amazon Prime Day in 2019 for a very low price and have yet to figure out how I can use it! Same thing with my Immersion stick blender.
Part of the pantry clean out has been figuring out how best to use what is left.
I don’t usually buy in bulk. There are only two of us in the household. I did buy a 6 pack of pasta and a large container of dried chives at Sam’s Club but that is it on the bulk goods. I do, however, love to buy exotic ingredients and spices. I get some locally and some online.
By the way, Penzey’s has by far the best jarred spices and herbs I’ve used.
It baffles me as to why people have started panic buying large sacks of flour. It get announced that flour and yeast are in short supply and suddenly everybody and their dog is buying loads of lour and yeast. Maybe a few people are prolific bakers but most I’ve ever met or talked to use mixes if they bake at all. The exception is Christmas cookies but who needs 25 lbs.of flour for a few batches of cookies?
I think I’ll check out those square canisters you mentioned!
Good for you for cleaning things out! It’s so much easier to find things when you only have what you are using.
I understand about having a partner that is disorganized and forgetful. With mine I just put things away or move them if he leaves something out or puts it in the wrong place. I figure it’s MY kitchen and I can bring order to it even if he doesn’t. 🙂
I like Penzey’s spices too. At their shops you used to be able to taste all the spices (maybe that will come back someday).
Thank you!
Your post is inspirational! I have been cleaning out kitchen cabinets since we have been in the “stay at home” order. Lots and lots of kitchen stuff to go through and decide upon…. I like your glass storage jars pictured. Could you share where you got them/the brand? Thanks!
Oh I’ve had them for many years. They are square instead of round so it makes it easy to lay them on their side.
I found them for you online at Klikel Square Glass Kitchen Storage Jars.