Springtime Kitchen Pantry Re-Set

Every May and October, I like to take inventory on freshness and amounts of my spice cupboard and dried goods.  That is what I call Springtime Kitchen Pantry Re-Set, baby!!!  Let’s get real, I cannot be the only one who periodically wipes down all of my spice jars.  Surely, I am not the only one who hates reaching for the ground ginger and the shit isn’t there.  This bi-yearly method will keep all of your favorite ingredients fully stocked so you will always have what you need.  And, of course, there will be a time or two that you will need to buy more in between those “re-set” months.

Where to store your stash…

Some of you have adorable spice racks on your counter or mini magnetic tins stuck to your fridge…which is totally cool.  I keep my spice jars behind closed doors in a cupboard.  They like to be stored in air-tight containers in dark cool places.  You want to keep them away from light, moisture, and too much heat.  I have reached for the lemon pepper before only to find it was all stuck to the bottom of the jar.  You guessed it…either moisture got to it or it was just old as hell.

Out with the old!

• The first thing I do is take everything out of my spice cupboard and set it all on the counter.   You will be surprised to see a few duplicate spices or one or two that are completely empty.
• Check each spice for expiration dates.  If it’s as old as your jokes, throw it out!  Once you’ve weeded out the old stuff, simply combine any duplicate jars into one.  I like to use any extra jars for other ingredients (depending on the size of the jar)
• For the spices you know you won’t use too often, add a dried bean or two into the jar.  The beans will keep moisture away from your spice and loose for the next use.
• As you can tell, my favorite spice company is Penzey’s.  Most often, if you buy more than $50 in spices, they throw in a little gift for ya.  I love their message and most of all, I love their product.

In with the new!

• Once you have wiped down your shelves of half a year of spice gunk, you can now focus on getting your spices back inside and organized.
• My spice cupboard consists of three shelves so, I use each shelf for different collections.  The bottom shelf is used for the spices I use on a regular basis.  I’m 5 feet tall (I don’t want to hear your old short jokes) and it just makes it easier to grab what I need.  The second shelf is designated for specialty spices I don’t use as often and other mixes that contain milk or cheese ingredients.  I keep those separate from the others since I have a vegan in the house.  He’s pretty handsome too, I must say.
• The top shelf is where I store any bulk spices, salts, and dried herbs.  I do buy some bulk spices because I go through them so damn fast!  Quick wrap up…keep most-used spices within your reach and the less-used spices stored out of reach.

Storing dried bulk ingredients…

Okay, can I just share my cute shelving system where my dried bulk items, grains, pasta, and legumes reside?  Most of what you see here belonged to my mother.  I am a sucker for old glass canning jars and vintage containers.  I grew up looking at these vessels every time I walked into our kitchen. In an accomplished effort to pay homage to my beautiful mom, I decided to remove the doors from this particular cupboard and display my bulk ingredients in her jars.  This way, I can always see when I am running low of something and I can see the woman who inspired me to pick up a spatula.

• So yes…if you have any precious sentimental containers to store your bulk ingredients in, please use them!  If you don’t have anything old, you can always check out all of the great storage solutions at The Container Store.  I don’t want to promote consumerism too much by directing you to a place where you can buy all the things to store your shit so you can buy more shit but, I kinda love some of their stuff.
• Use the same shelving system as you would your spices, keeping the most used items within reach unless you were gifted with the height of “Lurch”.  That’s totally fine.  I won’t really call you Lurch to your face but, I might under my breath because I’m jealous that you’re tall.
• You can use a nice-sized basket to store your pastas that are still in their store-bought packaging if you don’t have enough space for them.  You will always know where pastas will be!
• Keep a few of your favorite cookbooks on the bottom shelf for you to use when inspiration strikes you!  I like to rotate cookbooks every month so they all receive the love they deserve.
• There are a ton of online companies that offer a great variety of bulk items for you to stock up on.  I love Azure Standard for bulk dried beans and grains or Amazon Pantry

Our spice game is just a small lovely corner in our kitchens!  Once you re-set yours, you will want to organize your refrigerator, utensil drawers and get a meal plan into place!  Stick with me as I will be taking organization into our fridges in June!  In the meantime, work on your kitchen pantry re-set and let me know how it goes!  You can share a picture of your own spice space and hashtag #kitchenpantryreset.  I want to see your progress!