Time For A Pantry Refresh

If you live in Spartanburg and have a pantry, there’s a possibility that there are items in there that are way past their sell-by date. It could be anything from that jar of exotic spices you bought years ago, tried once and forgot about, bags of some comestible that has now fossilized or a cleaning product that is so old that it’s separated into its component chemicals. Even if everything in your pantry is still usable or edible, it may be more than a bit of a mess. It’s time your pantry got a review, and here is how to do it.

Take everything out of the pantry

First, take everything out of the pantry. One tip is to place all like items together. For instance, put the herbs and spices together, put snacks such as potato chips and popcorn together, and put wraps such as aluminum foil, wax paper and plastic wrap together as well. You’ll sort out whether they’re still good or not later. 

Now, clean the pantry. Scrub away all spills, and vacuum up dust, dead bugs and other debris. Then wipe down the pantry with wet (but not sopping) microfiber cloths from top to bottom and disinfect it. Let the pantry dry out before putting everything back.

Review and sort out pantry items

To sort out pantry items, you might want to take a page from clothing donation. Find three large boxes and label one for keeping items, one for donating items and the last for tossing items out. Each pantry group has its own criteria as to whether it’s kept, donated or thrown out. For example, you can tell whether a jar of spices is still fresh through the smell test. Though some spices can stay potent for years if they’re kept in a cool, dark, dry place, a way to tell if they’re still good is to sniff them. Throw away a jar of spices that smells like dust.

You may also find that most of the pantry items you donate are canned foods. Canned foods can last for many years, but if the can is bulging, if its lid has split open or if it’s very rusted, you’ll need to discard it. Donate undamaged cans of food that you know you’ll never eat to a food pantry. Food that comes in jars can also last for a long time as long as the lid is airtight, but check the expiration date.

Consider renovating your pantry

You can store like items in designated bins, baskets, lazy Susans or tiered shelves. If your budget allows, you can give your pantry a makeover whether it’s an entire room, a closet or a pantry tucked into a corner of your kitchen. Professionals like those at Shelf Genie offer ideas such as easy-to-use, space-saving glide-out shelves that make your pantry as orderly and attractive as the most meticulously planned grocery store. 

If you want to learn more about how to review what’s in your pantry, go to HomeMag’s pages on Facebook. Don’t forget to visit Instagram as well.