The Well Organized Pantry

Today's economy makes food storage a necessity. A loaf of bread at the supermarket bakery can cost up to $6, and it will likely be loaded with sodium, high fructose corn syrup, food coloring, artificial flavors, conditioners to keep it soft, and strong preservatives to keep it from going moldy. You can make that same loaf of bread at home, without all those bad-for-you ingredients, for 25 cents. Better yet it will be hot and fresh from the oven rather than a cold loaf in a plastic bag.

As we turn away from expensive, prepared, packaged goods that fail to provide our nutritional needs, we discover the way to save the most is by purchasing wholesome ingredients on sale and in bulk, and prepare our own food. But where do we store these items? How do we store them to maximize their shelf life? How do we organize our space? We do not want to waste money on unnecessary purchases. We want to use our food and not keep it hidden away until it spoils.

 

What is a pantry?

A pantry is a place where you store your grocery items, beverages, linens, utensils, and even small appliances when not in use. Your 'pantry' may be one or more kitchen cabinets. Or it could be a closet or small room off the kitchen. You may utilize a spare bedroom, or have a large basement storage area. Wherever you decide to store your food and kitchen items is your pantry.

An efficient, functional, well organized pantry is high on the list of effective money saving practices. If you can take advangage of store sales, coupons, discontinued items, bulk buys, and buy produce and meat in season when the prices are lower, you can cut your food budget to the bone, and you have a tangible insurance policy against personal and natural disasters. You can stand with pride in front of a pantry brimming with the foods you and your family love to eat, and know obtaining it did not break the bank.

 

What you store is entirely up to you.

No two families eat the same items or in the same quantities. So why would the contents of any two pantries be the same?

While there are many websites and videos showing off pantries belonging to other people, yours should be unique to you. It should be filled with the types of foods you and your family enjoy.

Don't go out and fill up your cabinets with rice and beans if you never eat rice or beans, just because someone else has a huge supply. Fill your pantry with the foods you do eat. Then, when you prepare your meals, you will be assured you have a selection that will please your family.

There are some general rules, however, to help everyone improve their food storage.

 

Stock a variety of foods within type.

Avoid food fatique and broaden your cooking options. Don't just store wheat, store a variety of grains. Include oats, barley, quinoa, rice, and corn in your food storage. Do not store just one brand of non-fat milk powder. Stock Nido, condensed and evaporated milk, parmalat, and baker's milk. Honey is an excellent storage item, but you should have granulated sugar, powdered 10x, molasses, and agave in your store of sweeteners. Store lots of ingredients that add flavor to meals - spices and dried herbs, tomato powder, dehydrated onions, soy sauce, gravy mix, powdered cheese, and soup bases.

 

Maintain balance overall. 

As you stock your pantry, it is tempting to purchase a large amount of one type of item, such as 500 lbs of rice, or 60 jars of mayonnaise, because you found a good deal. It is a mistake to buy very large quantities of any one item if it is at the expense of other items necessary for a well rounded pantry. 500 lbs of unseasoned plain rice may keep you alive for a while but it sure won't be fun - and I don't want to picture you with 60 jars of mayo and a spoon. Stock your pantry so it will provide you with meals for a week, then work on building a supply of that will feed you for a month, then two, then four. How large you want your pantry to be depends on your circumstances and needs, but by maintaining balance within your stocks, you insure a well balanced diet should you need to depend fully on your own supplies.

 

Cleanliness.

The most important word of advice when it comes to organizing your pantry is, keep it spotlessly clean. Open and spilled packages invite infestation, vermin, and spoilage. The mouse or roach that is attracted by the odor of a few grains of cereal on a shelf will stay and chew through a dozen boxes, nest in cracks in your wall and bring dozens of friends and family members to feast on your larder.

Inspect the area you will use as your pantry before stocking it. Caulk and seal all cracks. Put a fresh coat of paint on the walls and shelves. Line the shelves with shelf paper, to make cleanup easier. Properly package your foodstuffs and wipe up any spills as soon as they happen. Never store partly opened packages or sticky jars in your pantry. Once opened, recap or repackage in airtight container, and if necessary store in the refrigerator according to the manufacturer's instructions.

 

Create Zones.

Store your most used items where they will be handy. Stash your little used items away out of sight.

1. Fingertip access. There are certain items you use almost every time you cook. Olive oil, salt and pepper and other common spices, dried herbs and thickeners should be stored on the counter or in cabinets near your prep area.
2. Frequently used items. Condiments, jarred sauces, canned tomato products, pastas and grains, broth, ethnic foods, baking supplies, oils, etc. should all be in a large cabinet or panty just a few steps away from your prep area.
3. Storage. Home canned and dehydrated foods, sales items, and bulk purchases should be put away for long term storage, but also easily accessed so you can remove items as needed. Keep your significant storage in under bed containers, large shelves in a spare bedroom, basement, or a locked outside shed.

 

Keep like with like.

Group like items with like items. Keep all of your breakfast cereals together. Keep all of your oils in the same spot. All of your cans of soup should be stacked together. Condiments should all be on the same shelf. Do you enjoy ethnic cooking? Keep your Mexican, Chinese, Carribean, or other speciality items grouped together.

Grouping like with like is not only handy when it comes to finding and choosing the items you need, when you put similar items together you subject them to the same storage conditions.

 

The five enemies of food storage.

The four enemies of food are: oxygen, light, moisture, temperature, and pests.

1. Oxygen. Exposure to air will make baked goods such as cookies, crackers, and cereal go stale. Air accelerates the process that turns oils rancid. Exposed to air, food will change color and texture, and pick up natural yeast and mold cultures that spoil food.
2. Light. Light robs food of nutrients, it fades colors, and it contributes to oils going rancid.
3. Moisture. Moisture, in combination with air, will make grains and baked goods spoil quickly.
4. Temperature. Below freezing cans may burst, moisture will be pulled out of food in the form of ice crystals, and texture will change.  When it is too hot, food loses nutrients very quickly. At 90 degrees even long term survival foods will last only 6 months before noticable changes in the taste and texture. Heat will also accelerate spoilage.
5. Pests. Insects and rodents not only eat your food, they also contaminate food. Insects lay eggs and insects and rodents leave feces, and introduce moisture through urine and saliva that causes disease, spoilage and very harmful mold.

Your first line of defense is proper packaging. This pretty much depends on where you intend to store your food items. Anything that comes in a can or a jar should be left in the can or jar, while loose, bagged, or boxed items should be repackaged. While plastic bags will suffice for a home that does not have pests, those that do have a pest problem or have a potential problem (such as people living in high density housing or rural areas) should invest in heavy grade plastic or metal containers to protect their food.

Consult our section on Food Storage and our Food Storage Guidelines for proper storage conditions and recommended packaging for longest storage.

 

Clever ideas for food storage.

Many of today's "modern" homes and apartments assume the residents will take all their meals outside of the home, and as a result have very small, limited function kitchens. Residents must get creative when it comes to food storage within the home. Some clever ideas are:

Use bedrisers to raise your bed and store food in boxes or cases underneath.

Unused space in closets can be utilized for food storage.

Use the space under skirted sofas and chairs.

Stack boxes or cases and cover with a tablecloth. Tuck the ends in to make it look like an upholstered hassock or table.

Stack boxes in an unused fireplace and cover with a decorative screen.

Use space behind furniture. Shelves the width of one can can be hidden behind wall units.

landoftheblueflower has an extremely clever idea for storing 500 cans in a small space behind her couch: