Spring Cleaning Your Pantry

You might think, given that I have written two cookbooks, that my kitchen is huge. Nothing could be further from the truth. My kitchen is only about 100 square feet, and much of that space is taken up by the sink, range, dishwasher, under-cabinet refrigerator, and main refrigerator. The main refrigerator is a compact unit that sits on the same footprint as a dishwasher, but it has plenty of room for our two-person household, including freezer space.

Cabinet space in my kitchen is, therefore, limited. Given that one needs a certain number of pots and pans and utensils, I find that the best place to conserve space is in my pantry cabinets above the counter. This is where I store the staple items that I use regularly, such as spices, flour, sugar, and snacks, such as nuts and dried fruit. Over the years, I have learned ways to maximize my storage space for these items. Here are some tips:

1. Purchase some inexpensive plastic storage containers and use them instead of the manufacturer's packaging for most dry staple items such as flour, pasta and rice. If you drop something, it won't break, and you will find that uniform containers make the most effective use of your cabinet shelves.

2. Groups items according to their intended uses. For example, one shelf is devoted to baking needs, another to spices and flavorings, and a third to dry staples.

3. Spring is a great time of year to re-organize your cabinets. Take everything out of one cabinet and place it on the kitchen counter. Wipe down the shelves and shelf liner, if you use one. Next, sort the items into categories that make sense for the way you cook. If you don't bake, you obviously don't need a separate shelf for those supplies.

4. If you can spare the room on your counter, set out those items that are nearing the end of their useful lifespan. Dried herbs, for example, keep a year at most. And you may have discovered a jar of hoisin sauce you bought on sale and forgot to use. Group those items where you will see them to facilitate using them up.

5. Instead of throwing away aging staples, set aside a day cook them and then freeze the prepared food in appropriate portions for your household. Most such dishes will keep about 6 months in the freezer.

Follow these simple tips to maximize your pantry space and get your kitchen ready for the spring and summer vegetable season!