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Tips from the pro- The Renaissance Gourmet Angela Tunner on how to organize and keep your kitchen pantry in top form.
The Renaissance Gourmet is professional chef, writer, cookbook author, entrepreneur and broadcaster Angela Tunner. Here, Angela shares with Food Trends readers her Top Ten Tips for an Organized Pantry – especially perfect if you’re a bit behind on your spring cleaning. In Angela’s own words: “Have you ever started cooking only to realize that something has gone bad or you are missing an ingredient (or 2 or 3…) Well you’ll never do that again! Use these helpful tips and avoid cooking interruption and a jumbled pantry. Stay organized and you can also cut your cooking and preparation time. Since I organized my pantry, there have been no mysteries, empty spots nor have I had to stop cooking to go out shopping or abandon a recipe. I only have to shop my pantry and I have everything I need, every time.” Now these are words we can all live by. Part of Angela’s expertise comes from her many years spent as a professional chef in Toronto. She was amazed to find out how restaurants organize their kitchens and why their techniques aren’t more widely implemented in home kitchens. To get your kitchen pantry restaurant-worthy, here are- Angela Tunner’s Top Ten Tips for an Organized Kitchen Pantr1- First step is to clean out your pantry by going through all the items and throwing out items that are too old or past their expiry date. It is important that all the items are fit for eating for your health as well as to prevent these finds mid-recipe. What ever is missing, stock up on your basics (use the ready-to-take-to-market downloadable pantry stocking list on Angela's website) 2- When you organize your shelves, store items like they do in the grocery stores. Sort by category, storing baking and cooking items separately, tallest in the back, and frequently used items where you can immediately see them. 3-When you stack your cans, for easier maintenance and identification of what stock is depleted, mark where the position where items or categories of items are positioned on the shelf. Angela likes to use a label maker like the Brother P-touch 1000. This makes controlling your pantry so much easier. 4-Store all your baking items separately. Use baskets, wire or wood to contain all your baking items, everything you use to bake like your flour, sugar, vanilla, baking soda and powder and getting them to the counter and back is a snap. 5-Need more space? Go vertical with expandable shelves. No assembly, but instantly increases your space. Maximize that space also by using bins or baskets and store those loose items potatoes, onions, or smaller items like soup or sauce packets, sleeves of crackers and cookies out of the box. They also add an element of esthetics. 6-Is there only one sleeve of crackers left and the box is taking up precious space? Store the sleeve in Ziploc storage bags. To ensure the freshness of the items, remove the air by rolling the bag up to press out the air. Be sure to mark it with the date you packed the item. 7-Tidy up your pantry on a regular basis. Keep it clean and free from crumbs and debris for pest free storage. Shake out and wash off your baskets, sweep out or vacuum out food particles off the shelves at least once every 3 to 6 months. 8-Rotate your stock. Anytime you get a new can or container, make sure to place it behind the oldest of the same item so that you are making sure to use the oldest item first. 9-Items rarely used or stored at the back can get forgotten. Make an inventory list of those items in your pantry and never lose sight of your food stock. 10-Do you buy bulk items like beans, rice, pasta or nuts? Buy boxes of Mason jars form the supermarket and store the items in the jars. They look lovely on the shelf but are also practical. They are airtight and you can see easily see what it in each jar. To learn more about Angela's burgeoning culinary empire click here. Her website will also connect you to her informative Blog and eNewsletter. She's currently working on her second book and her first cookbook, Simply Summer: Gourmet Meals Made Deliciously Easy with Tips for Elegant Living, won the prestigious Gourmand World Cookbook Award for Best Easy Recipes for Canada.
The copyright of the article Tips for Organizing your Pantry in Food Trends is owned by Mary Luz Mejia. Permission to republish Tips for Organizing your Pantry in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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