I live in a busy home. Almost everybody has a work to go to, and stocking food in the pantry is one of our ultimate savior for days when we don't have enough time to prepare home-cooked meals. Or when the fridge runs empty.
It's not implausible that we store instants and canned goods. But there are times when we forget about them for even more than a month or two- or worse, a year.
Are these food stuffed inside the pantry still safe to eat?
Here are few tips I got, with a set of photos from my pantry inspiration on Pinterest.
1. Food check
Don't store food in the pantry for too long. A good way is to use everything within a year or less, or before it expires. If you have tendencies to forget what you store, like we do, put labels on the items with the date when you bought or opened them.
Rule of thumb is if it already smells awfully unusual, or canned goods look distorted and strangely open- automatically discard them. Said it's better to spend on new sets of stock of food than pay a painful cash for hospitalization due to botulism.
For labeling, here are dainty pantry labels you can make use for your home. I like the idea of putting fresh colors, vintage prints and shapes together. That way, your pantry would look organized and lively that you can work fine in fettle.
2. Turn to hard plastics
Pieces of food that are left in their original packaging after opening them can lose flavor, color, and nutrients. A good solution is to transfer them in bottles and hard plastic containers- use dry spoon if they need to be scooped (milk, coffee, sugar, cooking and baking powders)- to keep them from moisture and pests.
3. Practice "First in, first out"
Make use of older stocks first before the newly bought ones. Otherwise, do not buy or ram in new items with the old when they're not yet really needed.
4. Keep the storage area clean and dry
Canned goods, uncooked noodles, and cereals can be stored at room temperature. We know that it's always safer and convincing to use food items that are stashed in a clean and dry storage area.
5. Place your stocks at the right containers
Powdered items like milk, sugar, coffee, creamer, and juice are best kept in transparent and labeled containers.
Hors d'oeuvre or light meals such as candies, baked goods, biscuits, and the likes should be stored in airtight glass jars or containers to prevent spoilage. Or store them in clean baskets but make sure they're not yet opened.
Rice, the most common food stored under kitchen shelves, should be stored in jars.
Liquid goods in sachet packs like seasoning mixes and other condiments should be transferred in transparent plastic containers or jars with covers and labels.
On my next post about pantries, I'm sharing handful tips on how to organize, clean, and purge items that can no longer be used. Homemaking has just been a useful thing to learn. Stay tuned!
Photo Credits:
pinterest (dot) com
