How Do You Organize You Pantry?

JSEVEN · **How Do You Organize You Pantry?**

Hey everyone.....need ur help??

I got a dilemma on organizing my pantry. It is not a big size walk in pantry but like small size pantry only 4 shelves....more like a coat closet pantry. I got stuff every where. I got so many containers for this and that!?!
I should take pictures but ashame of it.:D

SO give me some tips on organization!!!???

thank you...

dabie

mama2boyz · 08-01-2006, 04:54 PM

I get made fun of for my pantry. It's small too. But I am meticulous (sp?) about keeping it organized! I have the can goods on one shelf, the boxes and baking items on another, and cereals and snacks on the top shelf. there is room in the bottom of it where I keep jugs of juice, paper plates, and extra paper towels.

Jen · 08-01-2006, 09:10 PM

Mine's a mess also. It's small and needs a lot of help. Any more suggestions?

bonna9182 · 08-01-2006, 10:22 PM

This is mine. It's all modularized so I can find everything!

Cricket · 08-01-2006, 11:41 PM

My pantry is just big enough for me to have a time finding things lol!

Now that I have started cooking scratch--day one was a success..yeah me...I went major shopping to fill my pantry of staples....and I DID!

I am worried I will never even remember some of the stuff I have due to the fact that I usually don't have or use them.

Would it be dumb for me to make chart that tells me what to keep on each shelf.I could do it on a wipe off board so that it could be ammended as it changes.

Good idea or more trouble than it is worth?

Also should I keep my flour and sugar in containers and not in the bags?

Thanks for the help! Great thread!

Cricket

2bearsmom · 08-02-2006, 01:56 PM

Susie...I want YOUR pantry! I love everything in the containers...It looks so clean and organized.
My cans go in a cabinet in the kitchen (stacked with labels facing the same way...I'm weirdly anal about everything looking as uniform as possible...prob why I love those canisters so much

) In the pantry itself, I only have 2 small walls and the door to work with b/c it also houses our hot water heater! All dry goods are on one wall (Cereal, dry snacks) the shlef over the heater is rice, noodles, pasta, etc, The door is smaller items, extra bottles, salad dressing, gravy mixes. I just bought a small shelf unit from Aldi's the other day (7.99) and it now sits in front of the water heater and I put the kids snacks on it so they are accessible. And it's light enough to move if we need to get at the heater.

Cricket: I think labelingthe shelves is a great idea...you'll know what you have or need at a glance and not be worried that there is something hiding behind another item.

Oregano · 08-02-2006, 02:00 PM

Luckily I have a lot of cabinet space...so I have one cabinet that has all my canned goods and jarred items like olives, sauerkraut etc

Then I have my 'baking' cabinet where I keep all my flours and sugars etc I don't put them into containers but I do put the bag in a large ziploc.

I don't really have a system except that I don't pack my cabinets totally full where I can't tell where things are or what I have. I do also have a shelf in the basement where I keep extras of things that I use a lot of - so when I grab that last box of _____, I add it to my shopping list to get more.

bonna9182 · 08-02-2006, 02:01 PM

Your dry goods will stay fresh a lot longer in canisters. I have also labeled all my drygoods, especially things like malt powder, instant coffee & hot chocolate. I also put labels on the bottom of my canisters of rice and various noodles that list their cooking times.

ruby1988 · 08-02-2006, 11:40 PM

i drink instant coffee (a sin, i know) and i save the jars. in the last few years, i've collected about 25 jars with red lids and i keep everything and anything in them--coffee, sugar, chocolate chips, nuts, dog treats, pretty much anything i buy in a bag goes into a jar. they are clear, so i can see what's in them. and they stack and line up perfectly in my pantry.

blessed_with_6 · 08-02-2006, 11:47 PM

Okay, I can't afford bonna9182's pantry! LOL I also don't buy anything that goes in clear containers like ruby1988 enough that I could do that one. I like both of these ideas, though! What I DO do is the labeling. I simply took index cards and wrote a header on each one for each shelf and then a list of what is supposed to be on the shelf. For instance, one is "Breakfast Items". On that shelf is the cereal, oatmeal, grits, syrup, pancake mix, poptarts, and hot chocolate or apple cider packets. Another shelf is "Snack Items". This one has popcorn, chips, crackers, marshmallows, mixed nuts, granola bars, etc. It is SO much help to put away groceries, know what to buy in new groceries, and also cuts down on how long I spend having to look for something. If I know it is a breakfast item and it isn't on the breakfast shelf, then I am out of it and SOMEONE didn't write it on "the board" (my white board for groceries!). I'm gonna' have to think on that clear container thing, though. That is a really cool idea...and stuff stays fresh longer.

BONUS! LOL