Note: this piece first appeared in the May 2007 issue of Clark Wellness ForkBytes.
Spring has finally arrived! The fresh energy of new plants, blue skies, and warmer weather inspires many of us (including me) to clean house — both internally and externally. To support your internal cleansing, I’ve shared information on the most important inclusion for any cleansing regimen below. To help with the external side, I’ve invited organizational expert Erica Ecker, The Spacialist, to share her favorite kitchen organizing tips. Erica helps her clients create beautifully clutter-free, inviting spaces, all with a calm, cool, reassuring, and non-judgmental style. Read on for her contribution to Clark Wellness May ForkBytes!
Quick Tips for Organizing Your Food
by Erica Ecker
Strap on your apron and grab your water bottle — we’re going to organize the food in your kitchen!
This adventure has 3 different components:
- Fridge food
- Freezer food
- Pantry food
Let’s get started. Your food lives in one of three places: the fridge, the freezer, and the pantry. The first step is to remove, compost and recycle any expired foods. This chart published by the government and this chart about pantry foods will help you determine your food’s edibility.
Fridge Food:
- Dilemma: You don’t have adequate storage on the door for condiments.
- Remedy: Use a low rectangular bin to unify jams and jellies. Use another one to unify mustards, relishes, ketchups, and chutneys. Of course, slap a label on to identify the categories.
- Dilemma: You never know exactly where to find your food. Is your yogurt hiding behind the tofu or the cottage cheese? Is that a baggie full of cooked carrots or leftover Tandoori chicken?
- Remedy: Use each fridge shelf for a different category of food. For example, use the top shelf for all leftovers. Use the middle shelf for all bread and dairy products. Use the bottom shelf for all meat, poultry, and fish products. Label accordingly so you never have to hear you spouse say, “Honey, where’s the butter?”
Freezer Food:
- Dilemma: The frozen peas, berries, and nuts are all mingling together. Whenever you’re looking for your frozen blueberries, you encounter an avalanche of frozen peas and nuts.
- Remedy: Utilize bins on shelves to separate the berries from the vegetables from the nuts from the breads. And then label the bin with its appropriate category so all the strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries are stored in one bin labeled “Berries.”
Pantry Food:
- Dilemma: Not enough room to store your cans and jars.
- Remedy: Attach this elfa door system and you’ll get as much extra space as you desire.
- Dilemma: You have an extensive spice collection but never seem to use it because all the jars are jam packed in the cabinet and it’s just too darn hard to find the oregano when you have to dig past the basil, thyme, sage, rosemary, bay leaves, onion powder, and cumin.
- Remedy #1: A turntable on a high shelf will let you store and spin your spices so that not even your favorite paprika will be lost in the back. Take it up a level and arrange them alphabetically.
- Remedy #2: Seek out wall space and put up a magnetic strip for spice storage.
- Remedy #3: Have extra drawer space? Slide in one of these handy spice drawer organizers.
For more tips on organizing everything in your life, sign up for The Spacialist’s weekly tips, Space Treats, delivered fresh every Friday morning into your email box.
Live in New York City? Call The Spacialist at 212-924-4383 and see how we can help you get out from underneath your stuff and get organized!
