Unless you’re a Stepford Wife, or employ a live-in maid, you’ve probably experienced that feeling of shock and distaste when you discover an ingredient lurking in your larder, desolate and forgotten and long past its best befoer date.

It couldn’t possibly have been there for the past two years. You surely would have noticed an opened, half-used packet of chicken stock nestled between your foil and vat of cooking oil. Or maybe not.

Kitchen storage is unlike other household storage because you’re dealing with food stuffs that have expiry dates, and, more than that, different expiry dates, meaning regular checks are needed to ensure your chicken stock never becomes vintage.

Whether your pantry is a larder, several cupboards, a walk-in room (lucky you!) or a mixture of all, it requires careful maintenance and organisation to keep it in tip-top shape. A clean and organised pantry means your food is kept in hygienic conditions, making it easier for you to find ingredients when cooking and also saving you money as you’ll know exactly what you have stocked and what needs to be replaced when you go grocery shopping.

In order to organise your pantry and maintain it start by emptying it out and cleaning it thoroughly. Next you’ll want to go through all the food items and throw away any that have expired. Those that are very close to their ‘best before’ date can be grouped together with a sticky note attached reminding you to check them again in X number of weeks.

See what foods and other items you have got left and think about placing them in your pantry in a logical order. Don’t stick to old habits if those didn’t work; your cling-film might work better on the top shelf where it’s more accessible than on the bottom shelf of your cupboard. Think of the way you do things in the kitchen and organise the items according to your convenience and lifestyle.

Organise ‘same’ foods together before placing them in your pantry then decide whether you want to store items in containers or keep them loose. This would typically depend on the type of storage that you have. If you have got deep drawers then having a basket to keep everything together is a good idea, though would probably not be practical if you store your food in top cupboards.

There are several storage options available for your different ingredients and other kitchen items. Some cereals or biscuits get opened but are not consumed in one sitting, so storing them in a sealed Tupperware box will help maintain their freshness for longer.

Other containers such as wicker baskets or even your kitchen bowls can be used to hold stuff, especially if you have smaller items such as jelly packets or snacks that have a tendency to get hidden behind other things.

A Lazy Susan is a great storage option for all your herbs and spices as it keeps them contained yet easily available. If you want to be really finicky about your herb rack you can organise them alphabetically so that you won’t have trouble picking out your thyme from your basil.

Once you have organised all your foods together place them in your pantry according to their usage; if you use salt on a daily basis make sure that it’s got front row seating.

‘Soon to expire’ items should also be grouped together and kept towards the front so that you don’t forget about them. Moreover, if you’ve got multiple items of the product, like pasta, these should also be stored according to their best before date.

An organised pantry should allow you to find everything easily and reach it without difficulty. Think of your pantry as a conveyor belt and always move older food to the front to be used up first. Remember to put each item back in its place after using it to maintain the order and to know when things have finished.

Keeping a notepad on the inner door of your pantry where you can list down each ingredient that finishes and needs replacing will help you create your shopping list, meaning you won’t buy extra stuff simply because you can’t remember whether it was penne or spaghetti you needed.

Stock and organise your pantry according to your household needs, so if you live solo or with a partner don’t buy the catering sized versions of condiments. Although they may be cheaper in a size-to-price ratio, if they expire before you manage to finish them then you are literally throwing money away – and not doing yourself any favours when it comes to space.

Most of the tips mentioned in this article can also be extended to other areas such as your fridge and freezer.

Tips

• Always start out by cleaning and clearing out the old stuff.
• Organise same foods together and store by best before date.
• Use baskets, bowls or Tupperware to store smaller items.
• Keep a list of items that have finished so that you can replace and replenish.
• Once organised check your pantry every six months for items that may have slipped past the expiry detection radar.