Friday 10 December 2010

Decanting the pantry

When we moved to the Sow's Ear last year, the kitchen was one of the first things renovated. I didn't bother to unpack the kitchen boxes until it was done.

The kitchen took a lot longer than what we had anticipated. By the time it was ready, I was so over the whole kitchen renovating process and just shoved the kitchen things everywhere and anywhere without proper thought. Silly really...

Every single time there is a post written in Blogtopia about food pantries and pantry organisation I just cringe, thinking about my pigsty of a pantry. I'm afflicted with pantry envy.

And part of the problem is I never decant food packets properly...mostly because I've never had many containers in which to decant. I've remarkably missed that Tupperware Party train that people jump on...!

Newly organised food pantry
 
Today, I finally did a pantry clean out.

Lots of empty packets for the recycle bin
It was such a relief.

I purchased some reasonably priced plastic storage containers and started the decanting process. I'll need a few more larger containers for the items bought in bulk like Basmati rice and flour, and also something for storing spices.

New storage containers

Anyway, I feel much better for my efforts. It was well worth the trouble.

So, do you decant everything or just particular things? And what do you decant into?

13 comments:

  1. When I glanced at your post first time I thought it said decorating the pantry! And I thought, wow, that's dedicated! But your decanting is beautiful...want to come and do mine...I can't find a thing in it. I love those drawers...perhaps that's the secret? That and the containers.

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  2. I love your pantry ... and those slide out drawers are wonderful!

    Actually, I'm in love with your entire kitchen.

    My decanting is dictated to by how many empty tupperware/otherwise containers I have. I did buy some tupperware stuff once - but we have just as many knock-about plastic containers which are probably rotated more often.

    I do love those drawers ... they make a lot of sense. My experience with the pantry clean-out is that it lasts about two seconds. Hope yours is a bit more permanent!

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  3. I am obsessed with Sistema (http://www.sistema.co.nz/) and I now decant everything - had a run in with a bunch of pantry moths who became very comfortable in my cupboard - they're long gone and I am oddly proud of all my flours, sugars, hundreds and thousands, sultanas, oats, coconut all in their own plastic homes. Sad I know but it does make baking and serving breakfast very easy! And as you may have gathered I am NOT terribly organised in any other part of my life...

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  4. I am afraid to say I decant everything and I think it is genetic because my mother is the same.

    Get glass jars for spices. They last longer in glass (I did a post on this, that is how weird I am).

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  5. Those drawers are fantasmic! I think I need to get them for my new pantry in the new house, just remove the shelves once I've moved in.

    But I do need to 'decant' my current pantry before my mother arrives on the 23rd! Maybe I can hold out and survive the embarrassment and she'll do it for me!

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  6. I decant! Cereal, flour, pasta, rice, sugar, lentils, the kids, you name it! Tupperware parties solely to blame.
    Your drawers look so organised! Well done, you can stare at them all weekend feeling very pleased with such organised pantry perfection.

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  7. I am a tupperware addict. Yep I jumped on the train but got off a few years ago thank god. Feels good though to have a clean out. Once when we moved about 4 years ago my Mum helped me and we found curry powder from 1992 (my husband took his mothers when he moved out of home)!!!!!!!

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  8. I love everything tipped into little containers too - makes it all look so much tidier. I have a mixture of cheap Decor containers and also some cannisters from Freedom all labelled with my little labeller. I had a bit pantry tidy recently too and every time I opened the pantry door it made me smile - enjoy yours!! x

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  9. Why is it when I read your post title I thought about decanting wine? Yes, I decant a few things, mostly cooking ingredients, along with rice, spaghetti, cous cous and dog bickies if I'm feeling energetic.
    Ps love your kitchen!

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  10. I bought a plastic spagetti container last year, but that's about it. By the way, what do/did you use the Palm Sugar for? I bought some of that a couple of years ago, and haven't used any of it.

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  11. Tom, I use palm sugar for Thai cooking. I also use it when making dressing for a gingered Thai rice salad. The dressing is oil, lime juice, fish sauce, palm sugar, sweet chilli sauce, ginger and chilli powder. Delicious!

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  12. If you remember the wonderful institution that was Gail's Deli in Paddington, you may also remember how she used to put all her giant pickle and Hellman's jars outside her door for people to recycle before it became eco-chic. They have been the basis of my storage system for years now and I love that they have history.

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  13. I have jsut tidied up my pantry and what a waste of food. It was so cluttered I had half open and stale repeat items. The problem items are the bags, bits of rice and noodles. It does feel great to have it sorted.

    Yours looks wonderfully organised now!

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