By MICHELLE BERAN
Cottonwood Extension District
I don’t know about your house but the aftermath of the holidays can sure take a toll on my home organization. There are extra boxes and bags, that carton of something at the back of the fridge, and often, just too much stuff!
Karen Blakeslee, K-State food scientist and coordinator of the Rapid Response Center for food science, notes that this can be a great time to tackle cluttered cabinets, crowded refrigerators, and stuffed drawers.
In an article provided by K-State, Blakeslee says, “The start of the new year, everybody’s trying to get organized, clean things out, so why not start in the kitchen area and see what kind of mystery food you might have in your kitchen.”
Her advise is that if a utensil or gadget hasn’t been used in a year or more, it may be time to let it go. Extra items can be donated or passed along to college students or others who are just starting out.
Checking dates is another key step. Spices typically last six months to a year, and canned foods should be rotated so the oldest items are used first. High-acid canned foods, such as tomatoes and fruit, generally keep 12 to 18 months, while low-acid foods like vegetables and soups may last two to five years. Home-canned foods should be used within one year.
Refrigerators and freezers also need regular attention. Blakeslee recommends removing everything, cleaning shelves and drawers by hand and sanitizing surfaces with a mild bleach solution. Labeling and dating freezer items can help prevent forgotten leftovers from lingering too long.
“Things don’t last forever,” Blakeslee said. “But when you organize your kitchen in a way that makes sense, you can save money, reduce food waste and make cooking safer and less frustrating.”
One of my own goals is to go through the kitchen drawers and pantry cabinets to review, pare down, and reorganize. Oh yeah, and I’ll be checking all the labels in the fridge while I’m at it!
Keep learning. Keep showing grace and kindness!
Michelle Beran is a Family and Community Wellness Agent in the Cottonwood Extension District. For more information on this article or other K-State Extension resources, email Michelle at [email protected] or call Cottonwood Extension District – Barton Office at 620-793-1910.