4 Fall Pantry Organization Tips for A Stress-Free Thanksgiving

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Prepare for Thanksgiving with Smart Spaces’ 4 Fall Pantry Organization Tips

The key to organizing your pantry in time for Thanksgiving is to start early. As soon as you see holiday food items start to go on sale, the time is ripe for fall pantry organization. At the very least, give yourself several days to make sure you have everything needed to create the ultimate Turkey Day feast. Here are some of the best tips to get organized and stay stress-free this holiday season from the experts at Smart Spaces in Fargo.

1. Start with a blank slate

As is true with any organization project, you’ll need to clear out the old to bring in the new. Remove everything from your pantry and sort items into piles. We suggest the following categories:
• Canned goods
• Boxed foods
• Kitchen appliances
• Baking supplies
Pay attention to the expiration dates of everything you sort. It’s not uncommon for items to get shoved to the back of the shelf and forgotten. Make note of these cans and packages and think about where you can store them next time to avoid expiration. Throughout this process, you should also keep track of what you already have for your recipes and what ingredients you will need to purchase.

2. Transfer to containers

Reducing clutter sometimes requires a change of scenery. It’s easy to overbuy cereal, pastas, sugar, flour, and other dry ingredients when they are hiding in boxes and bags. Transfer these items into clear, air-tight containers and label them with the date their original packages were opened. You’ll have a better idea of what you have in your pantry and what you will need for the big day!

3. Organize by recipe

The typical Thanksgiving dinner includes several recipes for appetizers, salads, a main course, side dishes, and desserts. With so much to keep track of, it’s easy to think you have enough of one ingredient only to be left scrambling with emergency trips to the supermarket for flour at the last minute. Find a couple of small bins and complete as much food prep as possible a few days before Thanksgiving.
Portion out baking supplies such as flour, baking soda, sugar, and chocolate chips in their own small containers or plastic bags, then group all the items into a bin that is labelled with the recipe itself. You can complete the same process for items that need to be refrigerated, such as fruits and vegetables. Make sure to carefully label what is included in each bin.

4. More labeling!

Once you have divided your ingredients into their separate recipe receptacles, you’ll want to store them according to where they will be served in the meal. For example, the supplies needed to make green bean casserole should be housed near the ingredients for your world-famous stuffing because they are both side dishes. As Fargo’s leading pantry organization experts, we suggest making sure that your cooking utensils and appliances are easily accessible. You won’t want to waste valuable time moving fine china, punch bowls and other seldom-used cookware the morning of Thanksgiving.
Smart Spaces of Fargo hopes that you have a wonderful holiday with your loved ones and that these easy-to-follow pantry organization tips will help you enjoy your time more and stress less. Contact us for information about designing a pantry storage system for your family’s unique needs today!