I find myself reorganizing my pantry twice a year, typically in the spring and fall, due to various factors such as altering food preferences, stockpile modifications, acquiring new equipment, and the need to adapt. To assist you with your own challenges, I have compiled a list of organization tips. Whether you are experienced in organizing or a beginner, I truly hope that one of these ideas will aid you in gaining some control over the accumulation of preparedness clutter.
Assess Your Storage Space
Start by assessing the storage capacity within your house. This assessment will aid in determining the quantity of food you can store and the optimal approach to utilizing the space. Take into account unused spaces like underneath the bed, in closets, or possibly in the garage. Remember that for preserving quality and extending shelf life, it is important to store food in cool, dry, and dark areas.
Use Clear, Stackable Containers
To save space and keep track of your supplies, consider using clear, stackable containers. This will enable you to easily see and remember the food items you possess, as well as their expiration dates. By using stackable containers, you can optimize vertical space and efficiently store a larger quantity of items in a reduced area.
Rotate Your Stock
In order to keep your emergency food supply fresh, implement a rotation system known as “first-in, first-out.” This entails consuming the oldest items before replacing them with newer ones, ensuring a continuous availability of fresh emergency food while minimizing food wastage.
Diversify Your Food Choices
To have a comprehensive emergency food supply, it is important to have an assortment of non-perishable items such as canned fruits and vegetables, dried pasta, rice, and grains. Additionally, including long-lasting milk and protein sources like canned meats and legumes is crucial. Remember to also add high-energy snacks like nuts and granola bars. By diversifying your stock, you guarantee a well-balanced diet in situations of emergency.
Consider Special Dietary Needs
If there are any individuals in your household with dietary requirements or allergies, it is essential to include appropriate food items in your emergency storage. This holds particular significance for those who have gluten intolerance, lactose intolerance, or nut allergies.
Keep a Food Inventory
To effectively manage your emergency food supply and know when to replenish or rotate items, it is important to keep a comprehensive record. This inventory should include the quantity of each item and its expiration date.
Putting Lable to Organize
- Label everything! Have you ever picked up a mystery package from the freezer and can’t identify it? Think back to when you put it in the freezer and thought, “That won’t be hard to figure out later…” LABEL IT! (and let me tell you – you can get obsessed with labeling everything in your house with this guy! But I also just use a piece of masking tape and sharpie, too!)
- Oldest foods upfront to use first – this isn’t just about rotation, but about setting your pantry up in the first place. You should keep the oldest food to the front so that you can use it quickly.
- Use totes for organizing the same kinds of foods or packing in meal plans. Here are just a few organizing tips:
- Keep a tote for sewing supplies;
- Keep a tote for first aid supplies;
- Keep a tote for cleaning supplies, etc.;
- Emergency kits for each member of the family.
Additional Tips
- Don’t store items that are sensitive to weather changes outdoors. Food products should be kept inside, but paper goods can be kept in outdoor storage as long as it is critter-proof.
- Keep a running list of your inventory always. Not only will it help you not overby in an area and potentially waste money and resources, but it will also allow you to see weak areas and plan accordingly.
- Label buckets, bags, and unidentifiable containers not only with names and expiration dates but cooking instructions, too. You can print out the instructions or write them on an index card and tuck that into your package or tape it to the outside. It’s handy to have it in your food storage binder, but even better to have it right on the package.
- Don’t overstuff totes or buckets with more than you can carry by hand or by the tool.
Organizing Tips
- Line your open shelves. If you like using the pretty metal kitchen storage stations, use a thin sheet of styrofoam or plexiglass or other rigid material to line the shelves to keep things from falling in between the slats. There are some specially made liners, but you could also use some of the inexpensive cutting boards you can get at the dollar store to convert, too (I did that for my Nesco Dehydrator, too!)
- Try to use square storage canisters to not waste space – or at least try to organize with the same system to make storing on shelves easier.
- Create shelving units in unexpected places to add more storage. Think bin storage on your garage ceiling, removing the drywall and storing between studs, finding cubby holes in your house, and putting in shelves.
- Use bins from other storage systems (think garage or automotive)
- Alphabetize things to make them easier to find.
- Keep a notebook full of information on:
- What you have stored?
- Where do you have it stored?
- Expiration dates or purchase dates especially for things like fuel, equipment, etc.
- Use a color-coding system for things like food, water, first aid, camping equipment, etc. If you’re doing something like bucket storage or tote storage, you can choose the Gamma lid or tote color for each segment of your storage.
- Use a bookshelf with a pretty fabric covering the front to store things in boxes and baskets.
Final Thoughts
Having an organized food storage is the best thing because it will make it easy for you to find what you need. Moreover, it will be convenient to have a system that is easy to keep track of. Additionally, keeping things in order will have a significant impact. As a result, we hope that these tips will assist you.
