It’s that time of year – pollen is in the air, flowers are in bloom, and cleaning is on the agenda. Purging the kitchen was on my to-do list especially since I look at its clutter at least twice a day. First stop – the pantry. I decided to reorganize AND inspect all the goods for shelf-life dates. As you can imagine, the pantry prowl was a little intense, but I definitely recommend combining the task!
If you’re like me, it’s difficult to find and decode the “best used by” dates, and spices are especially tricky. Best advice – check company websites where you can plug in codes on spice bottles to separate the keepers from those past their prime.
Check out these spice trackers: McCormick http://www.mccormick.com/Spices101/HowOldSpices.aspx, Spice Islands http://www.spiceislands.com/RegisterSpices.aspx and http://www.spiceislands.com/ReplacingSpices.aspx
As for cans and jars, check around the label seams for coded dates. Boxed items typically display coded dates on the top or bottom lid. If you can’t break the code, check out the company’s website. If you’re completely in doubt or you think you remembered moving it from your last house, it’s probably safe to let it go!
Next stop - the refrigerator. Seriously, I must have a collector’s addiction when it comes to condiment jars. They clutter the refrigerator in a way that makes me cringe. So, out with the old, in with the new! It was refreshing!
If you haven’t purged the pantry or spice rack in a while, go for it! And don’t forget to recycle all those glass jars you free up.
Image courtesy faeryboots at Flickr
