Cleaning My Flower Room Pantry
What are your spring cleaning projects?
Every home-chef knows that a great cooked meal begins in the pantry. And, if you can keep it stocked and organized, it will serve you well. Earlier this week at my farm, we took advantage of a cold, rainy day to reorganize and clean the long pantry in my Flower Room. It can be a time-consuming task, but the end result is always very satisfying. Plus, cleaning a pantry periodically not only keeps it in good order, but eliminates unnecessary trips to the store.
Enjoy these photos.
-
- On one side of my carport, not far from my Winter House, I have what I call my Flower Room and outdoor kitchen. It is where we do a lot of the cooking and baking for large parties, and television shoots. It is also where I store a lot of equipment and pantry essentials.
-
- In the back of the Flower Room is this long hall pantry. Long, sturdy shelves line the entire length of the room on one side.
-
- Here is the same wall from the other end leading to my carport. From a distance, these shelves may look neat and tidy, but many items are out of place and need to be reorganized.
-
- To start, my assistant, Shqipe, removed many of the items from the shelves. This is also a good time to consolidate like items if possible.
-
- These shelves are not deep – just about a foot. as items are moved, each shelf is wiped down with a damp cloth. Most surfaces can also be cleaned with mild cleansers if needed – just rinse with a damp sponge, and dry with a clean, absorbent cloth to stop streaks from occurring.
-
- I use a lot of these small handy coated stainless steel shelves. They increase storage space without losing accessibility. They are available at home and kitchen supply stores.
-
- I also like to use stainless steel trays, such as these, to keep smaller items together.
-
- When organizing items, keep like products together, facing front, so labels can be seen easily.
-
- And be sure to heed expiration dates, keeping newest items in the back.
-
- Many spices and baking staples lose potency after six months to one year, so get rid of these items as you clean. Otherwise, most canned and bottled goods, such as preserves, pickles, and relishes, can be kept, unopened, for up to one year.
-
- On this tray, Shqipe grouped larger containers of spices as well as other bags of seasonings. If bags are opened, move them to airtight containers to keep them more fresh and away from pests.
-
- The Brother P-Touch is one of my favorite “can’t live without” tools. We use it to label so many things around the farm. Here, Shqipe affixes a label to the tray.
-
- This area is for sanding sugars and other baking essentials.
-
- Oils and vinegars were returned and organized by size and height, so every label was easy to see with often used items in the front. Keep all types of vinegar in their original bottles, and store them in a cool, dark spot.
-
- Everything is accessible and grouped in sections for cooking and baking. My friend, Chef Pierre Schaedelin from PS Tailored Events, often uses items in this pantry when he is here, so it is important that he can find what he needs quickly and efficiently. http://pstailoredevents.com/
-
- Paper goods are kept in one spot on an upper shelf. I always encourage the use of bar cloths for cleaning counter tops when cooking, but we do use paper towels to cover various vegetables stored in the fridge, etc.
-
- I use a lot of these plastic deli containers in various sizes to store many things. They are easy to stack, easy to label and easy to keep organized.
-
- On higher shelves, Shqipe stored these large glass containers that aren’t used too often, but are close by if needed.
-
- On the opposite end of the long pantry, I also keep a variety of smaller vessels, vases, and pitchers for entertaining or for holding cut flowers.
-
- Here is a group of flower frogs. Flower frogs are made of lead, pottery, glass, or bronze and sit at the bottom of a bowl or a vase to hold even the trickiest flower arrangements firmly in place. Ones with holes are suited to the thicker stems of tulips and lilies; and hairpin frogs with wire loops are best for stiff stems and branches.
-
- It is amazing to see how much can fit into a pantry. It looks so much better already.
-
- And of course, I always keep a first aid kit close at hand in every kitchen, pantry and workspace.
-
- On the other side of the pantry, I use these large stainless steel commercial bins for storing some of my other baking needs such as flour. I love these rolling bins – I also use them to store planting mediums in my greenhouse head house and in my stable to store grains for my horses.
-
- And at the end of the pantry, I have a rolling cart filled with stainless steel cookie sheets, lucite cutting boards and drying racks – always ready and within arm’s reach.
-
- The pantry looks great, Enma and Shqipe. What areas are you cleaning this spring? Share your projects with me in the comments section below. There are lots of great tips in my “Homekeeping Handbook: The Essential Guide to Caring for Everything in Your Home”. Everyone should have a copy. http://www.amazon.com/Martha-Stewarts-Homekeeping-Handbook-Everything/dp/0517577003
Martha Pins
Martha Tweets
