Food Storage Series Part 3: The Kitchen Cupboards

Kitchen cupboards hold a lot of things: dishes, small appliances, table linens, and of course, food. We only have a few cupboards in the kitchen dedicated to food, so I keep the majority of my pantry items in the storage room downstairs (see Parts 1 and 2).

Our kitchen cupboards are for:

• food we use every day (cereal, crackers, raisins)
• food packages that are already open (bread crumbs, corn meal, rice)
• cooking basics (spices, oil, vinegar, sugar)
• a few canned goods that we use often (I bring up a few at a time)
• food that's expiring soon- to remind me to use it (right now two cookie mixes)
• any ingredients for this week's dinners that I had to pick up at the store
  

I don't worry about keeping the cupboards too organized because we're always rotating through things so quickly.

I also keep some fresh items on the counter so I never forget to use them up. I keep a basket for potatoes, onions, and garlic. These things might keep better in a dark space (like under the cabinet), but I found I use to forget what I had on hand.


I also keep fruit like bananas, peaches, mangoes, and pears in a basket until they are ripe.

I probably have more space in my current kitchen than I need for food. Even if you don't have much cupboard space, you can function pretty well if your serious food storage is well organized and easily accessible.