Winter Will Do

My passion for organizing closets is well known, but I am afraid it doesn’t extend to the kitchen cupboards.
However, with the onset of the cooler weather and the growing anxiety of getting a little holiday baking scheduled in, I think it’s time to do a little refresh in the kitchen.

My son recently cleaned us out of canned goods as part of a food drive his school was collecting for, so this weekend when I am shopping, I plan to stock up on canned beans, lentils, and tomatoes to be ready for a winter’s worth of soups, chilis and stews. When I put them back, I am going to attempt to reorder the cupboards, putting the items we use most frequently at the front of the cupboard. I am also going to replace my whole wheat and white flours and baking soda—some chefs suggest they don’t last much more than a year, so fall is a good time to start fresh, especially if you are like me and rarely bake in the summertime.

And in preparation for the holiday season, I am going to replace any spices that I anticipate using in the next little while (cloves, cinnamon and sage are some that come to mind)—many spices have a short shelf life, and you can tell by how fragrant they are when they need to be replaced. And last but not least, to free up some precious space in the fridge, I am going to track down all the summer condiments (come here, relish!) and throw them out. We’ll start again together next summer.

Not including the grocery shopping part, I think this can all be done in 30 minutes, and I will be in good shape for a cozy cooking winter.

What are your winter kitchen prep tips? I would love to hear them.