Kitchen Storage - It's a personal thing

Much depends on whether your kitchen is more for serious use or for show. The storage should be arranged by the person who is going to use it the most. Again, one of the most important things is not to have storage too high or too deep for practical use. Anything that requires a stool should be considered ‘dead’ storage for items that are used infrequently. Remember that space is space. If you don’t have a lot of kitchen things to put in the dead storage areas, store something else there—out of season clothes, or anything else that you use infrequently.

There are all kinds of handy-dandy storage solutions for kitchens including lazy-susan corner cupboards, pull-out work surfaces, flexible water sources, a whole array of different storage options. Whether you have an architect-designed showplace or a homely arrangement of shelves, whether you have custom cabinetry, or cupboards concealed by dishtowels strung on wires, is entirely up to you and your tastes and pocketbook. It’s your kitchen. Make it work for you.

Your pantry is where you store food that does not need to be refrigerated or frozen. The storage area must be clean and free from any kind of vermin. The storage containers must be bug-proof. The food should be used on a First-in/First out basis and arranged so that it is automatically used that way.

Your refrigerator is where you keep things fresh for several days to a week. The freezer compartment of your refrigerator is for food that will be used within no more than about a month, especially if it is a frost-free freezer.

Your dedicated freezer is where you keep the long-term frozen food. Always appropriately wrap and label food to be stored. Also mark it with your own ‘use by’ date. Keep the food rotated—use up the oldest first. You may or may not save money by using your freezer, but if you use it wisely you can have much more control over your time.

There are many things to consider before you store food for the long term. The recommended storage of enough food, water, and basic supplies for your household for an entire year is a concept worth considering. I doubt whether many people would want to store that much but the idea of some long-term storage is an excellent one. Hurricane Katrina taught us all a little something about preparedness. Whether or not we take that lesson to heart, at least we know we should.

Yes, you should have food, water, and basic supplies on hand. The question is, how much, and where do we put it? The answer is, unless you move around an awful lot or are planning a move shortly, as much as you can possibly store. There are plenty of sites on preparedness on the internet. Our principal concern is food. Frozen food requires electricity. Dehydrated food requires water for reconstitution. For storage, the most efficient food is canned. Buy things that are concentrated nutrition like beans, tuna, chicken. Canned vegetables are not necessarily everyone’s favorites but they have their place. Canned fruit is acceptable. An edible soup could be made with a can of mixed veggies undrained, a can of beans undrained, and a can of broth. Pretty exciting, huh? If we’re talking about that or nothing, well, it starts sounding better. Boston brown bread comes in a can. Evaporated milk comes in a can. Some people are even said to like it.

Store only things you and/or your household will actually eat. Don’t forget pet food! Use your stored foods as, literally, your store. Use the oldest food first, stock the newly-purchased food at the end of the queue. The stored food and supplies also serve as an emergency savings account in the event of illness, unemployment, or some other dire event. Start your emergency storage plan today. The simplest way to start is to just double-stock your non-perishables, then add a little every time you shop until you’ve reached a comfortable, sensible level that you have room for. (Don’t forget all the hiding places, under the beds, in back of closets, in the garage.) Preparedness is a very good thing. Even if you don’t use it, you can always donate to your local food bank.

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