January is all about getting back to basics, here at The Kitchn. Getting back to basics often means paring down and cleaning up. Now, it's fairly easy to pare down your tools and gadgets; you can see which ones you're using (or not) and hand them off to friends, family or the donation pile. But what about ingredients in your pantry? When do you decide to let something go?
Here are five questions to help you clean out your pantry and make a new start.
1. Do You Have Plans For It? This might seem like a silly question, but if you don't have plans, you'll never buy coordinating ingredients to make something with the item or ingredient in question. So make some plans already!
2. Did You Buy It Because It Was On Sale? Sales aren't bad things, but they can get us purchasing things we don't really need. Assess if the item or ingredient is really something your family will eat and enjoy or if it would be better off in your friend's pantry for them to consume.
3. Is It Opened? Did you open a package and just use a little bit? Is it still within its expiration date? Do you have plans to use it within the next 30 days? If you answered yes to all three questions then you can keep it. If not, kick it to the curb.
4. Are You Saving It For a Special Occasion?: Well, stop it. Make today a special occasion. I don't care if it's a Tuesday. Tuesdays can be special. When we don't take time to enjoy the things we bring into our home, they go to waste. You can't have a memory of an amazing meal you've yet to make.
5. Is There More Than One Way To Use It?: Some ingredients are tricky. If there's only one way that you know of to put an item to use then toss it. No wait, it's 2011 2012, what was I thinking. Google it. Look for recipes including it; for all you know you have a meal ready to go that you never knew you had. (Or heck, send us a photo and a question — we love tackling cupboard challenges!) Plus you'll feel cool for figuring out new things!
Does your pantry need a clean-out, a purge? We're challenging you to get it done, and to make a meal tonight using at least one thing from that store cupboard!
Related: Clearing the Pantry? Make a Free-Form Pasta Casserole
(Image: Flickr member tonydolor licensed for use by Creative Commons)
Why I Became a 1-Gallon Homebrewer
True Greek Recipe: Paximadi Bread Salad with Tomatoes, Feta and Capers
Good Food to Share 
The Big Book of Small, Cool Spaces 
Apartment Therapy Presents 
The Eight-Step Home Cure 
Monterey Pitcher fr...
Smart & Simple Small Space Solution: Angela & Tania's "Murphy Table"
Monica & Austin's Charming Bungalow
So timely. I opened my pantry last night for the salt and thought WOW. I might not have to shop for a while...
Saving it for a special occasion is my crutch! I accidentally let a small bottle of truffle oil go rancid because I was saving it. *face palm* Now I know to use it or lose it! :)
I agree. You must have read my mind this Saturday when I was making my grocery list for the week and realized I only needed to buy produce because my pantry was overflowing with the remaining ingredients.
Um, actually it's 2012 =)
Just finished my pantry purge 2012...it was so liberating!
Ha - right. Fixed!
These are all great reminders. Thank you.
I went through my refrigerators (yes plural) and pantry and then listed the items in a note on Facebook and asked for input from friends on recipe ideas.
Did you have to peel it off the shelf? Does it have things crawling around in it? Et cetera.
i like www.supercook.com for this very reason. when i used it consistently, i saved so much money and wasted so little food. time to reestablish that habit, i think.
That's what I am going to do as i will be travelling soon,..:)
But just a note: If it isn't expired and you're still getting rid of it, donate it instead of tossing it out! Hopefully someone else can make good use of it. :)
My coworker just told me that this week he and his family are ONLY already owned food (freezer/pantry clean out) and are donation their weekly food budget to a local Food Pantry. Granted, he mentioned this while we were grazing on wild greens and he observed that they would really perk up some upcoming blah meals, but I think it's a GREAT way to clean out!
Yes, please! Donate unexpired items to a pantry! I work at a church, and especially now that the holidays are over, people are really hurting for any kind of help, and it gets harder to drum up support when the holiday glow/urgency has worn away - share the love!
Tatterhood mentioned a great clean-out method: a pantry-cleanse diet. We've done this a couple of times (although we will make allowances for fresh veggies). Cleans out your pantry, saves you a little cash, and can force you to be a bit creative with your recipes.
I know you snuck someone into my house for this post. I'm sure of it.
This week, the family gets "the pantry treatment"... say hello to all that meat we've been hoarding in the freezer!