The momentum of the new year has me inspired to do a clean sweep in my kitchen, so I can start 2013 with a pantry, fridge and freezer full of fresh and inspiring ingredients. Unfortunately, I don't have a full day to tackle this project, so I'm breaking it down into steps that can be completed in 20 minutes or less per day for five days. Want to join me? Start today and by Monday morning your kitchen will be cleaned out and ready for a new year of cooking.
Don't forget to bring a notebook and pen into the kitchen with you to make a list of all the items that are being tossed out and will need to be replaced.
Day One: Spices
Go through all the spices in your pantry and get rid of any that are past their prime. (Give them a quick sniff if you aren't sure; if a spice no longer smells pungent and fresh, it's worth replacing with a new bottle.) While you're at it, check your baking soda and baking powder and toss out the old stuff or save it for cleaning.Day Two: Oils & Grains
Sniff or taste all the oils stored in your pantry or fridge and get rid of any bottles that have a rancid or unpleasant odor or taste. Give your flours and grains a sniff, particularly any whole grains, and toss any with an "off" smell, a sign that the oils in the grains have gone bad. Check for signs of pests like grain weevils.Day Three: Nuts & Seeds
Check all the nuts and seeds in your pantry and freezer by sniffing or tasting them, checking for rancidity or freezer burn. Throw away anything that smells or tastes bad.Day Four: Condiments
Go through all the condiments in your refrigerator, tossing any that have gone bad, are long past their expiration date, or are unlikely to ever be used again. While you're there, clean out old leftovers and any other questionable fridge residents.Day Five: Freezer
Excavate the depths of your freezer and get rid of items that are freezer-burned or otherwise unusable. Move older items to the front, so they will be eaten before they go bad.
Do you have any tips for cleaning out your pantry, fridge or freezer? Is this a project you'll be tackling soon?
Related: Spring Clean Your Pantry: 5 Great Tips
(Image: Christy of Eleven Magnolia Lane)
How To Cook Fluffy, Tasty Quinoa
Perfect Summer Cocktail Recipe: Honey Bourbon Lemonade
Good Food to Share 
The Big Book of Small, Cool Spaces 
Apartment Therapy Presents 
The Eight-Step Home Cure 
Elizabeth Apron fro...
100 DIY Ideas for the 3-Day Weekend
Danielle's Charming, Classic Walk-Up
personally, when it comes to time to organize fridge and pantry it's so messy that it's much easier to take everything out (of fridge or pantry, not both at the same time) then clean all the food crud off the shelves on one go, and restack it all. Rather than doing little sections and coming back to it. Cuts down on trips out to the compost bin, etc, when all done at the same time :)
Don't clean it periodically - date your stuff and use it first.
I keep a basket of "use-it-now" items in the freezer so I check there first. Same with produce - use it up in soup or salads before shopping. That's what's on our menu - what "has" to be used.
I don't have to do much to keep up that way. Why feed the compost bin when I could feed us.
I think this has inspired me to get into the pantry this weekend, I know there are things in the back I haven't looked at in over a year...time to start fresh!
I decided I needed to work through my pantry, so I've got a moratorium on dry goods for the moment. I'm hoping it will help keep the winter blues at bay too, as I'll only be buying fresh things until I've used up the last adzuki bean.
Well, I guess that's the upside of having a moth infestation -- my pantry is now as clean as a whistle and whatever is left is fresh.
(I don't know what it is about adzuki beans, but I hung onto those through 3, maybe 4, moves. Never did whip them up into 3 beans drinks...)
I definitely want to join you! I'm always finding I have 10 packets of something or an out of date jar of an ingredient I simply "had to have" that never got used.
What a useful and practical guide :)
Before pitching expired foods willy nilly... may I point out another article TheKitchn posted yesterday? Just sayin... no need to waste food unnecessarily.
http://www.thekitchn.com/throw-away-expired-food-not-so-fast-food-news-182105
as opposed to the useful comments above which actually focus on the content, I was struck by the photo -- what a great idea, to put chalkboard paint on the inside of the pantry door and use it for grocery lists and menu planning! genius! (ok, I'm probably the last person in the world to find this revelatory...)
I want to paint the doors like that...looks like a few extra days but how cute!
I also check my medicine cabinet this time of year and dispose of any out of date items - I hand them into the Pharmacy for disposal.