In the restaurant biz, this is called "FIFO," or "First In First Out." Unlike some of those crazy molecular gastronomy shenanigans, this is one restaurant trick we can definitely apply at home! Let's take a look...
All FIFO really means is that as you put new ingredients (or produce, frozen foods, leftovers, etc.) away, put them in the back and move the older ingredients to the front. For things like canned tomatoes, onions, and milk that you stock regularly, this ensures that the older products get used first. And also avoids finding that bag of squishy greens buried in the back of the crisper drawer!
We put our rarely-used ingredients in a separate place, and when we buy a new ingredient used just for a specific recipe, it goes there. Again, we try to keep the older ingredients at the front, theoretically ensuring that we see them and use them before their expiration date.
Besides making sure that older things get used first, this kind of cycling also makes you take constant inventory of what you have in your fridge, freezer, and pantry. When these things are fresh in your mind, you're more likely to remember to use them.
What other tricks do you have for remembering to use up ingredients?
Related: Tips and Tricks: How to Avoid Wasting Food
(Image: Flickr member TheGiantVermin licensed under Creative Commons)
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Interesting - I've only heard the term FIFO being used in terms of data structures; to queue data.
Makes sense though. I should probably do this so I'm not finding 5 year old surprise packages.
Good thought. This has been kitchen triage week for me. That means taking inventory of the pantry, cleaning fridge, taking stock of what is in the freezer, assessing what we used and didn't use from our CSA, planning recipes for what is in the house. All of this is in anticipation of our farmers market beginning the first week of April. FIFO can help from the start since spring has sprung.
this is always a great thing to do, its something I always return to every few months when my fridge gets out of hand but eventually falls by the wayside after some groceries are hastily put away on a busy/distracted day. I dont keep a large stock of things ever but it does help with things like yogurt and produce that are really time sensitive.
Recently I was at the office supply store and saw a bin of deeply discounted sticker labels. I treated myself to a few packs and cut them up to thumbnail size (so I now have 100's from a single $1 pack). Ive been trying to date things in the fridge because I am awful about remembering what things are and when they were made/opened etc.
With sometimes 2 people cooking here we have developed a "last chance" section (this weird little slot/shelf thing on the fridge that doesnt really seem to hold anything else) where we put small little remnants of things to remind ourselves and each other there is already half a cut onion or lime etc waiting to be used up. Last night it was practically overflowing so i cleaned it out making a vegetable soup. Have lunch for days out of things that would have otherwise probably gone to waste!
whenever we start running 'low' on food and I'm tempted to go to the grocery store, I try to put it off for another couple days. this forces me to get creative with what I have instead buying new products that are easier to cook with. I've come up with some of my best recipes this way because it makes me think a lot more than grabbing the standards to throw together meals I've made before.
it also helps to have a clean and organized fridge and pantry. when you can see everything easily, you're more likely to use it and you're less likely to buy a similar item when you go shopping.
FIFO is also an accounting term and a principle I've applied in my kitchen for a long time now. Even my husband knows the rules-especially when it comes to perishable items, fresh produce and the like.