Okay, I'll go first: My freezer is a disaster but my pantry is in pretty good shape. Don't worry, I'll show you close-ups after the jump, over abundance of ice cream cartons and all.
• This Week's Assignment: Clean Out Fridge and Pantry
• Cure Clock: Liftoff! 6 weeks remaining
• Cure Takers: 338 and counting...
Welcome, everyone! Happy first day of the second annual Kitchen Cure. There are over 300 of you signed up, wow! This week we want to start you on the path of cleaning out your kitchen.
Haven't joined yet? Join here. It's easy and free. Already signed up and ready to go? Read on for this week's assignments.
First a note on participation: Do your best, and pace yourself. You will have a week to complete each assignment. Many assignments can be on-going through the Cure. Document your progress with photos and discussion on the forum, this way you'll stay in touch with the community and the group will help keep you going. Losing steam? Ask for help!
Week One Assignments
1. Take a BEFORE photo: Get the camera out and take some "before" photos of the scene. Open those cupboards and refrigerator doors and dare to show us the state of things. DO NOT clean things up for the camera. Remember, this is a "before" shot. Submit your photos directly to us and use the "Go For It!" section of the form to write captions for each picture. Submitting your photos gives us permission to post them using the name you provide. This will allow us to learn from each other's projects.
Here's my freezer. You'd think because it's small I'd keep it organized. Between Maxwell's umpteen ice cream containers and my little containers of frozen egg whites and chicken stock, it's chaos. This week I'll take it all out, toss what's too old to eat and cook as much as I can from it, and I'll consider some freezer shelving like I have in my cabinets.2. De-clutter and purge old food: Go through your refrigerator, cupboards, counter-tops and pantry and clean up your food clutter. The foods we have in our kitchens should be fresh and replenished frequently. Take a long hard look at that tin of wasabi powder you got on your trip to Japan three years ago. Re-consider the jar of preserved lemons you got as a wedding favor five years ago. It's brown, you have no idea how to use it, and it takes up energetic space in your kitchen. Toss it. Here are the basic guidelines for de-cluttering your food:
My pantry cabinet (where dry goods and spices live) is in pretty good shape. Maybe I'll add some more jar storage, make sure all my oils are fresh, and give the surfaces a good wipe-down.How to De-Clutter Your Cupboards and Fridge
• In the case of fresh foods or foods with an expiration date - toss or compost it if it has expired.
• In the case of frozen foods, get rid of anything with freezer burn. Foods that have been stored for more than 12 months are generally still safe to eat, but their quality has been compromised. In other words, time to make a big pot of soup.
• In the case of spices and canned foods that have not expired but have not been used in the last 6-12 months, really consider if you'll ever use it. Those saffron threads from your cousin's vacation in Spain, the chunks of star anise you bought once for a recipe but haven't used since... you get the picture. Some ingredients are expensive and may be difficult to part with. If you really think you might use them someday, make a list of these items then put them into a box in the back of a cabinet or under the sink.
• In the case of duplicates (I seem to often have two jars of capers and two boxes of cocoa open at once, not sure why) combine containers and toss one. Or jump ahead and begin to consolidate dry goods into stack-able jars.
3. Clean the cupboard and remaining containers: Take all of what remains and wipe it down with a warm, moist cloth. For containers of oil, for example, that may have a film, you might need to use a cleanser (something earth-friendly diluted with warm water) to cut through the grease. Vinegar and water works nicely, too.
Reminders about photographs:
• If you'd like your progress to be showcased, please Submit your photos directly to The Kitchn. Make sure to explain what's going on in each image.
• We also have a 2009 Kitchen Cure Flickr Group. If you post your photos to this group, please include captions so we understand what's going on in each image.
Whee, Kitchen Cure-ing over Pesach AGAIN this year? Oof. At least most of step one is easily taken care of already! Since Pesach started last week, my fridge and freezer are already pretty nicely cleaned up. The Pesach cupboard is likewise all nice and tidy. The rest... well, the rest could use a goodly bit of cleaning up but that will have to wait until the end of the week when I can re-enter my pantry and unlock those cupboards. Right now, the Chometz containing areas of my world are off-limits even for cleaning.
view Ether Maiden's profile
My freezer could never look like that.... because the ice cream would never last that long!! I love ice cream, so I totally understand all your containers, but mine never lasts very long 'cause I scarf it down asap!
view digigirl's profile
Wow! I'm already ahead! We went grocery shopping yesterday and everything got a good wipe down before we re-stocked the cupboards.
I'll take a few photos today though to show and tell - promise not to laugh - my cupboards looks like I'm stockpiling cans for the winter! :-(
My fridge and pantry are so full because I'm on holidays and this week and planning on making some baby food and soups to freeze. That's my excuse and I'm sticking to it!
view phillippa's profile
I did my kitchen week for the home cure, but I still have things I'd like to do.
I'd like to paint and sew some curtains, find a better mop that I will want to use on a frequent basis (then use my BeeMop for heavy duty cleaning), and learn to cook with lentils and beans.
OH! And learn to use my slowcooker!
view revolution9's profile
well, I got home and took some photos...yikes! I guess i'm just used to the cupboards and freezer being jam packed because I didn't think they looked so bad...until I caught them on film...pretty bad. I will attempt to load the photos tonight. I am cringing as I write this!
view 10021cook's profile
ok, i am seriously embarrassed by the state of my kitchen. especially my fridge. i started cleaning tonight. i have a 2 year old so i'm afraid i won't get more than an hour done per evening. i had already taken out the crisper drawers and cleaned them before i remembered to take photos. so you don't get to see how gross they were, but you DO get to see the gross dried on rotten veggie spill from UNDRE the drawers. Eww...i never look under there!
view WoodNymph's profile
WoodNymph - I'm with you on the two year old. Mine is 2.5! An hour per evening is plenty, don't worry.
view Sara Kate's profile
I took my "Before" pictures and cleaned and organized my cupboards. I ran out of steam and did a half assed job on the fridge and freezer, but at least it's something.
~Mrs. Foss
view MrsFoss's profile
I did my fridge and freezer today. The organization part doesn't look that different but OMG the filth. I am so ashamed, I didn't realize it got so bad, I'm really not a pig! It's sparkling now, tho. I have a pretty small fridge so I think I'll do this at least once a month. It didn't really take that long- maybe an hour or ninety minutes. I think I'd be overwhelmed if it was much bigger tho.
view tinka777's profile
Last night I decided to clear out just the top shelf of my pantry--and found BUGS! AUGH! Little tiny tiny brown ovals. I think they rode in on the organic popcorn, from the look of things. Clear out, clean out, and several items had to be tossed. I'm pretty sure I'll be tossing all the pasta when I tackle my 2nd shelf tonight. (Like WoodNymph I have a little one, so I'm doing a little at a time and that will have to do.)
Blech. But the Cure is already worth it even if I don't get farther than a pantry clean-out.
view cmcinnyc's profile
Planning on some before pics tonight (I was hoping the sun would actually come out here in Detroit, thus making everything look nicer, but we seem to be in for some indefinite dreariness). Our fridge is usually not too bad, but our pantry definitely gets a little crazy. I'm thinking about trying to convince husband that it would be worth it to put a fresh coat of paint down, but we'll see...
view LauraII's profile
I feel you on the pantry bugs. I live in Houston, TX and it's a constant battle. I've had to stop buying any bulk products because they are invariably infested. I keep my four and rice in the freezer because they got infested in sealed containers. They probably had bugs in them before I got them home. Yesterday I had to toss my loose Thai ice tea (I had special ordered it and everything) because it had bugs in it. :(
~Mrs. Foss
view MrsFoss's profile
We get the flour bugs here too. It’s disgusting. I’ve had to toss more than one whole bag of flour because of them. I normally have multiple types of flour (whole wheat, white, buckwheat, rice, etc) and not enough tightly sealed containers, so that’s one of my goals during the cure: Find a convenient, airtight, and attractive way to store my flours and sugars.
view WoodNymph's profile
Live in a small "cabin" (not a log cabin) that doesn't have a true kitchen - just one corner of the 12x16 space.
My fridge is hilariously small - it runs differently than mini fridge types so half the space is taken by whatever it is that keeps it cold. So, it is REALLY tiny. Almost started cleaning yesterday but realized I have to take a photo first. Batteries are charging on camera and will bravely expose the little unit as well as my "pantry". This is going to be fun.
You will see what living in a tiny space without a real kitchen and no running water is like here in Alaska.
view northernxposure's profile
Just moved into my new apartment, so everything was all clean already! I need help stocking fridge, freezer and pantry, and this week I am commiting to laying out the rest of my shelf paper.
view JENK968's profile
We *just* cleaned out our fridge, but more because we're leaving for vacation. Good timing nevertheless! This morning, I sorted our avalanche of spice packets into two plastic takeaway tubs, and sorted our many bottles of oils, vinegars, sauces, etc. into a mildly meaningful order. The pantry is pretty spare as it is, but it's all tidy now! (Didn't get to take any 'before' photos...)
Thanks for the motivation! The spice avalanche was really getting on my nerves...
view chow.baby's profile
So I wasn't really planning on doing the cure, nor did I really think my kitchen was that cluttered. But show me pictures of organization and I'm inspired to do the same. So my uber clean kitchen and I thank you.
view kittyball's profile
I'm a week behind on the cure, but I would love some practical guidance on what to get rid of and when? So, an expired can of black beans - do black beans even go bad? I just took on some pantry items from a friend moving out of town, so it's like a double pantry to clean! Any listing on how long things keep (either expired or those without dates of any sort) would be appreciated!
view hollyc's profile