How I Put Away Bulk Ingredients When I Get Home from the Grocery

I do a fair amount of my grocery shopping from the bulk section. You can’t beat the lower prices, the reduction of packaging, and the fact that you can try to buy the exact amount that you need.

But sometimes those little bags of bulk items create their own chaos in the pantry, so here are two ways I counteract that and make them easy to find and use.

With household staples like polenta, rice, and oatmeal, I immediately transfer them out of the bulk bin bags and into airtight containers. This helps me clearly see what I have, stack them if necessary, and seal in freshness.

But I take it one step further when transferring: If it’s an item I use a lot, I pre-measure amounts into separate containers. Our favorite granola recipe, which we make a few times a month, starts with one quart of rolled oats, so I immediately transfer the oats into quart containers or jars. That way, when it’s time to make the next batch, we just grab a container and don’t have to measure again.

We also portion out polenta into one-cup containers and weigh out lentils by the pound. Starting a recipe with one of these ingredients is as easy as grab-and-go!

And while you might think that you need to invest in new storage containers or Mason jars to do this, you can actually just use quart yogurt containers or one-cup containers or jars that hold jam, sour cream, or other condiments.

If you do this, not only will your bulk ingredients be pre-measured and convenient to use, but they’ll also be safely stowed away in airtight containers, away from air and bugs. Give it a try!