As you’ve probably guessed, I love to cook and bake so it’s important to me to have all my baking ingredients well organised. Previously I kept most of these items in plastic containers in the pantry while other things remained in their original packaging. My pantry had become a bit of a jumble and it was sometimes difficult to find ingredients when I needed them and many items expired before being used up. The end result was wasted time and money and frazzled nerves. It was time to come up with a better solution!
But before tackling this project, I thought about what I was trying to achieve. My goal, therefore, was to create a solution the would make my baking ingredients:
- easy to access
- group all my baking goods together
- clearly visible
- neat and tidy
- hygienically stored to maximize freshness
- easy to maintain
I decided to create a “baking zone” and use two deep drawers underneath my main pantry to achieve this. When I renovated my kitchen a few years ago, I spent a lot of time thinking about how I would use each of the cupboards and tried to come up with practical design ideas that would make my life easier. One idea I incorporated was to eliminate shelving in the bottom part of the pantry (which is typically difficult to access) and install 4 deep drawers instead. I’m so glad I did as it has eliminated that “dead space” making it more practical and useable.
To store a lot of my baking ingredients like flours, sugars, bicarb soda, etc, I replaced all my plastic containers with these fantastic glass storage jars, which I found at Coles. They were just the right height to fit the depth of the drawer; they had a lovely, well-fitting silver lid which I could label easily; they have a super wide opening and I loved the idea of switching over to glass. These jars are part of the Coles Cook & Dine range and at only $5.00 each, were gentle on the budget. There are other sizes available as well.
I’ve personally moved away from using plastic for long-term storage of food because it can contain chemicals and BPA that may leach into food. Any plastic I use I like to be confident that it’s BPA Free. Whether you decide to use glass or plastic, it’s simply personal choice but it is important that the container seals well and keeps moisture out. I also used to buy things like baking ingredients in larger quantities because it generally represents better value, however, it’s a better idea to only buy smaller quantities if you don’t bake frequently, otherwise things like flour can turn rancid, leading to waste when it was thrown out.
Once all my baking items were stored and labeled, I still had a narrow space on one side and the front of the drawer. This was perfect for storing my Glad Wrap, Alfoil, Baking Paper and Lunch Wrap.
If you don’t have deep drawers in your kitchen, a similar result could be achieved by placing large crates (preferably with small wheels) on the base of your pantry allowing those to be pulled in and out for easier access and to make that space more functional and usable.
In the next couple of days, I’ll share how I organised the remainder of my baking goods in the second drawer.
So tell me, do you bake often and what is your favourite recipe you enjoy baking?
Please Note: This is NOT a sponsored post and all items were purchased and paid for by Mrs Organised.
Linking up with The Multitasking Mummy here: http://www.themultitaskingmummy.com/2014/06/embrace-mess.html
Oh that looks very cool. I like the idea of a pantry with deep drawers. I think if I ever do a reno I will use drawers. So much easier to utilise all the space.
Drawers are a great way to utilise all that hidden space … they’re also great for saving your back from bending and it’s just so much easier to see everything!
Thanks so much for sharing this at the Say G’day Saturday linky party. I just pinned your post.
Best wishes and hope you can join in again this weekend.
Natasha in Oz
Thanks Natasha … look forward to joining your Link Party again.
I need to do something like this desperately. Thank you for sharing, I never really know exactly what to do to get my ingredients under control.
Hi Becky and thanks for stopping by! Even if you don’t have drawers at the bottom of your pantry, you can achieve a similar result by using some large plastic crates on wheels that will slide in and out easily. I love using the glass jars because I can see everything so clearly and the labels on the lid work well helping me find what I’m looking for so quickly. Once you’ve organised your baking goods, please pop over to Facebook and share a photo: http://www.facebook.com/mrsorganised.