Tips for a spring (or fall) pantry cleaning

Most of us have been cooking more at home for the better part of a year now, and as a result our pantry might be looking a little rough. The change of season beckons us to do a thorough cleaning, but what’s the best way to go about it? The Guardian’s Felicity Cloake and others answer the question with tips on how to do a pantry spring cleaning.

The topic came about when a reader named Ben from Exeter asked a question that is relatable to us all: “What’s the secret to clearing out your food cupboards and getting inspired about cooking again?” The latter half of that question is important – a messy pantry does not inspire anyone to cook. Having to paw through bags, boxes, and jars stuffed willy-nilly makes the task of making dinner that much more difficult, especially if you are already facing cooking fatigue.

Cloake’s secret is downsizing containers. “I put my beans and pulses in glass jars and then make a concerted effort to make that pile of jars smaller,” she says. The stack of containers holding dried beans in my pantry was out of control, so I did this and it helped me use up several snippets of legumes because I could see them better. Cookbook author Rukmini Iyer and chef Jeremy Lee provide other great advice, especially on how to incorporate leftovers into the effort. As for me, I built some slanted shelves to hold cans on their sides, which makes it easier to view all of the cans and makes rotating the inventory that much easier. What are your tried-and-true ideas for tidying your pantry or cupboards?