January is about the halfway point between the last of my fall harvest and the kickoff of the new season when strawberries ripen in June. I have a bad habit of saving my hard-earned harvest and then, when it comes close to time to preserve the new crop, I find I still have things left from the previous year.
This is a good time of year to check your pantry and refrigerator, do an inventory, check for pests like pantry moths, look for expired items and finally purge any items that need to be discarded.
This week, I got tired of looking at my messy spice and herb collection so I took everything out, wiped down the cupboard and tried to get it under control. During this process I found a yeast packet in the far back corner, dated 2009. Oops!
I didn’t feel quite so bad after a friend told me she cleaned out her pantry and found things that were made before expiration dates were a thing. My sister had the topper though; she had to clean her entire pantry after an old can of tomato soup exploded. Moral of this story, don’t be like my sister!
Before you go shopping, take a hard look at what you have on hand. Strategize your food purchases so items don’t end up sitting on the shelf for years. Use up fresh produce and leftovers so they don’t end up in the compost. If you can’t use them up before they spoil, many foods can be frozen for later use.
Recent Comments