"Space in cabinets, as in life, is synonymous with freedom. Give yourself a little more of it and exhale in relief," says Good Food’s Evan Kleiman.
The start of the year is a great time to clean out cabinets and sort through clutter, but you don't need to do it in a mad dash or jam it all into a single month. Good Food and its intrepid host are here to help you purge your pantry, and Kleiman has a few thoughts. Most crucially, she recommends a slower, more controlled process. This method — which we've dubbed Slow Purge — is ideal for preserving your peace of mind, especially if you're the type who gets overwhelmed at the thought of doing One Massive Purge To Rule Them All.
Yes, even Evan Kleiman's pantry gets cluttered, which is why she likes to sort through it at the beginning of each year. Photo by ElinaShatkin/KCRW.
Pace Yourself
Don't do everything in a single day! In fact, Kleiman recommends breaking down your purge into smaller mini-purges and doing only an hour of organizing per day. With your pantry, you might go through your spices one day, grains another day, mugs and glassware the next day, and so on. This technique also works outside the kitchen. Say you're looking to sort through your closet but it feels overwhelming. Break it down into more manageable tasks by doing socks and underwear one day, active wear the next day, office clothes after that, etc.
This strategy also makes the process much more manageable. Who wants to work a long day or an ever longer week then spend an entire evening or weekend cleaning and organizing? That just sounds demoralizing. But spending an hour (or less!) sorting through abandoned Tupperware containers? That feels doable.
Don't Purge Angry
In a terrible mood? Don't purge! Again, this advice applies to all kinds of purges, not just pantry purges. If you're overtired, cranky, resentful or in a bad mood for whatever reason, purging unused items is going to feel like much more of a slog than it otherwise would. It won't feel as though a weight has been lifted off your shoulders, which is the goal.
One caveat: Don't let this piece of advice serve as an excuse to put off an organizational purge. If we wait until we've had a good night's sleep and we're not stressed and we have copious amounts of free time and we're bathed in goodwill, we'll never find the right time to purge. The goal, as with most things in life, is progress not perfection. You should avoid purging when you're in a bad mood but you don't need to wait for the ideal moment.
Don't Overthink It
Don't spend time agonizing over whether or not to toss something, Kleiman urges. Like Allen Ginsberg's creative process, this is a "first thought, best thought" situation. Or as Marie Kondo might ask, does this item spark joy? If your instinct when you see something is to shrug or wonder what you would do with it, toss it. You'll also want to think about its practicality. How often will you use this item? When was the last time you used it? Did you buy a spice or type of flour for one recipe then never use it again? It's time to donate or chuck it. To quote a frosty Disney princess, let it go. Kleiman has even done it in half-hour increments. It's much more satisfying than doom scrolling.
Sugar and spice are very nice but you don't need to keep seasonings you never use. Photo by ElinaShatkin/KCRW.
Purging Grains
Grains such as rice, flour, oats, cornmeal and barley can go bad. Open up each bag or container and look for tiny insects. Yes, they can even get into certain unopened bags and sealed containers. After that, take a good whiff to check for rancidity. You're looking for obviously off-putting aromas, anything that hints at mustiness or sour or bitter odors. You'll know it when you smell it.
Purging Spices
How long should you keep spices? That depends on the spice, how you're storing it and how often you use it. Kleiman likes to check her spices on an ongoing basis. If she reaches for some ground cumin, for example, and it no longer has its oomph, it's time to replace it. You should aim to replace each spice in your cabinet every two years, at the maximum. You bought the spices. Use them. And if you really want motivation, do the spice insect test. Take a paper towel and draw a circle about the size of a quarter. Put a pinch of the suspected spice in the center. Walk away. If some of the "spices" have migrated over a couple hours, it’s not the cinnamon or cardamom that has legs.
Purging Alcohol
What about booze? How long should you hang onto beer, wine and that weird liqueur someone brought to a party at your apartment three years ago? Now that you've decided what you want to chuck, what do you do with all that liquor? You can't take it to a thrift store or get rid of it on Buy Nothing. The obvious answer… throw a party! Make it a potluck and tell your friends you'll provide all the libations. Any unopened bottles go home with your guests at the end of the event.
Purging Dishware & Kitchen Utensils
The only cooking utensils one should consider giving away are metal ones that aren’t dented and can be cleaned in hot water. Do you really need three 14" cake pans if you never make cake? Ask friends who do bake if they want them. If not, list them on your local Buy Nothing site. Same for duplicate roasting pans or, in Kleiman's case, the half-dozen restaurant-size mixing bowls taking up valuable cabinet space.