Organizing the Pantry

Now that you know what you should have in your pantry, I will show you how I organize it.

I'm not really too fond of my pantry. It is too deep which makes it hard to see everything on the shelves. I want The Good Husband to modify it so the shelves will pull out but he says it can't be done. So while it is not nearly as full as it can be, it is full enough that it sometimes causes a hassle when I have to reach for something in the back.

I do have the shelves organized in a way that all common ingredients or uses are together, making it easier to find something.

Top shelf - Canned meat – tuna, chicken, salmon; Stock – beef, chicken, vegetable, seafood; Canned veggies and fruit for TGH; canned pasta for TGH; box muffin mix; tea

The second shelf is my baking shelf. This is by far the most full shelf. Baking chocolate squares – all-purpose, unsweetened, bittersweet, german, white; Baking mixes – pancake, bread, cornbread; Baking powder; Baking soda; Canned milk – sweetened condensed, evaporated; Chocolate and other baking chips – milk, semisweet, dark, white, butterscotch, peanut butter; Cocoa powder; Corn starch; Corn syrup; Cream of Wheat; Flour – all purpose, whole wheat, bread, pastry, cake; Gelatin – instant, unflavored; Honey; Instant coffee powder – coffee, espresso; Jam/jelly – grape, strawberry, boysenberry; Maple syrup; Molasses; Nuts – pine, walnut, peanut, pecan, almond; Oats – quick cooking, old fashion rolled; Oil – extra virgin olive, canola, vegetable, sesame; Peanut butter – crunchy, smooth, natural; Shortening; Sugar – white, super fine, brown; light and dark, powdered; Sun-dried tomatoes; Vinegar – white distilled, apple cider, white wine, rice wine, champagne, balsamic


Shelf three is reserved for beans, rice, canned tomatoes and pasta - things that usually go together when you are making Italian or side dishes. Anchovy paste; Breadcrumbs – plain, seasoned, panko; Canned tomatoes - whole, diced, crushed, stewed, paste; Corn meal; Dried and canned beans – pinto, black, navy, great northern, garbanzo, kidney; light and dark; Dried mushrooms – porcini, oyster, button, crimini, shiitake; Pasta; noodles – spaghetti, angel hair, fettuccini, linguini, lasagna, cellophane; Pasta; shaped – orzo, penne, shells; small and large, rotini; Polenta – quick cooking, traditional; Rice – long gain white, brown, jasmine, Arborio, basmati

The next shelf is reserved for 'taters and onions, garlic and shallots. I store them on a wooden dish rack so they have air circulation but the cold, dark they need to keep from sprouting.

The last shelf is reserved for canning materials and condiments and overflow. Ketchup; BBQ sauce; Mustard – yellow, whole grain, Dijon; Soy sauce

The Good Daughter really wanted to help when I was cleaning and reorganizing the pantry. She thought it hilarious that she could get inside and shut the door. It took forever to convince her to get out.