Decluttering 12: Pantry and Food Decluttering

 Hey all,

I'm going to tell you about pantry and food decluttering. Pretty much every home has a canned good or something in the freezer that has been there way too long. Canned goods can be good a little bit past the best before date, but some people have stuff that was best before two years ago. Other people or even the same people may have stuff in the freezer that is freezer burnt. There may even be stuff in the actual fridge part that is spoiled or condiments that are past the point of being usable. It is best to check on these things!

If the canned goods are still usable, try to use them in a dish sooner than later. If they are too past the date, dispose of them. If you have produce that isn't any good, compost it if you have a green bin. Don't keep freezer burnt food around, it tastes horrible!

Check on your chips and shelf stable stuff too, not just canned goods. Your chips, even unopened, or even crackers, may be past the point of freshness. You might have cereal that you hadn't eaten in a while that has gone stale. Dispose of it if it is no longer edible!

Spices are good after the best before date even if they lose flavour as they age. If your spices are too hardened in their bottle, dispose of them!

It's best to try and dispose of food in the green bin/compost bin if you can. That way it doesn't end up in a landfill with other stuff and can be composted to be more environmentally friendly.

Especially check on your fridge. Sometimes produce expires and can make a mess. Compost it and clean spills in your fridge. Only buy what you can use and if you want to use it later, freeze it, but check on it because things can become freezer burnt and freezer burnt food tastes really bad! Check on your ice cream and other freezer items for frost and ice crystals.

Make sure your condiments in your fridge aren't expired. Dispose of any condiments safely and rinse out jars and bottles thoroughly as many can be recycled, but they need to be clean. Canned goods' cans can be recycled too.

curlyalicia