How to Create a Rotating Pantry

Rotating pantries help keep you stocked with staple items, and help manage food storage. We are trying to work up to a year's worth of food storage, that way if we should have a natural disaster, loss of employment, or other setback of some kind we are able to sustain our family for a time. To create a rotating pantry:

1. Make a list of things your family uses to cook meals regularly. Ours looks something like this:

Tomato Sauce
Tomato Paste
Cream of Chicken Soup
Cream of Mushroom Soup
Olives
Mushrooms
Diced Green Chilis
Flour
Sugar
Salt
Rice-A-Roni
Oats
Spaghetti noodles
Egg noodles
etc...

Ours are grouped by categories, canned goods, dry goods, boxes and packages, etc. to correspond with how they are stored so it's easy to find things.

You can also go through your favorite recipes and write down the non-perishable ingredients to add to the list. It's also helpful to add freezer and toiletry items as well if you have storage space.

2. Next, laminate your list or place it in a sheet protector and hang it by your pantry where you can see it or place it in a home-management notebook. The plastic covering makes it possible for you to use a dry erase marker to add expiration dates by each item or box of items so you can be sure to use them before they expire.

3. When you plan your menu, use items that are set to expire soon first. It is also helpful to put the oldest items at the front of the pantry to make sure they get used, and put new items in the back after shopping.

For storage ideas, check out Shelf Reliance:



Happy Storing!