we also talked about how and where in your home to create your food storage. here are some tips for storing:
- if you can't find it -you don't have it! know where you put it.
- your sharpie is your best friend. label the tops and the sides of your buckets, boxes, etc so you don't have to move heaven and earth to find stuff; make sure labels are facing out
- keep like items together
- come up with a system - any system at all - that you will use. for example: always take from the left of the shelf and stock on the right... this will ensure that your food is getting rotated and you use the oldest items first - and be consistent
some ideas for storage if you're challenged for space:
- under beds in boxes or on cardboard flats for easy retrieval
- under baby cribs hidden by dust ruffle
- between the couch and the wall
- along the wall of a closet underneath hanging clothes
- install a shelf on the top of your closet above the hanging clothes
- look for unused space under the stairs or odd-shaped rooms
- mount 12" deep shelves, floor to ceiling, along a wall - cover with drapes hung from the ceiling
- convert an extra closet or half or a large closet to shelves -- either built-in or free-standing
- buy or build a free-standing cabinet or armoire
a few words of caution:
- do not store food in your attic if it heats up in the summer, as texas does, the food will spoil quickly in hot temperatures
- remember, the further you store from your kitchen, the less likely you are to rotate and use it
- make sure you have inspected any storage areas for cracks and/or crevices - bugs and/or rodents will find it, if you don't find it first and seal it up
- if anything spills - clean it up immediately to avoid encouraging pests
- if you are using a space with dirt or cement floors, do not put anything directly on the floor; use a wooden pallet or shelves. moisture can seep in from the floor and cause rust or spoilage
- do not use any containers that were once used to hold chemicals, cleaners, paint, etc.
- do not use trash bags; many have been treated with pesticides and are not food-safe
the following are enemies of your food storage:
- oxygen
- bacteria
- insects
- light
- temperature
- humidity and moisture
now, onto the can racks - we talked about these, and they were a hit. i am posting the link so you can get step-by-step instructions for how to build your own can-rotating racks. so for the tutorial with pictures, see here.
Original: http://mansfield2nd.blogspot.com/2009/02/where-do-i-put-all-this-stuff.html
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