In Japan, it is considered bad luck to bring any old luggage from the previous year to the new year, whether it is real mess at home, open personal matters, or harmful thoughts. Thus, for the Japanese, elegance is not only about functionality. It is also associated with spirituality, safety, health, and well-being.
Order in the kitchen and order in the head
Lentine Alexix is an American chef who not only wants to cook well, but also wants to eat well and, on her own admission, needs a clean and organized space. For this, Osuji is practiced – that is, the great cleaning. She cleans and organizes the kitchen from top to bottom, gets rid of what it no longer serves, arranges what she still values and prepares a place for next year to cook.
Whether you are tired of cooking every day or looking to start a new healthy cooking regimen this year that just barely begins, a clean and organized kitchen is an essential aspect that can help you with this. Book a weekend getaway to clean your kitchen. Here are 5 steps to help you fulfill this commitment.
5 ways to organize your kitchen
1. Clean the refrigerator
Take the next few hours to clean your fridge. Get everything out of it and wipe the shelves, walls, drawers, and doors. Use an anti-bacterial cleaner or even a toothpick when needed to remove old dirt. Then take a look at the foods you took out of the fridge. Anything wilted and outdated – throw it away. Also see all jars that contain additives such as silage; You may need to discard anything you haven’t used in the past three months, as well as anything that you cannot recognize.
Once your fridge is clean, it’s time to bring everything back and turn that cold empty fridge into an oasis of delicious ingredients. Here are some tips to keep your refrigerator looking great, running flawlessly, and keeping all nutrients in perfect condition:
Store items in gauze bags to protect them and keep them longer. Green vegetables have their own pouches, as do root vegetables, fruits, and other foods. Store fresh herbs in water, just like bud plants. If you prepared vegetables in advance, that is, wash and peel them, then remember that storing carrots and radishes in water helps to keep them longer.
Use glass containers to keep all vegetables available and visible.
Use clear glass jars or storage containers to hold leftovers and other ingredients. Label everything with the name and date of packaging.
Also remember to defrost your fridge every six months to keep it running smoothly.
2. Organize table and table tops
They say your office is a reflection of your mind. Your kitchen worktops, too. Crowded surfaces mean meals will be messy, so clean up small appliances, spices, fruit bowls, and more, as well as clear your mind and make room for delicious food.
Just like in the refrigerator, create storage space and remove everything from your work surface. Wipe clean surfaces and look at them. Isn’t that nice? Start redo now, but be smart.
A great shortcut to making a delicacy is to place all of your favorite spices near the cooking area (instead of hiding them in the cupboard). Use a small tray to store olive oil, spices, salt and pepper, and your most used kitchen utensils.
Find a good container for anything you don’t need (or shouldn’t) cool. These fruits include citrus fruits, ripe avocados, apples, pears, etc. Choose a container that fits your kitchen, and choose a spot that won’t get in the way, and don’t get crowded.
Small gadgets and appliances can quickly clutter up a space. If you’ve used it in the last year, keep it safe. If you have a recipe for something that you can’t wait to cook and that requires a specific tool or device, have it handy. If not, return or sell it.
3. Organize your spices
If your spice drawer is the least visited place in your kitchen, now is the time to change that. Lots of little, uneven jars are enough to frustrate your kitchen’s planning plan, so invest in a few to match. Use magnetic jars, build a metal rod and tape the jars. Always label them. Now that you have a convenient place to put the spices, it is time to put them in order. Below you can find several ways to preserve the flavor of the spices.
Ground spices lose their potency within three months, so if you have ground spices that have kept them for more than a year without using them, now is the time to get rid of them.
Buy spices by weight rather than bottled. This helps prevent waste by reducing the risk of spoilage.
Grind whole spices, such as pepper. It’s a great way to bring your meals to life. Whole spices are usually inexpensive, so invest in a small grinder and pestle or spice grinder and grind them yourself while you cook.
4. Tank cleaning
If your kitchen cabinets look like a bottomless pit, you are not alone. The typical scenario is different types of plastic bags and boxes, some are open, some are closed, in a pile that is difficult to decipher. Treat your cabinets like fridge and countertops and clean everything. Empty and take inventory of cabinets and drawers. Throw away any open handbags (especially those that are about to expire – and likely expire after a year?) Or older than a year. Buy cosmetic packaging. Next time, instead of emptying a thin plastic bag, you will pick up the product from a pretty glass bowl.
When buying jars, use one for dry snacks, beans, grains, pasta, nuts, seeds, and other staples. When you get something home, empty the box or bag and put the contents in appropriate jars. When jars are empty, refill them with the same product or an alternative. For example, sometimes a bowl of kidney beans may contain black and sometimes white or red beans. If the jars are full, do not refill them. This strategy prevents your pantry from getting too crowded and helps you be more creative with your cooking.
5. Handle with a freezer
We left the most hated part until the end! But the freezer is actually our best friend – especially in times of pandemic, when we want to eat fresh and healthy, but don’t want to go to the store every day. As with the refrigerator and cabinets, take everything out of the freezer, clean the walls, doors, and drawers, then arrange the contents. You will likely find various treasures here. Throw out anything you don’t know or anything that has been in the freezer for more than a year. Then tag anything that doesn’t have a label.
Monitor freezer areas. Designate and highlight “regions” for different products. For example, arrange a shelf for meats and seafood, a rack for ice cream, and a shelf for frozen vegetables and fruits, leftovers or cooked and ready-to-eat items.
Instead of freezing sauces, cooked grains, soups, or other products in jars, freeze them flat on a baking sheet. Then, once frozen, put them in the refrigerator like magazines. This strategy saves space and lets you see what’s available at a glance.
Ice cube trays are great tools for freezing small items like coconut milk, broth, wine, and pesto. Freeze in cubes and keep in a disposable bag.
Boil the vegetables, squeeze out the excess water, then shape into balls and freeze them in a baking tray. Store it in your wallet. You will then be able to take it out at any time to easily improve your omelettes, pasta, soups, and more.Also read:
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