...is always a challenge to keep organized. A few years ago I added pull-out shelves to the baking area of my pantry and switched to glass storage jars. Fewer containers means I need to reduce my basic pantry staples instead of placing some tupperware containers on top or behind the glass jars. This project has taken several days, but think it’s finally organized.
There’s limited space for baking chocolates and cocoas. No space for the white chocolates, mini M&M’s, Mexican Chocolate discs or a pound of Gianduja (hazelnut) chocolate. No more 11-pound blocks of chocolate. Will buy some items seasonally and use up instead of storing the extra ingredients.
I got rid of a few items like specialty flours that had been stored in the pantry and used up the oatmeal. Most of the flour and oatmeal is stored in the freezer. Moved the dried fruits to the breakfast area of my pantry. Will go through my sugars later.
My baking pantry:
Shelf 1: Flavorings, Sprinkles (limited to 6 glass jars), baking powder, cream of tartar, gelatin, sure-jell, arrowroot, malt powder, coconut milk powder, coconut cream powder plus a jar of coconut manna.
Shelf 2: Twelve jars. Table salt, kosher salt, sea salt flakes, baking soda, cornstarch, cinnamon sticks, muscovado sugar, Demerara sugar, date sugar, coconut sugar, pearl sugar, sparkling white sugar.
Shelf 3: Eight jars: Sugars (organic, light brown, dark brown, bakers sugar, turbinado x2), powdered whole milk and malted milk powder. Also have cans of coconut milk, evaporated milk, sweetened condensed milk and a container of dried egg whites.
Shelf 4: Twelve jars: Chocolate (unsweetened, bittersweet, semi-sweet & milk chocolate). Baking chips (bittersweet, semi-sweet, milk chocolate, mini semi-sweet). Cocoas (black, Dutch-Callebaut, Dutch-Valrhona, natural)
Shelf 5: Six Jars: All-purpose flour (2), sugar, powdered sugar, unsweetened chocolate & semi-sweet chocolate feves. Also keep my liquid sweeteners next to jars – agave, honey, blackstrap molasses and Steen’s cane syrup.
I still need to organize my freezer where I keep nuts and all flours except all-purpose flour.
Once I get more organized, will try to consolidate my baking ingredients to four shelves and only use the larger jars during holiday baking. Maybe 7 or 8 sugars instead of 14 and a smaller quantity of flour in the pantry. 3 weeks ago