NO STORAGE? KNOW STORAGE!

Whenever I need tips on how to organise my kitchen, I turn to trusty YouTube videos. Unfortunately, most of them are done by non-Indians and, even if there are Indian presenters, they appear to be mimicking the Americans or English or European presenters. 

A look at their pantries fills me with dread. There is SO MUCH STUFF. And it all looks so messy and confusing. Then they talk about organising bins, baskets, totes, etc and, by the time they are done, I end up feeling inadequate. Their pantry makeovers are like the story of Cinderella. 

Why is so much money invested in buying so much stuff? Why don't they shop more often? Its not like they live in some remote area that they need to stock up so much food. And they have so much variety that half of it is never used by expiry date and they have to chuck it away. 

Second, those expensive organising bins, all fancy looking and pretty no doubt, are still a real waste of money. Why can't they just keep groceries in their original packaging? They say it causes VISUAL CLUTTER. What about more plastic in landfills? That's where those bins will eventually land up.  

I recall the days when I was wooed by such videos into copycating them. I would buy plastic trays and glass containers at Big Bazaar and proudly drive home with the stash. Then I would attempt to find some use for them which I often could not. So they would sit in my cupboards looking forlorn and rejected. 

Before I switched to glass and stainless steel, I had numerous plastic boxes in my fridge, freezer and cabinets. Thing is, the bigger ones, when used, were very heavy: they would slip and fall and crack, rendering them useless except for usage to store dry groceries. Nowadays I don't do big containers. I use my portion size containers in steel and glass and that works perfectly for me.  

Now, I am not against plastic, but given its brittle nature, especially in in freezers, I have personally decided to STOP buying them. 

Glass is also tricky. I can safely manage a one-litre container but I think I will not venture to buy larger ones for the same reason as for  plastic. If they slip and break, its a waste of money and an unholy mess to clean up! 

Good quality stainless steel (that is rust-free) is my best option so far. Its only disadvantage is that you cannot see what's inside but I solve that by writing tags and sticking them onto the lids. 

If I don't buy, I beg. Some time ago,  I discovered that the 700 gm jam jars were easy to clean (because of the wide mouth, my hand goes in and out very easily). So, we started buying only that jam. As we are not avid jam fans, I managed to collect only a few. Then I hit on a bright idea. I started asking around and pretty soon I managed to get some more. Now I needed around a dozen but who can say NO to more? I keep the extras as replacement jars. 

Many packaging containers can be reused after knocking off their labels which is what visual clutter is all about. When buying, choose well so you can reuse the packaging. For instance, we use honey often so I was thrilled when I first discovered the honeycomb-shaped squeezy bottle it came in. I was also happy with the discount that was offered at that time and bought in bulk. 

I now use the containers for sauces and even keep one permanently in my toilet for the disinfectant that cleaned the commode and tiles. You could even use it to store shampoo. 

Last year, I picked up a box of Tang which was a trial offer and although the Tang is long gone, the box still finds varied uses. Just yesterday, it got promoted to a kitchen towel bin.

Of course, I am not always able to reuse the packaging as intended. These glass containers could be used for storage but they are such a bother to clean up that I decided to have some fun. The rum bottles were rescued from landfill (I found them thrown on the roadside) as were the mugs whose handles had broken off. 

Being a scavenger by nature, I have rescued confetti bags at weddings and repurposed them to hang up garlic bulbs or use to keep ribbons or other craft articles. 

This cute canister from Sistema is from a jumble sale I went to in Australia. In fact, I got three of them. I use them for storing grains, flours, etc. 

BEFORE buying any storage container, you need to measure the space you are going to use it in and then buy accordingly. This will help to optimize space usage. In the fridge, however, there should be easy flow of air, so don't buy containers that leave no space for that. 

I found that rectangular-shaped containers optimize space and are also easier to grip. I remember hunting for freezer containers high and low in steel but the six I finally got have served me well these two decades. If you scroll up, you'll find  a picture of one of them. 

  

Shop your home for storage containers before buying as well. Sometimes we forget what we have and it's a joy to find something that fits the bill perfectly. You can use baking containers to store. How often do you use these anyway? I remember using a rectangular mould in the freezer as a pull-out tray once. Can you spot it in the picture below? 

 

Suitcases make good storage containers for your out-of-season clothes or those hand-me-downs that don't fit yet. Why spend hundreds of rupees on fancy see-through containers? 

Where do I keep my shoes? I have a special cupboard. It was gifted to my youngest child at his christening. Instead of giving it away, I decided to hold onto it for a while since the children used it as a doll house. Later, after they outgrew it, I used it for linen.  Then the shoe rack we had bought broke, and I decided not to buy another one. I looked around and rediscovered this baby cupboard and now my footwear have a cozy corner. I keep each in its original box, after wiping them down carefully with a wet wipe to remove the dirt. Want to see it? I bet you do!

I could go on and on, but I wont. I'm sure you can figure out your own storage systems by yourself. Don't get carried away by pretty Pinterest pictures and blow up your hard-earned money. Shop your home. Use everything you have in creative ways.

And if you really need to buy,