Ahh…If only….
As I surveyed my post- holiday pantry and fridge earlier this week, I knew that tough measures had to be taken. I had 3 bottles of ground cumin – all opened, none finished. The dried shrimp (no judgements, thank you – they are an essential, and delicious component of many an Asian meal) in my crisper drawer were well and truly desiccated. 2 bottles of sesame oil sat side by side – one smelling distinctly unlike what sesame oil should smell like. The back of the middle shelf in the fridge expertly hid a Tupperware of chipotle chiles in adobo sauce that I’m ashamed to say wouldn’t pass the most cursory health and safety inspection. An exploded bag of all-purpose flour in the “baking cupboard” has showered everything in the vicinity with fine white dust. And that isn’t even the worst of it.
This is no way to start 2012.
But no one likes to clean by themselves, so I’m taking you with me as I embark on a journey to purge my kitchen cabinets and fridge, decanting them of all the nasty, old, out-of date items, and rendering them fit for a whole new year of culinary adventures. I know this sounds like a lot of hard work you’d rather not do, but trust me, it’ll be worth it in the end. I guarantee you’ll be more enthusiastic about whipping up nutritious, tasty feasts from your homegrown produce when you no longer have to pinch your nose to avoid unsavory odors emanating from the back of the fridge….
Click on…if you’re brave enough…
Cleaning Out Your Fridge
Give you fridge a break, after all it never stops working for you. Cleaning up those spills, eeking out some extra space to avoid overcrowding, and getting rid of bad smells will actually go some way to making the food you put in stay fresher for longer.
1. Remove everything from the fridge. Throw out anything that’s expired, very nearly empty, and that you haven’t used in the last 3 months. Set aside anything perishable that you plan on hanging onto and leave in a cool, dry place – ideally, stick them in a cooler, if you can. Otherwise just work fast. Now, take a careful look at the jarred/ packaged and bottled items that you’ve kept back and cull for the second time – are you sure you still need that 2-year-old jar of anchovy paste? Now that you’ve selected the items you’re keeping, wipe everything with a damp, clean cloth or paper towels, making sure to remove any stuck-on spills.
2. Attack with baking soda. Not literally, well kind of. Believe it or not, baking soda is salvation to a dirty fridge – it’s a fantastic sanitizer as well as an odor remover and it’ll restore the “whiteness” to the white interior as well. Combine 1/4 cup of baking soda with 1 quart of hot water. Remove all the shelves and drawers from the fridge and place them in the bath tub, spray them with a household cleaner and leave for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, use the baking soda solution and a cloth and/or brush to clean the inside of the fridge and the door, making sure to scrub well and remove all spills and stains – pay particular attention to door seals, crevices and any nooks or little compartments as these are especially good at harboring germs and bacteria. Once you’re done, rinse with a damp cloth and then use a dry, old rag to wipe down the interior until completely dry. Finally return your attention to the shelves and drawers in the tub: Scrub them down with a brush, rinse really well, dry and return them to the fridge.
3. Re-stock. Line the bottom of the crisper drawer with paper towels – replace these with fresh ones every week. Now neatly arrange everything you’re keeping back inside the fridge: fruits and vegetables go in the crisper drawer, condiments only in the fridge door, milk and eggs on the middle shelf, and meat on the bottom shelf. Keep as much as you can in airtight containers or ziploc bags to keep odors at bay and to keep your food fresh. Don’t overcrowd – making sure your foods have air to circulate around them will keep them fresher for longer.
To keep things in spic-span condition, go through your fridge once a week, and ruthlessly throw out anything that’s dying, dead or that you bought on a whim and you’re not going to eat. Clean spills as soon as they happen and every time you use a condiment or open a jar be sure to wipe down the rim and rid the exterior of any drips before it goes back in the fridge. If you have to be the fridge nazi, then so be it!
Cleaning Out the Kitchen Cabinets
If your stock of dry goods is anything like mine, this will be an extremely cathartic experience. But, let me tell you, this isn’t for the weak-willed. For this exercise to be of any real value, you have to approach the task with the steely ambition of a gladiator…or, something like that.
1. Let It All Hang Out
There’s no holding back here, line a section of your kitchen floor with old newspapers or trash bags and lay out everything from your cabinets. Check for expiration dates – most things like noodles or rice or flour that are a month or so beyond their expiration date can be kept, provided you’re sure you’ll use them up asap. If you’re honest with yourself and you know there’s little hope that the bag of Spanish rice will actually transpire into a paella before the end of 2012, toss it out. Anything that’s beyond 2 – 4 months expired is tossed out without question. Without question, I said. Spices can be kept for 2 years from the time you bought them before they start to lose their flavor. Certain products like bicarbonate of soda or baking powder or cake mix or pancake mix should be thrown out if they’re past their use-by date. This is because they contain chemicals, such as raising agents that become less effective over time. In case you’re still thinking, but why the newspaper?: Invariably some box or package would have split, or a jar of something would have cracked and the protective layer on the floor will save you mopping the kitchen when you’re done.
2. Bare Bones
If you have some kind of shelf lining, remove that too. And if you don’t, I don’t mean to be pedantic, but I really do recommend you go get some. Go for the non-adhesive kind. It catches crumbs, spills and protects your shelves from damage from stains and the weight of heavy cans etc. Wipe the liners clean with a damp cloth, using a little soapy water and a sponge to remove tough stains, and leave to dry.
3. The Nitty Gritty
If the inside of your cabinets have a lot crumbs and residue, it actually isn’t a bad idea to go at them with a vacuum cleaner, especially if you have one of those hand held ones. Now, wash down the insides with some hot water mixed with mild detergent. Rinse out with a damp cloth, then dry with a clean, dry towel. If your cabinets reek something bad from all those spices and seasonings and concoctions that have been sitting in there for years on end, guess who you’re going to call on? Yes, trusty ol’ baking soda. Just leave an opened box in the back of the cabinet and that should absorb all the foul smells. However, if foul is really foul, and the soda failed, try this: combine white vinegar with a some water (heavy on the vinegar) and use this to wipe down the inside of the cabinets. Yes, the vinegar will smell strongly at first, but once it dries the whiff will subside and your cabinets should be squeaky clean and sweet-smelling. Leave your cabinets open for 1 to 2 hours to dry completely.
4. An Outside Job
Don’t forget about the exteriors of your cabinets. If you do a lot of cooking, grease, food particles, smoke and dust can build up on the outside of cabinet doors, especially in crevices, and leave a nasty, sticky layer of ickiness that’ll make anyone cringe when they open your doors. If you have nice wooden doors, then your best bet is to find a commercial cleaner and polish that’s specially formulated wooden cabinets. Otherwise, use a mild dishwasher detergent or laundry detergent – both great for breaking down grease and grime, combined with warm water (one part soap, to two parts warm water), and a sponge. Remember to pay particular attention to door handles as these tend to get the grimiest.
5. The Final Countdown
You’re nearly there. Wipe down everything that’s going back in the cabinets with a damp cloth – especially the bottoms. Replace the shelf liners, and neatly re-arrange everything in a logical way i.e. things you use most often on the lowest shelf, spices and seasonings should all be grouped together in one section with the labels facing outward so you can easily identify them etc. If you’re cabinet is really cluttered, and quite deep so items get lost inside, you might want to consider getting storage boxes that you can keep like-items inside. For example – you can label one, “Baking Goods,” another “Spices,” another “Rice, Lentils & Noodles” etc. And if they’re airtight, they’ll keep your foods nice and fresh.
Cleaning You Dishwasher…Say What?
Yes, I hear you…Your dishwasher is likely not the dirtiest thing in your kitchen. But, believe me, it probably ain’t the cleanest thing either. It might get your dishes looking sparkly bright and spanking new but some of the grime that it removes is getting lodged right there in the cracks, crevices and racks of the dishwasher.
Empty your dishwasher. Add a cup of vinegar to the empty machine and run a wash on the hottest cycle. Not only will the vinegar break down all the grease, but it will remove any bad odors. If you want to be extra efficient, you should clean the drain which can sometimes get blocked with food debris. Remove the bottom rack of the dishwasher to access the drain, then remove and discard any obvious blockages. Now, using a sponge and a new toothbrush scrub away at any stuck bits of dirt. Another valuable thing to do, if you have the time or the inclination, is to clean the seals around the dishwasher door – these are the things that prevent water leaking out the machine onto your kitchen floor. Yes, indeed, they are important, so pay them some attention with hot soapy water, a toothbrush and a little elbow grease.
Now that your kitchen is sweet-smelling and clean, and rid of vintage foods, you can go about re-stocking it with everything you’ll need to concoct a year of tasty meals. Stay tuned for a post on Must-Have Pantry Essentials….Coming Soon…