Fall and Winter holidays are coming up fast. Having your kitchen in top shape will make
everything go a lot smoother and taste a lot better as you spend more time than usual making some amazing meals. Here are a few things to consider for getting your kitchen into top shape.
Deep clean
Time to get the kitchen tidy and do a deep clean where needed. You may not need to pull the range out, but clear all the contents on the counters, clean the countertop well using a citrus cleaner, and wipe all the canisters and other containers before placing them back into their respective spots. Ditto for appliances like mixers, blenders, instant pots, and otherwise.
Then clean the stovetop and oven and last but not least, the fridge and freezer, tossing
anything with an expired Use-By date.
Plan out your meals – now
Having your meals planned will help you shop in advance and get your kitchen
stocked before the crowds hit the stores. It’s more than just saying we’ll serve this or that, get
your recipes ready down to the ingredients now.
Up your spice game
Most home cooks' spice storage is littered with expired spices and overstocked. Cooking with fresh spices is going to add to the overall flavor of your food. No need to buy bottles and go broke restocking. Better stores in metro areas have bulk-purchase spices. Usually, 1-3
tablespoons of any spice will get you through most holiday recipes and if you need more, you just get it later in bulk, at a fraction of the price of bottled spices.
Pre-make some stock
Stocks are used in a lot of holiday recipes. Turkey, gravies, soups, rice and otherwise are so
much better when made with stock instead of just water. And it’s easy to make. Pre-making a
gallon of chicken or vegetable stock will ensure you have what you need without all the excess salt and drab flavors found in store-bought box stocks. And your house is going to smell so good after you make the stock! You can freeze it in pint containers for use later.
Stock your pantry and freezer
Essentials like cranberry sauce, pumpkin pie filling, rice, breadcrumbs, flour, pine nuts, currents, peppercorns, and otherwise are catch-as-catch-can when you go looking for them a few days before the big meal. Get these now and you’ll save yourself the headache that comes with an empty shelf. You can also stock your freezer with fresh herbs that you can hold until you’re ready to use them. There are different methods for different herbs, so do your homework beforehand.
Pestos and sauces you’ll use later can be made now and frozen too.
Clear your plumbing
Having a pipe clog just before a holiday meal is a big hassle! Holidays are huge for plumbers
and could be expensive for you. Now is the time to put a safe and simple cleaning agent like
Green Gobbler into all your drains, allow it to sit overnight as per the instructions, and wash your worries away the next morning, ensuring you won’t have a backup later.
Whatever holidays you’re celebrating this year, we hope they are full of great times and good food.
Written by: Tom Mehren/October 2024
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