There’s something in the air here in Chicago right now. And no, I’m not talking about seasonal allergies. Or the Midwestern impulse to make plans for every weekend of the summer. I’m talking about spring cleaning. On my nightly walks around the neighborhood, I see it everywhere: garages being sorted into keep and giveaway piles, gardens being ripped out and reorganized, and sidewalks being power-washed within an inch of their life. This is part of living in a place that still gets seasons: in the Spring, you clean.
I’m no exception to this rule, by the way. But as someone whose energy is always focused on the kitchen, that’s where my spring cleaning happens. I just finished my annual kitchen clean out last week, and today I’m here to share my tips for getting your kitchen ready for summer.
Kitchen Spring Cleaning Tips
1. Make room for summer staples: clean out your fridge and freezer!
I have a criminally small freezer, but that’s no excuse for the larger problem, which is that I horde frozen fruits, pie crusts, and veggie scraps for chicken stock like a pro. But with farmers’ market season in full swing, I know that the time has come to kill my darlings. I composted a whole bunch of stuff last week, from the freezer burned strawberries of last summer to some questionable quick pickles. Now, my shelves are clean and ready for all of the new things that I’ll cook up (and label appropriately this year, I swear!).
2. Declutter the drawers.
This sounds like the worst job in the world, and that’s because it kind of is. But never fear: I have a productive procrastination suggestion for you: take my advice and organize your drawers by necessity. Here’s what I mean: every winter, during that week between Christmas and New Years, I pull my most-used kitchen implements to the front of the drawers. Can openers, my favorite leftover containers, the sheet tray I’ve baked everything on for the last year. Then I take a picture on my phone. Come next winter, I refer back to that photo. What items did I find myself needing to dig out of the back of the drawer? What items stayed all the way in the back, ignored all year long and collecting dust? Those items are the ones I pull during spring cleaning, either to go in storage (am I the only one who has a wedding cake decoration box?) or to the donation pile.
3. Tackle the spice cabinet.
You already know what I’m about to say: spices expire. There’s been an article written up about this by every food publication under the sun. And it’s true! But that doesn’t make it any more fun to go through your spice cabinets, I know. Here’s what I do to make it a more enjoyable task. Are there spices that are collecting dust in the back of your shelves? Why not make a fun, custom spice mix for yourself to use up the odds and ends? I’ve made some of the best meat rubs of my life by doing this. Who knew that having so much maple-flavored salt would come in handy? Once you’ve consolidated all of those half empty jars, declutter and don’t buy more unless you have to. Spices are one of the most expensive ingredients out there, so keep yourself honest: if the recipe calls for paprika, could you use some of that specialty red pepper instead? Be flexible and discover some new flavors along the way!
4. Collect your empties and cook from them!
There’s an entire shelf of my fridge and pantry for Things I’ve Opened but Haven’t Used Up Yet (we’re still workshopping the name). This is the only time of year that I buckle down and search for recipes that use specific ingredients. There are plenty of tools to help you do this for multiple ingredients at once, and some of those recipes are really fun to cook, especially when they use ingredients that otherwise, I don’t incorporate into my daily cooking. Challenge yourself to use up one or two of these empties a day and watch as your pantry cleans itself out. Just don’t forget to wash out the jars/tins/containers so they can be recycled!
Are you also making room in your kitchen for all of your upcoming farmers' market finds? Our bi-monthly chef demonstrations begin again at the Lincoln Square Farmers Market this Thursday, June 5 at 5pm. We'll be there every other Thursday through September with new ideas on how to cook up what you are buying from the market. Watch the free demo, enjoy a generous tasting, and get the recipe to recreate the dish at home yourself!
