Canned Goods, Spices & Seasonings Organization
Canned goods are probably the most common items in people’s pantries. But those cans of food are bulky, and organizing them can be tricky. I will show you a great organization and storage system for canned goods, spices, and food seasonings.
A few years ago, I purchased an expandable tiered shelf to organize my spices. When all the spices were in place, I realized it would also make great storage for canned food. So, I purchased one more to organize all the canned food in my kitchen cabinet.
When I first posted the organization of canned food and spices, I had way more spices than I could ever use in a lifetime. So, not too long ago, I significantly reduced the spices and made a few changes to the cabinet’s layout. This is how this cabinet looked like in 2016
This is how the canned food cabinet is organized today (2021). While it might not look much of a change, it’s a lot less cluttered than it was before. But what is obvious here is that five years later, this system still works.
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My Favorite Storage for Canned Food
Five years later, this expandable tiered shelf is still my favorite for canned food storage. This time around, I moved the canned food to the bottom shelf.
My system consists of storing the same or similar types of canned food, one in front of the other, as I would find them in a food store.
I moved the spices to the middle shelf. I disposed of many spices and did not replace any. You can see in the picture below that I kept very few spices—thirteen bottles, to be exact.
👉🏻 Note: I have a lazy Susan on a separate cabinet where I store the seasonings and spices I use daily to prepare meals. I will post about the organization of those spices soon and link it in this post!
Using the same expandable organizer, right next to the spices, I store bottles of oils and vinegar. The tiers help me see everything at a glance.
These interlocking plastic drawer organizers from Dollar Tree are also great for keeping bottles in place and containing spills or sticky messes. These bins come in rectangular and square shapes. I use the long rectangular ones to hold vinegar and cooking wines.
Food Seasonings Storage
Next to the canned goods, I keep 4 square interlocking bins from Dollar Tree to store food seasoning packets and bouillon cubes.
When someone asks me for help or advice to organize pantry food or dry goods, I always suggest decanting. This means discarding as much packaging as possible and transferring it to containers. This practice not only makes the cabinet or pantry aesthetically pleasing but also helps maximize the space.
For example, to store these seasoning packets, I cut out the boxes and keep only the part with instructions and/or expiration dates.
Then, I fold it in half, and the food seasonings cardboard is a divider inside the storage bin.
This food seasonings storage is another organization system that has worked for me for the last five years. So, if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it. The only update I did was printing new labels with my P-Touch Cube. The old labels were printed with thermal technology, and they were faded.
How I Organize Miscellaneous Foods
Other foods like larger food envelopes I like to store in this food packet organizer. I could probably use a better system, a larger organizer, perhaps, but it works for now. Besides, the rotation of these food packets is minimal in our home. This is the most I would have at a given time.
I also grabbed these Plastic Fridge Storage Bins at Dollar Tree. Even though they’re labeled as fridge bins, I use them in the cabinet to store miscellaneous food packets and bottles of things I do not use often.
I place them on a higher shelf, and the handle allows me to easily grab them.
Another favorite item to organize food packets, boxes, and pouches are small trays and baskets.
I like these small slotted baskets from Dollar Tree. They come in packs of 3 for $1. I do have to say, they’re a little flimsy, so whenever I can, I grab these sturdy ones from Walmart.
I store all these miscellaneous foods and packets on the third shelf of the cabinet. We don’t use them often. I probably access them only once a month.
Resources to Organize Canned Goods, Spices, and Food Seasonings
- Expandable Tiered Spice Shelf Organizer. For canned goods and spices organization. There are several options on Amazon.
- Interlocking Plastic Drawer Organizers.For food seasonings organization. These are from my local Dollar Tree. I am linking to their online store so you know what to look for. If you want to purchase them online, a minimum $36 order is required. If you have more than one organization project, it’s worth the expense.
- Madesmart Interlocking Bins – Another option for interlocking bins, although these are not as deep as the ones from Dollar Tree.
- Plastic Fridge Storage Bins. Also, from my local Dollar Tree.
- Clear Storage Bins with Handles. I am a big fan of these crystal clear storage bins with handles. I have a few in my fridge and pantry.
- Food Packet Organizer.For slow cooker food packets, taco seasoning, etc.
- Set of 3 small slotted baskets.For miscellaneous organization.
- Small Baskets (Set of 2). Grab these at your local Walmart or a set of 6 on Amazon.
- Set of 3 Clear Plastic Trays
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Have fun organizing canned goods, seasonings, and more!
