How to 5S Your Kitchen

“Sort” “Straighten” “Shine” “Standardize” “Sustain”


In my quest to become zero waste, I started out on this task of organizing my kitchen. Before I knew about Lean and 5S, I was living the life of “Clean”, “Neat” and “Tidy”…. So the transition to a 5S kitchen was pretty natural. There are quite a few reasons that I believe this method of kitchen organization is important:

1. It enables me to buy food in bulk, which saves money
2. Buying in bulk also reduces the amount of packaging waste I produce
3. I spend less time shopping
4. It’s easy to keep track of what needs to be restocked, so I always have the ingredients I need on hand
5. I eat healthier, because I make everything myself

When I moved back to San Antonio from Colorado Springs, my kitchen evolved and no longer fit in the little pantry that came with the kitchen. Everything was crowded into the small shelving unit, and it was hard to keep track of what ingredients I had and what I needed.

This little pantry seemed to be more suitable for my small appliances. As for food storage, I decided to invest in a white baker’s rack, the the beginning of my 5S kitchen.

I pulled everything out of the pantry and put it instead on the baker’s rack; to help with straighten and sorting it’s best to have a clean shiny slate.

Since I do quite a bit of baking, I had several jars that all look the same. These are good to have around, because I purchase my kitchen staples from the bulk section in the grocery store. I organize the bulk flours, dried beans, dried fruit, etc. into these jars, and label them clearly with my black marker, making sure there is no confusion.

I love glass jars for the fact that you can run them through the dishwasher, and a simple black Sharpie marker will stay pretty nicely when you label the jars. You want to make sure that your food staples are clearly labeled; tapioca flour looks a lot like pastry flour.

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If any of my jars are full, and I still have some of my pantry staple left over, I put the “back stock” into large containers to hold the extra until needed. Once my back stock is gone, I add those items to my grocery list.

To make it easier for me to find all of my ingredients, I put all of the “like” jars together and in alphabetical order, keeping it standardized. This is the easiest way for me to find everything quickly.

To make it even easier, the spot is left for the jar that is being used and I simply return it when I’m done measuring out what I need. White is the standardized color for my new pantry, which also makes it easier for me to find everything.

In these ways, my pantry system is sustainable.

There are so many things you can do to have a Lean kitchen, and pantry organization is just the beginning. What have you done to 5S your own kitchen?

To The Finer Things~ Wine Tips in the Kitchen

To The Finer Things~ Wine Tips in the Kitchen

I mentioned this tip to a few friends, and realized that most didn't know to do this. So, I'm posting these here to share with everyone.... A good rule of thumb is: if you won't drink it, don't cook with it!

1. Let me start off with, Bruce and I really enjoy a nice glass of wine. There have been a few times that we've gotten a bottle of red that has turned before we could finish the bottle, or that we couldn't drink at all since it was just really bad wine. Never fear~ If you pour the wine into ice trays, you can freeze them and use it in dinner instead of drinking with dinner.... ~_^

** Sauces and marinades are great for this!**

2. For sweet whites (I'm not a fan), I use them in chutneys and adding a spicy kick to offset the sweetness. Or bake into a fruit compote, so you have the flavor baked into the fruit.

**Some good fruits are apricots, pears, and plums**

How To Prepare & Freeze Fresh Pumpkin The Easy Way

How To Prepare & Freeze Fresh Pumpkin The Easy Way

I found this from the Farmers Almanac. Coming home from Hawaii, I had 2 small pumpkins that needed to be processed. Being afraid that they were turning, I followed the steps and it was SO easy! Hopefully this helps you as much as it helped me. I went ahead and pureed all 8 cups of pumpkin, and have been finding lots of recipes for it, let's just hope that I won't get tired of pumpkin.... ~_^

To Prepare Fresh Pumpkin for Baking and Other Uses:
Cut a pumpkin in half and then into fourths.

1. Use a large spoon or scoop to remove the seeds, and set aside (Seeds are edible and nutritious too. Save for roasting.)

2. Place the pumpkin skin-side down in a roasting pan. Add a little water to cover the bottom of the pan and cover.

3. Place in a 300°F oven. The pumpkin will take about 1 hour to bake, unless you are working with a small one.

4. Test the center of the pumpkin for softness with a knife. When the pumpkin is done, it will slice easily. Remove pumpkin from the oven when it's ready and uncover.

5. Allow to cool slightly to the touch. Cut the fleshly part away from the hard outside shell. Chop the fleshy part into 2” to 3” inch chunks.

6. If the pumpkin will be used solely for pies or breads, process the pumpkin cubes in a blender or food processor until smooth.

7. Store pumpkin in the freezer for future use. Freeze in storage containers or pressure-can in pint-canning jars.

To Freeze Fresh Pumpkin

You can enjoy baking your favorite pumpkin pies, pumpkin bread, pudding and pancakes just by freezing your fresh pumpkin. Here’s how:

1. Once the fresh pumpkin has been cooked and processed in a food processor, measure quantities for your favorite pumpkin recipes, usually 1 to 2 cup portions.

2. Measure pumpkin into freezer storage bags.
Label contents, date and quantity and store in freezer until ready to use.

To Defrost Frozen Pumpkin:

Fresh frozen pumpkin defrosts nicely and should be ready to use in only an hour after removing from the freezer. To expedite the thawing process:

1. Rip plastic freezer bag open and place pumpkin on a glass pie pan in the microwave.
Defrost 2 to 3 minutes or until soft.

2. Use defrosted pumpkin for any recipe that calls for pumpkin. It's a great substitute for the canned product.

Tools of the Trade & How to Care for Them

Tools of the Trade & How to Care for Them

Alright, for those who have followed me for a while. I haven't posted one these in about a month or so. Well I've found some tips that are worth sharing and I'm excited (I'm a kitchen nerd~that's right I own it!)....

Source: marthastewart.com via compassionate on Pinterest

How to clean cast iron: We ALL know how using soap is bad for cast iron, and this is one of the main reasons people protest to using them. And we've ALL had someone we love use soap on our cast irons. I've had to re-season mine once or twice...

Scrub your cast iron with coarse salt and a soft sponge. The salt is a natural abrasive and will absorb oil and lift away bits of food while preserving the pan's seasoning. Rinse away salt and wipe dry. FINALLY!!!! I've been doing this for about a month, and IT WORKS!!!!!

How to re-season:

1. Wash the cookware with warm, soapy water and a stiff nylon brush. Rusty? Scrub it with steel wool. Rinse and dry thoroughly.

2. Apply a thin, even coating of vegetable oil to the entire surface of the pan (inside and out) using a paper towel. Set pan aside.

3. Place aluminum foil on the bottom rack of your oven to safeguard it from oil drips. Heat oven to 350°F.

4. Place the pan upside down on the top rack of the oven. This will allow the oil to drip down and coat the entire pan. Leave the pan in the oven to “bake” for one hour.

5. Turn off the oven and let the pan cool in the oven, or remove it with mitts and place it on a wire rack to cool for an hour. Store your newly re-seasoned pan uncovered in a dry place.

Source: shop.uncovet.com via compassionate on Pinterest

Cutting Boards: Since moving to Colorado, my beloved cutting board was splitting. I later found out that Bruce was not drying it after cleaning it.

Well, one should always completely dry the cutting board after using. If you do find yours splitting, add some sweet almond oil to it and moisturize the board.

Clean your cutting board with hydrogen peroxide. Let everything bubble for a few minutes, then scrub and rinse clean. This helps kill bacteria that might be in deep cuts in your board.

Kitchen Tips....

Kitchen Tips

Well, over the weekend I helped with a Plant-Strong presentation. And this question came up (and has a lot in the past) "How much time do you spend in the kitchen?" So here is a list of tips that help me get through the process (especially when I'm making on average 2 new recipes a night). Yes, there is a fight (not really-but yes) for Bruce to get a repeat recipe. Most of time it will happen when I'm at a loss or just tired....

I measure everything out... (What I mean, is: the spices that go into the recipe together, will go into a bowl or a cup together.)

I will do the soaking or the shredding in the morning... (I'm a morning person so I get started with the prepping in the morning. This also works if you are a night owl, get it started the night before.)

Make a Meal Plan... (I go to the farmers market and then plan out my meals in my head. I have friends that make out the meal plans and then go shopping. If that means buying the already cleaned and sliced veggies, then do it-it may be more expensive.)

Ask for help... (I think one of the most intimate things people can do is cook together.
I will ask Bruce to help to chop, or I'll help my friends during a girls night in.)

I've learned 2 recipes are the max that I can do. If I shoot for 3 I tend to get frazzled, now if I can get the boys (Bruce included) to keep the fridge clean, neat and tidy. I can tell you, I get frustrated when I get covered in olive juice....

Kitchen appliances to invest in:

Food Processor (I use mine almost all of the time. When I say that, I've used up to 4 times in one day. Anytime a recipe calls for something roughly chopped, I pulse it in the food processor. I love it and not really sure why I put in the pantry.)

Rice Maker (Moving to Colorado, I haven't been able to master the art of making rice, pearl barley or quiona. My mom was never able to master it either, however in Texas no problems. Bruce invested in one for me, so I wouldn't have to stress over the fillers in certain dishes. Plus, mine shuts off by itself and is one last thing I have to worry about.)