Pantry Panic- Day 2

Yesterday was Day 1 of Pantry Panic from my guest writer Emily. Today she continues her story with things she's learned and how she plans to do things different in her kitchen, going forward. Being someone that shops sales, clips coupons and stocks up on good deals her story has really gotten my attention and made me think that one problem like this could be costly of time, money and energy. Come back tomorrow for Day 3 of her pantry panic!

Day 2:

Yesterday I admitted that I had a pantry infestation, but I’ve learned some lessons, and found some good tips on keeping this from happening again:

- Anything you bring home could have tiny bugs in it, and you may never see them until it is WAY too late. Some things, especially things that come in paper bags like sugar, flour, or corn meal, should be put into air tight containers and the original packaging thrown away. That way if you inadvertently bring something home, at least it will be contained. Clear or opaque containers are best because then you can see inside better. You can also store these items in the fridge or freezer if you have room, which will kill and contain anything in them, and keep them fresher longer. I’ve read that some people bring home items like this and put them in the freezer for about a week, then move them to air tight containers.
- Don’t stock up on items that you cannot or will not repackage or store in the freezer. It isn’t a deal if you lose it all and half your other food due to bugs.
- Rethink whether “your air tight” containers are actually air tight. Some of my canisters were older, and I found bugs inside them. Good, durable containers may be expensive at first, but they should last for years and if they save you from throwing away dozens of food products they are worth it. I’ve already ordered a handful of larger, nicer storage canisters, and I won’t be buying replacement food until they arrive. I’ve always used canisters because they are more convenient to try to measure ingredients out of, but I’m realizing that their ability to keep out moisture and bugs is far more important.
- Take a good, close look at any food product that is getting old before you use it, or anything that has made it into your pantry and not been properly sealed.
- On a regular basis, clean out your pantry! Take everything out, wipe off the shelves, look inside for any traces of bugs, move older items to the front to be used, and take a moment to stare closely into your canisters. If you can see through your container, look closely at the sides or bottom. Evaluate whether you actually need 6 varieties of pasta and 5 boxes of corn muffin mix.
- Keep pet food as far away from the kitchen as possible. According to some websites, the items most likely to carry food bugs into your house are flour, corn meal, and pet food. Ours is in the garage in an air tight (hopefully!) container, so I don’t think it contributed to our problem, and we’ve never had a problem with bugs in the pet food. But, it’s a good reminder to be careful with pet food.

Coming up: what to do if you find bugs yourself.