I recently was inspired (thank you, Minimalista!) to continue my love of decanting in the kitchen. That is, in addition to cereals living in their own clear containers, now my baking and other cooking ingredients are equally content in sturdy glass jars. Not only does this method create a beautiful, streamlined approach to organizing, but it also makes life a TON easier in the following ways: the jar contents are easier to get to and measure out (without the inevitable – at least for me – bag mess!); the jars remind me that the ingredients they hold are THERE in the pantry, ready to be incorporated into a delicious meal; the jars show me quickly what I have on hand and how much.
I ordered about 20 jars of all sizes to start, and they now house everything from brown sugar and shredded coconut to granola, nuts, and quinoa. I must say I do also feel strongly that the jars will encourage whole food and home-made consumption much more so than if the contents remained hidden in crinkly, visually-busy plastic bags, askew about the pantry.
I also made use of this darling washi masking tape to label items (and include basic cooking instructions for the quinoa, for example). I considered ordering some printed labels from Etsy, but the tape labels are quick, easy, and cute, so they will certainly suffice for now.
I am so pleased with my new jar family. There are a few different places to get these, but I chose IKEA for the shape and cost (super affordable). Their gaskets are an off-white rubber and they are highly-rated. Oh, and you will need one of these beauties:
I don’t know why but I just love this – the shape, the function, the little handle. As I’ve said before, it’s the little things. I imagine I will be decanting more and more as time goes on but this project alone definitely has a big impact. The family is already reaping the freshly-baked (and secretly healthy, heh-heh) benefits.