Kitchen organization is one of those projects that never seems to end, isn’t it? There’s the constant influx of new food and supplies, and even when you think you’ve finally gotten everything put away you find yourself tearing it all apart again to find something you need to finish dinner. Isn’t that the constant struggle? If this sounds like you, a good idea might be to start specifically organizing your ingredients separately from the rest of your kitchen supplies so you have a better handle on where everything is and what you can do to keep them available, but tidy. Here’s a few tips on how to manage all those pesky spices and sauces without getting in the way of the rest of your kitchen! Figure Out What You Use Most: The best way to start putting your ingredients in their place is to take a look at the stuff you find yourself using most often, and in what dishes. Addicted to hot sauce? Sprinkle a lot of Greek seasoning all over everything? Or maybe you just need easier access to your Parmesan cheese shaker? Take a look at your few favorite recipes and/or the sauces and spices you find yourself going for more than others and start from there. Centralize Those Spices!: Spices are one of those things that can get a little out of hand if you’re not careful. The best way to get them out of harm’s way while still keeping them at hand when needed is to find a drawer you don’t need and devote it entirely to spices. Keeping them in a drawer allows you to look down to see what spice is in what jar, which keeps them both more organized and easier to find! Closer to the oven would be preferable, but anywhere you have a decent amount of wide, flat space is the best solution for keeping spices together and might be a better use for that drawer than a pile of random Tupperware lids, right? Re-Container Everything: A big problem with ingredients is that they never seem to be in uniformly-sized containers, which can lead to a lot of space being hogged by bulky products like sauce jars and bags of flour. Get some consistently-sized containers (Tupperware, Rubbermaid, or whatever your favorite is) and move as many of your products into them as possible - think stuff like chocolate chips, grains, pastas, etc. This will also help to keep them safe from any little intruders into your pantry, like bugs or housepets, as these containers will be much harder to get into. Group By Function: A lot of people tend to organize everything just going by wherever they have the room, as opposed to where it makes the most sense. Try to look at your ingredients stockpile and put things together by usage, not just by ‘free space’; cookie dough and chocolate chips can go on the same shelf, coffee beans go by the French press, cumin by the hot sauce and guacamole mix, and so on. This will save you a lot of wasted time and effort when it comes time to prepare your favorite dishes! Or just use your imagination! Every kitchen is different, but grouping your ingredients and supplies together will help keep your kitchen tidy and cut down on the stress during mealtime!