Setting up your kitchen for spring ensures you will be organized and ready for all the wonderful food ingredients that are becoming available either from your garden, local farmer or foraged. By now you are probably so excited for a change in ingredients from the winter season, I know I am! With the change of every season it is a good idea to do a kitchen reset. Making this a seasonal habit can set you up for success with less overwhelm throughout the season. This is particularly important if the season you are going into is especially busy with school, sports, family activities, gardening, preserving, vacations, etc. Today I am sharing some of the things I do to reset my kitchen for spring. I hope this sparks inspiration for how you can reset your kitchen.

• Deep Clean The Fridge – Going through your fridge and discarding anything that is expired helps you know what needs restocking. This is the perfect time to give your fridge a good cleaning, focusing on all areas of the fridge and freezer. We do this as often as needed throughout each season, but taking the time to do a deep thorough clean is so beneficial. I like to use a simple citrus infused vinegar and a cloth towel for this. 
• Sharpen Your Knives – Maintaining sharpened knives not only improves their cutting capabilities, but it is also for safety. A dull knife is more of a danger than a sharp one. You can have this done professionally or you can learn to do it yourself self.
• Clean Out Your Cupboards – A kitchen reset is the best time to go through your cupboards and donate anything you do not use. When your home is setup in a way that only the things you truly use and want are what you have, the simpler life can be. This can be a hard one if there are certain baking dishes you are holding on to for that “someday” recipe that you have yet to make. I say jump into making the recipe with the beloved baking dish and see if it’s something you will use. This is also a great opportunity to make a list of things you need for your kitchen. Perhaps you’ve lost a few dishes or cups to little fingers dropping things or for whatever reason over the winter/holiday season and need to purchase replacements, now is the time.
• Pantry Clean Out – Just like the fridge, now is the time to discard anything that is out of date. Restock those things you are low on and know you will need for spring recipes. Consistency with keeping your pantry and fridge in order will make from scratch cooking a breeze. You will more likely have exactly what you need on hand for the recipe you are making when everything is restocked each season.
• Prepare for Food Preservation – Now is the time to make sure you have all supplies clean and ready to go for any food preservation that you will be doing this season. This can also be tied to cleaning out the freezer, you will know how much space is available in case you come across a large amount of anything at your local farmers market. (I suggest buying large quantities of fruits and vegetables that your family loves to freeze for future months when they are locally out of season.) Freezing is a favorite option of food preservation for me!

A good kitchen reset is so beneficial on many levels, some do this as a part of spring cleaning, but it’s something I feel should be done at the start of every season. Once this is a habit, your kitchen time will be so much easier. It is less stressful to work in a kitchen when you know everything is set and ready to go. Meal planning becomes easier, using fresh ingredients from your garden, CSA or farmers market/farm stand is easier. Having a from scratch kitchen can seem daunting for some, but a well set kitchen brings ease. I hope you find these suggestions helpful. Please share in the comments what things you like to include in a spring kitchen reset.