Getting Your Kitchen Ready for Holiday Baking

Getting Your Kitchen Ready for Holiday Baking

With the holiday season upon us, it’s time to think about getting your kitchen ready for a busy time of year. Begin by taking inventory. If you know of certain dishes you will be making, be sure to have the ingredients called for on hand. Also consider beverages that you will need

Check dates. This is the time of year when many spices are used. If spices are more than one year old, they can lose potency. Also store spices away from heat and steam. It may be a good time to stock up on the basic spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, bay leaves, garlic powder and thyme. Also check dates on items you don’t use often like corn syrup and condiments.

Also make sure to have plenty of staple ingredients on hand like flour, sugar and chocolate. It can be difficult when making something like fudge to realize in the middle of measuring ingredients that one ingredient is missing from the cupboard.

While stocking up on ingredients don’t neglect the items you need to put everything together including parchment papers for lining pans, plenty of re-sealable containers for leftovers and utensils like candy thermometers, cookie sheets, and spatulas.

This is also a good time to check inventory of napkins, paper plates and glasses.