The 10 Things I'm Tossing Out of My Kitchen This Spring

The other day, I was going through my pantry—a task long overdue. So overdue in fact, that I realized there were still some COVID-era purchases hiding in there. Not only do I hate wasting food in my kitchen, but I also don’t have the space to overstock my pantry, let alone my kitchen drawers, fridge, or freezer.

I got to thinking, aside from the obvious kitchen items that are on their way out: What else is staying past its welcome and taking up extra space in my kitchen? It turns out, there are loads of food and non-food items that I should’ve said goodbye to a long time ago. 

Here’s a list of 10 kitchen items that I just gleefully said goodbye to, that you also may be ready and able to part with.

1. Spices

Contrary to popular belief, spices do not last forever. Sometimes it takes a long time to work your way through a jar of paprika or dried oregano, but you might just be compromising the flavor of your food without knowing it!

To weed out which spices can stay, do a sniff and taste test. Open the jar and give it a good whiff, if the scent is still strong the cap can go back on. If the scent is faint, go ahead and sprinkle a little into your palm and give it a taste, if the flavor is dull or lackluster, it’s time to toss. 

2. Empty Jars

Do you have a collection of empty jars hogging one of your kitchen cabinets? I too am guilty of this need to hold onto any and every jam and pickle jar “just in case” I need it somewhere down the line. While you may find yourself reusing some of these rescued containers, chances are you’re also stockpiling a whole bunch that you don’t need.

3. Cooking Oils

Like spices, cooking oils can often hang out in the pantry longer than they should. According to the USDA, most oils have a shelf life of just four months. Luckily, it's pretty easy to tell when an oil has gone bad because it will taste and smell rancid. To avoid finding out after it's too late (i.e. after you’ve cooked with it), it's worth giving the oils you’ve got a little smell and taste test next time you go through your pantry or, right now! 

4. Plastic Containers

If you have recently rummaged around your plastic container collection, chances are you found some tops without bottoms or vice versa. You likely have containers stained by red sauce or potent oils. Going through your reusable containers promises to free up some space in your drawers or cabinet and, even better, make finding matching parts all the easier. 

5. Sponges

We’ve all done it: kept the gnarly-smelling sponge around a little longer than we’d like to admit. For those of us who are committed to the idea of extending a sponge’s life, we’ve even popped it in the dishwasher or microwave to sanitize it. If you keep a sponge around too long, chances are it can harbor unwanted bacteria according to the USDA, so if you have to think twice about how it smells, go ahead and toss it. 

6. Condiments

Whether in or out of the fridge, it’s easy to forget that condiments aren’t immortal—they do go bad. The rule of thumb is always to check the expiration date and if they’re not expired, you can give them a sniff and a taste, check if they’ve separated, and make sure they’re not discolored. If a condiment checks off all those boxes, chances are it can hang around a little longer. 

7. Freezer Burned Foods

Although most foods are freezer-safe for a long time (depending on how they’re frozen, if they’ve been defrosted before), freezer burn can cause a loss of flavor and/or a change in the texture of frozen foods. Besides, if you’re anything like me, your freezer could do good with a little spring cleaning. 

8. Kitchen Linens 

Whether it be kitchen towels, potholders, or cloth napkins, a few of your kitchen linens may be stained, ripped, or, if you’re a cook who likes to live on the edge, maybe even a little singed on one side. Going through your linens will not only make your kitchen feel cleaner all around but will also free up some storage space. 

9. Scratched Non-Stick Pans

Most non-stick pans are no longer made with the harmful forever chemicals they used to be coated in. However, once non-stick pans are scratched, food will begin to stick in those places where the coating no longer exists. It's also possible that you could be consuming tiny bits of the coating which, although it may no longer be toxic, certainly isn’t food. You can prevent scratching non-stick pans by avoiding metal utensils when cooking and steering clear of heavy-duty scrubbers when cleaning. 

10. Plastic Utensils

You’ve held onto all those mismatched plastic forks and spoons every time you’ve ordered takeout? Time to say goodbye! My rule of thumb is that if I’ve purchased a box of plastic utensils, they can stay. Otherwise, one single pack of knife + fork + spoon + napkin cocooned in its plastic covering can remain, and to the rest, I bid farewell.