On condiments

Go get rid of some condiments.  Yes, you.  Go to your fridge and find something to toss out.  We all have that 6 month old bottle of brined capers hidden in the back of the top fridge shelf, or a container of hoisin sauce literally stuck to the condiment shelf on the fridge door.  Why does this happen, and how do we prevent it?

Well, it probably happens for a good reason.  These days, most people aren’t cooking just a single cuisine – we may dabble in Italian, Chinese, American, Indian, and a variety of other ethnic foods.  I think this is a great thing, but it's also a prime way to end up with 20 random bottles of very specialized garnish.

What to do now:

Go to your refrigerator and throw out any condiments you haven’t used in a month to two months.  Yes, some of them may still be useable, but if you haven’t used them in two months…toss.  Unless we’re talking about a white truffle, none of these items are bank-breakers.

Now, before buying another jar at your next grocery store trip, plan ahead.  Need to buy red curry for a recipe you’re just DYING to try, but it’s only going to use half a bottle?  Look up another recipe that calls for red curry and get it on your meal plan, even if you don’t plan to make it this week.  If you plan ahead to use an entire specialized product, you won’t end up with gooey, orphaned products all over your precious fridge.

Give it a try!