Don’t those non-stackable annoying lumps of bagged beans, lentils, and pastas laying about in the pantry annoy the heck out of you? They do me. They don’t stack well, for one. And the half-opened bags tend to spill all over the place before you even know what’s happened. And then there’s the fact that they get lost in there, only to be found when you clean the pantry and realize you’ve got five half-empty bags of pinto beans.

Not that that’s ever happened to me.

And so recently as I was scouring my local hardware store for a storage solution for those pantry-messer-uppers, I found myself in the canning aisle. As a massive Pin-head, I am well-aware of the magic of both mason jars and chalkboard paint. What if, I thought, I bring those two things together? Mass hysteria! Worlds colliding!

Not really. Just, a really great dry goods storage system that I am absolutely loving. And so I thought I’d share.

All it takes are some mason jars and a can of chalkboard paint. Use a small-ish brush – just about any will do just fine – and paint two or three coats on the lids of the jars. Let dry for a good 24 hours, and then label your heart out.

Need to swap out that jar of cornmeal for another bag of red lentils because you just can’t help but fill a sack every time you find yourself in the bulk section of Whole Foods?

Not that that’s ever happened to me?

Just erase the lid and label anew.

I like to store pasta in the jars too, and add the cooking time to the label. Because there’s no way this airhead is going to remember how long Barilla spaghetti cooks vs. Trader Joe’s penne.

Easy. Peasy. Cheap. And kinda cute, too.

 

Note: I only recommend doing this for dry pantry items. You should only use a lid one time when canning, as the seal is compromised after one use. Cute, but personally I don’t think it would be worth the effort.

 

 

 

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