Is your kitchen Winter-ready? 8 essential tips for the chilly months

Let's get ready for batch cooking and lots of stews and soups!

Image source: iStock

ALSO READ: 6 Luscious breakfast recipes to keep you warm this Autumn

You’ve heard about the big Spring clean? Well, now is the time to get your kitchen ready for winter!

Stock up on Winter warmers
We are always excited about hot chocolate season! Stock up on instant hot chocolate, flavoured coffees, chai blends and comforting malt drinks, like Horlicks. Don’t forget the marshmallows!

READ: How to make the perfect hot chocolate

Buy these pantry ingredients for winning Winter dishes
-Lasagne sheets for winning pasta dishes.
– Stock cubes – for rich stews and soups.
– Tomato paste – for the base of a great sauce.
– Lentils, beans and chickpeas – for hearty grain and pulse-focused fare.
– Macaroni – for the ultimate bubbly bacon mac ‘n cheese.
– Brown onion soup powder – to amp up the umami factor.

Pull out your kitchen tools
Now is the time to pull out the kitchen gear for making soups and casseroles. Bring out your largest stock pots, deep casserole dishes and hand blenders for making the smoothest of soups.

TRY: 5 Time-effective casseroles for busy people

Keep the family healthy
Winter is also the time when we all get the sniffles. Keep these ingredients on hand to mix up a soothing hot drink for sore throats and coughs.
– Fresh lemon
– Fresh ginger
– Honey
– Rooibos tea

Move Summer foods towards the back of the cupboard
Some kitchen items are not going to be used quite as much for a few month. Store these items away:
– Ice cube trays
– Lolly moulds
– Ice bricks
– Cooler boxes
– Braai tools

Make space in the pantry for more vegetables
– Butternut
– Potatoes
– Onions
– Garlic
– Gem squash

Clear out the freezer
Winter is all about cooking up big batches of stews, curries and casseroles.Throw out any old bits and pieces, and make a fresh start for your Winter cooking!

Stock up on warm breakfast ingredients
– Oatmeal
– Mielie pap
– Nuts
– Cinnamon, nutmeg and other spices for these 8 breakfast recipes to keep you warm this Autumn.

ALSO READ: 10 Healthy and warming Winter recipes your waistline will thank you for