The change of season is the perfect excuse to fling open cupboards, clear out clutter and take a hard look at what’s lurking in the fridge and pantry.
A kitchen spring clean isn’t just about tidiness – it can save serious money and reduce waste, especially once you understand what expiry dates really mean.
‘Best before’ or ‘use-by’?
Not all dates on packaging are created equal. In New Zealand, there are two main types: use-by dates, which are about safety, and best-before dates, which are about quality.
Food must be eaten or frozen before the use-by date; after that it may not be safe. Best-before dates, however, are far looser – they mark the point at which the product is at its best, but plenty of items can still be eaten afterwards. Confusing the two leads to masses of food being needlessly thrown out. Perfectly edible pasta, biscuits or tins of beans often end up in the bin simply because the best-before has ticked over.
Labels aren’t the only guide. Your senses are often the best judge. A tub of yoghurt a day or two past its best-before is usually fine, while bagged salad can turn slimy well before the date. A simple rule of thumb is to look first, sniff second and taste last – if anything seems off, don’t risk it.
Bring order to your pantry
Storage habits play a big role, too. A simple trick borrowed from restaurants is “first in, first out”: shift older items to the front of the fridge or pantry so they’re used before newer ones. It only takes a minute when you unpack groceries, but it means far fewer forgotten packets moulder at the back.
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Organisation makes everything easier. Clear containers – they don’t have to be fancy; cleaned jars or tubs work fine – help you see what you have. Label them with the purchase date so the oldest gets used first. Dried goods like pasta, rice or lentils are hardy and usually carry best-before dates years out. They’re safe to eat long after that if stored in a cool, dry place, though the texture and flavour may slowly decline. If flour smells musty or rice looks discoloured, that’s the sign to let it go.
You can freeze more than you think
Freezing is another powerful tool, but not everything behaves the same. Bread, butter and most cooked grains freeze perfectly, and chopped herbs mixed with a little oil can be frozen in ice cube trays for instant flavour. Cheese and milk can be frozen too, though they change texture – cheese becomes crumbly and milk may separate, making them better for cooking than fresh use. One note of caution: cooked rice should be cooled quickly, stored in the fridge within an hour and eaten within a day or two, or frozen in portions. Reheating rice that’s been left out too long can cause food poisoning.
Old food can still taste great
When ingredients are nearing the end of their life, cooking can give them new purpose. Bendier vegetables can be roasted for soups or fritters, overripe bananas make banana bread, stale bread becomes crumbs or croutons. Batch cooking adds another layer of thrift: roast a tray of vegetables and use them across several meals, or cook a chicken once and stretch it into sandwiches, fried rice and broth.
Using up those overripe bananas: recipes to try
Shop with a strategy
Shopping with intention also cuts waste. Check your pantry before writing a list, and stick to it at the supermarket. Buying in bulk is only a bargain if you can store it properly and eat it before it spoils. A useful exercise is to declare a “shop the pantry” week every couple of months – buy only fresh basics and commit to cooking from what’s already at home. It’s a surprising way to rediscover those tins and packets you bought with good intentions and never quite used.
Habits keep things on track. A quick fridge scan before bin night helps you spot what needs to be eaten next, and a seasonal deep clean – wiping shelves, checking dates, donating unopened long-life items you won’t use – resets the whole system.
The bigger picture
And beyond the personal savings, there’s a larger payoff. According to WasteMINZ, the industry body for NZ’s waste and resource recovery sector, households throw away more than 157,000 tonnes of food each year. Much of it could have been eaten. Reducing that waste not only saves families money but also eases the environmental burden.
A kitchen spring clean is more than a seasonal ritual. By decoding expiry dates, trusting your senses and putting a few systems in place, you can waste less, save more and feel better about what’s in your fridge and pantry. That’s money back in your pocket – and fewer guilty toss-outs into the bin.
Herald contributor Nikki Birrell has worked in food and travel publishing for nearly 20 years. From managing your kitchen to cutting costs, she’s shared some helpful advice recently, including how to prep your barbecue for summer grilling, gourmet hacks for elevating budget ingredients and what toppings to choose for different crackers.