3 Ways to Prepare Your Kitchen for Thanksgiving

If you’re responsible for your family’s Thanksgiving dinner this year, there’s a lot of work ahead. Before you can even get started, however, you need to make sure your kitchen is prepared to handle the heavy workload. Fortunately, prepping your kitchen for the holiday feast is easier than you might think. Here are three ways to prepare your kitchen for Thanksgiving.

Prep Utensils and Tools

Given the variety of food on offer at Thanksgiving, you’ll likely need quite a few utensils and tools at the ready before you start cooking. Among the most important are your knives. Sharpening your knives is critical to the entire process for both effectiveness and safety. Use a sharpener or whetstone to give your knives the edge necessary to cut through turkey like butter. Additionally, use a honing steel to ensure that the edges of the knives are straight.

After the knives are sorted, it’s time to tackle the rest of the required utensils. A wide variety of utensils may be needed for your unique Thanksgiving dinner, but the most common must-haves are a turkey baster, potato masher, can opener, strainer, tongs and measuring cups. A vegetable peeler and a thermometer can also come in handy when preparing the Thanksgiving feast. Make a list of every utensil you need, and then mark them off one by one until you’ve found them all.

Take Inventory

Another crucial step in preparing Thanksgiving dinner is the preceding shopping trip. If you want to make sure you’re saving whenever you can, don’t forget to take an inventory before you head out. Plan your menu first and check your pantry and fridge to see what ingredients you have and what you still need. Make sure to include spices as well. After all, no one likes an unseasoned turkey.

While you’re taking inventory, take note of how much refrigerator and freezer space you have. It’s likely that your Thanksgiving ingredients are going to take up quite a bit of space, especially the turkey, so you need to make sure there’s enough room available. Keep in mind that sheer space often isn’t enough if you want to maximize freshness or preserve some older frozen items you don’t want to throw away. The air needs room to circulate inside your freezer to function properly, so there must be enough space for the items and the air around them.

Expect Leftovers

It would be truly impressive if a family could get through an entire Thanksgiving feast in a single sitting. Most of the time, however, turkey sandwiches become the standard lunch for a few days after the holiday, and you need to be ready for that. Prepare in advance for storing your inevitable leftovers.

Fortunately, prepping for leftovers is relatively easy. Stock up on foil and plastic wrap, along with zipper-lock bags. If you’re worried about having enough plastic containers, go ahead and get some more of those as well. Inexpensive plastic containers are also great for sending home leftovers with relatives.

Prep With Kitchen Solvers

If you’re looking for more impactful changes with your kitchen, Kitchen Solvers is your one-stop shop for all the solutions you need. Whether you’re looking for new cabinets or an entire remodel, our experts can help you design and craft your dream kitchen. Contact us today to learn more about everything our team can offer you!

And be sure to check out our blog, Your Kitchen Remodel and the Holiday Season while preparing your kitchen for the holiday season.

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