Ways to Organize Food Jars in the Kitchen

This post may contain affiliate links. If you purchase through links on my site, I may earn a commission at no cost to you. For more information, please see my disclosure policy.

Today I have practical ways to organize Mason jars of food in your kitchen. For my kitchen, I ordered simple pantry shelves from Amazon.

They arrived yesterday, and Randy put them together for me. I’m so glad I can pay him to do things that are now hard for me to do with arthritis and less mobility in my fingers.

this Idea

I ordered this set of pantry shelves because it fit my space, and each shelf has a structured lip to keep jars from sliding off. It also has rollers on the bottom so I can pull it away from the wall to vacuum and mop underneath.

I’d decided I wanted to reduce my reliance on plastic in my kitchen. Plus, I ordered the Mason Genie to seal the jar lids and make food last longer. It’s charging as I write this. And I’ll add labels to identify each jar of food to make things even easier.

This morning, I organized the food jars on the white utilitarian shelves, and I still have jars left over to store and seal food in my refrigerator once it’s charged up.

Old Fashioned Storage is Often the Best

Glass jars filled with flour, sugar, rice, beans, pasta, oats, and other food are a little like the kitchens of years ago. People kept everyday ingredients close at hand, and beautiful containers were simply part of the room.

Today, organizing food jars on kitchen shelves can be both practical and decorative. You don’t need a perfectly styled pantry or expensive coordinating system.

A collection of simple jars, shelf space, and some thoughtful arranging can make food easier to locate.

Why Store Food in Jars?

Glass jars make it easy to see what you have.

Instead of colorful cardboard or plastic packages, you get rows of similar containers filled with the colors and textures of the foods themselves.

Flour, oats, colorful beans, rice, pasta, and dried herbs can become part of the kitchen’s decor.

You don’t have to purchase an entire matching collection. I ordered my Mason jars from Walmart in wide-mouth 16-, 32-, and 64-ounce sizes.

Organize Jars by Food Type

One of the easiest ways to organize food jars on shelves is to group similar ingredients together. I also organized mine by size and how they fit on the shelves.

You could create a baking shelf with:

• Flour
• Sugar
• Brown sugar
• Oats
• Baking ingredients
• Chocolate chips

Another shelf might hold pasta, rice, beans, and other grains. You could reserve a smaller section for coffee, tea, and breakfast foods.

Grouping things together means you don’t have to search through the kitchen every time you need an ingredient.

Additionally, I have a limited time when standing. So I don’t have time to dig through deep, dark pantries to find what I need.

Create a Cottage Kitchen Display

If your jars are sitting on open shelves, let them become part of the room. Place the tallest jars toward the back and smaller jars toward the front.

You want the shelves to look useful and lived-in rather than overly styled.

I can’t think of a more cottage-style look than food stored in jars in a kitchen. One thing I love about cottage-style kitchens is that practical things don’t have to be hidden.

Cottage living isn’t about creating more work. It’s about finding simple ways to make ordinary life feel a little more beautiful.

Now I can add this idea to my list of favorite small kitchen storage ideas. Plus, I can repurpose the glass jars to store food instead of adding more plastic waste to the environment.

Keep the Foods You Use Most Within Reach

Organize your shelves around your everyday routines.

If you bake often, keep flour and sugar within easy reach. Or if you make oatmeal every morning, give your oats a convenient spot.

If you drink tea throughout the day, keep your tea jars together in an accessible spot. That arrangement makes everyday life easier.

The Beauty of Everyday Kitchen Shelves

A jar of rice. A container of flour. A few handfuls of dried beans. Pasta waiting for dinner. These aren’t fancy things, but they are part of the routine of kitchen home life.

Whether you have a large kitchen with lots of cabinets and shelves, or a small kitchen with limited space, I consider organization paramount. Shelves like this can even replace built-in kitchen cabinets if you want free-standing storage.

Organizing food jars on kitchen shelves gives these simple ingredients a place of their own while making the kitchen easier to use. You can have a cozy, organized kitchen that also looks pretty.

Glass jars are both beautiful and useful.

Truck Diesel Prices Are Alarming

With gas prices being what they are, especially diesel, I am a bit worried about truckers being able to deliver food to the grocery stores.

So I am stocking up when I order groceries and other household staples. It can’t hurt to add an extra can of vegetables or a box of pasta to your grocery shopping.

It’s just common sense to prepare for such an event in case it happens. We are living in very uncertain times.

I like to be prepared. Now I can tell at a glance, through the clear glass Mason jars, what I need when preparing meals.