Are you a recipe collector like me?
I don’t have a huge stash of cookbooks, but after switching from physically clipping recipes for years, I started converting my stash to electronic database.
The main reason I switched was because it was a surprise Christmas gift from my husband.
Perhaps he thought my paper collection was getting too unwieldy?
If you have the same issue (no, not the husband issue, but the unwieldy recipe one), read on for a great solution!
How to organize recipes
So how best to organize recipes so you can use them?
Is is realistic?
Recipes can be inspirational for many reasons.
But often, people have way more recipes on hand and then they will actually make.
And that’s probably due to a few different reasons.
Perhaps a certain recipe would be perfect for entertaining one day, or maybe it takes longer to make than they have time for, but the recipes are still kept.
Or maybe the recipe is beyond their cooking skill level and they’re waiting to make it until they learn how to make something more complex.
Whatever the reason is for having so many different recipes, the truth is that unless you’re using the recipes, then they are just clutter!
Sort
If you have a ton of recipes milling about your kitchen, then the first step in weeding through the pile is to keep only the recipes you want to make.
First, sort through and get rid of anything you’re not going to make.
Next, consider the ingredients – are they hard to find?
What is the prep time?
Also consider the type of recipe.
How many recipes for brownies do you really need?
Finally, have you actually made the recipe and it didn’t turn out how you expected or you didn’t like it?
Toss that recipe!
No need to keep it!
Keep only the recipes you have the time, skill and inclination to make.
Need a system for that?
Back when I had a ton of recipes, part of the issue of letting some go was that I wasn’t too sure if I’d tried the recipe or not.
And then I came up with this handy Recipes to Try Planner Page!
Plenty of room to make a list of recipes I was most excited to try along with space to rate them!
Pick a System
Now that you have only those recipes that you like, or will make, choose an organizational system.
Paper
The first option is to organize recipes is to file them by type in a recipe binder.
I keep some of my tried and true recipes in a binder.
These are the recipes I’ve had and used for years, and even though they are in my electronic database, I kept a hard copy.
If you choose to go this paper route, check out the Recipe Binder Organizing Kit available in my shop!
There’s a section for just about everything!
It’s such a cute kit to get help you keep your recipes organized quite wonderfully.
Simply download, print and get organizing!
Digital
Another option is to make the jump to a digital recipe system using some of the programs out there.
I use Paprika myself, but also Pinterest to save all recipes.
I love, love, love Paprika and the flexibility it provides – check it out!
I’m a long time user of this method of organizing recipes electronically.
Slowly I’ve been getting everything into Paprika and have had a lot of fun recently making more of the recipes in my collection.
One of the nicest features in Paprika is that you can see the last time you made a recipe.
Plus it’s easy to assign several categories to a single recipe, something you just can’t do with a paper organizing system.
If you’re not sold on Paprika, there are many different options to explore but I don’t have suggestions since I’ve found Paprika to work so well for me.
Final considerations
Think about whether you will actually make the recipe and if it will be enjoyed by your family before saving the recipe.
Streamlining the process is really a key to getting and staying organized.
Something else you might love…
If you’re looking to take recipe organization to the next level and help you save time in your life, you need to start meal planning on the regular.
This Meal Planning Kit has everything you need to do that easily and in not in an overwhelming way!
Just print the pages you need, add to a binder along with your recipes and go!
