topic Re: How do you store/keep your recipes? in Kitchen

How do you store/keep your recipes?

Puppy Lips — Thu, 27 Feb 2014 01:53:10 GMT

Hello all of you. I have a big project looming in front of me, and that is re-organizing all my recipes. But, I am not a cook or baker, in any sense of the word. But that has not stopped me from collecting recipes all these years for the "some day" when I might be more interested. I have a lot of cookbooks, which is not a problem. But I also have recipe cards, cut outs from newspapers and cut out from magazines. I started to put those in binders years ago, but now I have more than what will fit in the binder. Frankly, I have tried very few of the recipes I have saved, so I don't know why I should bother. Should I just throw them all out?

What do you all do? Do you hang onto recipes forever? Do you re-write them on cards? How do you store them? Thanks for any help or suggestions you can give me!

Re: How do you store/keep your recipes?

chickenbutt — Thu, 27 Feb 2014 02:10:07 GMT

The stuff I have that's not part of its own cookbook (like magazine pages, cards, stuff I've printed from online, or the recipes I've written and typed up), I have in a big binder.

I got some of those plastic sheets that you put the paper inside, to keep it pristine. If you have small pieces of paper you can situate more than one in there, plus you have two sides and can put them together with a piece of paper in the middle and just tape the small ones to the paper to keep them in one place.

I got some of those divider sheets and tabs (anywhere on the office supplies aisle) and categorized them.

A regular-sized three-ring binder (mine is 2" thick) will hold a LOT of two-sided pages. Plus there are pockets inside the front and back covers so I have little things in those or things I might use all the time.

Re: How do you store/keep your recipes?

topazzz — Thu, 27 Feb 2014 02:17:12 GMT

On 2/26/2014 chickenbutt said:
The stuff I have that's not part of its own cookbook (like magazine pages, cards, stuff I've printed from online, or the recipes I've written and typed up), I have in a big binder.

I got some of those plastic sheets that you put the paper inside, to keep it pristine. If you have small pieces of paper you can situate more than one in there, plus you have two sides and can put them together with a piece of paper in the middle and just tape the small ones to the paper to keep them in one place.

I got some of those divider sheets and tabs (anywhere on the office supplies aisle) and categorized them.

A regular-sized three-ring binder (mine is 2" thick) will hold a LOT of two-sided pages. Plus there are pockets inside the front and back covers so I have little things in those or things I might use all the time.

Well, thanks CHICKENBUTT for making this easy for me! I was pretty much going to say the same thing. I have been so happy with my new recipe binders. I have two of them - one is for my "clean" eating recipes (both entrees and desserts), the second for all the rest of the typical recipes, also separated by entrees, desserts. I have them all in plastic and put them in back to back with similar types of ingredients.

Of the ones I've cut out of magazines, etc., I either glue or tape them onto a sheet of paper with like-recipes, then put in a plastic sleeve - or sometimes I just re-type them if I'm in the mood to do so. I have put large vertical label on each spine of the binder to easily see what I am wanting to use.

Anyway, it was a long time coming and I did all of this just before Christmas this last year. Should have done it a long time ago!!

Good luck w/your project!!

Re: How do you store/keep your recipes?

FastDogWalker2 — Thu, 27 Feb 2014 02:23:02 GMT

I keep mine in binders in clear pockets by recipe type, i.e. desserts, casseroles, tried and try (!), etc. I keep the binders, I have 2, in the cupboard with my cookbooks.

Re: How do you store/keep your recipes?

chickenbutt — Thu, 27 Feb 2014 02:28:07 GMT

What is nice is that you can make it however you want it, to suit your own needs.

I love the plastic sleeves. They have the three holes in them already, on a reinforced area along the left side. I find them to be very durable. You can get a whole package of like a zillion of them for pretty inexpensive. I don't remember where I got mine, but there's a good chance it was on Amazon.

Re: How do you store/keep your recipes?

happycat — Thu, 27 Feb 2014 02:28:18 GMT

On 2/26/2014 chickenbutt said:
The stuff I have that's not part of its own cookbook (like magazine pages, cards, stuff I've printed from online, or the recipes I've written and typed up), I have in a big binder.

I got some of those plastic sheets that you put the paper inside, to keep it pristine. If you have small pieces of paper you can situate more than one in there, plus you have two sides and can put them together with a piece of paper in the middle and just tape the small ones to the paper to keep them in one place.

I got some of those divider sheets and tabs (anywhere on the office supplies aisle) and categorized them.

A regular-sized three-ring binder (mine is 2" thick) will hold a LOT of two-sided pages. Plus there are pockets inside the front and back covers so I have little things in those or things I might use all the time.

I think this is a wonderful idea and may be my next project. My recipes are in a recipe box and not in order, and the box is overflowing. Not very organized at all.

Re: How do you store/keep your recipes?

stilltamn8r — Thu, 27 Feb 2014 02:46:17 GMT

I have about 8 binders, and I keep them on a shelf in the garage- which is conveniently attached to my kitchen! this is also where I keep the decades of those small "Pillsbury" type cookbook/magazines you get at the checkout counter at the market...

Re: How do you store/keep your recipes?

glmama — Thu, 27 Feb 2014 03:02:37 GMT

For years now I've kept my recipes in 3-ring binders. I have 2 big ones, packed to the brim and often overflowing. I use the clear, plastic sleeves to store the recipes inside the binders. One is used for savory items, one for breakfast and sweets. I go thru them ever so often and clean them up--tucking everything back into sleeves, etc. my recipe binders include family and friends shared recipes, stuff from various websites, magazine clippings, my own recipes/concoctions/ways of doing things, etc.

Re: How do you store/keep your recipes?

DiAnne — Thu, 27 Feb 2014 03:03:14 GMT

I don't like a computer in the kitchen so I do pretty much what everyone else is doing expect that I bought a package of 1 inch binder at Costco and labeled them appetizer, salads, soups, etc. I use the sheet protectors that I also got at Costco. My recipes do not go into the binders until after I have tried them and liked them. I have one of those alphabetical folders that I keep all the recipes I have printed, torn out of magazines, etc. Every once in awhile I will go through them while watching TV - some I wonder why I ever saved - dispose of those.

Re: How do you store/keep your recipes?

brewhaha — Thu, 27 Feb 2014 03:06:29 GMT

In my brain. That's why I can't find them.

Re: How do you store/keep your recipes?

happycat — Thu, 27 Feb 2014 03:32:51 GMT

On 2/26/2014 brewhaha said:
In my brain. That's why I can't find them.

Ha!

Re: How do you store/keep your recipes?

PunkinEater — Thu, 27 Feb 2014 03:32:58 GMT

On 2/26/2014 happycat said:
On 2/26/2014 chickenbutt said:
The stuff I have that's not part of its own cookbook (like magazine pages, cards, stuff I've printed from online, or the recipes I've written and typed up), I have in a big binder.

I got some of those plastic sheets that you put the paper inside, to keep it pristine. If you have small pieces of paper you can situate more than one in there, plus you have two sides and can put them together with a piece of paper in the middle and just tape the small ones to the paper to keep them in one place.

I got some of those divider sheets and tabs (anywhere on the office supplies aisle) and categorized them.

A regular-sized three-ring binder (mine is 2" thick) will hold a LOT of two-sided pages. Plus there are pockets inside the front and back covers so I have little things in those or things I might use all the time.

I think this is a wonderful idea and may be my next project. My recipes are in a recipe box and not in order, and the box is overflowing. Not very organized at all.

I use the 3-ring binder, but for all the recipe cards and magazine recipes, I use the 4-pocket vinyl sleeves that you use in photo albums. It keeps everything so neat and organized. I bought them in bulk on Amazon and have one binder for cooking, and a separate binder for baking. After 32 years of marriage and many years before that collecting recipes, I have accumulated hundreds of them and this finally got them into shape.

Re: How do you store/keep your recipes?

karil — Thu, 27 Feb 2014 05:02:37 GMT

mine are (sadly) in a gallon Ziploc bag -- probably circa 1990. all are handwritten -- many by my grandma. and I guess a few are now on my phone's camera roll. my domestic skills truly are not stellar.

Re: How do you store/keep your recipes?

house cat — Thu, 27 Feb 2014 05:07:07 GMT

I'm forever dealing with this issue. I have most of them on my computer, a few in my iPhone memo pad, a few more in my camera roll, many of them in cookbooks on a shelf, more of them in those 1970s style sticky page photo books, even more of them in binders with transparent sleeves and some just hanging around here and there in between. I bought a couple of lovely recipe books to handwrite them in, but the task is so overwhelming. I'm thinking of just narrowing down to my five favorite in each category. I'll pass the book on to my kids, who don't eat any of the things I eat. Oh, well.

Re: How do you store/keep your recipes?

sunshine45 — Thu, 27 Feb 2014 05:07:25 GMT

my cookbooks have their own closet in the kitchen, my cut-out and index card recipes are in photo scrapbooks with no special organization (but i generally seem to know how to find everything), and anything i find on the internet is organized on my pinterest account.

Re: How do you store/keep your recipes?

mousiegirl — Thu, 27 Feb 2014 05:12:28 GMT

I have a deep drawer file cabinet in the kitchen, soon to be two, and I keep them in manila folders with tags for the categories. The very special go into plastic sleeves so as never to be damaged.

Re: How do you store/keep your recipes?

jackthebear — Thu, 27 Feb 2014 14:22:09 GMT

Accordian file,

Tabs for each category, but first go through and toss anything you have cooked or are unlikely to. We just did this and tossed probably 80% of them.

Now any recipie I like I add to my Pinterest page for them

Re: How do you store/keep your recipes?

qualitygal — Thu, 27 Feb 2014 14:28:42 GMT

Welcome to my world. I thought there was an end to my collecting, it has toned down. At B&N I got some of those books that you put your own recipes into. I did my own index in the front, they don't have them in some of those and my saving doesn't always match up with what they offer, so the dividers, I put in the back and don't use.

If you can somehow group some of what you have, it's easier. Gooseberry Patch was a good choice, have 2 of those. It'll keep you busy if you're snowed in too.

Re: How do you store/keep your recipes?

Bird — Thu, 27 Feb 2014 14:44:15 GMT

I am seriously visually impaired since a butcher changed my life forever with eye surgery. Although I have recipes all over the place like you do (which I can no longer read) going forward, I copy or retype my favs in a word processor.

I format them for MY eyes. That is, very large print.

I put keywords in the titles, for searching, like VEGAN, SALAD, CABBAGE (main ingredient), etc. For example, "Yellow Lentil Soup VEGAN NONFAT" I would find it using all of those search terms.

For the old ones, little by little I go through them and when I find one I know I want, I ask someone to read it to me as I type it out and make a file as described above.

One book, Irene Kuo Chinese Cooking, which I have highly valued and used all of my adult life, I am asking DH to read me the recipes one by one (now and then, to not tire him out) so I can type them and SEE them when I want them. - Bird

P.S. I have thrown out cookbooks in the past and I am sorry I did. Browsing old cookbooks can make for a nice pasttime, and the older they are, the more you realize the then-current culture differences.

Re: How do you store/keep your recipes?

oceantown — Thu, 27 Feb 2014 19:09:33 GMT

Years ago I decided it was time to organize my recipes. I took all my recipes that I used and typed them using Microsoft Word. I titled this folder Recipes, and then I had subfolders for each category. Each folder is automatically alphabetical, so I typed folder names with that in mind. For instance, Salad-Fruit, Salad-Main Dish, Salad-Pasta, Salad-Vegetable. When I look for a salad recipe it makes it very easy.

When I was all done I printed these pages out and put them in a 3 ring binder. The tabs have the same names as the computer folder titles. Many pages have more than one recipe. If there was room at the bottom of the page for another recipe, I just went to the next file and copied & pasted that recipe there. I kept the file names the same, and the recipe on the bottom of the page still was listed separately with its own page on my computer. But for printing purposes I did not want to waste paper. I had lots of recipes!

Then I made another folder for recipes that I had saved, but I had not tried yet. This folder has the title, Recipes To Try. I went through the recipes and threw away those I decided I did not want. I did not print out any of these recipes. But they are very handy and easy to look through on my computer. When I try one of these recipes, I can print it then, or read it from the computer. If it is a keeper, I move the recipe file from Recipes To Try to my regular Recipes folder, and put the paper copy in my 3 ring binder.

I use the 1-inch binders, and have quite a few.

What makes the "Recipes To Try" easy to use, is that most recipes I find and think I want to try someday, are on-line. It is so easy to copy & paste directly to a word document and save it in that folder, under the correct sub-folder (category).

Be sure to back up these recipe files onto a USB drive so you don't lose them if something happens to your computer. I have them all on a USB drive, plus I copied them from that drive onto our 2nd computer, the laptop. So, recipes are in 3 different places.

Don't know if you want to take any of these tips, but whatever method you use, I hope you have a fun project. Just take your time.