Organizing Your Recipe Box: Make it Work for You

A recipe box is no good unless it helps you save time and is set up for you personally. It should work for you exclusively. If your recipe box looks like a hurricane hit it and you can't find what you need, start organizing it with these tips!

Starting the organizing process

Unless you have a lot of time when you start this process, you may need to work on it several times before you get it the way you want it. First, empty the whole mess on the table. Look at your box, is it ready to fall apart? The lid just came off of mine. Make sure you have new cards and cards that specify categories.

The sorting process

Grab some coffee, it's time to sort recipes. If you're anything like me, the recipes you use the most will be tattered, coffee stained and nearly unreadable. Put them in one pile, they are "keepers". Now start looking at the things that have ended up in your recipe box. If you have NEVER used a recipe, pitch it or put it in a separate pile.

Making categories for the recipe box.

If I live to 100 years old, I will probably never make candy. So why should I take up space in my recipe box for it? Maybe your nemesis is bread, omit that category! You can always establish a new category if you want to start making something new to you.

I have categories that include canning/freezing, desserts, pies, etc. I also have a "TIPS" category. It has the websites that I go to if I need to check out information on a recipe or how to can or freeze something. I also have a card with my Extension office number on it in this category. I have canning times and pressures in this category and the canning/freezing one.

My miscellaneous category is a hoot! It has dog treat recipes, people's names and their favorite food and birth dates. If someone has a food allergy, that gets put in this category too.

Making out new recipe cards.

A well organized recipe box is one thing, a readable recipe card is another. Remember your favorite recipes? Copy them on new cards, but this time add YOUR personal tips to it. On a bread recipe you might put down how long you let each proof take. Write an adjusted time according to YOUR oven on the recipe. Add variations that you have tried with a recipe, like adding chocolate chips to brownie ingredients.

You can buy see through sleeves to protect your recipes.

Cross referencing your recipes.

Grandma's chocolate pie filling/pudding is listed in pies and under desserts and under puddings. My pressure canning tips are under "tips" and canning and freezing. There are only a handful of recipes that I have done this with.

Organizing your recipe box is not hard. When you're done, you'll be proud enough to let anyone "borrow" a recipe from you!

my experience