Organizing all the recipes you have can be difficult to do if you have collected them over the years. The right method will vary from person to person. There are multiple methods of organization that can be chosen on the basis of the type and complexity of the recipes.
Given the age of technology, everyone can find basically anything on the internet but keeping a track of all the saved recipes becomes difficult. If you have some cookbooks at home, it is especially difficult to keep all of your favorites in one place. So, in this article, we will try to make your job easier. Here are some tips to help you organize your recipes better.
1. Collecting Them In One Place
The very first thing one needs to do after deciding to organize recipes is to collect all of them in one place. This might be difficult because some of them might be in a cookbook and others might be on the Internet or written in a notebook. So collecting all of them together means making a collection in which all of the recipes are within reach.
It will require a lot of time because you will have to photocopy the recipes from the books and have the Internet methods printed out to make all of them in the same format. The handwritten details will probably have to be typed out if you are going with a recipe binder that is completely printed. On the other hand, some people might opt for a more personalized feel by going with handwritten recipes.
Handwritten information allows for more deviation from the original cookbook based on personal preference. They can also easily include additions that you have made throughout the years. It will also be sort of a legacy to pass on to your relatives or children down the line.
One can always choose to make handwritten notes on a printed binder but it can become very difficult to handle or keep track of. So collecting the recipes in one place completely depends on convenience and how you choose to keep them.
2. Decluttering
After collecting all of the information, the next natural step is to declutter them. Lettering usually happens before you print out everything. It is basically an inherent part of collecting the recipes because one would then decide which ones to keep and which ones to let go. For instance, if you have five cookbooks and have some favorite recipes in all of them, you might not want to include the recipes you have never tried or do not like.
In such a case choosing which one to keep becomes important for your own convenience. You can always make an index page to keep track of which recipes are located where. However, if you choose to include all of the pages it might just work against the organizing purposes.
Therefore, one needs to declutter everything and keep only the necessary information behind. The decluttering process will be different for everyone because some of the dishes have become so commonplace that you have learned all the steps. So including them becomes redundant.
3. Color Coding Different Categories
Categorizing all of the recipes is extremely important to make organization easier. The broad categories on which one can divide the information is on the basis of cuisine and the type of meal. One can also categorize vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes in different categories. Other options include breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
All the French, Italian, Spanish and Continental dishes will be mentioned in separate categories as well. Further categorization can occur on the basis of appetizers, main course, desserts, and beverages. Anyone can make the distinction but one way in which you can associate different details in a concise way is through color-coding.
Allotting a different color to each category will make it easy for anyone to associate the recipes together. One can also color the borders of the pages a different way in the binder and personalized in whatever way suits them best.
4. Choose the Right Method
The right method of organization is different for everyone which is why one needs to make an executive decision regarding it. There are two broad methods of organization, both of which we will be discussing one by one.
The Digital Method
The digital method is easier and helps in removing the clutter easily. All it requires is your phone, laptop, or a tablet on which you can scan and store the information. For instance, all of the recipes are now available online because all cookbooks are available as ebooks.
In such a case, copying and pasting everything to a document is easier and more convenient than printing everything out. Since all the information today can be stored on the cloud, one does not need to worry about it getting damaged when you change your phone. Furthermore, it will become easy to share the digital binder with anyone and everyone and even online.
The Physical Method
Whatever you say about the digital method, the physical way has its own allure. It is more convenient because the gadgets might sustain damage during cooking while paper will hold its own.
It will be perfect if you want to tap into the nostalgia of creating a cookbook of your own and lending it to your friends and family. It is also more convenient in case your device does not have enough charge to support you as you cook.
The Takeaway
The organization is the easiest part of recipes if you have all of them saved somewhere. It will be very exciting to see all of the information you have collected over the years and compile it. Going systematically about the entire process will save time and help in better organization. Both the physical and the digital method of the organization have their own perks so choosing either of them depends on personal preference. Whatever you do choose, make sure to enjoy the process.
