Buzz
Sort your recipes for quick and easy access.
©2010 Jupiterimages CorporationIt's that special time again—time to whip up the pumpkin cheesecake that everyone in the family requests. It’s the creamiest, most delicious dessert you’ve ever made, one you could almost make by heart after seven Thanksgivings and countless compliments.
But there’s a small hiccup: You don’t actually have it memorized. Does the recipe call for three eggs or just egg yolks? Was it 40 minutes or 50 in the oven? So, you decide to consult the recipe and grab your trusty recipe box—the same one your grandmother used—and begin sorting through it. Hundreds of recipe cards spill out onto the counter, and that’s just the beginning of the chaos. Some recipes aren’t even on cards—there are printouts from the internet and clippings from magazines and cookie packages. You sigh and start sifting through the mess. One thing is clear: you really need to organize your recipes.
If the situation described above feels all too familiar, you're in the right place. In this article, we’ll explore various options for organizing your printed recipes, as well as innovative ways to manage them digitally or even online [source: Resinger, Baldwin].
Before the rise of digital recipe storage, people relied on good old-fashioned written and printed recipes. Continue reading to discover different ways to organize these types of recipes.
Ways to Organize Printed Recipes
Most people have recipes on index cards or recipe cards, so start there. Begin by creating a list of categories that your recipes can fall under. For instance, broad categories could include "breads," "desserts," "main dishes," "vegetables," "soups," and "salads." Then organize your recipes into piles that match those categories.
If you're having difficulty determining the right categories for your collection, start by sorting your recipes into piles of similar types. As you look through the pile, category names will naturally emerge. You could also refer to a cookbook for inspiration on how it's categorized [source: Henneman].
If a category becomes too large, you can break it down further into subcategories for easier access. For example, the "main dishes" category might be split into "vegetarian" and "non-vegetarian," while the "desserts" category could have subcategories like "pies," "cakes," and "cookies."
As you go through your recipes, consider removing the ones you know you'll never use. It might be tough—after all, you did keep it because you liked the recipe enough to clip it from a magazine. But be honest with yourself: Will you ever make this dish? If the answer is "no," then it's time to part ways with it [source: Grace].
Once you've sorted through your printed recipes, you’ll need to think about how to store them. Your old recipe box might be outdated, and you might need to upgrade to something more modern. Keep reading for some suggestions.
If you've been collecting recipes over the years, the thought of organizing them might seem daunting. But here’s something to remember: If you don’t start, you’ll never finish, so go ahead and dive in [source: Henneman].
Storing Your Printed Recipes
With your recipes neatly organized into categories, it’s time to think about how to store them. Start with a budget-friendly option: repurposing your old recipe box. If you've discarded enough recipes, you might be able to fit the remaining ones back into the box that has served you well. This option is affordable, and the materials are readily available in your home. Keep in mind, however, that recipe boxes tend to be small and may not accommodate larger or irregularly shaped recipes.
If your recipe box feels too cramped but you like the concept, consider using an accordion-style file. These are available at any office supply store and serve the same function as a recipe box—except they’re designed to store both large and small recipes [source: Resinger].
Another affordable solution is to use a photo album for storing your recipes. You can opt for albums with sticky pages, plastic pockets, or a variety of photo pages that fit into the same album, allowing you to mix and match page styles for your recipes [source: Resinger].
A similar option is a three-ring binder. You can hole-punch printed recipes or even insert full pages from magazines. Additionally, you can purchase refill pages made for scrapbooking or photo albums and use them as well. This is a flexible solution, but you may need to visit a craft store for some of the materials [source: Resinger].
Finally, you can simply attach your recipes to the pages of a notebook or scrapbook. The benefit of this method is that you have space to add notes and adjustments beside your recipes [source: Henneman].
Once you’ve chosen your storage method, be sure to use tabs or markers to divide the sections based on your categories. Then, enjoy filling your storage with all your recipes!
Now that you have a plan for organizing printed recipes, it’s time to think about digital recipes—those you’ve found online or received via email. Of course, you could print them out and add them to your recipe binder or file, but there are other possibilities. Keep reading to learn more.
While organizing, you might want to separate your "old favorites" from the recipes you’ve never tried. This makes it easier to find what you're looking for—if you need a tried-and-true dish, head to the "old favorites" section. If you're looking for something new, visit the "never tried" section. You never know—some of the "never tried" recipes might eventually become your new favorites [source: Henneman].
Organizing Digital Recipes
Just like with printed recipes, organizing your digital recipes by category will make them easier to find. And similar to your physical collection, it’s a good idea to clean out the digital clutter by removing recipes you’ll never make. However, your digital collection doesn’t need to be quite as rigidly organized.
One advantage of storing your recipes digitally is that they don’t have to be as organized as printed recipes to still be effective. Looking for that African red bean and peanut stew recipe you downloaded last year from some now-forgotten website? As long as it’s saved somewhere on your computer, a quick search will help you find it. Prefer to store your recipes online? With a program like Google Docs, you can do the same—just upload your files and use the Search Docs feature to locate the recipe you need [source: Gourmet File].
While organizing digital recipes may seem like it requires no real system, some people prefer more structure. You can organize your recipes into folders on your computer or use a simple online option like Google Docs, both of which are free and could be the solution you’re looking for.
There are also several software and online tools available, each with unique features like adjusting recipe servings or generating shopping lists and menus [source: Baldwin].
To narrow down your choices, decide if you want your recipes stored on your personal computer or online. Keep reading for the advantages of each option.
When you come across a great recipe online, email it to yourself with the recipe name in the subject line. Then store these recipes in a dedicated folder within your email or label them as "recipes" so your email provider can sort them for you. Most email services offer search functions that make finding specific recipes a breeze [source: parent hacks].
Storing Digital Recipes
When it comes to storing your digital recipes, you have two main choices: store them on your computer, using folders or recipe management software, or opt for an online solution such as an email account, Google Docs, or an online recipe service.
Storing your recipes on your computer means you’ll always have access to them when you’re near your device. The advantage here is that even without an internet connection, you can still use your recipes. If you store them on a laptop, you gain portability, which is perfect if you’re visiting relatives during the holidays and want to prepare your signature stuffing. Plus, keeping them on your computer ensures privacy—ideal for those “secret” recipes you’d rather keep to yourself [source: Resinger, Baldwin].
Alternatively, you can store your recipes online. If Google Docs isn't quite your style, many online recipe boxes offer free or affordable options. With a reliable Internet connection, this method provides flexibility. You can access your recipes from any computer or smartphone, and easily share them with others in your online network [source: One tsp].
Both software and online solutions come with features you may find useful, such as shopping list generation, menu planning tools, and the ability to create personalized cookbooks to share as gifts. For ultimate convenience, consider storing your recipes both on your computer and online—this will give you virtually unlimited access to your recipes, wherever you go.
Continue reading for examples of specific recipe management software programs and their features.
If you often turn to various food and recipe websites as your "cookbooks," what you may need is a collection of those sites. Social bookmarking services, such as Delicious.com, could be just what you're looking for. These sites allow you to save your favorite bookmarks and access them from any device [source: Delicious].
Recipe Organizing Software
While simple folders and files might be enough for some, others may wish to delve into the many software solutions out there. Several software providers now offer platforms where you can not only discover new recipes but also search for specific dishes or manage grocery lists. Here's a brief list to help you explore your options:
- BigOven - BigOven (Windows, iPhone, Palm OS) offers both software and an online version. With its software, you can manage and organize your personal recipes, and access the online service to save and share recipes, generate grocery lists, and plan meals [source: BigOven].
- TheRecipeManager - TheRecipeManager (Windows, Mac) provides features similar to other programs, such as recipe sharing and meal planning, but also tracks health data like blood sugar, blood pressure, weight, and exercise [source: TheRecipeManager].
- Cook'n - Cook'n (Windows) is software designed for recipe organization, as well as meal planning tools that adjust recipe serving sizes, calculate nutritional values, and create shopping lists [source: Cook'n].
If you prefer not to purchase software, there are several online-only platforms you can use, such as One tsp (onetsp.com), Recipe Thing (recipething.com), All Recipes (allrecipes.com), and Epicurious (epicurious.com). These sites are free and allow you to maintain a virtual "recipe box." In addition to saving recipes, some of these platforms let you upload and add your own recipes to your virtual collection [sources: one tsp., Gourmet file, Epicurious.com].
