De-clutter your storecupboard

Herbs and spices
These will go stale and dusty with time. Re-stock on the essentials for summer - dried oregano will impart a good flavour when added to cooking, but otherwise stick to fresh herbs. Also useful for summer dishes are dried-chillies, fennel seeds, paprika, jerk, Cajun and piri piri seasonings. The shelf life for herbs and spices is six months to a year. Sea salt and black peppercorns will keep indefinitely.

Baking ingredients
How old are your flours and baking goods? Transfer these to sealed containers - this way you won't suffer from weevils or irritating punctured bags. The shelf life for plain and self-raising flour is six to eight months. Cornflour and baking powder last 18 months. Bicarbonate of soda will keep for two years unopened but only six months once opened. Chocolate will be fine for one to two years, and if you manage not to open your cocoa powder it will last indefinitely, or for a year once opened.

Dried fruit and nuts
If you still have dried fruit and nuts left over from Christmas, they're only going to sit there taking up space and going past their best. The fruit tends to go hard and shrivelled, and nuts are prone to turning rancid. Check the date and unless you have a recipe up your sleeve for their usage immediately, bin it! Buy some pine nuts, almonds and pistachios for summer eating. Dried fruit will keep for about six months to one year and nuts and seeds will keep for about eight months.

Canned pulses
Chickpeas, flageolet and butter beans are ideal in summer salads. The shelf life for canned pulses is two to three years.

Oils and vinegars
You only really need extra-virgin olive oil for drizzling over salads and summer vegetables, olive oil for cooking, sunflower oil for frying and maybe a nut oil, such as walnut, for dressings. Make sure you store out of direct sunlight. Also choose good-quality vinegars - invest in a thick balsamic. It'll be pricey but worth it. It'll perk up so many things, from salads to grilled meats and fish. You don't need a huge selection of flavoured vinegars - a wine vinegar, cider vinegar and raspberry one will add great taste to dressings. Don't bother with herb vinegars. Oils will keep for six months to a year and vinegars will keep indefinitely.

Rice and grains
These will keep for ages, and even longer if kept in an airtight container. Couscous and bulgur wheat are the perfect grains for summer eating - for impromptu salads, it doesn't get much easier. The shelf life for rice and grains is two years.

Pasta
The storecupboard essential. Keep lots at hand for speedy meals. Have a variety of shapes and sizes so you can use accordingly with your accompanying summer sauces. The shelf life for pasta is two years.

Noodles
There is a wide range of noodles available. Pile them high in your cupboard, from rice noodles to egg noodles. Cook up after-work stir-fries or mix with crispy beef or seafood for salads. The shelf life for dried noodles is two years.

Capers, olives and anchovies
These are the secret ingredients for summer eating. Capers come bottled in salt or vinegar. Our preference is the salted version as they have a fresher flavour. They do need rinsing well before using. Scatter over salads or cook in a rich tomato sauce to add depth of flavour. Choose un-pitted olives. The dry olives are far richer and good for cooking. Olives in oil are perfect to serve with drinks. Store a bottle of both black and green. Anchovies are available packed in salt, oil or vinegar. All are good and will provide a different depth of flavour. Use in salads, to top pizzas, stirred into sauces or pounded to a paste for dressings. Keep according to best-before date on jars or tins.

Sauces
Don't be tempted by the unusual flavoured sauces and condiments available to buy now - they'll only sit cluttering up your cupboard. Instead, go for quality authentic ingredients, such as old English mustards, Worcestershire sauce, and homemade-style chutneys and pickles. They have a long shelf life and you know they'll get used up. Keep according to best-before date on jars or bottles.