Maintaining a gluten friendly kitchen doesn’t have to be a daunting process. If you adhere to a few simple rules, you’ll be just fine.
To be completely honest, my gluten free kitchen is not an 100% gluten free environment. If you’re anything like me and not everyone in your house is gluten free; you might find yourself preparing regular food and gluten free food at the same time. I might have 2 pots of noodles boiling for spaghetti, or I might be baking a regular and a gluten free pie. Just make sure you thoroughly clean your counters before preparing gluten free food and make the gluten free food first. Of course, at times we all just eat gluten free, because seriously, I’m not making two separate casseroles for dinner!
Condiments
Be mindful about condiments. Anything in a jar or container like butter, peanut butter, jelly, cream cheese – those types of things. If any gluten containing crumbs are left behind in your butter dish, it can cause a serious cross contamination issue. Honestly, it’s just easier to buy separate containers and mark one gluten free. Everyone’s level of gluten sensitivity is different. Minor traces might be okay for one celiac, but could make another celiac deathly ill.
Pots and Pans
You’ll want to replace your pots and pans. When those get scratched, they turn into the perfect hiding ground for traces of gluten to get stuck. Designate certain cooking and bakeware as gluten free only and keep them stored in a designated gluten free cupboard. Alternatively, you can get stainless steel pots and pans that can be used for both gluten and gluten free. Just make sure they get washed good!
Bowls and Utensils
Your plates and silverware will be just fine once you run them through your dishwasher or hand wash them with hot water. Plastic bowls and plastic and wooden utensils on the other hand could be a problem. Those things can become easily scratched and again become a hiding ground for gluten. You’ll want to replace those and have designated gluten free plastic bowls and utensils. Or again, you can get stainless steel or glass bowls.
Odds and Ends
In my gluten free kitchen, we have two toasters. Those things have cross contamination written all over them! You’ll definitely want to get a new one for your gluten free bread. Again, if you’re going to be preparing both gluten and gluten free food, you’ll also want to replace and keep separate, things like your rolling pin, cutting boards, your cast iron pans and let’s not forget your colander. Those little holes are magnets for gluten.
I know it can feel overwhelming at first, but trust me, once you have everything replaced and separated by gluten and gluten free, it just becomes second nature.
That’s my gluten free kitchen. I hope this information helps you to set up yours!
