Curate Your Spice Cabinet

Spices are the cat’s pajamas. Especially when I am trying to eat healthy. Focusing on flavors to satisfy with quality above quantity, and an effort to eat home prepped meals, drives me to up my spice game. Lately I’ve been better about adjusting flavors, adding a little of this and that, with repeat taste testing before sharing my dish with others.

Spice Benefits

• You can give flavor to a dish that is individualized to your taste.
• Spices contain healthful things your body needs, such as trace minerals or antioxidant compounds.
• You can prep satisfying meals at home that are fresh and better for you than packaged, processed, or store-bought foods.
• Experimenting with cooking using your favorite combinations is fun.

Buying just enough spices to get you through each meal, every time you shop, works with fresh herbs, or small quantities of items that you seldom use. Then there are go-to favorites you always want in stock, keeping them at the ready for impromptu meals and snacks. For these you need spice organization and storage, and you should curate this collection with love and care.  It is important for the home chef to feel prepared and in control.

 

I am embarrassed to say I am a spice slob. For the last 8 years I had been buying most of my spices in bulk and keeping them in the little plastic bags from the store. This is unorganized, messy, and risks commingling flavors. There is no excuse for this, other than laziness and the fear of buying the wrong spice bottles, causing deep regret and shame.

I have also let fresh herbs go to waste that I grew myself, instead of drying them and saving some for later. All because I didn’t have a system figured out. How dumb.

Then I decided to be the master of my home cooking destiny and curate my spice cabinet.*

Curate your spice cabinet

• Pull out all of your spices and put them where you can go through them all at once
• Discard old, stale, discolored stuff and anything you know you will never use
• Decide what quantity is reasonable to keep, and if you are missing something you need
• Pick a storage system and location
• Fill containers, label, and store them
• Feel like you accomplished something and admire your work. Who knew you were so organized and in control?

Spice Organization

The type of system you use will depend on the space you have and the amount of spices you use on a regular basis. I have 6 kids and entertain large groups weekly, so the quantity I keep of salt, pepper, and garlic might be larger than some people think necessary. I think of my spices in 2 categories: the ones I use all the time, and the ones I use less often but want to keep for impromptu meals. My system is built with these distinctions in mind.

What Spices to Keep?

Start by making room for everything you use on a daily or weekly basis.  Then add in anything you will use at least every month, and if you have enough room you can keep less-used spices.  If you won’t use it within the next six months you are probably better off buying small quantities specific to a meal when you grocery shop.  Some sources say that dried spices can last 2-3 years, but flavor and potency can start diminishing after a few months.

Think about your spice cabinet like your clothes closet: let it evolve with your tastes and style. Get rid of things that no longer suit you to make room for something that does.  Keep your reliable standbys and throw in something exciting once in awhile.

Location and Storage

Keep your flavors handy, but away from moisture and direct heat or sunlight. These can damage your spices. Choose a place that is no more than 3 steps away from where you do your spicing, whether it be prep or actual cooking spaces.  I keep mine to the left of my stove top, protected inside a cupboard.

Drawers, racks, cabinets, or shelves can all be good choices. Just be sure to make it easy to find and access what you need. Most people want to see everything they have without moving things around. Organizing by name or type of spice can help you, especially if you have a large collection.

If you can easily see and retreive what you want, you’re so much more likely to use what you’ve got.

I keep spice jars in flat trays so I can bring them down for use quickly from the cupboard. The easiest to reach tray is filled with the spices I use most, like cinnamon, granulated garlic, and chili powder. Other large bottles and extracts of various sizes are kept here in my spice cupboard too. I arrange these in a line around my trays so I can see where they are.

 

Containers

Whatever you use, make sure to have tight fitting lids to keep spices fresh. Think about whether or not you need shaker tops, wide mouths for scooping, or grinder lids. Most people can get by with 1-2 ounce vessels—go too large and there will be a lot of air around to damage flavors. Containers made of metal, glass, or plastic all have their pros and cons.

Metal—Lightweight and easy to clean. Can’t see contents through package.

Glass—Can see contents, less likely to contaminate food with chemicals or absorb smells. Heavier and more expensive.

Plastic—Inexpensive and lightweight, see-through. May absorb odors and can contain unwanted chemicals.

I chose glass containers with pop-top shaker/pour lids (and reusable chalk marker labels).  The jars I bought came with a funnel for filing, but it was impractical to use because it got contaminated with the flavor of the first spice it touched. Use a rolled up piece of paper instead to make a disposable funnel for preventing spillage.  I keep a clear plastic tub with a snap-lock lid for my sea salt cellar and grinders for Himalayan salt and black pepper.

For ideas on different types of spice organization, containers, and storage, check out my nerdy Pinterest board.

Spicy Tips

• Label bottles on the lids AND sides so that you can see what’s inside from any angle.
• Mark the date you last filled the container to keep spices freshly in rotation. You can do this directly on the bottle or on a piece of paper you keep nearby, such as on the back of your cupboard door, or folded and nestled in the end of your rack or drawer.
• Buying spices from bulk bins, as opposed to prepackaged, could save money and eliminate waste. When buying tiny bits you can usually get enough for a few meals for less than a dollar. I buy from Winco. They not only sell from in-store bins, but also ship large quantities for great prices. Their online store gives an idea of how low the price per pound can be—compare this to the net weight of jarred spices to see potential savings. Large, full unit purchases go for 5% less.
• Check the specialty food areas of your grocery store for additional deals. My favorites are El Guapo spices, found in the “Hispanic” aisle at large chain grocers—this company is owned by McCormick but costs less than a third when compared to the name brand bottles found on the spice aisle.
• Pre-filled spice racks might be stale when you go to use them. If you choose one of these, be prepared to refill it.
• Drying fresh herbs, or freezing them in oil, will allow you to extend your bounty, if you grow your own.
• If you seem to be missing a spice for your exotic dish, visit an import grocery store or order it ahead online. The extra trouble might be worth it for authenticity of flavor.
• Flavoring packets and spice mixes may contain unwanted additives. Make your own seasoning combos ahead instead.

If you feel the need to get organized, curating your spice rack is one way to get instant gratification. The little bottles are just waiting to find their places and give you a sense of accomplishment and pride. Get to spicing up your life, and eating food from the best place in the world—your own kitchen.

*Disclaimer: just because I organized my spice cabinet does not guarantee my cooking will be flavorful, nor that it will contain any spices at all. I may just eat an avocado from the skin with a spoon. And that’s ok too.

**Home cooking inspires Worth-it food stories, so write the next chapter!