How do you store and organise your herbs and spices?
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I've moved recently and am now the proud owner of a brand new kitchen. However, I haven't really thought about how to store my herbs and spices. My sister uses magnetic containers stuck to her fridge - I really like the idea and think it looks cool, but my fridge is not magnetic (or rather hidden in a kitchen closet), and it wouldn't fit the character of the kitchen. My current favourite is to buy containers that would fit into a drawer and label the lids as well as the containers/. Also thinking about colour-coding them, but I'm not sure how.
How do you store you herbs and spices? What makes you find what you need quickly? -
We recently reorganized our spice system and managed to find some nice metal horizontal racks that were just the size to fit in a drawer. We labelled the lids too, and it's helped a lot with finding everything quickly. I didn't think of colour coding them, but if I did, I'd probably separate the spices into baking, curry and savoury groups. They're already separated that way by where I've put them.
One thing we have not done yet, but are considering, is working out which spices are most date-sensitive and putting a second sticker on the jars with the date on them. I know that many spices degrade over time (some in as short as months), and it's worth updating them regularly. I also know that some of our spices are years and years old... I presume, for instance, that keeping whole nutmegs and a grater lasts longer than keeping ground nutmeg. Also, some spices might benefit from being out of the light, or even being kept cold, rather than sitting on a fridge or out on a counter. -
I was "lucky" enough to have a window over my sink that gave me a gorgeous view of the inside of my garage - the previous owners of the house obviously not giving a lot of thought to placement of said garage. Anyway, I hired a carpenter to build me a spice cabinet in there (and he even made it removeable, so if I ever leave I can take it with me and reinsert the window ;). Anyway, it's about 4 ft. wide and 3 ft. tall, and the shelves are about 3" deep. Absolutely wonderful! There are 3 sections; I use one for everyday stuff like salts and peppers, MSG, etc. One for "sweets" - cinnamon, nutmeg, icing sprinkles, etc. And the middle one for the other things - basil, oregano, caraway seeds, hot sauces, etc. This is the first time I have ever had enough space to keep everything in one place, easily accessible, and I just love it. I'm not recalling the cost, because I had other things done at the same time, but whatever it was, it was very much worth it.
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Herbs and spices should be stored away from the light, like olive oil.
I buy most of mine from Herbies, in little self-sealing plastic packets. Herbies actually sell wooden boxes, much like the boxes you store index cards in (remember index cards?). I have a couple of small oblong plastic boxes. I store the packets in them, in roughly alphabetical order, and keep them in the cupboard.
Every six months or so I go through the packets and bin anything that has reached its use-by date. I buy on-line because I know I'm getting fresh product - if you buy from a retail outlet you don't know how long the packets have been hanging up exposed to the light. -
Herbies looks great! I wonder if there's anything comparable in North America? A Google search found a number of online spice sellers, but it's hard to tell if one is better than another. It would be nice to know for sure you're getting fresh spices.
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I get all my spices from Penzey's. They have really great blends, although the blends with salt in them tend to clump (buyer beware). You can buy in bulk or small amounts, depending on your needs.
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I have had good luck with Penzey's as well. For anyone living in or near or visiting NYC, there is a Penzey's in the Food Market at Grand Central Station.
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Andrew, I have ordered organic spices from http://www.mountainroseherbs.com/ in the past and been happy.
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Right now my spices are stored in a cabinet that has the round, double shelf lazy susan. On the left I have single blend seasonings, arranged by type and then ordered by most frequently used to least used. On the right I have seasoning blends also arranged by most and least frequently used. On the bottom shelf I store all of my oils, vinegars and some sauces that don't need refrigeration. Right now, I am ok with this arrangement because all of my seasonings are accessible with a quick spin but in the future I would like to have most in the same type of container or jar rather for a more uniform look...color coded by type.
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About a year ago I revamped my spice/herb storage, and its really working for me. I have two lists taped on the inside of the cupboard doors. Door left has an alphabetical list - with purchase date - container description (e.g. short bottle with red lid) - and location. The locations include short open boxes (numbered) that each contain 5-8 spice bottles. Door right has each box with the list of spices each should contain. With 3 cooks in my family (including a 15 yr old), this organization seems to work for all of us.
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Lazy lurker -- this is kind of genius! Kind of like an inventory. I especially like the purchase date info -- I am going to see if I can follow your lead and do something similar although my cabinet storage is different enough that I'll have to make some adjustments.
I did just finish a pantry inventory that is helping me to use up a few things I'd completely forgotten I had -- yes, I am talking about you pomegranate molasses. -
aj - I'm so glad that you find it useful. I debated about weighing in with this, and now I'm glad that i did. Of course, last night, looking for cumin, it wasn't in its box! But now thats a rarity, thankfully.
Love that pomegranate molasses - we use it in chicken marinades - and my daughter loves it by the spoonful. -
LazyLurker --apparently your inspiration had an enduring effect because I just rearranged my kitchen storage to make my spices more accessible -- cleared out one entire pull-out shelf that held pots and pans, moved some lesser used pieces of equipment to the basement, reorganized the remaining shelves -- and now have one entire pull-out just for herbs and spices. I can already tell that my life will be easier. :-)
PS -- man, I had some OLD stuff in that spice area -- garbage now littered with musty Italian spices, dill and others.... -
aj - I'm so sorry! I'm guessing you might have had some time while those onion pickles were tediously being processed? I've had my eye on that recipe, and with your review I will have to give it a try.
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LazyLurker -- you have it exactly right -- mid-tedium I looked at my spice cabinet in disgust and frustration -- and five minutes later small glass and plastic jars littered my countertop ... BUT -- just cooking dinner tonight it became obvious that I now have a workable solution ... so cheers to you for the inspiration!
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How often do you buy fresh spices? Do you buy from mail-order sources (some claim to be much fresher than grocery stores)? I keep track of how old my herbs and spices are, but I have a lot of trouble tossing them out - instead I'm inclined to just use extra. What do you guys do??
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My spice cabinet is getting out of control and I was wondering this too! I've been planning on chucking most of what's in there. Recently, when I buy new ones, I have been writing the purchase date on the jar. Perhaps I will throw out anything over a year old. I should throw out all my dried herbs since I always use fresh now- except for oregano. I buy them from the market and not online.
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You are so luck to have lots of fresh herbs available! I hope someone knowledgeable will weigh in. I just used my dried sage recently, and even though its only a year or so old, it had no aroma, no flavor. I definitely need to go through and get rid of the old stuff. I write down the date for my new stuff, but not the old. This could get expensive quickly!
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I think I am more likely to toss dried herbs once a year --I guess I am less likely to toss spices as I don't notice as much of a falling off in flavor.
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I keep my Indian spices in a Masala Dabba, the traditional spice box (but it is round.) My other spices are alphabetized and cross referenced to a database so I know when I bought them and when they should be pitched.
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Since this conversation, I've replaced all my dried herbs, my list includes dates, and I've put perennial herbs in my raised bed garden. So probably half the year, I'll now be in good shape. Any of you experienced with drying your own fresh herbs?
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I've planted my first bunch of herbs in garden this year but I don't even know if they are perrenials or annuals! I planted cilantro, Italian parsley, chives, and thyme. I can't believe how tall my cilantro is and I'm not even sure about how to harvest it properly so I'm just winging it. I think it would be great to learn how to dry them myself. Have you done this before Queezle Sister?
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The cilantro and parsley are annuals - I've tried growing them but for me they didn't last long. The chives and thyme are perennial, so with luck they will come back every year.
I have dried basil when I've had a surplus, and years and years ago I dried some oregano, but my recollection is that these dried herbs lost potency really quickly. I think I needed to put them into a dark sealed container earlier than I did - but of course you don't want to do it too quickly, either, or it will mold. I have had chives and mint for a while, and this year, I added sage, thyme, marjoram, rosemary (which is unlikely to make it over the winter here in Utah), and oregano. -
I chop basil with a touch of olive oil and freeze in icecube trays--once frozen, the cubes go into plastic bags. I also do some with garlic--once thawed, add cheese and instant pesto in the middle of winter. I agree about the dried basil--I find it basically useless. I've also had luck bringing parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme (do I hear music?) plants in when the weather turns and growing them inside for the winter.
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I also try to use things in the form that lasts longest--as someone mentioned, I use whole nutmeg and grate it as I need it. Similarly, I use whole allspice, cloves, cardamom pods, cumin seeds, etc. I'm curious what you all think about cinnamon? I know that what we call cinnamon in the US is not the same as cinnamon in other parts of the world. And for the US cooks, do you use the supermarket variety or the Vietnamese or other versions from places like Penzey's?
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Years ago, my sister-in-law gave me a large can of Watkins cinnamon. I have only about 1 tsp left, and still, it smells so much better than my new container of Saigon Cinnamon (from Costco). The aroma difference is so striking that I'll be ordering the special stuff next time. What do you use, kateq?
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