Dried Herb and Spice Storage Solutions

[Paul Bacino]

I keep shopping at Antique stores looking for a cabinet , to use.

 

No luck yet

 

[nginear]

My most used spices go into something like this.  The rest are in a cupboard next to the stove.

 

[Nyleve Baar]

This works really well for me. I have one shallow drawer dedicated to spices. But I should clear out the one below it - currently filled with my music CDs which I never listen to - and put all my salts and whatnot in there in a similar way. Very easy to find and use everything. I mean, of course, this requires a drawer. Which may or may not be available.

[ElsieD]

1 hour ago, nginear said:

My most used spices go into something like this.  The rest are in a cupboard next to the stove.

 

 

I really like these.  May I asked where you got them and what they are called?

[kayb]

I found these. Not sure I'd cough up that price for them.

 

[Anna N]

 So I have not found the perfect solution that I’m hoping for. But I can’t wait any longer or I may have to leap off the top step of my stepstool. The problem is frustrating me so much that I have to make an attempt at solving it. 

 

Someone or perhaps more than someone on this thread mentioned that they keep 36 spices in handy containers for every day use and stash the rest elsewhere. 

 

This idea was percolating in my brain when I was in a thrift store today and saw these two things:

 

 

 Very compact spice rack. 

 

 

 12 brand new spice jars that are identical to the ones in the rack except for the colour of the lids. That is 24 spices that could be easily available.

 

 It is by no means the solution I want.  But I can make it work enough to get over my hissy fit.

 

I can look forward to six days of solitude. From now until next Wednesday morning I will be alone and can please myself what I do.   My plan is to gather all of my spices from all of their various places and hiding spots into two or more large boxes and then go through them, discarding those that are old and useless, combining duplicates and then selecting 24 that I commonly use and put those in the new jars I just bought. 

 

I will keep my masala dabba for my most commonly used Indian spices. 

 

Everything else will be inventoried and stashed in the closet most probably in plastic bags. Although depending on how many there are perhaps in other containers such as small mason jars. 

 

That’s the plan. 

 

 I believe I can move things around in the kitchen enough to keep the spice rack on the counter and the box containing the 12 new spice jars in the cupboard. I’m going to retain the cardboard box with the dividers as it is perfectly adequate.

 Wish me luck!

 

 

 

 

[Katie Meadow]

Best of luck! Six days should give you some nap time when arranging the bottles becomes too stressful. I don't see why white plastic tops should be harder to come by than others, but they are. That's why I am forced to have a second shelf with black tops; it really offends my sense of order, but not enough to shell out any dollars. It's nice to see that you will have pollen and cod liver oil at arms reach.

Edited March 29, 2018 by Katie Meadow (log)

[Anna N]

6 hours ago, Katie Meadow said:

It's nice to see that you will have pollen and cod liver oil at arms reach.

 Those labels were a b**** to remove!   The previous owner must’ve been some sort of health enthusiast who was into all sorts of supplements. 

[kayb]

3 hours ago, Anna N said:

 Those labels were a b**** to remove!   The previous owner must’ve been some sort of health enthusiast who was into all sorts of supplements. 

 

Rubbing alcohol, if you have any traces left you want to clean up.

[Anna N]

10 minutes ago, kayb said:

 

Rubbing alcohol, if you have any traces left you want to clean up.

 Drank it all. 

[ElsieD]

5 hours ago, Anna N said:

 Those labels were a b**** to remove!   The previous owner must’ve been some sort of health enthusiast who was into all sorts of supplements. 

 

You need Goo Gone.  

[FauxPas]

14 hours ago, Anna N said:

 I believe I can move things around in the kitchen enough to keep the spice rack on the counter

 

This is the one thing I wanted to avoid for my spice solution, as I REALLY didn't want anything else stored on my counter-top. But we each have our own priorities and various amounts of space around our kitchens, so every solution is likely to be a bit different, I guess.   

[Anna N]

1 hour ago, ElsieD said:

 

You need Goo Gone.  

Used Goo Gone.  Ain’t what it used to be!

[Anna N]

9 minutes ago, FauxPas said:

 

This is the one thing I wanted to avoid for my spice solution, as I REALLY didn't want anything else stored on my counter-top. But we each have our own priorities and various amounts of space around our kitchens, so every solution is likely to be a bit different, I guess.   

 Indeed. And I have a second option in mind should it become annoying. I have a very large, low buffet  in the hallway off the kitchen and if it becomes annoying on my counter I will move it over there. One reason for having it in sight is to keep it in mind. I am hoping for a little more inspiration to use my herb and spice collection a little more frequently than just when I make Indian food.I am hoping for a little more inspiration to use my herb and spice collection a little more frequently than just when I make Indian food.

[nginear]

20 hours ago, ElsieD said:

 

I really like these.  May I asked where you got them and what they are called?

 

Honestly, I got the picture from googling "sliding spice rack".  Got the actual one from Bed, Bath, and Beyond for something like $20.  I didn't see any on a quick search of their website.  Bet that if they don't have it, amazon will.

[KennethT]

We gave a ridiculously small NYC kitchen, so cupboard and counter space is at a premium... So everything goes on the wall. I got the containers at the Container Store and they magnetically stick to a white board I got from Staples.  Extras are thrown together ina bin in the cabinet.

[Anna N]

11 minutes ago, KennethT said:

We gave a ridiculously small NYC kitchen, so cupboard and counter space is at a premium... So everything goes on the wall. I got the containers at the Container Store and they magnetically stick to a white board I got from Staples.  Extras are thrown together ina bin in the cabinet.

 Used that idea for a long time but it certainly would not accommodate all the spices I use.  My fridge is nowhere near big enough to accommodate everything. But also I found eventually that the lids were almost impossible to remove. Now I admit the ones I was using were aluminum. Yours look as if they are stainless steel and might overcome the problem. 

 I have five stainless steel ones and have put them into use on the fridge to accommodate my spice blends. 

[KennethT]

@Anna N I don't know what they're made from, but I don't have too much issue with sticking.  Also, there is a slot on the base, and a slot and also some holes in the lid so you can pour or shake the contents out without removing the lid.  And yes, we have more spices than this - but these are the ones that we used most frequently.  All of our spices come in plastic bags, so we just have one bin with all the bags of infrequent spices and another bin with more inventory of the ones on the wall.

[Anna N]

1 hour ago, KennethT said:

@Anna N I don't know what they're made from, but I don't have too much issue with sticking.  Also, there is a slot on the base, and a slot and also some holes in the lid so you can pour or shake the contents out without removing the lid.  And yes, we have more spices than this - but these are the ones that we used most frequently.  All of our spices come in plastic bags, so we just have one bin with all the bags of infrequent spices and another bin with more inventory of the ones on the wall.

 Yes. Mine too had the shaker and the pour slots on the lids. But refilling them became a real problem. Except for the five stainless steel ones, I ditched the rest yesterday. Those five are still on my refrigerator filled with spice blends. 

[Anna N]

 Well it took me far too many hours but I’m done.  It is an imperfect system but a huge improvement on what I had before. 

 

 

 

 

Here are three set ups that are visible and very handy. The remainder are in boxes in the pantry and have been properly inventoried.  The one remaining task I need to do is to inventory the refills.

 

I tossed out an awful lot of dead grass, combined far too many duplicates triplicates and I won’t go any further than that. 

 

 

[Shelby]

15 minutes ago, Anna N said:

 Well it took me far too many hours but I’m done.  It is an imperfect system but a huge improvement on what I had before. 

 

 

 

 

Here are three set ups that are visible and very handy. The remainder are in boxes in the pantry and have been properly inventoried.  The one remaining task I need to do is to inventory the refills.

 

I tossed out an awful lot of dead grass, combined far too many duplicates triplicates and I won’t go any further than that. 

 

 

Oh excellent job!  I know it feels really good to get that all done.

 

 

Now, come down here and do mine.

 

 

[Anna N]

38 minutes ago, Shelby said:

Oh excellent job!  I know it feels really good to get that all done.

 

 

Now, come down here and do mine.

 

 

 Are you kidding me? I still have my freezer to finish. I’ve done about 3/4 of it and I’m exhausted. Love you dearly but sort your own spices. 

[kayb]

You know...a storage solution has just occurred to me. If you could find, or have someone make, the right size wire grid that you could slip a straight-sided 4-oz (or 8 oz) jar through, that would catch on the rim where the lid screws down...one could put a series of them on sliders in a wooden cabinet. Canning jars are relatively inexpensive; less than a buck apiece.

 

[Mmmpomps]

My spices were out of CONTROL...they are tamed now, not perfect but I can find what I need. I combined two pantry spaces into one. My spices I prefer to buy are in the bags , I can reseal them and reuse them. The four black boxes are my spices. I keep a box with Indian spices and jerk, the hot stuff. One with baking, one with daily and a salt basket. I also have a costco set on the counter of 16 jars but the Man prefers that ..I don't really like it.

 

Before and After and I did purge some old spices...and why I had multiples of oregano...I dunno

[Shelby]

10 hours ago, Mmmpomps said:

My spices were out of CONTROL...they are tamed now, not perfect but I can find what I need. I combined two pantry spaces into one. My spices I prefer to buy are in the bags , I can reseal them and reuse them. The four black boxes are my spices. I keep a box with Indian spices and jerk, the hot stuff. One with baking, one with daily and a salt basket. I also have a costco set on the counter of 16 jars but the Man prefers that ..I don't really like it.

 

Before and After and I did purge some old spices...and why I had multiples of oregano...I dunno

And LOOK!  You have a whole, empty shelf.  Such a rare sighting.....

 

That species is extinct at my house.