Spicy!

So, I love my spices. As I've already said on here a few times, I love to eat, love to cook... none of that would be possible without my spices. Now like any good cook, I prefer to use fresh herbs & spices whenever possible. I even grow some of my own in an Aerogarden throughout the year and, hopefully now that we are back in our own house this year, out in the yard.

After the move however, my trusty old (& I have to emphasize the OLD here) spice jars didn't look like they could withstand another minute. They had been through nearly 18 years of marriage- even when I couldn't cook, I loved spices- 3 or 4 moves, and many, many delicious meals. But the lids were cracked, some bottles were missing; it was time to put them out to pasture- or at least the recycling bin. I began my quest to figure out the perfect spice organizing system. I wanted something both close at hand & yet out of the way, organized but not obsessive (I might have failed on that one), with containers that were easy to access, would hold enough spices that I wouldn't have to go to the store too frequently, but not so big that the spices would go bad quickly. WHEW, that's a lot to ask of a spice system. Some time back, I had picked up a single RSVP Endurance spice tin to use for quick access to salt while I cooked. As I looked & looked for the perfect spice container it occurred to me that I already had it- I just needed MORE of them.

I finally found an online source for the tins & ordered about 50. I made my own labels using Word for the spices I wanted & used the top drawer next to my oven. There were a few spices I decided to leave in shaker bottles- Cinnamon Sugar, because the kids use it on toast so often; Cayenne, because in my house it is also a frequently shaken product; & Crushed Red Pepper- how else would my husband dress his pizza? Everything else went into the tins, alphabetized (obsessively). I also decided to stack the same spices (whole cloves, ground cloves for example) & similar ones (garlic salt, garlic powder) to save space. A few special salts, I just didn't bother to change out of their jars- laziness, pretty jars... you decide.

One other tip when it comes to spices. If you're still buying your spices at the grocery store STOP!!! STOP IT RIGHT NOW!!! If you have a health food store nearby, go & see if they sell bulk spices. Typically you can buy the exact amount you need & it's pennies compared to buying a huge jar at the grocery store. This is particularly great if you need 2 teaspoons of a spice you'll never use again & the grocery store bottle is $7.00. I bet that will cost you $.40 at the health food store.



These are some recent spices I got at the health food store- tarragon, whole coriander & turmeric. If I'd gotten those three bottles at the grocery store, it would have cost me at least $14.00- those three bags, which filled up my spice jars & not my pantry shelf with extra spices going bad, cost me less than $2.00. Not too shabby, eh?

My husband was hesitant about the spice reorganization, but after working with it for a few days, even he is a convert. He loves the tins & has commented a few times while cooking that it really is so much easier not messing with those tiny jars everything used to be in.

Happy cooks make happy food & when things are easier, it's so much more fun to get cooking great meals!