Organizing spices

Spice organization is a job that frequently falls through the cracks. The so-called “spice cabinet” is usually crammed to the gills with jars, many of which are only partially complete, and some have been stashed away and forgotten for years, if not decades.

Food preparation is swift, simple, and stress-free when a kitchen is well-organized. Spices are among the most often used cooking components. Thus keeping them in order is essential. It’s important to have a system in place that makes it simple to store, organize, and access your spices, whether you have an extensive collection or just a few staples. Indeed, this is no simple process. On the other hand, it is possible.

Rachel Burditt, also known as The Declutter Darling on Instagram, is a professional organizer who claims to have uncovered spices going back to 1995 in one of her customers’ cupboards.

In the following paragraphs, you’ll discover expert advice on organizing your spices best to ensure they are never wasted and can always be quickly located.

We have assembled the most excellent knowledge to assist you in giving yourself a fighting chance at better cooking by providing appropriate kitchen storage ideas and a logical strategy for arranging spices, making them much easier to use.

Regarding storage, you have many options; however, remember that spices shouldn’t be kept in the fridge; nonetheless, some can be kept fresh by finding room when arranging a chest freezer.

1. STREAMLINE YOUR SPICES

Organizing spices – 10 ways to keep spices pinch perfect — (Image credit: Life Kitchens)

A thorough inventory of your spice collection should precede any attempt at storage. Getting rid of duplicates and items that have outlived their usefulness is one of the best pieces of advice we can give for cleaning up a cluttered space. Spices and seasonings don’t often spoil, but they can lose their potency with time. In the absence of an expiration date, you can judge how fresh they are by how strong their odor is.

Think carefully about the replacement’s necessity before proceeding. It probably has been around for a while if it’s outdated. The first rule of kitchen maintenance is… Don’t take up valuable rooms in your closet or basement with things you’ll never use.

2. ORDER SPICES ALPHABETICALLY

There are several options for purchasing herbs and spices. Think about how you cook and what makes the most sense to you. Some individuals find it helpful to group spices together based on their culinary use (warm baking spices, herbs, aromatics, etc.). However, this approach might lead to overlap.

Andra DelMonico, head interior designer at Trendy, suggests keeping spices in alphabetical order to quickly find what you need, especially if there are multiple cooks.

3. GROUP SPICES BY FREQUENCY OF USE

Create a subset of your most frequently used spices and keep them in a prominent location, away from the rest of your alphabetized spice collection, to save time and improve efficiency. Put them all in a carousel-style or portable spice caddy. That way, you can effortlessly relocate them across the kitchen.

4. DECANT INTO UNIFORM JARS

Getting around the kitchen is more manageable if everything has been put correctly. Herbs and spices should be stored close to the stove and cooktop in drawers, cabinets, or wall-mounted racks.

If there isn’t enough cabinet space in your kitchen, try using a freestanding spice rack or carousel to store your most frequently used spices. It can be stored neatly on a shelf, in the pantry, or even on the kitchen counters and then transferred to a more convenient location when needed.

5. LABEL ALL YOUR SPICES

As some spices can seem same, it’s important to mark them to prevent any culinary errors. The optimal method for storing spices will depend on their intended use.

One piece of advice from Ann Lightfoot, co-founder of Done & Done Home: mark the lids of your spice jars if you store them upright in a drawer. Labels should be placed on the side of the bottle if they are to be shown upright or laid flat. When decanting, note the expiration date on the jar’s underside.

Spices on display can benefit from “giving glass containers a facelift with personalized labels,” as suggested by Olive & Barr’s founder Al Bruce. This will assist in streamlining the overall look while adding an extra touch of style.

6. POSITION SPICES NEAR THE COOK ZONE

Getting around the kitchen is more accessible if everything has been put correctly. Herbs and spices should be stored close to the stove and cooktop in drawers, cabinets, or wall-mounted racks.

7. UTILIZE AWKWARD SPACES

Because of their small size, spice jars look great even in corners where nothing else would go. Customized storage solutions make the most of such nooks and crannies.

“Pull-out or pull-down storage provides for a smooth cooking experience, offering simple access to supplies right where you need them,” explains Graeme Smith, head of retail and design at Life Kitchens. Position one next to your stove for easy access to your herbs and spices; they come in a wide range of sizes and come with a wide selection of boxes, trays, and other inserts to accommodate bottles, plates, glasses, and more.

8 KIT OUT CABINETS FOR SPICES

If custom solutions aren’t in the budget, a simple strategy for keeping your spice rack from becoming a disaster is to organize your kitchen cupboards. Using tiered pantry organizers can make it easier to see what you have by constructing staggered shelves and bringing the back of the cabinets up to eye level. Put them on a riser to make them easier to see, and utilize the space behind them to keep refills or other dry products out of the way. In addition to preventing spills, non-slip liners keep jars upright.

If you have the room, home organizer Emma George of Declutter with Emma suggests installing a lazy Susan in your cupboard. “They keep jars in place and rotate so you can easily access what you need without having to rummage around and knock things over,” she says. These are great for keeping spices in one place and organizing your deep pantry shelves.

9. DEDICATE A DRAWER TO SPICES

Alternately, if you’re a serious cook who uses a lot of spices, you might want to keep your spice collection locked up in a drawer.

According to Tom Howley’s design director, “a bespoke drawer inlay allows you to put spice jars with their labels easy to read at a glance, so you can easily see what you have.” Keeping your spices in a cool, dark drawer will not only make them more useful to you in the kitchen but also help them keep their flavor and aroma for longer.

10. USE PANTRY DOORS

Keeping spices neat and easily accessible in a pantry is a breeze when you use the doors. Herbs, spices, oils, condiments, and other frequently used things can be kept easily accessible in the kitchen thanks to a hanging rack that enables single-row storage. By having shelves of varying heights, you can arrange your pantry much like a real one, with heavier, less-used things housed at the bottom and more often used items kept near the top, preferably at eye level.

While nothing beats a one-of-a-kind creation, even off-the-shelf options can get the job done. If you don’t want the sound of clinking jars every time you open the door, wooden racks are the way to go.

HOW DO YOU ORGANIZE SPICES IN A DRAWER?

The depth of your drawer is the primary factor in determining how you arrange your spices. Store your spices vertically in deep drawers. Please put them in clear containers, trays, or baskets and place them alphabetically, using vertical separators to prevent them from toppling over. You should write the contents of the container clearly on the lid.

Keeping spices laid out on their sides is an excellent solution for shallow drawers because you can tell when you’re getting low and can order more. You can easily find what you need with minimal effort if you use specialized inlays to prevent them from rolling around and arrange them in alphabetical order, label facing out.

HOW DO YOU DECLUTTER SPICES?

Go through your spice collection and get rid of duplicates or spices that have beyond their expiration date, whether you’re trying to declutter for a tiny kitchen or a spacious one. While spices don’t spoil, their flavor diminishes over time. A strong aroma indicates more freshness, so if the use-by date has faded, give them a whiff to see how they compare.

Don’t just throw away everything past its prime without giving it some thought first. Consider how long it’s been since you used it. If it’s been over two years, it’s over—no sense in storing things you will never need.

Organizing spices – 10 ways to keep spices pinch perfect