Organize Your Spices So Know What You Have and Where to Easily Find Them

Organize Your Spices to Keep Them Fresh and Handy

Spices put the final touch on every recipe, so it is important to keep them fresh and handy. This way you know what you have and where to find them when you are in the middle of creating a recipe. There is nothing worse than thinking you have a particular spice and not being able to find it, or having your hands full of food and trying to root around in a cabinet looking for what you need. While not a completely plant based category, a little work to organize your spices can’t hurt. It could even be a good project to start your kitchen organization mission!

Whether you store them in a drawer, cabinet, or on your counter – there is no perfect way to house your spices, just do what works best for your particular situation. We cover all three main methods of organization and give you a few tips to accomplish each. Check out our RECOMMENDED SPICES before you get started so you can keep those in mind while you are working.

PULL OUT ALL SPICES AND SORT THEM

Remove every spice container from its current home and place them on a cleared-off space (like your kitchen table) so that you can see everything together as the first step to organize your spices.
Look at each container and toss the ones you know are very old. A general guide is that spices are fresh for about a year – that is a pretty short life cycle, so do what you think is appropriate (we do have many spices over a year, so you are not alone if you choose to do this).
Sort the pile into 2 categories…Large Containers (that you purchase in bulk and don’t fit with smaller ones) and Smaller Containers.

LARGE CONTAINERS:

You will likely house these larger containers in a different location than the smaller more uniform spices. Look to see if you can transfer any of the larger spices into smaller jars. We do this for our Garlic Powder and Italian Seasoning Blend that we purchase in bulk and use often.

Look for a basket, bin, or container that will fit all of these comfortably in a cabinet or pantry. Check out our curated KITCHEN STORAGE CONTAINERS FROM WALMART to get you started deciding which bins are right for you.

SMALLER CONTAINERS:

Most likely the majority of your containers will be on the smaller size but may vary in exact size and material.

Consider beginning to buy every spice in the same container. We find the square glass containers work perfectly in our application, so over time, we began to purchase a few different brands in this style.
Then, when we used up a smaller container, we would soak and remove the old label, clean the container well, let it completely dry, re-fill with our bulk spice, and re-label the container. This may seem like a bit of work – but it is free, so if you have the time, why not. If you don’t have the time, simply buy a smaller spice jar of the bulk spice, use that up and refill that container when needed.
Next, separate these spices into 2 categories: Used “Most Often” and used “Least Often.” This will help guide you as you place them into their storage home.

You can save your self some time here by starting over with a SPICE JAR KIT containing new glass jars, lids, labels, etc. Everything you need to contain your spices in a cohesive way. This is just another option for you to consider as you organize your spices.

FIND A GOOD LOCATION

Take a look around your kitchen to find the best spot for your spices. This will be different for every situation, whether it is in a drawer or a cabinet, or on the counter, look for a spot where most of the smaller spices will fit together so you only have one location to look through. You may try a few different locations to find just the right spot. The only main consideration is that you don’t want them too close to a heat source or light so keep them away from the stove and don’t store them on your counter with direct sunlight.

LET’S TAKE A LOOK AT SOME OPTIONS OF WHERE TO ORGANIZE YOUR SPICES:

SPICE DRAWER

PRO: Easy to see directly into the drawer
CON: May not have a free drawer

Helpful Tool: This TIERED DRAWER TRAY tilts the spices at a slight angle to better view and grab what you need.

SPICE CABINET

Pro: Direct line of sight level into the cabinet
Con: A deeper cabinet leads to items behind one another so might be a little harder to see the second layer

Helpful Tool: This 3-TIER RACK brings everything up in levels behind the first so space is maximized.

SPICE COUNTER

PRO: Everything is immediately handy without having to open a drawer or door
CON: You will likely have a more limited space to use so may not be able to fit all, just those used most often

Helpful Tool: This LAZY SUSAN is a very helpful tool to find exactly what you are looking for in tight spaces.

MAKE IT HAPPEN & TIPS TO KEEP IT UP

Your spices are in good hands! You have just chosen the right location for your kitchen needs and purchased some helpful tools to make that location work even better. Now it’s time to put the final touches together to organize your spices!

After sorting the spices into most to least often used:

Clean the new area very well.
Clean each jar with a damp cloth to freshen it up.
Place the lesser used spices in first – start adding to the back of the drawer or cabinet and work toward ending with the most used spices in the front.
Make sure to keep spots open for spices you have yet to get.
This may take a bit of moving around to get it all to fit just right, nothing is perfect so just keep adjusting.

And to keep it all going:

Get in the habit of refilling bulk items into smaller jars as soon as they are empty.
Remember to add dwindling spices to your GROCERY LIST so you never run out.

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