Let’s start Kitchen Month off with some discussion on spices, shall we? Chances are you have some sort of spice storage in place in your kitchen. If it’s functioning properly, you probably haven’t given it much thought. If it isn’t working for you, it’s time to figure out a better system. I had my spices in a corner cabinet with turntables, it was working okay but I couldn’t see the spices all at once. So after some thought and planning, I overhauled the cabinet and the cabinet next to it.

Let’s talk about a few spice storage ideas….

magnet spice storage – great solution if you purchase bulk spices

spices on display – great if you use spices regularly and if you have pretty containers to put them in

spices in a door – clever storage idea for a kitchen without a lot of storage

spices in a drawer – great way to free up a cabinet

I started by removing all the spices and turntables from the corner cabinet. I also removed the teas and vitamins that I had stored in the cabinet to the right. I was curious to see if it would work to switch the two cabinets out, so I tried it. I don’t know why I had never considered putting the spices in a different cabinet, I guess I just figured that corner cabinets were perfect for spice storage. But it wasn’t working for me – I couldn’t see all my spices at a glance, I had duplicate spices, and some spices that I couldn’t see were old and neglected.

15 minute challenge:

  • empty your spice storage and wipe area clean
  • discard old spices (experts recommend a 12 month shelf life for spices – some spices and spice blends may last 1-3 years) – spices don’t spoil, but they lose their potency, if they have a nice strong aroma, chances are they are still good
  • separate cooking/savory (basil, tarragon, chives) from sweet/baking spices (cinnamon, vanilla, nutmeg) to maximize your spice efficiency
  • return spices or put them in a different location, making note of any changes you might want to make (need to order or find a product to make your cabinet run more smoothly, order it if you can!)

Want to keep track of what you have on hand in your spice cabinet/drawer/box? Go to this post to grab an adorable spice inventory printable.  What’s your biggest spice storage obstacle? Not enough storage? Too many spices?