June 12, 2017
Organized Herb + Spice Cabinet
I reorganized the herbs and spice cabinet a couple years ago but recently did a sort and toss of any old herbs and spices, cleaned it out, and thought you might like to see it for a little inspiration. Looking for the products I used? Everything’s linked up below the post where it says ‘shop the post’.
Here’s how I tackled this space to completely clean and organize it.
Quick clean and toss:
- Remove everything – place everything on a counter or table while you are sorting and organizing.
- Check expiration dates and/or give them the smell test – if they don’t smell like the spice they are, they are probably too old. The general rule of thumb is about a year for herbs and 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.
- Wipe down the shelves and dry thoroughly. I like to use a microfiber cloth for wiping down cupboards and shelves.
I find it helpful to keep olive oil, salt, pepper, garlic, and garlic salt out on the counter as you can see below. This makes it easier come prep time so I don’t need to look for anything.
QUICK TIP: Keep your spices to a minimum to avoid too many spices that never get used. I like to keep the blends to a minimum too just to keep things simple.
Sort and arrange:
This step really depends on the amount of space you have and how much you have to store. I keep my herbs on on shelf with little risers to elevate them up a bit and all my baking goods go on another shelf with turntables for easy access. You can easily do one or the other or do both like I did. Another idea would be to use small plastic bins with handles and pull the whole thing out when you’re needing the herbs or spices.
Sort by baking and cooking, alphabetize (if you want to) and put away.
I use canning jars for storing everything from baking soda to cupcake liners.
So tell me? Does your spice cabinet need a little revamp? What’s your plan to make your herb and spice cabinet work for you?
Lorrie Gloede Says
I keep all my single herbs and spices alphabetically on turntables on the bottom shelf and the blends on turntables on the shelf above. It seems to work for me.
Paige Says
I totally need to get my spice cabinet cleaned up! These are all awesome ideas!
Paige
http://thehappyflammily.com
june Says
Becky…I love your cabinets…all so tidy. I use to use the same tier system but found myself forgetting spices I had on had even though I had them in alpha order. I didn’t like rumbling through the tiers looking for what I needed.
I went to my local Container Store and found this…https://www.containerstore.com/s/youcopia-spiceliner/d?productId=11000911&q=spice%20organizers
OMG a life changer. I LOVE this. I have even had a few odd size containers that lay and stay put. All in alpha order and it no longer takes up so much space in my cabinets. I do however have one turntable in the cabinet above my spice drawer that I use for oils, vinegars, etc. Off to the side I have a few large/tall spice bottles from Tone’s of frequently used spices…dehydrated onions, basil, etc.
I keep all my baking related cocoas, baking soda, powder, etc. in my baking cabinet…love that too.
Happy organizing:)
MaryJo Says
I LOVE the Spice House spices too!
Christy Says
Thanks! We’re moving to a home where the pantry is a little far from the kitchen. I
Contemplating how to handle spices. My husband and son love to add them to dishes.
Jill Says
The Spice House rocks! I actually custom built a wall-mounted spice rack because we use a lot of spices and I make a lot of custom blends and grow my own. The savory spices are stored in mason jars of varying sizes on that rack, depending on how much we store. They go on the rack in alpha-order. The baking only spices (allspice, nutmeg, clove) go with the baking supplies. And yes, salt and pepper are in decorative containers right next to the stove on the counter.
A well organized spice rack/shelf just makes you want to cook, doesn’t it?
Linda Says
I gave with putting my spices in alpha order.. I have them grouped in sections of spices, herbs and seasonings. Makes it easier for the one cooking to find what they need.
Rebecca Says
I have a lot of spices. What I am currently really liking is having the sorted by genre: salts, peppers, whole (like cardamom or nutmeg), seeds, leaf, curries, ground, and chili peppers. I also use risers. Top shelf is bottles with 2 lazy susans. One is more vinegar, mirin, and vanilla, the other oils.