I'd Like to Tell You About My Herb/Spice Organizing Project

[NJCher]

We have remodeled our kitchen and no longer have the storage space we used to. One reason is we opted for more windows to see the lovely forest behind our home. Now there is more light and it is pleasure to be in the room, where before it was dark and rather dreadful.

I believe I've mentioned that my spouse is a gourmand and has an extraordinary number of herbs and spices. Literally, hundreds from all over the world. Then there's me, an herb gardener, who dries and puts together my own concoctions. So the dilemma was how to organize them.

I decided to organize spices in one set of uniform containers and herbs in another. This required me to learn the difference between and herb and a spice.

One set of containers are round small metal tins. They lie nicely on a shelf and I intend to label them once the whole project is finished.



The other is a uniform set of jars. These lie nicely in a spice drawer.



It's an enjoyable project. It will be great to be able to put my fingers on an herb or spice that I need in the matter of a few seconds.


Cher

p.s. these are not my photos, they are just representative of what I'm doing. When I'm done with the project and if I can find my camera, I'll post some pics.

[Warpy]

1. I had a sick kitty years ago who had to live on chicken baby food

while her mouth healed. Those baby food jars became my spice jars, holding tiny amounts of spices that are replenished frequently. I have a small cabinet I keep them in away from light.

The tins would be superior in that they wouldn't allow light to penetrate.

[wildflower]

2. I've never found a good way to organize my spices

I really like the drawer idea. It looks easier to see and reach them.

[hippywife]

3. The drawer thing is a great idea.

I moved mine out of the cabinet into drawers, without the organizer even, and it's so much easier to find what I need.

:hi:

[Tesha]

4. Such a good idea!

We completely re-did our kitchen a while back, we planned for 2 years figuring out a perfect arrangement for us.

We now have 2 drawers at the right side of the stove top just for spices.
Its wonderful. We lay them label up, in that dark cool space and I have them laid out
so I can find them almost without looking. Perfect.

[noamnety]

5. Alton Brown just did a show on spices

and he used similar tins - and then put velcro on the bottoms, and ran sticky velcro down the inside of the cabinet doors to put them on.

Like this but with velcro, not magnets: ?imgmax=576

[NJCher]

6. Wow! Thanks for that idea!

I have tons of Velcro and could free up some space this way, at least with the tins.

Big hug!


Cher

[Dover]

7. Cher, I'm glad you've brought up this topic cuz I've been thinking about

what to do with my spices, though I don't have nearly as many as you do. I kind of like the
magnet idea and think it might be cool to create some artsy metal surface/'holder' that could stand on the counter top or attached to a wall near the stove. But I also like the drawer solution. And I've wondered if I might get rid of my current pantry 'room' completely to expand my kitchen and just use one of those new tall narrow pull out pantry cabinets instead. Of course I'd have to really pare down my pantry items for that to work. But I see that as a good thing. My pantry is overstocked anyway and gets messy in a hurry - difficult to find things.

Hope you find your camera!

[Tesha]

8. Here's my spice space...

to the right of the cooktop,
just opposite the table-height island where I mix for baking...

It works better than I hoped when we were planning,
and sliding one of the drawers open makes the kitchen smell wonderful!

[pengillian101]

14. That looks great!

I still use the old standby of upright jars stuffed in the overhead cupboard - what a PITA.

Maybe I'll reorganize.

Nah...I probably really won't at this house. Ya know when you first set up your kitchen cabinets, and then later try to change something? Then always look for it in it's first location?

I love the idea though. I'll wait till our next place probably next Spring.

[Arkansas Granny]

9. My daughter found a spice storage called Spice Stack for her cabinets.

They work really great and I have since gotten them for myself and have given a couple away as gifts. Very easy to use and come in a couple of different sizes.

https://spicestack.com/index.php

[Tesha]

10. What a great idea!

Compact, might work in my daughter's house...

oh! thank you for the idea!

[hippywife]

11. I like those better

than the ones that attach under your cabinets. Something about those never sat right with me. I guess I could see them breaking before too long, I dunno.

No cabinet space for these, though, but I'm happy with mine in a drawer like Tesha's. :hi:

[supernova]

12. Nice! Where did you find your tins?

SO and I are looking to do the same thing. We both love to cook and between us could probably fill a spanish galleon headed for the Trade Winds. :D

We like the idea of using the tins with magnetic boards to hang them on.

[noamnety]

13. If you are looking for magnetic strips

IKEA has magnetic strips (search their site for knife rack). Other stores sell them too - they just happen to have a special right now on one of their models.

[madmax]

15. Craft stores also carry magnetic strips

and sheets that you can cut with scissors to any size, shape you want.