Spices and Herbs

Here is a picture of what was intended to be (and once was) a small plastic box of fall jars, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cinnamon sticks.

Some of them are empty and others have made their way in, negating the original intention! Still other fall seasonings are in the larger drawer (likely those duplicates). Also, in my kitchen is a wonderful three tier rack containing tubes of seasonings. Since it is quite attractive, it gets moved as a decoration, to whatever spot needs enhancement. I rarely reach for it in preference to the large seasoning drawer just to the left of my stove.

Now that we have found our spices/herbs, we can begin to make some sense of them, for cooking and the best possible arrangement. If you have time, we can work on this together!

Moving forward with the task, I completely emptied the drawers, including the dividers, and vacuumed them thoroughly, wiping up a few little sticky spots. You may have noticed that I prefer my jars laying flat so I don't have to move them around to see what they are. Do what is best for you!

I grouped them together in the way I tend to use them.

My groups are:
Italian:
Anise
Oregano
Basil
Thyme
Rosemary
Herbs de Provence

Mexican:
Chili
Ground Cumin
Cayenne
Coriander





Exotic:
Saffron
Curry Powder (hot)
Curry Powder (sweet)
Jamaican Mixed Spice
Paprika (Hungarian)

General:
Celery Seeds
Dill Weed
Sesame Seeds
Toasted Sesame Seeds
Parsley
Ground Mustard

Salts:
Kosher
Murray River
Black Truffle

Black Pepper
White Pepper

Also, I have three "Rubs": Poultry, Seafood and Garlic-Lemon-Herb

There is not any right or wrong way to group them. Just group your spices and herbs in a way that makes sense to you!

You will notice in my nice neat drawer that I have a section of tins. Many years ago I was taught that tins are the best way to store them and I must admit that they seem to stay fresh for a very long time.
My tins contain:
Bells Seasoning (Sage)
Celery Salt
Chili Powder (homemade blend)
Garlic Salt and Garlic Powder
Lemon Pepper
Onion Powder
Red Pepper (crushed)

Return to Previous Page