Less Mess, More Flavor: How to Organize Your Spice Space

  Pre-Holiday Organization Series - Part 2 of 3

Whether you store your spices in a cupboard or a drawer, I think we can all agree that space smells amazing!

But where is the marjoram for the stuffing? Maybe on the bottom shelf, behind the Costco-sized container of taco seasoning?

Spices can make or break the result of a good recipe. Not enough salt, too much cumin (although I personally don't think there is such a thing!), cinnamon sticks lost their potency.  And for this and every holiday season, we want to produce high quality flavors for our friends and family to enjoy the dishes we make. We want them to have a taste of that delicious homemade cranberry sauce and say, "Wow! What's that amazing flavor? Can I get the recipe?". With a deep dive into your spice cupboard/drawer, you may find an interesting spice that you forgot you even had, that could take a dish to a whole new level of yum!

But before you run off to the store to pick-up all of those holiday spices that you’re not sure if you have, we recommend doing a spice cupboard/drawer overhaul. This could help you avoid duplicating spices or spending money where you may not need to. Or maybe you’ll discover that you won't have enough ginger to make gingerbread cookies for the gingerbread house build with the kids.

If this looks familiar to your "spice situation", don't worry, you're not alone!

The goal for this simple project is to have every spice container visible, labeled properly, and organized for easy access. When it's time to grab the nutmeg jar, you'll be able to identify and grab it immediately, not wasting time pulling other containers out to get to the one you're looking for.

You might be asking...Where do I start?

Anytime we plan to do an overhaul of any space, we want to clear it out, so we can really start from scratch and establish a new system.

So, before we begin, we want to make sure we have a few supplies to help us have a fresh palette to work with and the right tools (organizational accessories) to meet the desired result.

• Clear counter space
• Vacuum (Optional)
• Damp rag
• Label maker or Painter's tape & Sharpie
• Note taking tool (phone, notepad, etc.)
• Uniform spice containers (Optional- It is totally ok to have a drawer or cupboard with mix-matched containers)
• Spice jars
• Miniature square Tupperware
• Small mason jars
• Racks/Lazy Susan

There are so many great options for storing spices!

Note: These recommendations align with the approach of keeping spices in a cool, dark space. Storing spices in direct heat and light can lead to rapid decrease in life-span, which equates to decrease in potency.

Pull-Out Spice Rack

These smooth gliding spice racks are a tidy way to store uniformly shaped spice containers together, and maintain a good visual of what's available. Maybe all the shorty containers on the bottom and the taller ones on the top; Whichever containers you use, this is a great option for a clean and organized spice space.

2-Tier Expandable U-turn Rack

I look at this as the "open floor plan" rack. Although you can put a few items inside of the "U" that are easy to move, the visual ease and flexibility that the open space provides can nurture a sense of breathing room, and a truly decluttered space.

D-Shaped Lazy Susan

As mentioned in our Fridge Organization Blog, which was Part 1 of our 3-part Pre-Holiday Organization Series, we discovered the diverse applications where not-so-Lazy Susan can help us out. This D-shaped Lazy Susan is no exception! This style prevents cluttering and hiding of containers in the center. With it's shape it can be more conducive to a square cupboard space. You can also go the classic circular Lazy Susan route, which can be just as helpful in organization and provide easy access to what you need.

Drawer Organizer

For those of you that use a drawer to store your spices, this expandable horizontal rack will make perusing the spice drawer so much easier. No more free-rolling containers with labels facing the bottom of the drawer!

Over-The-Door Hanging Rack

This over-the-door hanging spice rack is perfect for utilizing an unused and nicely hidden space, inside your pantry door. *Pantry Organization Blog coming Nov. 19th!* This hanging rack is a great way to keep things organized, out of the way, and visually easy to identify when you swing that door open to find what you need. No permanent installation required, since this hanger is equipped with easy over-the-door adjustable hooks!

And now, the simple steps to complete this task

1. Pull out all current spice containers (and anything else sharing space with your spices)

Pro Tips:

• As you're pulling everything out, grab your note taking tool and make notes of any spices that you're missing and need, or are running so low that you need to grab before diving into holiday food prep.
• If there are old spices that have lost their potency or humidity got the best of them, toss them out. If you don't need replacements immediately, save replacing them for another time. Keep in mind that going forward with your new set-up, you will be able to identify immediately if you have a spice or need a spice and can purchase at that time.
• If you have loose bags with spices, place those spices in solid, lidded containers.

2. Vacuum out the now empty spice space. You can use any tool you'd like for this part of the process, but I have found that using a vacuum wand can really help get all of those little specks that get stuck in corners, and it helps to reduce mess while cleaning.

3. Wipe down the space with a damp rag. Allow to dry.

4. Place your new organization tools (Sliding rack, U-turn rack, Lazy Susan, Drawer rack, Over-the-door rack) into the space.

5. Arrange spice containers on the new racks in an order that allows you to see everything. For example, if you're using a Lazy Susan, place taller containers in the center and surround by smaller containers.

Pro Tips:

• Do not place non-labelled containers back into the cupboard! Take the time to make a label, write on the container directly, or apply painter's tape with content description on the side or lid. Remember, we want to be able to quickly identify what we need to grab.
• Some things to consider when arranging your new spice space
• Container & Size
• Purpose (i.e. baking, savory)
• Frequency of use
• Alphabetical order

Nicely done! You now have a clean, organized, and decluttered spice space!

Maintaining the system

Here are some tips on how to move forward and maintain your new spice organization system:

• When a container is empty or low, place in the front so it is visible, and make a note on your list for your next shopping trip
• Be sure to place items back in their proper place after use
• Don't keep old spices
• Whole spices typically last about 5 years in a cool, dark space
• Pre-ground spices typically last about 1 year in a cool, dark space ( And don't feel bad, you're not the only one that has kept a spice or two way past when it should've been use ;-)

Share with us in the comments below, which dish you're most excited to create this holiday season!

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