Variety is the Spice of Life!

My spices don't go in my spice cupboard; I've tried all sorts to store and have spices to hand, including keeping them on shelves, in a revolving rack and in the drawer of my butcher's block. But all to no avail. They need to  be at hand, but covered so the sun and heat doesn't affect them. Not in the drawer out of sight so I never think to add spices or herbs to my cooking.

YouCopia 18-Bottle Original SpiceStack, Silver Spice Organizer/Rack
I thought I had a solution in the spice rack that I found at Amazon;
YouCopia 18-Bottle Original SpiceStack, Silver Spice Organizer/Rack looks really useful, and it would solve my problems spice wise, but I haven't got the spare spondulicks at the moment, so I needed a similar solution for the total cost of nothing.

Enter a plastic set of drawers I had used for card and sticker storage in the past. With a little pattern making, alphabetising and an investment in some new spices (ground spices lose their pungency after a while and some of my spices were getting on), my spice drawers are ready and waiting for me to make..... sausage paella using cumin and turmeric, a good-sounding apple cake with allspice, pasta sauces a plenty with Italian herbs and many, many more dishes enhanced with a sprinkle of crushed chillies or smooth, smoked sweet paprika. It's right there, next to the cooker and prep surface. Convenient and easy!

Can't wait!! (it's a shame we're having Sainsbury's pizza for tea tonight; eh well, there's always tomorrow!)

Comments

  1. Great idea, I yearn for a tidy kitchen - heck I just yearn for a kitchen! x

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    1. I know! I read that your kitchen will remain unplastered until the 10th... how will you manage until then? Good luck!

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  2. Great little piece of organisation which will have a big impact on your cooking.
    Pass the Blossom Hill!
    Lisa x

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  3. That's a great solution and I'm very impressed with your range of spices. I've only got a few jars as we don't use many spices at all in cooking as Mick is a very plain eater, mores the pity as I do like things with a bit of a kick.

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    1. Some I use often (like cinnamon and ginger) others, like the turmeric and cumin, get very little use but are just an absolute necessity for the one recipe a month/six month/ year that I need them for!

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  4. I never saw the point of spice racks that kept spices in the light and heat. mine live in a box in the cupboard, I lift the whole box out when I want something, I live in fear of dropping the whole lot of them.......

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    1. At the price of spice, I don't blame you!

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  5. Great idea! I keep most of mine in a cupboard in a box that life Driftwood I lift in and out, but I also have a ceramic tray (lasagne dish!) that I keep on the bench with all the things I want to hand, small amount of olive oil, spices I use all the time, salt and pepper and so on. It is so great to have things at hand and you are so right that you certainly use them more if they are right there don't you. I think that your solution is much better than the one you found online because it holds more spices and was free because you already had the drawers, plus you got to recycle something! Of course the biggest plus being actually able to use your spices because they are accessible! Great job all round and definitely one of the best ideas I have seen lately!!! xx

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    1. It does make my life easier... and full of spice!

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  6. That's a really good idea. I keep my spices in racks mounted inside the doors of two kitchen cabinets. They can stay in the dark most of the time that way. I also have a cardboard box on the floor of my pantry closet where I keep larger bottles of things that I can use to refill smaller ones on the racks. It's a lot less expensive to buy them in bulk as long as you can use them quickly. I only do this with spices or herbs I use almost daily, but it does save some money.

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    1. Good idea! I know there are some big savings to be made on spices if you have a Chinese or Indian supermarket nearby.

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  7. I like the fact that all your jars have a clear letter on them... (well done Tesco!!). My jars are a complete 'mish-mash' from all over the place so they have to be hidden away behind a door. Jx

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    1. I fully intend to refill these jars when they're empty! I got them all from Tesco because they were square, shorter than most others and had black caps. Coordinated and alphabetical spices; too much?

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  8. The only other person I've heard say 'spondulicks' is an Irish friend of mine - is there an Irish influence on your vocabulary at all? I say 'heel' of the bread which my husband finds amusing - but that's what my mum always called it and she was Irish. In our present house there is one of those revolving carousels in a corner cupboard and all my spices are there which is really handy - not sure where they will go in the new house though. Love Judy.

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    1. We have heel of the bread as well. My Dad is from Omagh in County Tyrone, but don't forget that I actually live in Ireland's second city! (LIverpool) so a good stripe of the Irish runs through nearly every native scouser. I never thought of spondulicks as particularly Irish? Perhaps you just usually mix with a better class of anglophone?

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    2. And I also meant to say enjoy playing with the kitchen! I think trying to decide the most effective use of space and maximise motion efficiency is fun!

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  9. I love the heel of a plain loaf! I use the Tesco spices as well - they are much cheaper than the big brand versions and just as good.

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    1. It's funny, because I don't shop at Tesco for most things, but I like their spices!

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  10. What a great idea! I actually have a smaller version of drawers like thos, i might give this a try in my pantry (glorified broom cupboard)
    New follow from me, feel free to stop by My Empire Of Dirt and say hello :)

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