A few weeks ago I organized my kitchen spices in preparation for the cooking and baking I am going to be doing for the holidays. I wanted to share with you how I organized my spices in my kitchen.
Organizing Food Spices
The first thing I did was pull all of the spices together to see which ones were too old. Most spices last a couple of years, but let me tell you, two years goes by quick. I toss out the old spices and make a list of what I need to purchase the next time I am at the store. Then I clean off the spice jars with a damp cloth because sometimes a bit of grease gets on them when cooking. Now I keep my most used spices (salt, pepper, seasoning salt) separate from my other spices because I keep them handy on my range.
But the other spices are kept in a kitchen drawer that is near the area that I bake and prepare most often, my kitchen island. I use a spice drawer insert to hold the spices in the drawer.
I alphabetize them to make them easy to find. I like that I can see all the spices at once. (Notice that the Chili powder was not where it should have been...this was fixed.)
I also put the measuring spoons in the spice drawer since I often use that with them.
When I buy a spice jar, I note the month and year purchased on the bottom of the container with a permanent marker. The spices have it printed on there, but I find that over time with use, this can fade. I like keeping spices in a drawer because it prevents them from getting splattered when I am cooking and keeps them away from the heat.
Do you organize your spices?
CJ at Food Stories
I alphabetize mine but I love the tip about the date on the bottom 🙂
Organizedisland
Thanks for stopping by CJ! 🙂
SprungAtLast
I alphabetize mine ... and then re-alphabetize mine every so often. I like the idea of keeping them in a drawer. My pantry is chaos!
Organizedisland
Yes, it did not work for me in a pantry either. Thank you for stopping by!
Anne (@notasupermom)
So nice to meet you on GenFab!
My spices are in a cabinet, but only organized into what I use to bake and other spices.
I do check for old spices before the holidays to make sure I have what I need and that it is fresh.
I wish I had the drawer space to organize the way you have. Such a good idea!
Organizedisland
Nice to meet you too Anne! Sounds like you have a great plan in place. I had to do this because I found some very old extract in a cabinet once.
Nancy @ gottagetbaked
My spices are still in bags, they're all tossed & jumbled on an upper cabinet shelf and I always have to drag a stool over to reach them. Needless to say, my first thought when I have to grab my spices is "aaaarrrrggghhhh!" - lol. I WISH my spices were as organized as yours. Brilliant idea to have them lying down in a drawer for easy access and for quick visibility. Thanks for the tips!
Organizedisland
LOL! That used to be me Nancy. Thanks for stopping by and commenting 🙂
Denise Malloy
I feel like you have been in my kitchen and see what I need to do! Love the idea of date on the bottom, I just threw out several from years ago on my last move. Where do you find the drawer inserts? Those are a GREAT idea!
Organizedisland
Thank you Denise! They are available on Amazon.com.
Jay @craftyspices
Do you organize your spices?
Well, that is a good question. I sure do, but it seems they have legs or something because they sure don't last long. :)... Love your tips. Thx
Oh and BTW thanks for linking to our hop: http://www.craftyspices.com/hops/wwhop
Happy Thanksgiving
Organizedisland
Hi Jay! I can imagine how quickly you must go through your spices! Happy Thanksgiving to you too!
Mandy @MoneyMasterMom
I found you via the Bloggy Moms Blog Hop. Your spice drawer is a work of art. I hope this isn't a case of I showed you mine now show me yours, because I'm not showing you. I'm embarrassed.
Organizedisland
LOL, no Mandy you do not have to show me yours. Thank you for stopping by from the hop!
Blond Duck
I wish I had a spice cabinet like that!
Organizedisland
It really helps - thank you for stopping by!
Savvy Working Gal
I used to alphabetize our spices, but my husband who does most of the cooking prefers to have the spices he uses the most in front. I like the idea of using a drawer and writing the date of purchase on the bottom of the jar.
Organizedisland
Thank you for stopping by, I am sure that system works for him.
Loy Cerf
Great idea...I'm afraid I'm one of those whose spices are older than dirt! LOL Thanks for the motivation to clean out my cabinets.
Organizedisland
I am glad you are motivated! Thanks for stopping by!
Lisa @ A Little Slice of Life
I love the idea of writing the date on your spices. I tend to refill my containers with spices I buy in the bulk aisle at the grocery store so the package always looks old.
Organizedisland
That is great that you are saving money buying in bulk. I can do that for a few spices. Thanks for stopping by.