The holidays are coming! You know you’ll be cooking and baking up a storm! Are your kitchen spices ready and at your fingertips? Follow the organizing steps below and they will be!
As with all organizing projects, the first step is to SORT your existing spices. Place all of your spices on a counter or table and examine them. Check the expiration dates. According to StillTasty, whole spices will stay fresh for 4 years, ground spices 2-3 years and dried herbs 1-3 years. Now that it is empty, this is also a great time to clean your cabinet!
The second step is to PURGE. Throw away anything that is expired, that you can’t identify or has a missing lid.
The third, and in my opinion most exciting, step is to ORGANIZE. There are a few things to consider when it comes to organizing your spices.
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Location: Where should you store your spices? Store them where you use them! The location will depend on the configuration and amount of space available in your kitchen. Spices can be stored in drawers, cabinets or pantries. The number of spices you have might also determine where you store them. Make sure you pick a location that can accommodate your current selection and perhaps 10% more in case you buy something new. Always leave a little room for expansion.
Organizing Products: There are lots of products that can help make your spices easier to see and get to. Think vertical! My favorite product for spices is what I call the “mini bleacher”. These fit great in cabinets and pantries and they let you see all of your spices. Other options included tiered racks for drawers, racks that mount on the inside of your cabinet doors and even a lazy susan. They key is to be able to see the spices in the back row(s).
Once you have decided on where you are going to store your spices and what product(s) you are going to use, the last decision is how to arrange your spices in your new system. Happy Home Organizers suggests that you arrange your spices by putting the ones you use most frequently front and center for easy access.
Finally, an organization system is only as good as how you use it. Remember to periodically sort and purge old spices and ALWAYS put things back where they belong as soon as you are finished using them.
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