Lots of us have a love-hate relationship with spices.
We adore the flavors that spices give us, but we hate that we can’t seem to figure out how to get the perfect blend that our favorite restaurant just nails every time. We love adding to our spice collection and trying things out while we cook, but after a while, it can be difficult to find a place to put all the spices we’ve accumulated. And once you find a place, isn’t it always the case that the one spice you need is all the way in the back of your cupboard’s sea of spices?
Don’t let frustrations kill your love of spices! Check out these four tips to make using and storing spices easier.
1. Buy in bulk
Yeah, spices can add a bite to your food, but they can also take a bite out of your wallet. You wouldn’t think that a powder in a tiny jar would cost so much, but alas — it does.
So here’s a spicy tip: buy in bulk! Most grocery stores have bulk spice sections that offer spices at significantly lower rates than buying jar after jar of chili powder in the spice aisle. Buy one non-bulk container of each spice you use so you can have the convenience of a labelled container, and then simply refill the container with the bulk spice when you run out!
2. Learn basic spice combos
There’s a reason that your favorite Italian food has a certain taste. One of the main reasons you can’t touch the flavor of your favorite pasta spot at home is because you probably aren’t using the signature spice blends of Italian cuisine.
While entire cuisines cannot be boiled down to a simple list of “spices to use,” there are definite patterns in spices that certain types of cooking use to achieve their beloved taste. Oftentimes the spices a cuisine uses corresponds to the spices available in the region from which the cuisine originated from.
Take a few minutes to research spice patterns for your favorite cuisines — your cooking will taste more like your favorite restaurant in no time.
3. Specialized spice storage
Spices don’t do super well in the standard storage found in most kitchens. Since it’s pretty much impossible to organize spices in a regular drawer or cupboard shelf in a way that allows you to read each label and reach every container, you practically have to hire a search party to help you find a spice when it’s time to cook.
Installing specialized spice storage in your home is a small addition that quickly improves the cooking experience. More Space Place offers solutions like lazy susans and slatted wall systems that are custom-fit to your unique space to make spice storage helpful, not just tolerable.
4. Avoid spice spoilage
Spices do not last forever. While you may be able to use a spice past its prime, an expired spice won’t bring the same kick, flavor, or color to a dish that a fresh spice could.
Make sure to check when your spice is set to expire. When the day comes, let your spice rest in peace and replace it with a fresher version.
Custom storage also comes in handy to keep your spices fresh! When spices are actually visible and accessible, you can see which ones are coming up on their expiration date and adjust your spice usage and shopping accordingly.
Spice Up Your Kitchen
Spices are one of the best details you can include in your home cooking. Elevate your kitchen with custom storage solutions to avoid the headache of storing spices so you can focus on the flavor rush of using spices.
The experts at More Space Place are excited to partner with you to spice up your kitchen storage. Contact us at or sign up online for a free in-home storage consultation today!
Photo credit: © AlexRaths.