Spices Everywhere!

I cleaned out my spices yesterday, and was it revealing! I have five containers of vanilla extract, four of cumin, two giant containers of oregano, three of coriander and enough black peppercorns to last until the next century. I threw out some old ones and tried to combine half-empty boxes and jars. In the same cabinet – a lazy susan – I also found seven bottles of hot sauce. What’s more, we use very little hot sauce!

It’s so easy to let the spices get out of control. It’s a waste of space and a waste of money. With mine on a lazy susan, I have no excuse. I can’t even say they were buried in the back. I also have a beautiful stainless steel spice rack on my kitchen counter.

There are plenty of ways to efficiently store spices. I’ve heard of people using clear shoe bags. If you have a pantry, you can hang it on the inside of the door. Since the pockets are clear, it’s easy to see what you have. If you’re building a new home or renovating your kitchen, you can have a built-in spice rack. You don’t need a lot of space. Just a sliver somewhere will do it. Take a look at stores like Costco and Bed, Bath and Beyond. There are some gorgeous spice racks available now.

Any ideas for keeping spices under control?