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Show Me Your Spices
Rainy day, and we’re all done with Spongebob monopoly, so I figured today is as good a day as any to let you peek inside my spice cabinets.
You know, I wasn’t kidding when I told you—several times, I think—that they are filled to the brim with whatever spices you can think of, and then some.
Clearly I have issues. Deep-seated issues. I’m well aware of that….
In my defense: believe it or not, but each and every one of these spices is used on a very regular basis.
You’ll find lots of different kinds of curry masalas. Indonesian spices, too.
And behind every spice tower….
Is another spice tower. So there’s more than meets the eye in these photos. Much more.
There’s also my clutter cabinet, three shelves full. This is where Lawry’s bunks up with Lea & Perrins.
Come to think of it, I didn’t even show you my enormous stash of Butt rub and Dizzy Dust. Yup, I have issues.
Now show me your spice cabinet, it’s only fair!
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Thanks for sharing! Bad Byron’s Butt Rub is the best. I have been using it on briskets here in Texas for several years. I have conducted blind taste tests with other rubs and Butt Rub has yet to be beat!
Amen to that! Most of the spice rubs are sweet, sickly sweet, I never cared for that… Butt rub is the perfect blend between savory and spicy.
Dear Kay, thanks for sharing your spices with us. That gives me a great idea of how to organize all my spices too. My husband is always telling me that I have way too many spices. By the way where do you buy your Lawry’s spices here in Holland? I brought some last year from the States but I’m almost through my stock. I just love your recipes. Have a nice weekend.
Every now and then you can find Lawry’s at the Jumbo or the AH XL. Some of them have a special ‘USA aisle”.
I also have a lot of wonderful friends that mail me packages full when I run out :)
Lord, how do you find anything??? I thought I had the most spices but I do think you have me beat!! LOL
It’s all color coded! :)
Love it! I get teased about all my spices too, but you have me beat. All my cooking spices are in a drawer and in alphabetical order and the baking spices are in the pantry. I also have a couple of shelves in the cupboards that have all the odds and ends and bottled stuff. Thanks for sharing!
Don’t u worry – same issues here ;)
That’s what I like about the internet, you always find someone just as crazy as you are :)
Yep, me too! My hubby just made me a real nice spice rack to match my counter top.
My blog: http://www.family-oosten.com/blog/2012/03/14/kruidenkast-probleem/
We just moved into our new house. A big spice drawer was a must for me. You can see a picture here: http://pinterest.com/pin/275634439664637363/
Love how that looks! My kitchen doesn’t have a drawer that big… unfortunately.
That’s some collection Kay ! And its great that you use these regularly…and colour coded ? Wow, you are really organised ! Was lovely peeking into your spice cabinet !
I Love You!…..you make my spice collection look small! My husbands gives me such grief over it! Your blog tells me, I am not alone, I am one among many spice collectors (not hoarders – since we share our talents and loves). Thanks for making my day!
I store my most used in a drawer close to where I use them the most and the rest in these stacking locking see-thru tubs in my pantry where they are grouped by “like use” IE: cookie/cake sprinkles, rubs and grilling spices, flavoring extract bottles, etc.
Wow! Like most of the other people who have posted, I thought I had a ton of spices!!! I couldn’t see the writing on the labels very well. Can you tell me how you color coordinate, please?
I use colored name labels. The dried herbs such as oregano, parsley, thyme etc are labeled green. The paprika, cayenne, chili, stuff like that red… the home made mixes are blue and all the dried things like onions, bami vegetables/spices and masalas etc are yellow and so on :)
OOo you are so organized compared to mine. Nothing color coded here. I know where everything is at until an other members of this household start to get in my spice cabinet :). Yes mine is over filled to and some.
I have two of these: http://www.amazon.com/Rubbermaid-Pull-Down-Spice-Rack/dp/B0000CF37W/ref=sr_1_24?ie=UTF8&qid=1342287642&sr=8-24&keywords=spice+racks+for+kitchen+cabinets
in a cabinet that just fits them. I reuse spice bottles and other small glass jars (like 1/2 pint canning jars) and label them with a Sharpie. Extra spices in really big containers live in the pantry.
I organize them (of course — I’m an engineer) in alphabetical order!
I recommend these racks highly, by the way. Almost any spice container fits, and having the racks pull down out of the cupboard to eye level is very handy.
Deb
Wow! That is amazing!!! is it alphabetized? I have one measly lazy-Susan that holds all my spices, with the one that need to be there in the door of the fridge. (Martha Stewart said so!).
What brand of plastic containers are they?
Well done!
Ik houd erg van de Badia spices! Die worden hier heel veel verkocht. Ik vind bijvoorbeeld de zwarte peper echt de lekkerste! Je hebt me wel op een idee gebracht… Volgens mij is dit veel overzichtelijker en handiger zoeken als al die flesjes en potjes, die ik in mandjes in mijn kast heb staan want dat pakt makkelijker en is redelijk overzichtelijk. Als wij weer in Nederland wonen denk ik dat ik ook in bakjes ga werken!
Als je in het clutter kastje kijkt zie je ook veel van badia staan. Vind de peper van hun geweldig! Ook hun uienpoeder en uienzout gebruik ik veel en de gemengde kruiden zijn zalig voor over de vis.
Idd zag het staan vandaar, en idd zoals ik al zei, de peper is de beste. Ik heb een megagrote bus daarvan, ze verkopen hier namelijk megagrote bussen!
funny you should post this topic, i had been asking friends the same question in an attempt of trying to get a handle on my collection. i am in the process of redoing the kitchen, so right now everything is a mess, but my 70 or so spices are mostly stored in magnetic stainless steel tins with a clear lid by alphabet on the wall (in these http://www.custommagneticspicerack.com/square). Although, I prefer glass these seemed to fit most of my requirements (air tight [i gave them the bubble test], could hold a standard size store bought spice without any leftovers & takes up as little space as possible, but still easy to get to). best part is with these you can use space that would otherwise be dead, side of a fridge or like me, the wall under my cabinets on one side, which is great because it keeps them out of the sun. i have a few larger tins like this for items i buy in bulk which work well too and have are able to stay up with no problems. no counter space used or valuable cabinet space in a small apartment taken up! specialty salts, peppers/peppercorns and other seasonings are stored in a 40 test tubes (http://www.deandeluca.com/herbs-and-spices/herb-spice-collections/dean-andamp-deluca-spice-rack.aspx) and i have repurposed a magnetic knife rack as my salt cellar keeper where the sea, kosher, table and lavender salts that i use most often are kept within hands reach right by the stove. you can use any magnetic container, or even put a magnet on something. As it stands I really lucked out and initially purchased some incense that came in these beautiful cardboard containers that matched my decor. Later I found that salts should be stored in cardboard, which was an added bonus (be sure to air out & place cardboard containers which may hold it’s original contents odors in the sun for a few days. worked like a charm).
everyone just needs to figure out what their needs are and then get creative and figure out how to get it! one last suggestion for everyone with a disapproving spouse regarding the amount of storage/spices that you have, tell them how right that they and let them know you will use up what you have and that is it. then proceed to serve the the most bland and boring dinners imaginable the next few days. when comments on the lack of taste or not up to the standards of your usual good cooking you can tell them that this is what they can expect flavorless meals like this from now on. that is what all those containers they were complaining about were for….flavor! betcha they won’t complain about all those spices any more ;D
Waar kun je hier in Nederland badia-spices kopen?
Bij werkelijk iedere toko en de meeste AH XL winkels hebben het ook.
Kay, I’ve just discovered your kayotic site and am excited to try some of your recipes. We live in an extremely remote area (I shop twice a year) and finding many spices used in ethnic cooking is a challenge…but you’ve inspired me.
My husband and I built our post and beam home ourselves (from wood we horse-logged on our property), and that wonderful man allowed me to design my kitchen down to each drawer and cupboard…even though neiither of had built anything before. He built my spice cabinet to my specs (and one that would fit in the space) and I added glass shelves for ease of cleaning. Overflows and larger items are stored in my large, walk-in pantry…and my spice cabinet seems to shrink weekly.
Thanks for all your good information and I look forward to spending a lot of time on your website and links.
I just snapped a couple of pictures but don’t see any way to attach them. ?
Rosemary
Hey Kay, no need to send pic’s of my spice tower….why? You have it already. I thought I was looking at my kitchen storage. Must say, LOVE your site and …. well your issues (lol). Thank you for your site. And I am with you…..not crazy about “sweet” cornbread.
Not that I’m behind on e-mail, but I just opened this. I won’t try to attach a snapshot, but I’ll just say that I love the aroma that hits me in the face when I open our spice cabinet. The same thing’s true of the cabinet with my wife’s teas. We have 5 shelves of spices and you should see the counter when we have to pull out something a trifle esoteric. It takes about 30 jars or other types of containers to find the right one.
Ik bij aankoop van de nieuwe keuken rekening gehouden met de kruiden. Nu heb ik een lade van een meter breed met daarin een binnenlade. Daarin liggen glazen potjes van Ikea met mijn kruiden, 6 potjes diep en 14 breed en dat dan twee verdiepingen. Totaal dus 168 potjes! Daarnaast nog 26 grote potten met kruiden. Schrok me rot toen ik net ging tellen, waar haal ik al die kruiden vandaan? En dan te bedenken dat ik nog kruiden heb staan waar ik nog potjes voor moet kopen. Oja, alles op alfabetische volgorde….dat is het ergste volgens mijn vriendinnen ;-)