Your pots and pans are already neatly piled; your cleaning supplies are nicely stored under your sink; and your refrigerator and freezer are all grouped by food type. However, the group of kitchen essentials that is always the most difficult to maintain is your spices. You may have them scattered around your kitchen counters or stuffed in the back of a cupboard, which is OK but probably feels a little too cluttered to your taste. Fortunately, there are numerous strategies and instruments for organising and keeping everything in order. Here are some valuable tips to help you get that.
1. Do not keep them on the kitchen counter
Spices are frequently kept on a spice rack on your kitchen counter for convenience. However, spices should not be kept on the countertop since heat accelerates their deterioration and the kitchen can get warm at times. Alternately, keep spices in your kitchen drawers, pantry, or on a mounted shelf within a cabinet door or pantry door.
2. Keep them in a cool and dark place
Spices should not be left on your countertop or exposed to direct sunlight. Instead, to keep spices fresh, store them in a cool, dry location like a spice drawer or spice cabinet.
3. Use airtight containers
Spices should be kept in airtight, tightly-sealed glass containers to avoid premature oxygenation, which lessens the strength of the spices. Some grocery store spices come in little glass jars or tins. While it’s acceptable to preserve them in their original packaging, you may also construct your own DIY spice jars by repurposing mason jars or baby food jars.
4. Group your spices
Sort spices alphabetically or by use to create groups. They can be arranged in different parts of the kitchen and should not be scared to be grouped together. When cooking, the most often used spices, like salt, pepper, and even red pepper flakes, can be kept nearby. It is also possible to keep baking spices together. Dried herbs, spice blends, and spices unique to ethnic cuisines are examples of other spice classifications.
5. Keep them within your arm’s reach
Preferred spices can be easily located, kept organised, and close at hand thanks to a convenient spice drawer by the cooktop. By avoiding utilising spices that are hidden at the back of a conventional cabinet, having all the spices on the show also helps you avoid squandering money.