Storing Herbs and Spices in Your Kitchen

Herbs and spices are kitchen staples that tend to take up a lot of cupboard and counter room. Over the years, my herbs exceeded the available wall cupboard space, and I found myself tromping across the kitchen from wall cabinets to the standalone cupboard to assemble what I needed for cooking. And I often had difficulty locating them, as there were a dozen different brands. Plus, I had continually haphazardly stashed the new additions wherever I found some room for them, leaving my spices in a bit of a chaotic disarray. I decided to end my frustration once and for all and purchased some oval glass canisters to replace the odds and ends bottles in my cupboards. Storing herbs, as outlined below, has made my kitchen more efficient, and cooking more streamlined.

First, I invested in some small and large oval glass canisters. The oval canisters have several advantage over my huge collection of mixed brand and bottle types:

• The oval profile takes up less lateral space in the cupboard.
• The oval shape is designed to accommodate a teaspoon.
• Glass is clear so you can see the contents.
• Silicone gaskets are removable, plus they provide airtight freshness when storing herbs and spices.
• Consolidating into the same bottle types allowed me to get organized once and for all.
• Displaying them in glass is actually quite attractive.

Once I transferred the spices and herbs into the new containers, I needed an easy way to identify them – especially the green herbs which are easily confused. I labeled them with these inexpensive adhesive labels. They come pre-printed for common spices, with included blanks for custom or uncommon mixes.

Having clearly marked my herbs and spices, racks were my next organizing priority. My most-often-used spices got mounted to the wall near the stove for convenience using this inexpensive wire rack. The lesser-used ones are now relegated to a two-tiered lazy Susan, which fits nicely in my shallow vintage cupboards.

The glass jars provide a pretty, colorful accent, making in-the-open-storage aesthetically-pleasing to visitors, while offering convenience and accessibility when seasoning food.

by Laurie Halbritter

More Small Kitchen Ideas

I wrote about small kitchen storage a couple weeks ago, but here are some more tips and products to get the most out of your tiny kitchen. Getting organized almost always means letting go, so here are a few ideas for getting more efficient with less.

Sort and Donate Unused Pans

Survey your pan collection. If you don’t use them, ditch them. Consolidate the keepers using pan and lid racks. This behind the door flat bakeware rack has a narrow profile and keeps pans from toppling over and taking up lots of room in your cupboards. Over-door lid racks consolidate and organize lids, which tend to fall over and make a mess in your cupboards and drawers – not to mention the nerve-shattering noise they make when they topple.

Get Rid of Duplicate Cutlery

Get rid of any duplicate cutlery you have and keep what you need. A knife block keeps your favorites consolidated and protected on a counter. I have little counter space, so keep my favorite knives handy using this 10-inch long magnetic knife holder. This one is unique in that it is extra short – making it a perfect fit for my old, shallow, hand-built cupboards. More common long ones are also available on our website. We also carry an under-cupboard knife mount, if you have available cupboard space. This is a popular model as it mounts easily under the cupboard, utilizing often unused space beneath cabinets.

Cup Racks and Hooks Save Cupboard Space

Make a cup rack out of simple hooks to hang coffee mugs below your cupboard. As an alternative, you can use a coffee cup tree, provided you have counter or table space to display it. While you’re at it, you may want to donate those extra novelty cups you amassed over the years – you know, the bad joke ones and the giant Santa that came with petrified candy from the work party gift grab.

Small Appliances Maximize Counter Space

If you are single, or even if you’re not, the small Keurig coffeemaker takes up little space on your counter, while providing cup after cup of delicious coffee. Smaller appliances take up less real estate on your counter, making your small kitchen more efficient. It comes in stainless or red finishes, the latter of which adds a nice splash of color to your counter. Along with the red Keurig, I purchased a small red crock pot that I use frequently and so keep out on the counter for convenience.

Get Rid of Appliances and Gadgets You Don’t Use

If you haven’t used Aunt Martha’s vintage Mixmaster or the groovy Veg-O-matic still stored inside the cool retro box, unload them on eBay or donate them to Goodwill. They are cluttering your kitchen, and cool as they look, you could use that cabinet and drawer space for something you actually use. Add the cash to your mad money jar for a rainy day.

Stackable Storage Containers

Stackable food storage containers better utilize cupboard space, and are also more efficient for refrigeration and freezer storage. Anchor Hocking glass storage containers are safe for most cooking methods and come with either red or green lids, with clear tops for viewing food. Recycle the old cottage cheese containers and release the orphaned-lid pile to the recycle bin. It’s time.

Pull-Out Trash Bins Save Floor Space

A pull-out trash bin utilizes under-sink space, while saving floor space in your tiny kitchen. Installation is easy and smooth-gliding bearings make it a breeze to pull in and out – plus you’ll know longer have to see yucky trash. Yay!

Add Portable Work Surfaces

Instant counters add extra work surfaces to stovetops, counters, kitchen tables or more. Made from tempered glass with elevated feet, these attractive kitchen helpers store easily inside the cupboard when you don’t need them.

Hopefully these suggestions will help you in making your small kitchen into a more workable, efficient and pleasurable room for cooking.

Please check out Tiny Kitchen Storage Ideas if you missed it.