My Organized Spice, Vinegar, and Oil Pantry
A few weekends ago we had a much-needed day at home. NOTHING was planned. Sometimes that is so blissful. The kids were given the rare opportunity to veg in front of the TV for longer than their allotted hour, and I took to cleaning out the spice pantry.
I am embarrassed to say that there were multiple duplicates (does anyone really need 3 half used jars of oregano?) and quite a few spice jars that had completely caked together, thus rendering them totally unusable. It was so cathartic to combine the duplicates and trash the caked jars (that part wasn’t fun…I hate waste).
Now that my spice / vinegar / oil pantry is organized (yes, it is alphabetical), I find that it is so much easier to cook. I can see everything I have and I don’t have to go hunting for the ingredient I need.
Are any of you in need of a spice pantry clean out? If so, take the time and do it. You will be so happy that you did.
You crack me up! I did ours last month and love it! I was inspired after reading CSD, who knew how old my cayenne was for my warm lemon water each morning and didn’t want to buy a new one without clearing out all the bottles/bags of spices in the drawer. And yes, it’s alphabetical 🙂
I love that it is alphabetical!
My hubby got me a Spice Stack last Christmas. It has been a lifesaver for me, but I really need two to contain all my spices. I love that they’re alphabetical and labeled. It makes cooking so much easier now.
What a sweet gift…it really makes cooking so much less stressful to have the spices right where you need them.
you’re totally monica gellar 😉 and i love it!!!
I love that you love all of my Monicaness 🙂
Hey, I’m a Monica too! Although having a toddler around has made me check my “Monica” at the door lately…
I could definitely use a spice rack overhaul, so I’ve been making an effort to use lots more spices lately so I can be sure I’m not letting them sit too long. (I tend to hoard them a little, which is no good. ) I’m also trying to get rid of the ones I know I’ll never use. Thanks for the gentle reminder to keep at it… 🙂
I’ve had to reduce my Monicaness since children as well…I think that is why it feels so darn good to indulge it completely from time to time.
That is indeed my dream pantry.I clean it up one week and by the end of it, its back to mess.I ll keep your alphabetical tip in mind, thats a great idea.Thanks for sharing and for dropping by!
Nice job on the organized pantry! It looks great! I completely agree with you about alphabetizing herbs and spices. It makes them so much easier to use when you always know where to reach. My family members laughed when they saw that I’d organized them that way (and have kept them organized like that for years and several moves). I’m the total opposite of type-A. (Type Z, perhaps?) 😉 However, with my spices I keep them well organized because when I’m cooking, the last thing I want is a hassle, looking for just the right spice while things are at risk of burning on the stove.
I love your type-z comment… Classic!
how can u tell the date of the bottle to know if it is old or not
i’ve looked on the bottle and there are letters and numbers printed on the bottom but i can’t tell what they mean if you can help please reply
Hi Sherl,
I not certain if there is a universal way to tell if a spice is expired or not. I did however find this wonderful article online which should answer your question http://smallnotebook.org/2009/03/23/the-spice-cabinet-cleanout/