Good morning, everyone! Today's focus is on spices. You know... those little goodies that enhance all we do in the kitchen creating our culinary masterpieces.
If
you're anything like me, you cringe whenever you have to plop down seemingly
insane amounts of money for these little jars of goodness. I have been known to
just buy whatever brand of spice is on sale at the time I need to replenish. As
you can see above, this methodology results in a hodge-podge of bottles that
can drive us OCD types just a little nuts. What to do?
Start growing your own, buy IN BULK what you can't grow yourself and package it all in matching jars that will turn your spice cabinet into a functional work of art! First you'll need to choose a jar style and size that suits you. Personally I like the look of square bottles. I found these little 6oz beauties at Specialty Bottle for ~$1.59 each.
Packaged in neat little six-packs they are at the ready when you are.
Screw tops and snap-on shaker tops are included with every bottle.
Buying in bulk is not only a cost savings, but it lessens our plastic and glass footprint as well. The big box stores like CostCo or BJ's are good sources, but I really like The Monterey Bay Herb Company as well as Penzey's Spices. Check them out for great prices on bulk bagged herbs, spices and teas, too!
Growing your own can reduce that footprint even further. This is my 5-basil blend that I grow, dry and grind every year. Due to space limitations I only end up with about 12 of these bags a season. Cost: $6.00? Here's a tip... Homegrown spices and herbs make great gifts. :-)
Now, as honorable as reducing our waste footprint is, I am compelled to point out how much organization, order and uniformity turns me on in the kitchen. My friend Sunny, who sadly is no longer with us, referred to things like this as "Kitchen Porn"... I agree!
Come on... you know you see it, too ;-)
THIS:
INSTEAD OF THIS:
Yeah.... I'm diggin' it :-)
These are our tools... just like our precious knives they deserve our utmost respect. Packaging them so they are an integral part of our domain just makes everyone happy ;-)
Blessed be...and happy cooking!
Chef Michael