How to Organize a Spice Drawer

Keeping your spices organized can save you time, frustration and money. Most people have had the experience of buying a new spice only to find that they already had the same spice languishing in the back of their spice cabinets. A spice drawer makes it easier to see your spices and keep a running inventory of what you have. Moreover, it frees up valuable cabinet space.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Spice drawer organizer
• Labeled jars

1. Go through your spice collection and check the quality of the spices you have. Spices don't last forever, and they can lose their strength after being stored for a while. A sniff or taste test can tell you if they are still usable.

2. Sort spices according to flavor groups. Many spices are often used together, like basil and oregano, onion and garlic, rosemary, sage and thyme and cinnamon and nutmeg, for example. It's helpful to keep these spices together in your spice drawer.

3. Get a spice drawer organizer. Just throwing your spices in the drawer will make quite a mess. Spice drawer organizers are available from most container stores and some models can be expanded to fit larger drawers and larger spice containers.

4. Organize spices in the drawer with their labels facing outward for easy reading. The spices you use most often should be in the front for easy accessibility.

5. Check your spice inventory periodically to keep stocked with essential spices. Keep a running list of spices you need to replenish.

Tips & Warnings

• Use multiple drawers in the same area if you have a large collection of spices.
• Transfer spices to uniform labeled jars to organize with flair. Often you can buy pre-assembled spice racks that come with uniform jars filled with spices. If you take those jars out of the spice rack and organize them in your spice drawer, the end result will look more aesthetically pleasing.
• You can also get a uniform look by buying all of your spices from the same manufacturer.
• Buy frequently used spices in bulk from a warehouse store and transfer the contents into smaller jars as needed.
• Leave a section of the drawer free to store spices that come in pouches. These are often the freshest type of spices, but they can be messy to store.
• Sort spices alphabetically if you prefer. This makes it easier for other people to find the spices they need in your spice drawer, as they may not be familiar with your sorting system.