Happy new month loves! Now that the trial month of 2020 is over can we get down to business? What better way to dust off the cobwebs on here than with a peek into my organised spice drawer?
In a tweet on December of last year, I said Tropical Heat should package their spices into glass jars as more and more people ditch plastics in their kitchens. As we wait and see if Tropical Heat will actually go the Simply Organic route, I decided to give my spice cabinet turned drawer a face lift.
Tropical Heat should also package their spices in glass jars for the aesthetic chasers. Seen a lot of people emptying their spices into jars. pic.twitter.com/oWg1TgGnYE
— MuthonisKitchen (@treatsKE) December 6, 2019
Spices and herbs are a staple in my kitchen. They not only add flavor to food but research has shown they have numerous health benefits. From the anti-inflammatory properties of turmeric to nausea reducing ginger the list is endless. The best way to discover which spice combinations you like is simply experimenting. Buy a small pack, do some research and know which spice goes with what and be on your journey of saying no to bland food.
Do not let my list of spices intimidate you, work with what you have. For me I loved the idea of pulling out a drawer and seeing all or most of them within reach, instead of just the first row when they were stashed in the cabinet.
For labeling, I went to dafont.com, picked the font that I liked which was Luna in this case, printed it on regular paper, cello taped it and then cut along the lines of the tape for uniformity. Initially, I intended to DIY it the hot water style and peel off the white part but my bae suggested this looked better than the plain black so i decided to give it a go.
My spices move fast but that may not be the case with everyone, therefore i would advise you to note the expiry date at the back or bottom of the jar with a paint pen. I actually intend on doing this with each new spice i buy. Checked all my spices before decanting and they expire in 2021. So that’s a plus.
Here are some ideas on how you can organise your spices.
- Cop this spice rack from vituzote.com. Perfect for your kitchen counter if you don’t mind clutter.
2. Use drawer inserts like I did here. Here is the example I showed my fundi from Amazon to create something similar. The different tiers in my case prevent the jars from rolling around in the drawers
3. Invest in spice jars. These specific ones I use in my spice drawer range from Sh50 in downtown CBD, between Sh80-100 from Instagram shops. The ones I used are the 100 ml but there are different varieties, in terms of shapes and sizes.
4. Buy Generic labels from Jumia /Instagram shops.
Now that you’ve bought jars, label them, easy to spot your favorite spice and it also adds to the aesthetic. You can DIY your labels like I did if you want to save money or buy them and save time and energy.
I bought half of my jars from an Instagram shop here, and others from a shop in Dubois, CBD leave me a comment below if you want the contacts. There are quite a number of Instagram shops selling jars, check out jarz.ia as well, they’re quite affordable.
Black pepper has to be one of the most used spice in my kitchen.I use black pepper in meats, vegetables, salad dressing, pasta, marinades, eggs, fish, potatoes, guacamole and even just a simple avo-toast. I could go on for a while because this spice is king in my kitchen. I also frequently use coriander, garam masala, garlic, cayenne for some hit, paprika for some colour and flavor, thyme both dried, fresh. I’ve slowly fallen in love with methi aka fenugreek for the flavor it adds to my meats especially some roast goat or even dry fry. But this is a whole different article all together. Do you have another way of storing your spices and organising them in your kitchen? Share with us some of your hacks tips and photos.
