Ideas for Storing Spices in Creative Containers
Spice Drawers, Chests, Racks and Jars for Unique Spice Storage
Spices were once highly valued, kept under lock and key as a potent symbol of wealth. Today we take them for granted, tossing boxes of turmeric and cinnamon into the pantry without a second thought. Yet a well-organised spice rack or quirky spice chest is still a delightful sight to a cook, and keeping your spices separately sealed and out of direct sunlight will help maintain their quality. In particular, a wise chef will keep particularly aromatic spices such as curries and garam masalas in airtight containers to prevent their flavours permeating the entire pantry.
These storage methods range from the stylishly modern to the quaintly old-fashioned.
Magnetic Spice Jars
These screwtop, glass-lidded stainless steel jars attach to a magnetic strip or board hung on the kitchen wall. Some varieties stick to the fridge instead, saving space and allowing the spice jars to double as cute magnets. The jars seal in the smell of spices and allow you to see at a glance whether your spices are running low. The downside? These jars are not labelled, meaning you have to rely on the sniff test to differentiate between some spices. Also, the glass tops may let sunlight in, hastening the deterioration of the spices if the jars are not kept out of direct light.
Spice Drawers and Spice Chests
Delightful for an old-fashioned kitchen, spice drawers or chests look like miniature chests of drawers from a doll's house. Some chests are freestanding, while others hang on the walls to save space. The drawers may be wooden or china within a wooden frame. The size and number of the drawers varies widely, and the designs range from plain apothecary-style drawers to elaborate mahogany antiques complete with locked glass doors.
Spice chests successfully keep spices away from sunlight. However, the drawers are not airtight, allowing for some mingling of scents. Wooden drawers may become impregnated with the scent of a spice after a time, meaning it is best to store the same spice in the same drawer; and a spice chest made from a strongly-scented wood such as cedar may impart its own flavour to the spices. Some spice chests have the names of common spices painted on each drawer, but most are unlabelled.
Masala Dabba (Indian Spice Box)
These delightfully evocative spice boxes are round and made of stainless steel. Inside the large flat box, the spices are kept in individual smaller round boxes. The smaller boxes are lidless, so that all the spices are visible when the lid of the larger box is removed.
Some newer masala dabbas do have glass-lidded smaller boxes, which helps eliminate the problem of accidental spillage and scent contamination. A masala dabba is not a particularly space-efficient system, but it is entirely portable, making it useful for camp cooking.
Spice Racks
Spice racks usually come with spice containers of plastic or glass which fit into the rack. Some racks are merely shelves which hang on the wall or inside the pantry door. Others are freestanding and may rotate like a Lazy Susan to save space.
Spice racks with clear containers need to be kept out of direct sunlight.
Spice Organisers for Drawers
A popular system for chefs who use a wide variety of spices is to store the spices in a drawer. Spice drawer organisers are wire racks which make for easy viewing and organising of spices. The jars lie at an angle on the racks to expose their labels to view. Most spice organisers are designed to fit the glass jars of popular spice brands, making them unsuitable for those who buy their spices in boxes or in bulk. They are perhaps the cheapest option available, and the most practical for holding a large quantity of spices in a space-efficient manner.
Masala Dabba Containing Indian Spices
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Traditional Ceramic and Wooden Spice Rack Set
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