Spice Drawer Organization & Tips for Healthy Recipes
43 Comments
Updated Oct 11, 2019
This post may contain affiliate links. See my disclosure policy.
My spice drawer is pivotal to cooking healthy recipes. So today I’m sharing how I organize my spice drawer and giving you a few tips for dried spices.
When I moved into my new apartment earlier this year one of the first things I did was organize my pantry. And truth be told, I actually had fun purging, cleaning and labeling food in my favorite Weck Jars.
After that was completed, I set my sights on my spice drawer. And let’s be honest, I was so darn excited to have a massive spice drawer – the largest one I’ve ever had – to house all of my favorite Simply Organic Spices. Side-by-side. Totally visible. And easily reachable. Hooray.
Watch this video to see how I organize my spice drawer:
And subscribe to my YouTube Channel to never miss a video!
I’ve used Simply Organic spices for years because I value quality and sourcing when it comes to food. And spices are no different. Simply Organic spices are always fresh and always organic, which also means that they’re non-GMO and non-irradiated. And this is important because many other spice brands do use irradiation to sterilize their spices.
Cook for a Change
When it comes to healthy, wholesome cooking, spices can make all the difference in turning a recipe from blah to mouthwatering. They can transport you to foreign lands with exotic flavors and make you feel comforted with reminiscent aromas.
My goal with Downshiftology is to inspire you to get into the kitchen and cook a recipe from scratch. If you’ve read my bio, you know I’m abundantly familiar with the healing and transformative powers of nourishing food.
Well, Simply Organic has the same philosophy and believes that spices can transform your dish and cooking can transform your life. That philosophy is the heart of their Cook for a Change campaign, which I’m happy to partner with them on.
How I Organize my Spice Drawer
Because my spice drawer is so wide, I used two of these tiered wood spice drawer inserts and had my brother cut them to size for me. There was no way an off-the-shelf insert was going to fit my drawer as perfectly as these do.
Then, all you have to do is places your spices on top. I line my spices up alphabetically as it’s easier to find things, but I also find that because the jars are clear I can quickly see and then grab the right spice as well.
I do have a few spices that aren’t Simply Organic and these are usually spices I’ve picked up on overseas travel like lemongrass from Thailand and saffron from Bali.
But because I love my Simply Organic spice jars so much I purchased these empty spice jars online, which are the exact same size. It keeps everything looking beautifully cohesive.
Then, I use an extra-fine water-based paint pen to write on a label. Super easy.
3 Spice Tips for Healthy Recipes
1. Watch the expiration date
It’s really easy to hold on to spices for a long time, but they do lose their taste and potency over time, so make sure to keep an eye on the expiration date.
Once you’ve open a spice bottle, they’ll stay fresh for about 1-2 years, depending on the spice and whole spices will stay fresh longer than their ground counterpart. So if there’s a spice you think you may not use up quickly, like say cloves, you can always buy it whole and grind it up in a spice grinder as needed.
I also write the date I’ve opened the bottle on the backside, with my paint pen, so at the beginning of each year I can see which spices may need to be replaced.
2. Store in a cool, dark place
To get the most out of your spices and to make sure they don’t go bad prematurely, store them in a cool, dark place and away from moisture and heat. This means storing them right next to your stove is probably not the best idea, so try to find a drawer or cabinet to store them in.
But if you’re ever questioning if a spice is still fresh all you have to do is just take a sniff and see if it still has a full and flavorful aroma.
3. Know when to use spices
As a proponent of healthy food and home cooked meals, I use a variety of fresh herbs and spices in my recipes. Fresh, leafy herbs, like basil or sage are usually added at the end of cooking, to keep their bright, garden-fresh flavor.
But dried spices are best when added earlier in the cooking process so that they have time to meld with the other flavors in the recipe, like when you’re making a soup, stew or curry.
Dried spices are also preferable if you’re making a spice rub for meat or fish. Or if you’re making your own spice blend, like my homemade Taco Seasoning.
Just remember that dried spices have a more concentrated flavor, so start with about 1/3 the quantity of fresh herbs in a recipe. And you can always add more if needed.
What’s my Favorite Spice?
It’s hard to pick just one favorite spice, but the spice I use most often in cooking is garlic. Hands down. If you watched my kitchen gadgets video this will probably come as no surprise as I love fresh garlic as well, but dried garlic is perfect for sprinkling on chicken, fish or a variety of roast recipes.
My Top 10 Spices
If you’re just starting out and building up your spice drawer, these would be my top 10 spices. But check out Simply Organic’s website for their entire line of spices. And be forewarned, you’ll want to grab them all!
Click HERE to pin this Spice Drawer Organization post to your Pinterest Board
This post was created in partnership with Simply Organic (a brand I’ve loved and used for years). All thoughts and opinions are my own.
That’s a great idea! I use the same brand and they have the name of the spice on top. I still have to pick up each jar to see how much is left. I should also alphabetize them for easy access. Thank you!
I prefer round bottles. They fit in my hand much more ergonomically. I also put my vanilla in dropper bottles. 2 droppers are 1tsp. Instant measuring! Other extracts in other dropper bottles.
If I could, I would buy all tiny mason jars for my spices, with metal lids. I have so many mason jars used for things in my kitchen. I use a 1/2 pint jar for my parsley as I use tons of parsley in everything but chocolate cake. It’s soooo good for you. I buy it by the pound. Yeah that’s ALOT of parsley! Keep it sealed in a bucket except for what’s in the jar and it keeps 2 years.
Thank you! I love your ideas!
I see that you use Simply Organic products although you have celiac and the company doesn’t have a gluten free certificate. Is it safe for celiac?
I’ve been using Simply Organic for years and have had no issue with their products!
I got the white marking pens you recommend and really like them. I had to write on the lids because of the awkward way I have to store my spices, but having the names on the top makes it so much easier to find them. And white shows up so nicely on the red, blue, green and black lids!
I like the idea of writing on the glass part too so wrote out the ratios for the potato flakes and rice to water on the jars – but those jars need to be washed so often and the directions are disappearing. Do you have a suggestion for a pen that I could use to write on glass – but are harder to wash off – maybe removeable with nail polish remover? I’ve looked but haven’t been able to find…
Thanks!
Hi!!
I love your spice drawer! Can I ask the measurements of your drawer? It seems you can add a lot of spices and I have LOTS lol
By the way I clicked on the link for the jars but nothing is there. Do you know where I can find them?
Thank you so much :))
Hi Jessy – thanks! And the inside dimensions of my drawer are 30×19 inches. I just clicked on the link for the jars and it worked for me, so give it another try. :)
I was really. inspired by this post. thank you so much. I went straight to Amazon and bought the spice jars, and to my surprise they had the green lids. couldn’t be happier. thanks again.
Hi Zoe- I’m so glad I could provide a bit of inspiration in the kitchen!
Loved your video 😊 When I watch it, I smiled because those were also my favorite spices.
Hi Josephine – What a coincidence :) Great minds think alike!
Does anyone know where I can find the extra-fine water-based paint markers? I have looked high and low for these… I have tried Amazon, Walmart, target and no one seems to have these in white….
Any suggestions??
Try Michael’s or Joann Fabric if you have those nearby. :)
This makes me so happy that you can get the empty bottles!!! Going to upgrade my collection now :)
Awesome! I love having everything the same size as well. :)
What a great idea to mark the bottles! I am definitely going to start doing that as I buy new spices. I love your drawer too. We are thinking of a kitchen remodel and I’m definitely tucking that away.
Thanks Ellen! I’m pretty smitten with my spice drawer as well. :) Hope it helps you with your kitchen remodel!
What a phenomenal spice drawer! Love the set up and the insert! I know these spices and they are really good! Thanks for the peek!
Thanks so much Colleen! And yes, love my Simply Organic spices. :)
We have a drawer like this in our new house and I haven’t done anything with it, this is such a great idea!
I’ve always had my spices in a cabinet, but now that I have them in my drawer, I’m absolutely loving it! If you have a large drawer like this, I highly recommend it!
I love organization posts like this one! So fun to see all your spices and it’s such a good idea to write the expiration and/or purchase date on the bottles; I often find myself looking at my little-used spices and wondering how long they’ve been there. Happy to see that you use organic too!
That used to happen to me all the time as well – and I’d never know how old my spices were. Writing the date on the backside makes life so much easier. :) Glad you found the post helpful!
Where do you find at the spice insert?
Hi Robbie – the spice drawer insert is linked in the post above. :)
How I wish I’m just as organized as you! This makes me feel like cleaning up all the drawers and arrange the pantry as well. Oh well, but it has to wait due to much parties going on lol..
Glad it provided a little inspo! But yes, probably makes sense to do it after the holidays. Haha. ;)
Hi Lisa, Tonight I spent time buying the empty spice jars and drawer inserts etc. One thing came up which is what do you do with spices you use in high quantities, where is the smaller square jar is too small? Best Camilla
Hi Camilla – I tend to not buy spices in bulk (as I can’t verify the quality). So if I use up all my garlic powder in one month, I’ll just buy another bottle of Simply Organic garlic. But even with the huge amount of cooking that I do, I find that the regular sized bottles still last a significant amount of time. For other things, like matcha powder, etc, I’ll store those in Weck Jars in my pantry. :)
Love organizational tips and this article on spices is perfect. I also lean towards Simply Organic spices and thanks for the link to the matching jars. Very cool.
I love organizing tips as well – it keeps me sane in the kitchen. ;) Thanks Ginny!
Hi Lisa,
Do you have a list or picture of all the spices you use or necessary spices everyone should have.
Thank you
Hi Nimmi – If you head to the bottom of the post, I have listed 10 essential spices that I use :)
Great tips!!! I seriously need to redo my spice cupboard
Thanks! Hopefully this provided a little inspiration for you Deanna! :)
This is exactly the post I needed to read. My spice drawer is currently in major disarray and I’ve been meaning to organize it. I love that you can buy empty jars of the same size for specialty spices you’ve picked up in your travels. Your setup is my spice drawer goal!
It’s so easy for spice drawers to get messy, isn’t it? But it’s definitely worth it to take a day and reorganize. It’s very motivating and makes you want to cook up healthy meals as well! :) Thanks Amanda!
I love how organized your spice drawer is and you’ve shared some great tips that I will definitely keep in mind.
Glad you found it helpful!
That is a fantastic drawer full of spices, you can cook for an army. Great organization tips. I should also write the date I open a jar, mine are there forever.
Thanks! And writing the date is key – because once I cleaned out my spice drawer I saw that many had been expired for years – eeek! Fresh spices make ALL the difference in meals tasting fab. :)