Spice Racks Blog

When I was younger, I hated cumin. There was something about it that just made me, and let me quote my 10 year old self -”Oh my gawwwd - it makes me want to diiiiiiiieeee”. If I recall correctly, I assume I would have also dramatically flounced out of the kitchen at that point. And now, let’s have a moment of respect for parents - for they have to put up with their children having fits about spices.

Anyway, time has passed. I love cumin now! It’s definitely a staple in my spice rack. Cumin is a member of the parsley family. The seeds are often ground, or simply toasted and added to dishes. Cumin is a staple in many different cuisines, including Brazilian, Mexican and Cuban - as well as Moroccan, Indian, and even Thai.

Cumin also has some interesting history. In medieval times, it was thought that cumin would keep chickens and lovers from wandering. I’m not really sure how that would’ve worked - would you sprinkle it directly on your chicken or significant other, or feed it to them? In Germany and Italy, cumin seeds were baked onto loaves of bread - it was thought that the seeds would prevent wood spirits from stealing the bread.

Are you looking for a way to store cumin - the wonder spice that will save your relationship, keep your chickens near, and keep your bread away from the land of the fairies (Oh, and it’s delicious - there’s that too!)? How about these Spice Storage Cans? I found these at StacksAndStacks. These stainless steel storage cans will protect your spices, and well as providing a modern accent to your kitchen. Each Spice Storage Can measures 1 3/4″ H x 2.5″ Diameter, so they’re easy to stack in your cabinet or your spice rack.

What about you? Are there any spices that you used to hate, that you now have a taste for? Let me know!

Call me obsessed, but I couldn’t help thinking about how ingenious adjustable spice racks are. So, after my last post about expandable spice racks, I had to go search for more. And I found some!

This is the Expand-A-Shelf . This rack is available in a two or three step design. Both of them can expand from 12 inches in length to 23 inches. These shelves are perfect for smaller cabinets. They are also a great asset to us short people in the world! Everything you need can be faced out and at your fingertips, and you don’t have to climb up on your counter to reach something, or use BBQ tongs to grab something from the back of the cabinet (hey! I’m barely 5′2″ - sometimes you need to improvise or dinner won’t get finished!).

Actually, now that I look at it - this is a pretty versatile spice rack. You could also use it in your medicine cabinet to organize pill bottles and cosmetics, or as way to display little collectables or knick-knacks. Plus, since it’s made of plastic it can be cleaned pretty easily with soap and water. Hooray for expanding spice racks!

This is a Spice Rack that definitely falls into the ‘why didn’t I think of that!?’ category (also in that category, Clocky - that alarm clock with wheels that rolls around the room out of your reach when the alarm goes off. It’s cute and diabolical, all at once). Anyway, even though I wasn’t blessed with the ingenious idea for this spice rack, that’s no reason that I can’t take advantage of its greatness!

This is an Expandable Spice Rack. And it has all the benefits of custom designed storage, without the expensive price tag. This expanding spice rack is crafted from solid hardwood, it has a natural finish, and best of all - it adjusts from 12 3/4″ to 23″ in width!  It’s a spice rack that can truly adjust with your needs! And whether you’re fully stocked up on spice jars and tins, or if you’re running low on your collection - this Expandable Spice Rack will always look neatly organized. 

This Expandable Spice Rack is perfect for either your countertop or your cabinet. Oh, I checked, and it even locks in place when you adjust it, so no stability issues to worry about.

Here’s an optimal spice rack for when you have a lot of counter space - but not a lot of cabinet or drawer space. This Carousel Spice Rack can easily be spun around, allowing you to get a good look at the 16 bottles it holds! Each bottle can hold up to 3 ounces of dried spices. What I really like about this spice rack is that the bottles have flip lids - with both a ’shaker’ side and an open side for pouring the spices. Options - a good spice rack is all about options!

This revolving spice rack even comes filled with all the spices a beginning chef would need! It’s a terrific gift idea for a housewarming or graduation present. Now there’s no excuse for using those (pretty awful) seasoning packets - you’ll be able to custom blend your favorite spice mixes as soon as you get this rack. Here’s a blend to start you off - it’s a Taco Seasoning Mix:

• 1 tablespoon of minced dried onions 
• 2 teaspoons of chili powder.
• 1 1/2 teaspoons of salt.
• 1 teaspoon of garlic powder.
• 1 teaspoon of ground cumin.
• 1 teaspoon of oregano
• 1/2 to 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper or hot paprika (depends on how much heat you like).

Usually, after I mix this together, I put it in a ziploc bag (or an empty spice bottle) for future use. You’ve got to try it - it’s so much better than a packet mix, and it takes almost no time to throw together. So really, if you pick up a pre-filled spice rack like this one - it practically will make you dinner as a way to say thanks.

Suffering from the post-holiday blues? Need a new and exciting project to reinvigorate your outlook? Here’s a great idea that will only take an afternoon, but will enhance the quality of your cooking for the rest of the year: go through your spice rack, and toss all the old bottles.

Spices do indeed have a shelf life, and their quality can greatly decrease as they age (quite unlike us, gentle reader!). A good rule of thumb is to have a yearly purge, and toss out everything that’s about to celebrate its first birthday. And if you happen to have a lot of McCormick spices, their website has a really cool feature! You can actually enter the codes from your bottles to check the freshness! Although, they also say if you have any bottles that were manufactured in Baltimore, don’t bother entering the code - they’re at least 15 years old. The Charm City strikes again!

And after you’ve culled your spices, why not give them a new home? There’s a gorgeous steel, wall mounted Spice Rack at StacksAndStacks right now. This rack has three shelves, and I really like how spice bottles are neatly held in place by the curved metal accents. 

So, don’t you think it’s the perfect time to get rid of your old spices?