On Mon 08 Aug 2005 08:07:38p, Dee Randall wrote in rec.food.cooking:
>
> "Wayne Boatwright" > wrote in message
> ...
>> On Mon 08 Aug 2005 02:13:13p, Dee Randall wrote in rec.food.cooking:
>>
>>>
>>> > wrote in message
>>> ...
>>>> As we cook more, our spice collection has grown from the little rack
>>>> on the wall, to a "honeycomb" type cubby system in a cabinet, and now
>>>> we've far outgrown that.
>>>>
>>>> I'm interested to know how you guys store upwards of 75 spices!
>>>
>>> All spices are in Ball glass jars, with the one-piece plastic lids,
>>> almost all wide-mouth, labeled with avery file labels or scotch-taped
>>> labels on the outside with dates purchased, and sometimes with an
>>> ending date that I have decided by researching how long to keep,
>>> sometimes where I've bought and the price.
>>>
>>> All are kept in a separate refrigerator. I use this refrigerator for
>>> nuts and other things I don't use everyday. It's full.
>>> If I buy a large quantity of something I use a lot, I keep some of it
>>> in a small jar in a cabinet or regular refrigerator nearby; for
>>> instance, I use a lot of cumin seeds, so I keep some in my regular
>>> refrigerator. HTH,
>>> Dee Dee
>>
>> That sounds like a great idea, Dee. What size ball jars are you using?
>> Pint? Half-pint? When we move to our new house we will have a second
>> refrigerator to be used for similar purposes.
>>
>>
>> --
>> Wayne Boatwright *¿*
>
> This is one of the first questions I'm going to ask when I get to the
> Pearly Gates: How do the packers of spices match the size of their
> cellophane/ziplock/packages that they sell to fit the standard jars. It
> is something that must have happened over the centuries with weights and
> measures and the spice trade.
LOL! How true that is.
> The various spices that I buy will generally come in various sizes
> according to price or usage. Jars I have on hand are 1/2 pint, pint,
> (perhaps 1-1/2 pt. if they are available) quarts and 1/2 gallons. Some
> of the smaller jars come in different shapes. I have found that the
> small jars with small lids are not worth bothering with because I don't
> want to bother with 2 sizes of lids. These plastic lids are fantastic.
I love those plastic lids and have been using them for a while now after
opening jars of homemade jams, pickles, etc. I have both sizes for that
purpose because I do like the small mouth jars for putting up certain food
products, as the neck of the jar helps to hold the pieces of food down in
the jar and under the liquid, sort of wedged in. I'm sure that the wide-
mouth size would be better for the spice storage.
> I got so tired of the rusting lids and dropping the two-piece sets of
> lids on the floor when opening. Back to my point, when they package
> spices, they all seem to fit one of these jars. You get so you can
> eyeball your jar to use. But I certainly use my share of the big as well
> as the small. I use the big jars for dried fruits, nuts, coffee after
> opening a bag, etc., using quarts for things like dried milk from
> packages, misos. In other words, most things I buy in packages, I
> open, label and put in my refrigerator. I use quart jars to put tea in
> after I've opened a box, not necessarily to put in the frig. but for
> freshness. I do the same with sugars, salts, put them in a big 1/2 gal.
> jars, peppers. I'd start with some 1/2 pt.- or- pt. and quarts and see
> where you are and go from there.
> It's just one of those things that makes my life a little easier. When
> I come home from a shopping spree, my items just sit on the table until
> I feel like spending some time putting them in jars. I do have a 4 big
> doors for spices on a open-door cabinet close in the kitchen where I
> keep spices that I use a lot, and do keep a few in my most-used frig for
> easy accessibilty. But I prefer to keep the bulk in the refrigerator.
I suspect that my needs will be somewhat different than yours, but the
principle is certainly the same. When we moved from OH to AZ, I disposed
of every foodstuff and spice in the kitchen. When we were finally
reorganized, I placed a whopping order to Penzey's of 80+ items, all in
their 4-1/4" spice jar size. As we've lived here I've found that my
cooking has changed and simplified, and that I don't use half the variety
of things I used to use. Of the spices/herbs that I do use, many I don't
use all that often, but some I use all the time, which require replacement
frequently and would benefit from buying larger quantities of.
For years I've always had a deep freeze in addition to the usual kitchen
refrigerator. My use of the freezer has also changed over time. I don't
particularly care for long-term frozen meats and I detest frozen vegetables
and only tolerate frozen fruits. However, I have developed a habit of
keeping all my flours, meals, grains, etc. in the freezer, along with a
small selection of frozen convenience foods. Because of that, we are
disposing of the freezer before moving to the new house and, instead, going
to have two relatively large refrigerators. That will give me a total of
about 12 cu. ft. of freezer storage which is more than ample, and at least
double the amount of refrigerator space. Many of the items presently
stored in the freezer will do just as well stored in the refrigerator.
I intend to significantly pare down the list of spices/herbs I plan on
keeping, and will keep "spice jar size" quantities of often used spices at
hand in a spice rack convenient to the food prep area. It is the remaining
quantity of those spices, along with those I seldom use that I want to
store in the refrigerator.
> I just ordered today from Penzy's an 8 oz. bag of dried bell green
> peppers for this winter for soups and it will probably go in a quart jar
> if I'm lucky, an 8 oz bag of Vietnamese Cinnamon, an 8 oz. bag of Ceylon
> Cinnamon, 8 oz. bag of China Cinnamon & 4 oz. of Garam Masala. When I
> get them, they will all get repackaged. (I can't wait for my cinnamon -
> I've been out of the good kind -- have you read all the good things
> about cinnamon for health - even Dr. Rosenfeld was talking about it this
> weekend on TV.)
I absolutely love cinnamon, and usually have on hand all the types that
Penzey's carries, although I am very low on most of them at present. No, I
haven't read anything about the health benefits of cinnamon, but I probably
use enough of it to reap the benefits. :-)
> My refrigerator was one darned mess before I bought the extra one. Any
> one that loves to cook is very lucky to be able to have a second
> refrigerator.
Yes, I agree, and am looking forward to that second fridge.
> I'll bet you'll be happy to get into your home. I know you are looking
> forward to it.
> Dee Dee
Hehe, yes we're chomping at the bit. While very nice, this tiny rental
house is so small that we trip over each other and the cats, just trying to
get from one room to another. :-)
Thanks for all your comments, Dee. It's very helpful!
--
Wayne Boatwright *¿*
____________________________________________
Give me a smart idiot over a stupid genius any day.
Sam Goldwyn, 1882-1974
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