You had big dreams when you bought that皇家Berberespice blend. Dreams that never came to pass because life got in the way and you got stuck in thesame old cooking routineusing the same spices and herbs you've always used.
But there's a simple, albeit somewhat counterintuitive, way to get out of that rut: clear out your spice drawer. Set aside an hour (it shouldn't take long) and take stock of the spices you have on hand, tossing those spices that you're never going to use so you can cook more creatively with the rest. Simply put: a clean, organized spice drawer inspires more inventive, flavorful cooking.
Here's how to do it:
1. Pull all your spices out
Clean off the counter and pull out every jar, tin, and sachet of spices and dried herbs you have floating around your kitchen.
2. Toss any spices past their prime
If it's more than a year old, and you don't remember the last time you used it, the Epi Test Kitchen says it has to go. Whole spices will generally keep a little longer than ground spices—one of the best arguments for buying whole instead of ground in the first place—and, according to senior food editor and Test Kitchen spice wizardAndy Baraghani, "spices that are more dense have a longer shelf life." That means that papery cardamom pod probably won't last as long as a rock-hard nutmeg kernel. If you're unsure, just crush or grate a little and give it a sniff—you shouldn't have to try too hard to detect an aroma that's distinctly of the spice in question.
3. Combine spices and make spice rubs
Have two half-empty (but still fragrant) jars ofchili powder? Go ahead and mix them together. You can also take this opportunity towhip up some spice blends. Is there arub you love using all summer for grilled steak? Make a batch of it now—a flavorful mix at the ready means you're one step closer to an impromptu backyard cookout. You can even mix whole spices together to grind into a spice rub later using anelectric spice grinderormortar and pestle.
4. Arrange your spices so they're accessible but away from heat
Personally, I prefer my spices arranged alphabetically and I lay them flat in a drawer. Perhaps you prefer a cabinet or rack situation? Andy likes to "store everything inclear, air-tight identical jars" in a cabinet at eye level so he can grab what he wants at a glance. There are benefits to each of these scenarios, but the most important factor in deciding what kind of spice storage you want is determining what would work best in your kitchen: keeping spices away from heat is key to extending their shelf lives, so try topick a spot that's removed from the ovenand bright windows.
If you, like Andy, choose to decant your spices into uniform containers, he stresses the importance of labelling each jar; masking tape and a marker will do, but if you want to go the more expensive label-maker route though,go for it. Just make sure to note both the type of spice or spice mix and the date that it was purchased or blended. (That way, next time you're cleaning things out, you'll know for certain how old things are.)
