Spices can turn a plain dish into something worth remembering. Before we talk about containers and grinders, let’s make one useful distinction: culinary herbs usually come from leafy plant parts, while spices often come from seeds, fruits, bark, roots, or rhizomes. The categories overlap, and the same plant can give us both—coriander leaf and coriander seed are a familiar example.
Spices come from many parts of the world. Mustard, sesame, coriander, and poppy give us seeds; pepper and allspice give us fruits; cardamom and vanilla come in pods; cinnamon is bark; and ginger and turmeric are rhizomes. I buy many spices whole and grind them as needed because the aromas escape more quickly once the spice is ground. Ground ginger and turmeric are practical exceptions in my kitchen.
I love fresh herbs for their bright flavor, while dried herbs are useful pantry ingredients. They are different tools rather than exact copies of one another. This article is mainly about keeping dried herbs and spices in good condition.
The enemies of a good spice cupboard
Heat, light, moisture, and air all work against flavor. Choose tightly closing, food-safe containers and keep them in a cool, dry place away from the stove and direct sunlight. Glass, metal, and suitable food-grade plastic can all work; some plastics retain strong aromas, which is a good reason to keep a container dedicated to one spice.
I used to keep spices in the magnetic containers shown here. They looked wonderful on the refrigerator, with a window in the lid and openings for shaking or pouring. Pretty? Absolutely. Perfect for my kitchen? Not quite.
The clear lid admitted light, the dispensing holes were difficult to seal, and fine powders escaped if I did not close everything just right. I also measure spices with a spoon, so I hardly used the dispensers. A feature that looks useful in the shop is not always useful at the stove.
I switched to plain food-grade tins with tight-fitting lids. They are easy to label or decorate, and magnets let me arrange them on the refrigerator. Adhesive hook-and-loop tape inside a cupboard is another option if your shelves leave enough room. Wherever you mount them, keep them away from warm surfaces and cooking steam.
Glass jars are excellent too, especially inside a dark cupboard. I use them for dried peppers, cinnamon sticks, star anise, and larger quantities of pantry ingredients. A dependable seal matters more than an elaborate apothecary look. We are cooking, not running a chemistry laboratory… although, yes, there is quite a bit of chemistry involved.
There is no universal date on which every spice suddenly stops working. Whole spices generally retain their aroma longer than ground ones, but age, packaging, and storage conditions matter. Date your purchases and check their aroma before cooking. Discard spices that are damp, moldy, or infested; a weak but otherwise sound spice is mainly a flavor disappointment, not a reason to keep adding it forever.
Keep a dedicated container for strongly scented spices when possible. I once moved nutmeg into a container that had held cloves, and the nutmeg promptly acquired a new personality. Wash reusable containers with soapy water, rinse them, and let them dry completely before refilling. If an old aroma remains, use that container for the same spice again.
Grinding: where the aroma wakes up
My favorite tool is a stone mortar and pestle. A suitably textured bowl grips the spices, and I can feel the texture changing as I work. It is especially satisfying when a spice mixture also includes fresh herbs. Choose a food-safe mortar and follow its cleaning and seasoning instructions; different materials behave differently, and wood can retain aromas.
A mill is convenient for spices you use frequently. Its grooved grinding surfaces draw the spice into a narrowing gap and break it into smaller pieces. An adjustable mechanism lets you choose the grind. Steel and ceramic mechanisms both have their uses; choose one intended for the spice you want to grind, because not every pepper mill can handle oily seeds or hard cinnamon.
For a larger batch, an electric spice grinder is wonderfully practical. Hard pieces such as cinnamon need a machine rated for the job and may need to be broken down first. Short pulses give you more control and help limit heating. Keep the lid on until the dust settles before opening it.
I have used a coffee-style grinder for spices, and occasionally for coffee too. That can produce an interesting cup, but flavor carry-over is real. A dedicated spice grinder is a better choice if you want your coffee to taste only of coffee. Unplug it before cleaning, follow the maker’s instructions, and never immerse a motor base. Let cleaned removable parts dry completely before reassembly.
You do not need a drawer full of machinery. A good mortar, a useful mill, and perhaps one electric grinder cover most home kitchens. Buy spices in quantities you will use, protect their aroma, and explore them. What would a curry be without its spices? A missed opportunity.
Storage reference: University of Minnesota Extension: growing and storing herbs.
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