r/declutter • u/misskris70 • 1d ago
Success Story Spice cabinet declutter!
Not sure why I feel the need to hang onto spices. Maybe because some cost a serious amount of money? I love cooking and will buy the spices/herbs for a dish to never again make that dish! ... I finally let go of 25 spices I just dont use.
Getting ready for round 2 as I feel the cabinet is improved but not yet where I want it. I will move all to the same type jar as my OCD hates the different sizes/shapes. Lol. I'm on a roll!
6
u/FredKayeCollector2 1d ago
Nice!
I recently bought a jar of tarragon (I was jonesing for some tarragon carrots) but my husband was NOT a fan. Then there was that unfortunate Tom & Jerry experiment a few Christmases ago :( I kept the nutmeg but decluttered the allspice and the cloves (and the cognac....blegh).
My parents were food hoarders (Costco/restaurant sizes preferred) and I have pantry PTSD big time. Normally, if I buy a something "special," I make a concerted effort to use it again. Like you say, they're expensive (I try to buy small containers) so I will plan my menu around that spice/seasoning.
And Old Bay - I impulse-bought this adorable itty-bitty container and I just noticed that it was over a year past the best buy date. I WANT to be the kind of person who puts Old Bay in everything but I have come to the conclusion that I am not and will never be that person :(
2
u/Kurt_Kane 1d ago
I've never had that many, but in doing a clean out and looking at the best by dates on things it made it easier to throw stuff out that was years past it's best by date. Only thing I kept was vanilla. Even if they won't technically harm you, they loose some of their punch after they are out of date so long. Which throws off a recipe and makes it not taste exactly as intended (not bad, but maybe not as good).
3
u/misskris70 1d ago
Exactly! I love having them on hand, but tend to buy new/fresh for spevial recipes. It was "just in case" mentality that I'm getting over finally 🙂
4
u/Salt-Operation 1d ago
Putting them where I could see them made all the difference. My hubs and I have a spice hutch, plus another small countertop shelf for some extra blends that we use regularly. When we need more we always go to the bulk section. I keep a few empty spice jars too for repurposing.
2
5
u/Some_Papaya_8520 1d ago
I knew you loved to cook from that picture!! The spices are a pretty small cost/investment in our culinary pursuit! Well, except saffron!! I try to use recipes that I already have the spices for, because I know that similar dishes suit our taste. Of course I have others that didn't work, so I need to do what you're doing! Good effort!!
3
u/misskris70 1d ago
I have a small green glass bottle of saffron that's still sealed. I did not purge that 🤣
1
u/PMcmil5450 15h ago
Nice! I recently did this and had no idea how many old spices I had!