I had a couple of things I wanted to accomplish this past weekend, and I finally got to them Sunday, my meal prep day. First, I wanted to clean out my freezer and take stock of what I have left to use up. And then I needed to go through all of my herbs and spices.
You see, I had just finished the last of my oregano, from the plant I grew a couple of years back. Believe it or not, it still smelled amazing and tasted just as good on its last day as it did on its first. That’s hard to beat. I throw out store-bought varieties sooner than that, usually about a year after opening if they last that long. But of the stuff I grew on my own back then, I still have others that are perfectly usable. Maybe it’s because I grew them on my own, and they are organic, that they still seem fresh? I don’t really know.
So, I kept the ones I grew and dried, threw out a couple of store-bought items, and combined any I had more than one of. The result? Extra space to add more on my shelf.
Herbs and spices are ridiculously expensive, so I am looking to save money on these grocery items this year. Growing some of them will save money.
I solidified some of things in my mind while cleaning off that shelf:
- I will be growing my own herbs again this year. At least the ones I use the most often. I am going to grow them on my desk, which is right in front of a huge window, but I might also grow some parsley and stuff outside during the growing season in bigger pots. I can dry the stuff from outside and use the inside herbs fresh.
- I need to get a little cabinet or extra shelf, so I have more space to store my herbs.
- I would really like to have the same containers for all my seasonings, except salt and pepper.
- I need to set up a space for drying herbs, maybe in a corner of the room.
- I need to research prices on spices and the herbs I don’t grow to see where I can get them in larger amounts for less.
Any ideas on where I can get these seasonings, organic, please let me know!
When was the last time you went through your seasonings? Is it time to do so?
I would love to see pictures of how you store your herbs. Do you have a special shelf? Particular decorative jars? I don’t know if you can share pictures in the comments. If not, my email is [email protected].
~ Shannon
