spice rack

snap1946 · Senior Member

spice rack

jules47 · The Happy Helper

You can get those white plastic coated ones that have a bit you can screw on snap1946 - from hardware, or even cheapie shops - and depends on how much room you have behind the hotplates, sometimes that is a good place for a spice rack, if wide enough

buffy61 · Senior Member

I bought a fancy spinning spice rack but it took up too much room and was too much effort to get spices out!
So I tipped all my spices into small ziplock bags and labelled them and put them into plastic container with a lid. Much easier to get to now and takes up much less room!

herbie · Guru

We have a three shelf stainless steal spice rack that we had put in when c/ v was being made, but you can get them from any good c/v shop, they have deeper shelves so you do not have to worry about any of the spice containers falling out in travel. We have it mounted onto the section of splash back off centre of the stove.

Much easier to have them in there than transferring into bags/ containers.

This one we have is designed to take the spices that come in those small bottles/jars.

GaryKelly · Guru

I've been wondering the same thing. The ziplock bags sounds like a great idea!

pambaz · Senior Member

I don't have a spice rack as such but we have slide out baskets in one cupboard where I keep the food stuff. In one basket I have a small plastic basket that holds the jars of spices so they don't fall over. It's big enough for spices,tins of curry and mustard. It's right next to the stove and easy to get to.

neilnruth · Guru

We have a small basket rack in the food cupboard and I've put spices in the small (very small) jam jars you can get. I figure I can re-fill them and spice doesn't go stale.

Dunmowin · Guru

buffy61
So I tipped all my spices into small ziplock bags and labelled them and put them into plastic container with a lid. Much easier to get to now and takes up much less room!

Ditto, just weigh all the jars your dispose of when you do this. you will be surprised just how much weight you have saved. Also, as they are all in one spot (in the plastic container) you only have to take one thing out of the pantry, not look for all the little bottles.

beiffe · Guru

I made my own rack and used medicine bottle (square ones).
I also have the packets etc in a box in a draw but then I have lots of spices as I like to experiment with food and enjoy different flavors.
I don't like glass as they break and are heavy and I prefer nothing that is round. Square containers stack better and don't waste space.
My noodles and rice etc are all in square containers so no wasted space and being light tin (once were rice biscuit tins)
Any square plastic containers are always handy. I threw out all my round containers shortly after starting on the road.
Regards
Brian

Cupie · Guru

I buy the cheap herbs & spices from the supermarkets that come in plastic bags. I use the snack size zip locks once the packets are opened.

I replace them regularly to maintain freshness.

Only exception are the herbs that I dry myself & use a lot .. Like Basil, Fennel & Rosemary. I put them in plastic peanut paste jars. A quick way to dry the herbs is to zap them in the microwave on kitchen paper for 1 or 2 minutes. Then spread them out on trays covered with net in the sun for a day or two. When dry, rub the Basil between the hands to turn it into powder & sift out any storks.

(You can do the same with Lemon Myrtle leaves as a source of lemon flavoring, or as a tea)

I use small plastic bottles for things like Sesame, Macadamia & Peanut oils that are used infrequently & sparingly.

We buy plastic bottles of soy & other condiments.

Our Jayco has a small bottle/ spice rack fixed to a slide out in one of the cupboards.

Pieces of plastic foam are used to fill any spaces & lock all the containers in place.

While we are on the subject of Herbs, I put twigs of bay leaves in all of my storage drawers & cupboards to repel insects. A leaf stuck to the underside of (plastic) jars of stuff like flour repels weavils etc. (soak the bay leaves in water for a day or so first to get rid of aphids etc & dry before using) Yes, I have bay & Lemon Myrtle trees and several basil plants in the back yard. Doesn't everyone?

PS. Love the idea of using square containers .. I'll be on the lookout for them now.

-- Edited by Cupie on Wednesday 9th of October 2013 01:50:43 PM

-- Edited by Cupie on Wednesday 9th of October 2013 01:53:31 PM

-- Edited by Cupie on Wednesday 9th of October 2013 01:55:10 PM

Dunmowin · Guru

On the subject of maintaining freshness, often you buy a herb or spice for a once off cook. We found a shop in Balaklava (South Aust) which sold herbs and spices by weight, so you could buy, for example, a teaspoon of cumin or turmeric, spices that you would not necessarily use a lot of. There must be similar shops in other towns.

Like Cupie, I dry herbs when found in abundance (i.e. when we are house sitting). I don't have a microwave, but loosely wrap them in buttermuslim or a new chux, rubber band around the top and hang them in an airy spot in the van to dry. Works well. Have done thyme and rosemary. Which I could find somewhere with sage! Always carry my little garden with basil, chives and parsley.

The Roamer · Member

Hi , All, I tried the idea of putting all the spices in zip lock bags ,but found it very frustrating to search through them all , and also they were hard to open , I also found that the spice smells were more noticeable ,even having the whole lot in a sealed Tupperware box ,so even though all the bottles weighed quite a bit , I have now happily gone back to my old ways , cheers , Lyn

hako · Guru

There's only 3 spices that I reckon we need need - salt, pepper and tomato sauce, however Joy wants many more and is like Cupie - keeps them all in small square plastic containers with the name written on the lid.

chaslib · Senior Member

You can buy some herbs in small plastic square containers with clip on lids which are very space and weight efficient if you don't need too many ... We travel in a campervan, so space is like an endangered species, other than salt and pepper i generally limit it to chicken stock powder, paprika, curry, mixed spice and mixed herbs .... Anything more would take up too much of my allocated wine space .... I also like the tubes of herbs that take up very little space in the fridge. The only real essential for me is parsley Which I buy fresh when I can.

-- Edited by chaslib on Friday 8th of November 2013 08:21:25 AM

Rich and Debs · Veteran Member

Packets wont work for my missus,

Oh no

recon we must have enough to open a market stall!

Gosh hope the missus doesnt get to see this post or I m in for some chilli powder I recon!

so had to make this one, and it works well all in place when we arrive, cause my excelent driving helps too,

Shuttlebugs · Veteran Member

It's amazing how everyone likes a different mix of 'essentials' when it comes to spices and herbs :)

Thanks for all the ideas, everyone. And I like your spice rack, Rich. We don't have room for one of those, but it looks great.

I wound up putting our spices in their jars in a couple of short plastic tubs. That way they stayed corralled on the road and i didn't have to look for them over much.

So far I keep cinnamon, mixed herbs, pepper and salt, garlic and onion powder, and dried parsley in our kit. We have Vegeta chicken stock powder too.

pauline · Guru

This is what I did with my spices, got hubby to screw the holders which had double sided tape on them to the inside of the doors, they take up no space at all and always on hand, hope it helps someone.

Maggie and Alex · Veteran Member

Decor have a spice container which is quite good www.decor.com.au/usage/viewproducts.aspx

oldbobsbus · Guru

pauline wrote:
This is what I did with my spices, got hubby to screw the holders which had double sided tape on them to the inside of the doors, they take up no space at all and always on hand, hope it helps someone.

I reckon that idea gets first prize.. smile

jules47 · The Happy Helper

In one of the "cheapie" stores - they one that sells "reject" goods - you can buy drawer dividers - long and narrow enough to fit small spice jars in, I bought a series of narrow ones, as well as some other shapes, the "stuff" drawer is much tidier now. There are some softer plastic ones (with holes) that are pretty flexible, the sides are about 2 inches, you can put small tins of salmon or tuna or shredded chicken on their sides, one of these will take about 6 or 7 cans.