Your top 5 spices not including salt and pepper

[pepperhead212]

There is no way I could survive with just 5 spices! Or just 5 herbs! At one time I had 21 fresh herbs in the garden, and that's not even including the dried ones. And an Indian friend of mine told me that she doesn't have any friends that have as many spices as I have, but I told her that's because I am always trying foods from all the areas, and they are making mostly the food from their own cuisine.

While sometimes a recipe will call for a dozen or so spices, and some of those might be common spices, like whole cloves, cumin, and other things used in many cuisines, to make it easy to measure these things out, I made some boxes of the spices I use in the Indian food, one of the spices I use the most, another that I keep larger jars of, another even larger jars of, like cumin and coriander. And one more box for spice mixes.
Self explanatory by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Untitled by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Untitled by pepperhead212, on Flickr

The various spice mixes by pepperhead212, on Flickr

I also have over 30 varieties of dried peppers, mostly for Mexican, but the Thai peppers I use the most, in many types of foods. Plus the two drawers of spices, for everyday foods - easier to look down on the jars, than to find them in a cupboard, plus, they wouldn't fit.

 

[karadekoolaid]

Magic, Dave!
That´s more or less how I work. Loads of different spices, lots of cooking options.

 

[larry_stewart]

Same, in addition, I have a tub of spices I use primarily for pickling. I keep it in the basement, but now that the cukes are just about to be harvested, I bring the tub upstairs, and it never quite makes it tin the cupboard, as Im picking multiple times a week.

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

Same, in addition, I have a tub of spices I use primarily for pickling. I keep it in the basement, but now that the cukes are just about to be harvested, I bring the tub upstairs, and it never quite makes it tin the cupboard, as Im picking multiple times a week.

Pickling spices are also great for making you own corned beef, and pastrami.

Seeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

 

[pepperhead212]

Here's how I keep my other spices and herbs - in 2 drawers, where it is easier to look down on them, than up in cupboards, like I remember my Mom doing, and trying to find things! I keep a few large jars up in the cupboards, like caraway, and other things I use a lot in baking.
My main spice drawer in the kitchen. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

The second spice drawer in the kitchen. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Early on I started using the highlighters, so I could locate the different spices easier - orange for sweet spices, yellow for savory, and green for herbs. You can see I don't have many dried herbs!

 

[Sicamous]

My favourite spices are:

Cardamom
Fenugreek
Nigella or kalonji seeds
Coriander seed
Cumin seeds

Sorry to bring up such an old reply but I'm new here and I also love these spices but I'm just learning how to use fenugreek.
Can you (or anyone else) please share some of your favorite recipes using the fenugreek/methi seeds and dried leaves? I have an abundance of both I'm trying to use them up.

 

[Sicamous]

Here's how I keep my other spices and herbs - in 2 drawers, where it is easier to look down on them, than up in cupboards, like I remember my Mom doing, and trying to find things! I keep a few large jars up in the cupboards, like caraway, and other things I use a lot in baking.
My main spice drawer in the kitchen. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

The second spice drawer in the kitchen. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Early on I started using the highlighters, so I could locate the different spices easier - orange for sweet spices, yellow for savory, and green for herbs. You can see I don't have many dried herbs!

Oh I do the same thing - this is so much easier for me!

 

[taxlady]

Hi @Sicamous Welcome to Discuss Cooking. :waves: from Montreal.

I wish I could spare two drawers for herbs & spices.

 

[dragnlaw]

Sicamous - Welcome to DC! it's great when someone 'revives' an older thread. I'm sure someone will have a favourite recipe with fenug eek to share with you.

 

[pepperhead212]

Welcome to the forum, Sicamous!

Sounds like you are into Indian foods, given your spices listed. There aren't a lot of things where a generous amount of the fenugreek seeds are used, but a lot of dishes with good amount of the leaves. Here's a link where you can find many types of things with methi leaves and seeds:

613 Fenugreek leaves recipes | Methi Recipes Collection

613 Fenugreek leaves, methi leaves, methi ki bhaji Recipes | Recipes using Fenugreek leaves, methi leaves | Indian Fenugreek leaves, methi leaves Recipes | Tarladalal.com | Methi is used in Indian Sabzis like methi mattar malai, aloo gobi. Methi is used in parathas and theplas also.

www.tarladalal.com

I don't know if you dried this yourself, and are trying to use it up, for that reason, but if you have some dried leaves that are very fresh, it's a good idea to vacuum seal them, and keep just a small amount in a jar. They keep almost indefinitely this way.

 

[Aunt Bea]

My problem isn’t the number of herbs and spices it’s the cost of maintaining a fresh supply.

I’ve tried to manage that by using blends like poultry seasoning, Italian herbs, apple pie spice, etc…

I reach for the onion powder, garlic powder, and cayenne almost every day.

 

[Marlingardener]

We grow and dry or freeze our own herbs, which I really don't consider to be spices. My most used spices are paprika, dry mustard, ginger, ground or whole cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg. I buy the smallest jar I can find, so the spice keeps its potency.

 

[Andy M.]

Sicamous, welcome to DC.

I imagine you spend a lot of time looking down into those drawers as the containers appear to be in no particular order. My OCD personality would demand they be in alphabetical order.

 

[Cooking Goddess]

My short-container spices  are in a drawer, and they are definitely alphabetized.

Come to think of it, the tall jars in the cupboard above are also in alphabetical order...

 

[dragnlaw]

cripes ... even the stores put the jars of spices in alphabetical order... so how is it that I can never find what I'm looking for...

 

[larry_stewart]

Mine are just where they have always been, so If I changed their order, by any logical methods , it would just confuse me.

 

[taxlady]

I organize by theme. Not that they don't wander to other places.

 

[Andy M.]

I organize by theme. Not that they don't wander to other places.

I considered that scheme originally but decided there are herbs and spices that could fit into more than one 'theme' so I went with straight alpha.

 

[GinnyPNW]

I have 2 "sections", both alphabetized! There's the first shelf that I can reach easily...and then there's the 2nd shelf that requires a step stool. First shelf are those most used, of course.

 

[larry_stewart]

I considered that scheme originally but decided there are herbs and spices that could fit into more than one 'theme' so I went with straight alpha.

I had the same issue. I had enough overlaps that it wasn't working out. There are aa few, that I use so frequently , which I keep separate from the others, just cause I'm always reaching for them ( Garlic Powder, Onion Powder, Paprika, Smoked Paprika, Thyme, Oregano and Basil). These are in my main cupboard. The others are in a drawer specific for spices. The drawer is below the counter, so I put all the names on the tops of the spice bottle so I can see them without having to pick them up and look at the label. I do also have a bin which I keep some of my more infrequently used spices ( mostly for Indian cuisine) and also the surplus that doesnt fit into the specific spice jars.