herbsandspices.food The reference guide to herbs and spices

🧺 Buying, storing & kit

Freshness, shelf life, pestles, grinders and pepper mills.

10 pages in this section

British supermarket spices
The brands and own labels on UK shelves, and what each is good for
A guide to the spice brands and own-label ranges in British supermarkets, from Schwartz and Bart to Rajah, Natco and Tropical Sun, and how their prices per gram compare.
Buying spices
Where to shop, what to look for and how much to buy
How to buy good spices: whole versus ground, where to shop, what colour, aroma and texture tell you, sensible quantities, and warning signs of stale or adulterated stock.
How long spices last
Shelf lives for whole and ground spices, dried herbs and blends
How long dried spices, herbs and blends keep their flavour, with a shelf-life table, why whole spices outlast ground, and how to tell whether a jar is still worth using.
Masala dabba
The Indian spice box: seven small bowls within reach of the stove
The masala dabba is the round spice box of Indian kitchens, holding a cook's everyday spices in small bowls. What goes in it, regional variations, and how to use and care…
Pepper mills
Ceramic or steel, crank or twist, and what not to put in one
How pepper mills work and how to choose one: steel and ceramic grinding mechanisms, adjusting coarseness, salt mills, what to fill them with, and how to fix a mill that s…
Pestle and mortar
Granite, marble, wood, suribachi and molcajete — choosing and using the oldest kitchen tool
How to choose and use a pestle and mortar: granite, marble, wood, ceramic, the Japanese suribachi and Mexican molcajete compared, with sizes, techniques, seasoning and ca…
Spice grinders
Blade versus burr, and when a coffee grinder will do
Choosing and using an electric or manual spice grinder: blade and burr grinders compared, how to get an even grind, cleaning away oils and smells, and which spices are ha…
Spice racks and jars
Organising a spice collection so you can find things and they stay fresh
How to choose spice jars and organise a spice collection: glass, tin or plastic, drawers versus racks, where not to put them, labelling, and systems that stay tidy and ke…
Storing fresh herbs
Bunches in water, damp paper in the fridge, and why basil hates the cold
How to keep fresh herbs for longer: which to stand in water, which to wrap in damp paper and chill, why basil hates the fridge, and when to freeze or dry instead.
Storing spices
Keeping light, heat, air and moisture away from the jar
How to store dried spices so they keep their flavour: the four enemies of light, heat, air and moisture, the best containers and places, and whether to use the fridge or …