Spice Storage Solution: Mason Jars
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What a brilliant remedy for a problem that’s troubled me far too long: my most-used spices are now stored in 12 ounce quilted Ball canning jars. Bingo! The perfect solution.
The Problem: Spice Storage
Regular spice jars are just too small for the spices I use the most. I was so tired of constantly refilling tiny jars and of running out of certain spices in the middle of a recipe.
The Solution: Mason Jars
FINALLY it occurred to me that bigger jars would be helpful. Why it took so long to arrive at this obvious solution, I cannot say. It probably has something to do with sleep deprivation {ahem}.
Shaker Lids for Mason Spice Jars
Get this: you know those plastic shaker jars of “cheese”? The lids fit perfectly on Mason jars!
Hopefully you don’t use that “cheese”, in which case you could just pick up a bunch of plastic shaker jars at the dollar store. Dump out the contents, recycle the jar, and use the handy lids to top your new Mason Spice Jars.
If you prefer, Ball also makes an official Herb Shaker Lid. They’re a bit more pricey, but do look useful.
For those spices generally measured out by the tablespoonful, you may not need a shaker lid at all. Just use the regular canning jar lid.
If you’re looking for something prettier (and you don’t need a shaker lid), a quick search on Amazon turns up colorful lids, various Etsy shops offer vintage versions, and I’ve spotted all sorts of decorative lid inserts at craft stores like Hobby Lobby.
To recap, a few lid options:
- Repurposed cheese shaker lids
- Newly purchased Ball Herb Shaker Lids
- Plain canning jar lids
- Decorative lids or inserts
Labeling Your Mason Spice Jars
To label your spice jars, you’ve got many options ranging from writing directly on the jar with a Sharpie to fancy-schmancy Pinterest worthy labels.
I just used my label maker–it was quick and easy The labels are durable, easy to read and easy to recreate if necessary.
I’m absolutely loving the new system! No more using up an entire bottle of chili powder in one ginormous batch of taco meat, no more refilling tiny bottles every other week.
PS–I buy herbs and spices in bulk. It’s cheaper and the quality is better. My favorite source is Mountain Rose Herbs.
How do you store your spices?
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I store homemade mixes in mason jars-like my Ranch Dressing mix, my taco mix, etc. I usually buy the organic spices and there is hardly any in those little jars! I will definitely check out Mtn Rose Herbs. Thanks for the great (and super cute) tip! Mason jars are just the best! 🙂 p.s. Loved your gardening posts and the links to the older ones. We are going to try the square foot gardening next year! Would love to see more on that as the summer progresses. Also how did the sunflower garden/house turn out? Keep blogging–you are such an encouragement!
Hi Liz,
One of these days I need to make a huge batch of taco mix–that’s a great idea! Good luck with your gardening endeavors, and yes, I hope to post an update or two as the growing season progresses.
Thanks for your kind words! 🙂