Building a Spice Pantry That Works for You

One of the most cost effective ways to feed ourselves is by making everything from scratch. We buy whole ingredients. We do all the chopping, slicing, dicing, sauteing, and baking ourselves. 

It saves a ton of money. It takes a lot of time. And in the end…sometimes food tastes just ok. 

There are plenty of articles and videos about saving money on groceries and speeding up meal prep. But today, I want to talk about something else: how to make all that effort taste great. Namely: how to spice up your pantry.

Because what’s the point of spending so much time and money on food that’s just ok? 

Start with the Meals You already Cook

Before you buy a single spice, take a look at the meals you already make. Cooking from scratch doesn’t always mean using whole ingredients. Many of our meals include packaged foods, too, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Those ingredients contribute flavor, so keep them in mind when deciding what your dishes might need. 

Think about the meals you’ve cooked in the past week or two and use those as a starting point. These are the meals that already fit your life and routine, so they’re a good place to start learning how to season your food. 

Think about how each of those meals taste. Some are keepers. Some are fine and some are just…there. Seasoning isn’t always the problem with how something tastes. Browning, acidity and cooking technique affect how the food tastes, too. 

But when the problem is flavor, the fix is usually smaller than you’d think. 

Look for the flavors you enjoy and seasonings you can use across several recipes. Garlic powder, for example, works in spaghetti sauce, roasted potatoes, chicken casserole, and homemade garlic bread. Chili powder can be used in chili, taco meat and seasoned beans. 

A spice that improves several familiar meals is a better purchase than one you might only use once a year. If you don’t make curry, you don't need to pick up turmeric. If you bake frequently, cinnamon might be a better investment than turmeric. 

Your spice pantry should reflect your kitchen – not someone else’s, and definitely not a picture-perfect rack that never gets used. 

Salt and Pepper are a Skill, Not a Starting Kit

Spices can be pricey, but you don’t have to buy them all at once. But if you’re going to spend money on flavor, here’s where I would start. 

Salt and pepper.  I know that sounds basic. 

Salt is probably the cheapest flavor upgrade in your kitchen, and it teaches you the most. 

It enhances the flavors already present in your food. Learning how to salt a pot of soup is a skill. You add a little at a time, tasting as you go, until the flavors already in your food become more pronounced. Tasting-adding-tasting again is the foundation for understanding what your food needs next. 

Pepper is different. It’s sharp and bright. It adds to the dish instead of sinking into it. 

Seasoning your food is a skill. Understanding how the seasonings taste and work with each other goes a long way. 

Notice What You Reach For

As you cook, pay attention to which seasonings you reach for most often.  You may discover that garlic powder, black pepper and paprika get used constantly while other spices sit untouched for months. 

In my house, we buy garlic powder and onion powder in bulk, but only the smallest shaker container of nutmeg I can find. I love nutmeg in a dozen different recipes, but I mostly use it in the winter. There’s a warmth to it that just seems to belong to cold mornings and family gatherings. But then it sits on the shelf forgotten for eight months. There’s no need to buy a lot of it only to have it sitting there the rest of the year. 

Notice what spices you couple with memories and times of the year. That can help you figure out how much you need and when you’re going to need it. 

The goal isn’t always to buy the most spice for your money. It’s to buy the amount you’ll actually use. 

The Great Spice Trade

Sometimes, the best deal on spices is buying in bulk. The problem is that you may not need a large container of everything. Buying a pound of a spice you’ll rarely use isn’t much of a bargain if most of it goes to waste. 

Here’s a fun solution: host a Great Spice Trade!

Invite a few friends who are also building their spice pantries. Have each person bring one spice in bulk and bring several small, clean, dry food-safe jars with tight fitting lids for sharing. Everyone divides their spice among the group,

and you all go home with several new seasonings for the price of one large container. 

But don’t stop at the exchange. Turn it into a tasting party!

Set out bread or crackers, nuts, soft cheeses and small bowls of mayonnaise, sour cream and oil. Have milk, water and maybe some fruit available as palate cleansers between tastings.

Take turns mixing small amounts of spice into different bases and tasting the results. Notice how a spice’s flavor changes when it’s mixed with oil instead of sour cream, or mayo instead of cream cheese. You might discover a new favorite combination or find a spice you never knew you needed. 

Remember to keep perishables cold until ready to serve. Not only for food safety – always a top priority – but also because the temperature plays a part in the experience too. 

I attended an event like this when I was in my twenties, and it was a fun way to explore flavors I wasn’t familiar with. It’s also a great way to try spices before committing to buying larger quantities. Plus, watching my friend's face after eating a cheese cracker dipped in chili oil was a memory I’ll never forget!

If you host your own party, make sure you have plenty of tasting spoons. We ended up using popsicle sticks because we needed so many! Each tasting should have its own clean utensil so you don’t accidentally mix flavors. Any flavor mixes you want to try should be on purpose. There’s nothing more frustrating than discovering a wonderful combination and then realizing you have no idea what went into it. 

Build a Spice Pantry That Works for You

Making food from scratch takes time and effort, but that doesn’t mean the results have to be just ok. Learning to season your food well can make a big difference, and you don’t need an expensive collection of spices to get started. 

The goal isn’t to have the prettiest spice rack. It’s to make food you’re excited to eat. 

And once you know which spices you love, you can start exploring how to combine them to create even more flavor. 

Want to Explore Your Spices?

Whether you’re trying a new spice in your kitchen or hosting your own Great Spice Trade, the Spice Explorer can help you keep track of what you’ve tried and what you think of it. Download your free Spice Explorer printable and start discovering new flavors!

A quick safety note: Some people have allergies or intolerances to certain spices and may not know it until they try them. If you suspect that you may be allergic to a spice, please consult a medical professional before trying it, including through any of the tasting methods suggested here. Be adventurous but safe.