Spices - really getting on my nerves...

[fadedrose]

Has anyone noticed that the wonderful little cans that spices used to come in are now being sold in plastic round containers? (Gourmet baloney)

Kroger's still carries some cans, but not for all spices.

The problem is that I (and millions of others) have so many sets of measuring spoons that just don't fit in the (more expensive) plastic bottles that "premium" spices are being sold in now. McCormick's spices used to come in all types in metal cans, whose advantage was that all measuring spoons fit in the can with no problem, and the spice could be measured accurately on the flat lid depending on the size spoon, ie, l/4, l/2, l tsp. or tablespoon.

It is extremely inconvenient to use measuring spoons in these stupid bottles - you now to dump the spice into measuring spoons on waxed paper, dump the excess on wax paper into the bottle.

I can't understand what is wrong with these crazy people who think up these so-called improvements? Besides, metal rusts and goes away, plastic is forever.

We need some kind of serious public plea to the spice companies to return things to their original and better spice containers. Haven't baked much during the summer, but baking season is coming up, and walking thru the grocery store looking at all those plastic jars/bottles makes me a bit angry.

[Sherman A1]

1. Could you perhaps purchase a spice rack with

glass containers for your spices. I know I had one years ago, but it has long since vanished.

[PDJane]

2. That's one of my complaints, too.

I now buy herbs and spices in little plastic baggies at my local farmer's market, and decant them into small IKEA glass jars. I despise those plastic bottle things, they're not safe, and they tend to have a list of ingredients. Spices shouldn't need a list of ingredients!

[xchrom]

3. It really is aggravating. Nt

[tridim]

4. I try to grow my own as much as possible, but I hear you.

Spices are waaaaay too expensive.

$5.00 for .25oz of dried basil? Are you fucking kidding me?

[jdlh8894]

6. Thanks for reminding me!

Need to pick some Basil for tonight.

[tammywammy]

8. They are!!!

Thankfully I have a Central Market close where I can get them in bulk. The equilavent to the jars for around $1. It's especially good when I'm trying a new dish and need a new spice. :)

[On the Road]

15. I Have Taken to Buying Spices at the Hispanic, Indian, or Korean Stores

especially the big supermarkets if you can find them. I love spices, but they are really overpriced in American supermarkets.

McCormick or Spice Island charges $5.00 for a glass bottle of bay leaves, which I use a lot of. I just bought a cellphone package of bay leaves from Badia, a Hispanic brand, for $0.69. And the Badia envelope holds more leaves.

Some spices like dill I use a ton of but aren't traditionally used in Asia or Latin America. McCormick charges $6.00 for a half-sized container. I just got a huge container from a warehouse store that holds 10-15 times as much for about the same price.

Some spices I never used until finding a cheap source. Got a huge bag of cardamom pods a while backs, and now I stick one in half the dishes I cook along with three or four bay leaves. Really makes a difference.

[tammywammy]

5. My advice

1. Stop buying spices at grocery stores. They're old and overpriced. If you have a store like Central Market or Sprouts. They sell spices in bulk. You're getting fresher dried spices and waaaaaay cheaper.

2. Buy some jars and start your own spice rack. You can get jars that'll fit your spoons, and the bulk spices are in little baggies anyway. And it'll look cooler than the store bought containers.

[Fumesucker]

14. Not everyone has those options..

I for one have never even *heard* of Central Market and have never seen a Sprouts.

Here in quasi rural red state hell there are very few choices for shopping.

[tammywammy]

24. And a lot of people with the options of those stores don't realize they sell in bulk.

It's just a suggestion to look and see if some store near you does sell like that. While it's not an option for everyone, it was just advice.

BTW, I'm also in a red state.


edited to add: Also I suggest shopping at ethnic stores vs "American" grocery stores. They always have better prices on spices and produce.

[nadinbrzezinski]

31. Two suggestions

you can actually buy spices on line.

And do you have a local farmer's market? I know I am lucky I got two. One is not very good, but the other has a lady that goes there every two weeks. She sells spices. I have found some mises that I cannot find anywhere else. And a second sells online too.

http://consciouscookery.vpweb.com/

Yes I know her, and buy my rice, for example, from her.

[Javaman]

7. Insert Dune reference here. nt

[EstimatedProphet]

10. He who controls the spice bottles, controls the universe

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

16. ^^^^^^^ WIN

:rofl:

[Javaman]

19. wrong spot. nt

[area51]

35. The spice must flow! (n/t)

[lukasahero]

9. A suggestion for you to try

I use one of these for my "go-to" spices. http://www.amazon.com/Stainless-Masala-Regular-Traditional-Indian/dp/B000T3E96O

There are also some spices that I never really measure (basil, thyme, etc) - I just eyeball 'em. But for powders that really need to be measured, I use that Indian spice box - the little 'bowls' are plenty big enough for even a tablespoon to fit.

[Arkansas Granny]

11. I bought a set of measuring spoons for my daughter that have very

narrow bowls. I don't remember where I got them, but they ae stainless steel and fit into the necks of the glass spice containers. I googled "narrow measuring spoons" and got several hits on different styles.

[fadedrose]

26. Bought some narrow stainless spoons online

It was a couple of years ago. They were gorgeous.

I used one for something for the very first time, can't remember what, and when I was leveling it off or washing it, can't recall, it broke. Sent them back both sets for a refund...I had just taken them out of the plastic bag.

It was the way the spoon bowl was attached to the handle - just can't remember. But they very cheerfully refunded the cost in full.

[uncommon]

12. I've actually never seen spices in cans... maybe I'm not old enough or it's less common in this area

[deaniac21]

13. How do you get a can out of a round plastic container? Impossible!

[AnArmyVeteran]

17. I never measure spices and neither did my Dad who was s chef.

I learned a few things from watching my Dad cook. He was a chef and he never measured spices. To him, spices were like an artist's pallet and he knew just the right amount of spices to add to the meals he prepared. He would often sample the food he was preparing and add more spices when he needed to. I wish I would have taken notes while he cooked because he was a gold mine filled with cooking tips.

'm not disagreeing with you about the spice cans but if you venture away from measuring with absolute preciseness you could learn to intuitively know the amounts of spices you need. And who knows, through trial and error you might even create some truly magical dishes.

Just a thought...

[fadedrose]

28. Don't measure spices for many things, but...

I like them for applesauce-raison cake for the ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon, clove, salt, baking soda, powder, etc., because I don't always use the same recipe. Also for pumpkin pie.

One thing I ALWAYS measure is salt..in meatloaf or meatballs. Anymore than l/2 teasp. for pound and I think it ruins the meat. I have a gripe with the salt companies for not having a slot one can use to measure salt accurately. Now I measure over the sink with the extra going down the drain ;).

But, as a rule, for spaghetti sauce, creamed chicken, chili, breading, cooking noodles, etc., I never measure. I usually fix it up with more sauce if I overdue.

[AnArmyVeteran]

32. It sounds like you eat very well!

I like to 'guesstimate' higher when I particularly like a certain spice. You're right about salt. It's a good thing it's so cheap. I don't use it any more since I started using potassium, a salt sustitute. It tastes the same but it's not sodium. I don't have any health problems but I just don't like eating so much salt. I rarely use salt for cooking. I've found that the less you use the less you need. Since I almost eliminated most of it from my diet it's made it hard to find a restaurant that doesn't over-salt everything. I've had to return food because it tasted like I was pouring salt firectly from a salt carton into my mouth. I find it strange how a lot of people automatically grab a salt shaker when they're out eating and sprinkle it all over their food even before tasting it. It's a habit a lot of people have.

It's also very hard to find processed foods that aren't saturated with salt. I wish soups and other foods had no salt in them. How hard is it for the consumer to add what they want later?

What's your favorite meal to make from scratch? All the best...

[fadedrose]

37. Best meals depend on who's eating them..

I like to cook the things that some people like best. Everybody in the family has a different favorite that others hate, ie, stuffed cabbage, fish, chili, meatloaf. They all like lasagna, spaghetti, any kind of chicken, stuffing, etc.

Thanks for asking.

My own preference is a cup of coffee and 2-3 slices of toasted Italian bread and that satisfies me if I don't have to feed anyone else.

[EmeraldCityGrl]

33. Baking requires exact measurements, where cooking is season

and taste as you go. A good friend who's a baker just spent a week with me.
she brought all of her wonderful old recipes with her and swore by using exact
measurements. While I love making sauces and moles always adjusting and
tasting as I go. Somehow they always come out consistently the same but couldn't
follow a finite recipe.

[pansypoo53219]

18. YEAH!

and tins recyclable. heck, i saved all GLASS containers and refill from bagged spices. hell, i got a BIG glass jar of cloves at am estate sale cause they smelled good for 8¢ and they are better than the store bought ones. must have been from he source. AND CLEARLY DECADES OLD.

tho, i did find a unopened tin of red owl oregano. it will stay that way.


but i don't measure much anyways.

[csziggy]

40. Whole cloves do not get stale for a very long time

I learned that lesson the hard way. I had a very old jar of whole cloves and needed to make spiced cider for a party. I assumed the cloves were stale and doubled the amount called for in the recipe. The cider was great - if you needed a toothache cure! Frankly, I could have CUT the amount in half and the recipe would have been better.

I ended up cutting the leftover cider with three or four times as much additional cider and juice to make it usable.

[Javaman]

20. The Sand Worms are not amused. nt

[4lbs]

21. Couldn't you make your own metal containers?

My mother complained of the same problem years ago.

What did she do?

She took a dozen old tin soup cans with the lids cutoff normally with a can opener. She washed them out really good, peeled the labels off, put new ones on (those writable address labels work well), and lined them inside with wax paper.

She poured the spices into each can and wrote on the labels what spice was in the can.

For lids, she used a small square of wax paper large enough to fit the can, usually about 4 inches square, and sealed it with a rubber band around the can.

[Motown_Johnny]

22. from now on dump the measuring spoon onto the palm of your hand

before adding it to your dish



get used to what each measurement looks like



and then Stop Using The F___ing Measuring Spoons !!!




the only exception would be baking powder/soda, you should continue to measure those as accurately as possible

[OmmmSweetOmmm]

23. Yeast has to be measured precisely too. And yes, eyeballing spices is great.

[EstimatedProphet]

25. I haven't used a measuring spoon for spices in years

Now yeast, that's another matter...

[Lucian]

27. People are addicted to plastic.

That's why everything is made up of plastic.

Companies seriously need to come up with more eco-friendly ways to store things such as water and condiments. That would also curb our addiction to oil.

[Retrograde]

34. Manufacturers are addicted to plastic

It's cheaper to make and ship than metal. If you're moving tons of stuff from China the weight adds up.

One of my local groceries carries the more common herbs and spices in bulk, at considerably less than the McCormick's stuff. Once home, they go into the old spice jars I got years ago.

[CreekDog]

29. you're kidding right?

okay, okay, you're not kidding.

:rofl:

(hey, i kicked it didn't i???)

[dionysus]

30. now that you mention it, those round bottles ARE a pain in the ass!

pouring into a measuring spoon sucks.

[TheKentuckian]

36. Hit up the culinary store if you have them in the area. Nice little field trip too

[PDJane]

38. Canadian Tire (yeah, I know)

has stainless steel spice jars that are perfect for things you have to measure, large enough to hold the contents of a bulk spice bag, and they have a magnet on the bottom......they come with a stainless steel holder you just stick them to, and have the flat thing you open to get a measured spoonful from. They have to be sold down there somewhere too..although I haven't a clue where. Hm.

[csziggy]

39. I almost never buy spices in containers anymore

Most of the time, I go to the food co-op and buy loose spices. If I am organized, I take my empty glass spice jars (which I found online), weigh them before and after I fill them, so the cashier can figure the tare weight. Before I invested in these lovely glass jars, I re-used a variety of old containers that spices had come in from regular chain stores.

I'm lucky to have that resource since the spices are cheaper and the choices are wider. They even have some lovely spice blends such as Oriental, Italian and so forth that are so much better than the supermarket blends.

Check to see if any local stores near you sell loose spices. If not, think about ordering from a place like Penzey's Spices - you can order in jars or in bags to refill your own containers. http://www.penzeys.com

[Cassandra]

41. I recommend Kalustyan's

http://www.kalustyans.com/ for spices (they have medicinal ones as well)
and http://www.tablefare.com/ for containers; expensive but very functional.