would the rice-in-the-salt-shaker trick not work?

rice.

Sometimes I put the silica packets from medicine bottles/vitamins into spices to keep them powdery! You can even get some from the pharmacy if you just ask (these are cylinders in stead of packets but same function). I mean the rice thing is easier, but in case you wanted another option...

Another tip is to not sprinkle it above cooking foods, it will absorb the moisture rapidly that way and then the sprinkling holes get "clogged." Just pour out into a little spoon or something to keep the container away from the steam.

You could also keep it in the freezer - the air is de-humidified (and plus, it'll keep longer).

Awesome! Thanks for the tips! -Ben

I do the silica cannisters/packets and also measuring into my hand, and not over the steaming pot. It helps a lot, tho' not for the "salts" (onion/garlic/celery). I don't think ANYTHING helps them.

I don't use the rice, especially in my salt shakers, because it will break apart over time. Alton Brown said to use popcorn kernals, and I have been doing it for a year in my salt and it works well.

I don't use the rice, especially in my salt shakers, because it will break apart over time. Alton Brown said to use popcorn kernals, and I have been doing it for a year in my salt and it works well.

If you frequently shake your herbs & spices directly into a dish while it's cooking, the steam can enter the container, causing the grains to bond together & form clumps. Instead, shake them into your hand, and add from there.

I don't know about popcorn kernels, but what I did, was first dump all the garlic powder - clumps and all, in small batches into my blender, blend it back into powder, then refill my garlic container, and now I keep it in my freezer, and it's been months now, and it's still always a useable powder, and I am happy. I live in Hawaii, and bugs that crawl are rampant, and everywhere, so I also sprinkle it into my silverware drawer, and any other drawers the damn bugs get into, and so far, bugs are no longer coming into the drawers. I love Hawaii, but it's certainly a test, keeping things "bug-free".