Kitchn Love Letters

These Super-Pretty Jars Will Totally Transform Your Spice Cabinet — And They Cost Just $1 Each

Rochelle Bilow
Rochelle Bilow
Rochelle Bilow is a graduate of the French Culinary Institute, and the former social media manager at Bon Appétit and Cooking Light magazines. She has also worked as a cook on a small farm in Central New York and a Michelin-starred restaurant in New York City. Her first book, a food and farming memoir titled The Call of the Farm, was published in 2014. Her second book, a romance novel set in Scotland, will be published in February 2023.
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updated Apr 5, 2021
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Aerial shot of open round, glass jars containing various herbs and spices
Credit: Getty Images | moggsterb

A few years ago, I was restocking some of my most-used dried herbs and spices at the grocery store, when I realized something: They’re really expensive! I also couldn’t help but notice there was a lot of unnecessary waste involved, as I kept buying, recycling, and buying tiny jars. (I also never used the plastic shaker top that comes with most spice jars, and those little things add up in a landfill over time.) Since then, I’ve been buying my herbs and spices in bulk. This method works well for me, and it’s all because I have great jars for them. 

Credit: Rochelle Bilow

Glass amber jars are the best storage vessels for dried herbs and spices, and you’ll never convince me otherwise. The dark-hued glass keeps the jars’ contents fresher, longer. This definitely matters if you store your spices on open shelving or in a spice rack that has contact with sunlight (the light can make their freshness degrade faster if they’re in regular, clear glass). I love the jars from the online retailer Mountain Rose Herbs, but they’re sometimes sold out of popular sizes. Don’t worry, though: There are plenty of other options, like these from Amazon, which cost about $1 a jar.

Betrome 8 oz Round Frosted Glass Jars 15 Pack
$20.99
Amazon
Buy Now

Amber jars are most commonly used for storing DIY body products (think: lip balm and hand salve), but they’re way too good to hide in the bathroom. You’ll often find them in 50-milliliter, 4-ounce, and 8- or 9-ounce sizes. I think that the 4-ounce size is the perfect “middle of the road” option for bulk seasonings. It’s enough to get you through a couple of months of rosemary roasted potatoes and puff pastry cinnamon rolls, but not so much that the spices will go stale before you can use them all. 

I’ve even found that having plenty of right-sized vessels for storage makes me a little more creative when it comes to custom blends. I’ve made my own herbes de Provence and garam masala mixes, and get a little thrill every time I uncap the jars to my DIY fragrant aroma (it’s the little things, you know?).

Credit: Rochelle Bilow
See? So pretty!

The final reason I love these little jars? I’ll admit it: They look so much nicer in my spice cupboard than a bunch of old parsley shakers and Mason jars with rusty lids. In fact, I even display my most-loved herbs and spices proudly by the stove. It’s efficient and it passes as kitchen decor.

How do you store herbs and spices? Do you buy bulk? Let us know in the comments! 

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