This month I’d like to show you how you can save some money, on the herbs and spices you use, to cook with. I realize that this information may have been put to use better a little earlier in the season, but perhaps you can plan ahead and be prepared for this coming spring!
The first way to save money is to grow them yourself. There are many places to find seeds to do this. You can grow them in your house if you have the right conditions, in your garden, or plant some in pots outside your door, if you have limited space. Some of the herbs that I have kept are basil, mint, parsley and chives.
When your seedlings have grown into mature plants, you may then begin to harvest. Pick individual leaves or you can cut whole “branches” of them at a time. I like to cut whole “branches” of my mint and parsley.
There are two ways to dry them at this point. You can either bundle your “branches” together at the bottom and hang them upside down in a dry place with a light towel or something around them to keep any dust off, or you can use a dehydrator.
Next, you will want to remove the leaves and either crumble them by hand or use an herb mill.
Store your herbs in the same little plastic herb jars that you originally bought your spices in, or put them in Ziploc freezer bags and preserve in your freezer for longer storage. All you need to do after that is to refill your small containers from the stored herbs in your freezer.
The second way you can save money on your herbs and spices is to buy them in bulk. The buying club (Azure Standard) sells just about all the herbs and spices you can think of in bulk packages of 4 oz or 1 lb bags. To give you an example of how you can save, McCormick sells a 1.87 oz. jar of ground cinnamon for about $3.75. Azure Standard sells 4 oz. of cinnamon for $2.20 or 1 lb for $3.35. You can buy organic and spend a little more. The McCormick brand comes to about $2.00/oz, while the 4 oz. bag from Azure, comes to about $.55/oz. The 1 lb bag comes to about $.21/oz. That 4 oz. bag of cinnamon is enough to re-fill the cinnamon container in your cupboard 2 or 3 times, and for less money as well!
I keep my bags of spices in the freezer to preserve freshness until one of my jars runs out of a particular spice and then I refill my jars over and over again. I like Azure’s spices because they seem to be fresher and they have a stronger taste than the kind that I often buy from the grocery store.
Saving money on your herbs and spices may seem like a small thing but “a penny saved is a penny earned.”
Once you start storing spices this way, you will also see what a convenience it is and how seldom you will run out. There is nothing more aggravating than running out of your favorite spice….just when you need it most!
So save money and hassle and take those herbs a bit more seriously. You’ll be so glad you did!
