The week Scott and I got married (nearly four years ago now!), my dad cut a giant hole in my kitchen wall and inserted floor-to-ceiling spice rack into a few inches of unused space. This had long been the wedding present plan, though looking back on it covering the apartment with drywall dust a few days before the big day wasn’t one of my better laid plans.
Still, I’ll never regret the mess, because I LOVE this spice shelf. Not only did it give me a bounty of additional storage space, the shelves are perfectly spaced to hold the canning jars that house my herbs and spices. Truly, it was one of the best presents I’ve ever received.
For the longest time, I thought I was the only one using slightly past their prime mason jars for this purpose, but in recent years, I’ve discovered that I’m very far from alone. And this spring, Ball finally recognized the fact that many of us use their jars in this way and released a product designed expressly for spice storage.
Meet the Dry Herbs Jars
I appreciate the slight rim on the edge of the lid, which means they stack with a sense of security. And finally (though this has nothing directly to do with their utility as a spice jar), I love the look of the smooth-sided four ounce jar. Would that they’d kick those quilted quarter-pints to the curb and sell these by the dozen!
Disclosure: Ball has provided these Dry Herb Jars at no cost to me. However, I am unswayed by this gift and my opinions remain my own.
I refill old glass spice containers from the store and the 4oz quilted jars. I’m ecstatic that they now come in smooth ones.
I have used jars from empty spices, crafty jars from Joann’s, old canning jars, zip lock bags. Whatever is left over. All jammed in a cabinet or the rolling cart that holds my bread making supplies.
I store them in whatever I can, usually the jars from yeast or the small jelly canning jars… but none of those have a shaker lid like these 🙂
Right now my spice jars are too tall to fit properly in my kitchen drawer so they have to be laid flat. Looks like these spice jars would solve that problem!
Small odds and ends jars for larger herbs and my new Ball spice jars for my home dried crushed herbs. Still need another set though, but alas, no cash.
I tend to re-use old spice jars, and have 2 shelves in my pantry devoted to them. One day I hope to have something a little more organized…I have a very happy herb garden and would like to try and dry more of what I grow myself.
To store my spices, I use jelly jars with plastic lids. I have a drawer that is deep enough for the jars to stand up in & I’ve written what is in the jar on the plastic lids…
My spice cabinet is a mish-mash right now. Some pint sized quilted Ball jars, some 8 ounce Ball jars, some recycled/reused plastic shakers from previous store-bought herbs. Spices are on a double-stacked lazy susan in my cabinet. Thanks for the giveaway opportunity!
Miscellaneous containers. I’m a bit of a container freak and if I see unusual ones and can get them, I get them. Those little ball jars would be just right for the cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves that I have in bags in the fridge right now.
i store my spices in small glass jars in a spice cabinet created out of an old ironing board cabinet. it’s lovely.
I have these mini canning jars with pop off lids that are airtight. I used a glass marker to write the spice name on them. It was a good idea, so I thought, until I realized it’s not easy to distribute the spice without a spoon, or using my fingers (which is not the best way to use spice.)
My spice cabinet is a mish mash of a mess! Things fall out when I open, things get lost..it’s bad.
I mostly reuse spice jars from spices I’ve purchased not in bulk. But I do have about 5 of the ball 4oz jars in rotation as well. They are a great size for spices that I use most often. I would love to win this.
I buy many herbs and spices from an Arabic grocer where goods are packed in cellophane envelopes. Storage after opening the package is always an issue. This looks like a great solution.
I just use the containers the come in from the store. Except for all the different salts that my daughter loves to cook with, so far those are just in the plastic bags they came in. These jars would be nice to organize the salts. 🙂
Pesto out of everything. Herb butters in freezer. Dried herbs in food dehydrator. Grow em eat em. Love em.
I currently store mine in recycled spice jar, which are way too small. These ball spice jars would be perfect.
I have 2 spice racks that twirl that I bought off some home shopping years ago, and what doesn’t fit on that are in various recycled bottles and even some bags on small lazy susans.
Unfortunately I have them stored all over in a slew of different sized and shaped jars. Really quite a pain.
My spices are in various reused glass and plastic jars. There are none that match and on several do not have air tight seals. These new Dry Herb Jars appear to be the perfect answer for herb storage and an organized spice self. I just Love the concept and looks of these!
I have a shelf hung to the side of my stove, where all of my super important spices live, and the rest of them are on a lazy susan in a close-at-hand cupboard. It’s what is working out the best for me!
I use mostly mason jars (different sizes and styles) at the moment. I did put peel and stick chalkboard labels on them though, so they look cute.
I have been storing my freshly dried herbs in reused herb or spice jars that I’ve cleaned out and bought a few tin style storage jars but they don’t work as well. I saved sage in tin which worked but the container is now rusting and lid isn’t really that secure. I put the majority in a drawer and have them (when they are organized) by alphabet but now we have more than one layer of spice jars and some plastic envelopes of bulk spices that need homes. I’d love to win the Ball Spice jars! Good luck everyone!
Ooh, I am jealous of your spice shelves. Mine have taken over a complete upper cabinet by my sink. Herbs and spices on the bottom shelf with those stepped things to make them visible; extracts, colorings, leavening and other odds on the middle shelf; and the top shelf is my overstock shelf – big containers and a basket holding all the Penzey’s bags. I would love the Ball jars, especially since it looks like World Market stopped carrying the little ones I’ve been using!
I use a variety of repurposed glass spice jars (simply organic, among others) as well as lots of mason jars of many shapes and sizes. I would love to try these!! Thanks.
I keep my herbs in paper bags, ziplock bags, frozen in cubes with olive oil and in glass jars with sealable lids.
These are adorable! I sometimes use the bigger jars for spices, but these make so much more sense. I could stand to reorganize my spice rack and these would be the perfect start to that process.
Seriously! I was going to post anyway, but then you’re also doing a give away! I adore your shelves and want to know what was behind there so he could punch into the wall like that. I wanted to do that last year in my stairwell and my mother talked me out of it…grr. I WILL pin for sure, because I have a while pintrest board dedicated to jars and the amazing things to do with them, so yeah, duh.
AND congrats on the wedding! So many happy days!
-Anna in Alaska
Right now, most of my herbs are in containers on the deck growing and waiting to be picked when needed. As for spices, I have a mix of glass and plastic reusable jars that I write or affix labels. I really need to go through my spice cupboard and ditch some old dusty spices.
I just planted my very first herb garden this year! I’m a rookie when it comes to storing herbs. Thinking these jars would make a great “first!”
I keep changing how I keep my spices, because I can’t find the “perfect” setup for me. But I am pretty happy with how I have them now, on a very unimaginative spice rack in a cupboard. Not a “cool” way, but it keeps them fairly orderly and I can see what I need. 🙂
Spices are in all different size and shape glass jars in the cupboard. Also, I keep some in the freezer. Nothing exciting.
We use all kinds of jars to store our own dried herbs, dried chiles, and spice blends. Mostly reused glass spice jars and some of those quilted quarter pints you hate. Even reused mayonnaise jars.
I use small mason jars to store my herbs and spices. I would love to try out the dry herb jars. They look really cute! 🙂
I live in a small Trailer with my partner, and our spices are in their original jars in a small cabinet. I would love to save room and try this!
I love all the “new” things that Ball is introducing. I bought their vintage blue jars and love them so much I took one to my office for water.
Since I grow lots of my own herbs, these jars would be a classy addition to the cupboard. Right now, herbs are stored in pints, half pints and spice jars.
I use mason jars for some of my bulk herbs, and the containers they come in for the rest, but goodness do I love these!
I buy them in small bulk amounts that are packaged in tiny zip bags. I work out of the bags as I need them, which isn’t good idea because the contents get in the zip part and the bag never seals right after that. I waste a lot because they become stale in no time. Boy, could I use something better!!
I have a chaotic herb and spice storage situation. Some are in the containers they came in, some are in repurposed jars and containers, and then I have a mess of stuff still in baggies from the spice guy at Central Market in Lancaster and from the Indian grocer. These new Ball jars are perfecto! And I agree with you on Ball selling these quarter ounce jars for canning instead of the quilted ones.
Gosh, I just have a mess of random jars and baggies. This giveaway prize would really help me organize!
I never thought to use jars to dry my herbs, what a great idea!! I always use my mason jars for smoothies, juices, and bulk items like rice and beans.
All my spices are stored in a plethora of hodgepodge glass, plastic, and metal containers. I long for the day when they are all switched over to something more uniform!
We have our spices in a cupboard in very random glass jars…these would free up some space.
I dry a lot of them and put them into mason jars. Some I freeze in oil.
Well, sadly, I moved into a new home recently, leaving my custom built-in 8-shelf spice racks inside two doors of my 42″ cabinets. Now I have spice chaos. They are everywhere, and generally one or more falls onto my head every time I open a cabinet door.
My herbs and spices are a total mess in all different containers and bags! These jars look great and would certainly help me organize.
I purchase most if my herbs in bulk and store my herbs mainly in mason jars. I save unique shaped jars when empty of other foods. I wash and save them to use for my herbs and storing beans, rice, etc. I love glass jars!!
I adopt the multi-use approach to storing herbs. Currently I have rosemary flowers in an open bowl on the counter, rosemary and sage in open jars on the same counter, lavender and chive flowers in plastic bags, and various plastic, glass and metal containers with sharpie labeling to remind me what I have stashed in the cupboard…some nice glass jars with stacking shaker lids would be unbelievable…
I use a garage workbench for my kitchen island and the top drawer is entirely spices. I mostly keep them in their original container organized by how often I use them but I do have a fair collection of baggies with small bits of spices in them.