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Top 10 Spices in your Pantry

January 24, 2011 by Erin, The $5 Dinner Mom 19 Comments

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Lynn from Mavin of Savin is doing a spice clear out in her pantry and needs to start afresh and anew!  Before she goes at buys out the entire spice rack at the store, she wanted to know…

What are the top 10 spices you MUST HAVE in your cupboard?

Great question Lynn!  And very smart of you to not just go grab a whole bunch at once!  I’d get the ones listed below, then slowly add some of the more exotic spices as you can fit them into your budget. These are most commonly used in budget cooking and ones I can’t live without!

  • Spices for Homemade  Taco Seasoning – chili powder, onion powder, ground cumin, garlic powder, cayenne pepper (enough to mix up some taco seasoning, and keep some separate)
  • Italian seasonings – either mixed, or individually – Basil, Oregano, Thyme, Rosemary, Parsley
  • Curry powder
  • Dill
  • Lemon pepper or seafood seasoning blend
  • Poultry seasoning
  • Cinnamon
  • Pie spices – ginger, allspice, cloves, nutmeg
  • Grilling blends – for making homemade marinades, or for seasoning meat before grilling

So that’s way more than 10…but it’ll get you started!!!

What are the must have spices in your pantry?!

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Filed Under: Pantry Staple Recipe Ideas

Comments

  1. Rella (@RellaBellaK) says

    January 24, 2011 at 12:13 pm

    I always have a supply of smoked paprika on hand, as well as garam masala and coriander (a little more exotic than the average spice pantry, but I like experimenting with different flavors!)

    Reply
  2. Deborah says

    January 24, 2011 at 12:55 pm

    My spice cabinet looks like a spice store, so it would be really hard for me to just pick 10! That said, I’ve never used poultry seasoning on anything. I think that having the individual herbs/spices – like for the taco seasoning – is more important than having blends. And I wouldn’t want to live without cinnamon!

    Reply
  3. Sue says

    January 24, 2011 at 1:17 pm

    Chili powder, a couple of savory spices, a couple of baking spices, Italian seasoning blend. With those on hand I can usually substitute if I’m lacking something specific.

    My biggest spice revolution has been buying spices from bulk bins at my local co-op. They cost a fraction of the price, and you can be sure that nothing sits in the cupboard for too long, since you only need to buy as much as you need (or just a little extra).

    Reply
  4. Lara says

    January 24, 2011 at 1:17 pm

    I couldn’t live without dill, garlic powder and cinnamon. I try to buy Penzey’s spices whenever I can…especially for the ones I listed above. The flavors are AMAZING and their prices are similar or just a little more than those in grocery stores, but well worth it!

    Reply
  5. Marie says

    January 24, 2011 at 1:17 pm

    I’m a pretty simple cook and have mine listed here: http://mfamily08.blogspot.com/2011/01/top-10-spices.html

    Reply
  6. silver says

    January 24, 2011 at 2:03 pm

    I would rather use fresh garlic and ginger than dried. The only time I used dried ginger is when making cookies.

    I would say my top ones are:
    cinnamon
    oregano
    basil
    rosemary
    chili powder
    black pepper (only when the recipe calls for so much that it isn’t practical to grind it myself)
    cumin
    curry

    I have many more, but those are the ones I use the most.

    Reply
  7. Astrid says

    January 24, 2011 at 4:57 pm

    Sometimes I feel like I own an entire spice store- I’ve got a couple of drawers and a cabinet dedicated to spices. I *love* spices! (I also love Penzeys spices!)

    Reply
  8. barbi says

    January 24, 2011 at 5:00 pm

    my tops:

    cinnamon
    basil
    paprika
    garlic powder

    I have lots of others, but these are the ones I go thru the fastest.

    Reply
  9. mandie says

    January 24, 2011 at 6:03 pm

    My most used are:

    Pepper
    Onion powder
    Garlic powder
    Chili powder
    Cumin
    Paprika
    Ground oregano
    Thyme
    Basil
    Oregano
    Cayenne
    Cinnamon

    Also have:

    Poultry seasoning
    Sage
    Mustard
    Italian seasoning
    Mrs. Dash garlic herb blend
    Ginger
    Nutmeg
    Cloves
    Onion flakes

    Reply
  10. Cheryl M says

    January 24, 2011 at 9:09 pm

    I have a whole spice cabinet too!
    My can’t live withouts
    Garlic powder (most of my fresh garlic has been very bitter lately so this is my old standby)
    Cinnamon
    Onion powder
    Mrs Dash Table Blend (my kids LOVE this)
    Whole Nutmeg (will never have the pre-ground stuff again if I can help it)
    Parsley
    Basil
    Oregano (also have an italian blend)
    smoked/sweet/hot paprika
    ground mustard
    5 spice powder
    garam marsala
    Cayenne
    Sazon powder
    Cumin
    Coriander
    Tumeric
    Ginger (also keep a ‘fresh’ piece frozen in the freezer to grate as needed)
    peppercorns
    kosher salt
    & too many others

    Reply
  11. Bev says

    January 24, 2011 at 10:52 pm

    It sure is hard to narrow it down to 10 spices! This got me thinking and I ended up writing a blog post too:
    http://themakeyourownzone.blogspot.com/2011/01/my-top-10-spices.html

    Reply
  12. The Prudent Homemaker says

    January 25, 2011 at 1:54 am

    When we redid our kitchen I made a big spice cabinet next to my stove and I sized all the shelves to fit my bulk spice containers. It’s 4 shelves tall! PLUS, I have another entire shelf in my walk-in pantry devoted to stocking spices. (The link above has my entire spice list).

    I get lots of my spices in bulk from Sam’s Club, and then I order the rest online from Herb Products Co. (though I am considering ordering some from another bulk online store next time).

    The ten I use most often, in order of use:
    Dried Onions
    Granulated garlic
    Basil
    Parsley
    Onion Powder
    Oregano
    Salt
    Pepper
    Rosemary (I mostly use fresh from my garden, but I also use dried ground rosemary)
    Taco seasoning (I buy it in bulk)

    Reply
  13. betsy says

    January 25, 2011 at 12:08 pm

    I love my spices, too. I buy them in bulk from a local store, and I find them pretty affordable.

    My top 10:
    cumin
    Tony Cachere’s (a blend, but oh, so good)
    chile powder (of all sorts)
    garlic powder
    Italian seasoning
    pepper
    red pepper flakes
    cayenne
    nutritional yeast (my secret ingredient in awesome greens)
    cinnamon

    Reply
  14. lynn @ Maven of Savin says

    January 25, 2011 at 9:29 pm

    THANK YOU SOOOO MUCH! I am still unpacking from the move, but I cannot wait to start cooking and getting all my new spices. When I packed I found spices that were at least 10 years old – YUCK!

    Reply
  15. Julie says

    January 26, 2011 at 10:47 am

    It is hard to name only 10 must haves but cumin and cinnamon are at the very top of the list. Chili powder, oregano, fresh black peppcorns, bay leaves, basil, cloves, garlic powder and whole nutmegs are definite keepers as well.

    Reply
  16. LisaE says

    January 26, 2011 at 12:20 pm

    I love different spices-just wish they were so pricey for most of them. The spices I use most often are:

    Lemon pepper
    ground pepper
    basil
    tarragon
    cinnamon
    tumeric
    curry
    chili powder
    ginger, nutmeg, cloves (love them!)
    italian seasoning
    dill

    Mostly, the only item I really don’t care for is rosemary-I feel like I am eating a tree.

    Reply
  17. Janet says

    January 26, 2011 at 4:32 pm

    Just 10!

    Clove
    cardumum
    cumin
    basil
    cinnamon
    ceyanne
    peppercorns
    smoked Paprika
    curry
    nutmeg

    Currnetly I have 45 small viles of spices that I refill from a bulk spice store as I need them. That way I don’t have to pay for what I don’t need and nothing ever loses its freshness!

    Reply
  18. Amy says

    January 26, 2011 at 7:04 pm

    Please Help:
    I use a spice rack and it is kept on my counter. After awhile my green spices (oregano, chives, etc..) turn brown. Is this caused by light? Do green spices last longer in a cabinet?

    Thanks,
    Amy

    Reply
  19. tranny webcam says

    November 18, 2013 at 3:38 am

    Nice response in return of this matter with genuine
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    Reply

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