In my kitchen, in a thin cupboard with three shelves, right next to the stove.

In a kitchen drawer pretty close to the stove. I've heard that it's not good to store them too close to any heat source.

Mine are in a cabinet that's against an outside (cool) wall, across the room from the range.

Heat and light are the 2 things that will destroy your spices the fastest. They really should never be stored in clear glass, nor near any high heat area of the kitchen.

And remember, for the best flavor, spices shouldn't be kept past a year.

As Ya_Ya said, near the stove is not a good place to store them. And yet, that is the most convenient place, isn't it? I've compromised and put them in the shelf above my microwave, as it does not give off much heat and is about six feet from the stove.

I've always been told that herbs and spices should never be kept over the stove, ...mine are in a spice drawer under the prep counter top.

Mine are in a corner cabinet on a lazy susan type thing. I really need to organize them somehow.

I wouldn't put mine over the stove either. I didn't want cupboards put over my stove because of the heat and steam.

I keep my spices in a cupboard to the right of the stove where the steam and heat don't reach. I use fresh herbs only and keep them in the fridge.

I have a question - where does everyone store their garlic cloves. I keep mine on the counter but thinking I should get a garlic pot or something like that so that they don't sprout. I have never stored them in the refrigerator.

Anne

Oh crud! Just as I feared. I've been tempted to do it for so long and now I'm glad I didn't. Thanx for telling me, but man that really is the best spot.

errr Anne. Should they not be kept in the fridge?
You mean I have to find a place for those, tooooooo!

I also have mine in a special drawer designed for spices...It fills up one of those tall skinny spaces that you don't know what to do with.

I love it. I also have one of those tall skinny doors for cookies sheets and pizza pans.

I love that one too...

patti

I keep my garlic in a small clay pot with a lid.

I have a lot ...I mean a lot of spices so I bought a couple of storage racks from wal-mart and put the two together on my pantry door...I have three shoebox bins in my pantry that hold all my pickling spices...Indian Spices and Italian spices..the door thingy works great...

I have mine in a long narrow cupboard to the right of my kitchen sink.
I have 2 shelves of them and wish I could figure out something better! I have to use the step stool to reach the top shelf and thats fine, but I end up taking some out so that I can see behind them no matter which shelf they are one.

I have mine in a top drawer close to the prep area and stove but not next to it. I like them in the drawer because the labels face forward and I can see them all at once.
Clare

Am I the only one that keeps spices in the refrigerator FREEZER? lol

Garlic--if you want to make yourself a very inexpensive garlic crock, get a new terra cotta flower pot that will hold a clove or 2 of garlic (or however many you usually have on hand). Then pick out a saucer that is large enough to use as a LID on the flower pot. Put the saucer on your counter, add the garlic and use the flower pot as the dome. Loads cheaper than those pricey garlic keepers they sell, and it's basically the same thing.

I keep mine alphabetized in the cupboard next to the stove. I do not throw mine out after a year--those spice company marketers are as good as the baking soda company PR people who tell us to dump a box of baking soda down the sink every month. My 3 rows of spices are hard to keep in alpha order since they quit selling spices in nice, square, easy-to-fit-close-together cans.

Mine are all in those magnet containers that attach to the fridge. They look great, take up no cupboard space, are close to my work area, and they include a metal strip to mount on a wall if you don't want them on the fridge.

Laurel

Thanx for that tip, Azzalea.

SheilaJoyce, do you know how much spices are compared to how much they cost in the stores? They are a market's most profitable commodities. Most chain markets value the spice aisle as their most prized possession. I'm like you, I can't throw them away, but we did learn a few months back not to keep them longer than 3 or 4 years. Pretty sure it was Connie who asked the question. I have to assume they go bad at some point LOL. It just seems impossible to keep up with dates if they aren't already labeled.

Funny you should bring this subject up, I just moved mine yesterday from the second shelf of my cabinet
to the first shelf. The cabinet is located next to my fridge but yet near the stove. I used to keep them above the
stove, then they went to a little drawer between the stove and sink. I like this location where they are now but to keep
them organized is very hard. I also do not throw my spices away one year but I do keep an eye on them for any critters.
I have been looking for something to get them organized but so far I cannot find anything becasue I have too many.
Deb

I have mine in one of those revolving round towers, in glass. Yup, in glass. About 48 or so inches away from the stove. And I use mine up. I doesn't take me that long to do that. :)

Moni

Anne, my garlic is in a mug, in the cabinet above my revolving spice rack. I also have the rest of the stuff that doesn't fit on the rack in that cabinet.

Yep I asked about the ALmond extract. I still haven't thrown it out. Now I also have Rum extract too! LOL

Used to keep mine in the freezer, cb. No room now. It sure keeps them fresh longer than a year that way. Now they're in a narrow cabinet by it's handy.

Dry spices in a drawer next to my cook-top. A new thing in my re-do kit - I love it. Fresh stuff still in the frige. I live in a woodsy place and do not have enough sun to grow them. I do have a very good source, however.

I keep the majority of cooking spices and herbs in an end cabinet to the left of the prep island. The baking spices are in the cabinet to the right of the island. That is where we do all the prep work and mixing things together. NancyLouise

Mine are laying down (labels up), in 2 shallow drawers. I also have some on wire spice rack shelves similar to those in the pic at the link below. I think I got mine at WM or at least someplace locally.

Sue

Here is a link that might be useful: Wire spice rack

When we remodeled the kitchen I designed a shelf close to my stove to hold my most used spices. In the top cabinet above the stove I have my large containers of spices, such as lemon pepper, course ground pepper, garlic powder. On a shelf on the door of the fridge are my red spices, paprika, cayenne, etc. these will get critters if you are not careful.

My herbs/spices are on a double-decker Rubbermaid turntable on the top of the fridge. Alphabetized, no less! I've had the system for 30+ years, and some folks make fun of me, but I can find what I want when I want it. Yes, I purge when things are obviously out of date or will not be used in the foreseeable future.