McCormicks is a quality brand with rigorous quality control and sourcing specs. I live near the manufacturing plant and myself and my husband and I have been taste testers and very familiar with the brand for decades.

I grow and dry or freeze my own herbs, but for spices I prefer McCormicks . Like you, I appreciate the small containers. Spices have a definite shelf life.

I don't buy by brand. My local grocer has a huge bulk product area that includes every herb/spice you can think of and I buy as much or as little as I like and that I will use within a couple of months.

Spices and herbs should be fresh (even in a dried condition), not sitting around in a jar for ages.

I buy Penzey's.

I’ve used McCormick’s spices and herbs for years and have always been pleased. Depending on the spice/herb, I do buy their mini jars when possible for the freshness issue. My favorite product from McCormick is their Montreal Steak Seasoning, hands down. They really nailed it with that one.

Have you tried the Montreal Steak Roasted Garlic and Herbs?❤️❤️❤️

I use Spicy Montreal Steak Seasoning for burgers.

For all other spices I purchase from The Spice House, Penzey's, and a local company called Red Stick Spice Company. I love that I can buy exactly the amount I need of any given spice. I've done that a couple times.

https://www.thespicehouse.com/

https://www.penzeys.com/

https://www.redstickspice.com/

I buy herbs and spices at Trader Joe's and occasionally at Aldi - both have organics and TJ's has some really tasty seasoning blends. The rest are mainly from local bulk/natural foods markets, which are sourced from Frontier Co-Op. I find bulk to be the most economical and freshest, plus, I can get whole spices, which last the longest.

We’ve always loved this place.

https://www.savoryspiceshop.com

Lite House freeze dried for any herbs. Costco had them for a few months a while ago and got me hooked. Freeze drying them makes a world of difference. I haven't been able to find them locally so I buy them online.

“Have you tried the Montreal Steak Roasted Garlic and Herbs?”

No but I’ve seen it on the shelf. Worth trying? I’m never without the Montreal Steak Seasoning and always have a backup jar. An absolute must IMO.

I use and like many different ones. Spicely little boxes are great for things you only need for one recipe. Frontier Co-op, Spice Hunter and Simply Organic are good. Penzey's are different. They're not as dry and need to be used differently. A friend worked there and got me hooked, so I have a good amount of them. I also have a smattering of others. I do have a couple of odd things from M&B, and they, at least, are superior enough, but they aren't generally sold where I shop. For things I use by the handful, I love the giant jars from It's Delish. For saffron and vanilla, I use Vanilla Saffron Imports for the very best. I am picky in my own way, but I find most to be of good quality, and some of better than good. What I don't like are plastic jars.

Rani is one brand that I buy frequently. I generally go to either an Indian market or a Middle Eastern market to buy spices, and I buy whatever brands they happen to have. On occasion I buy spices from Amazon, especially things like large packages of sage. I go to a Japanese market to buy Japanese spices.

"My local grocer has a huge bulk product area that includes every herb/spice you can think of and I buy as much or as little as I like '"--Sadly our grocer shut their bulk section down with COVID. It shows no sign of returning. I've grown and dried my own too but am not impressed with their potency. Generic works for me. Never had an issue.

The Roasted Garlic and Herb is milder and less peppery than the regular Montreal Steak. I use the regular Montreal Steak for roasts and as a seasoning for vegetable soup.

Simply Organic rocks!

Agree the Simply Organic I’ve bought at Sprouts are good. I have a brand from “Victoria Taylor’s“ that were gifts I’ve liked, especially the Herbs de Provence.

Hmmm, wide range of responses here.

I usually buy Mccormick Organic spices. I make a lot of my own dressings that call for mustard powder, and use Colemans Mustard Powder (from Great Britain).

It was penzey's before the local store went in your face politics during the pandamonium.

Pandemonium?

I mostly buy spices bulk from an upscale grocery store. I love being able to purchase just what I'll use in the next couple of months. I use glass jars and make a label with the date. I also buy Penzey's, M&B, and Simply Organic packed by Frontier Co-op (from Sprouts). I dry my own oregano, sage, basil and mint. Living in Houston, I have fresh herbs almost year round, including a nice bay tree. Sadly, I keep killing thyme and buy that fresh from the grocery.

@ellaphant Perhaps you're trying too hard with the thyme? I'm in Sothern California, so not hugely different from Houston and my thyme decided to become ground cover. Have you tried benign neglect?

FWIW, CA is a lot dryer than areas near the Gulf of Mexico. I can't grow thyme either - the humidity is too high for it, apparently - same with lavender - or maybe it's the soil around the Gulf?

I do grow a number of herbs, but don't dry them very often, since most are the kind that are better fresh.

I love fresh bay leaf and have a little tree, but it's not doing well at all - I transplanted it from a pot to the ground and think it went into shock.

I like The Spice House. I buy the flat packs which are shipped free. Then I transfer them into bottles I already have. It’s nice because I don’t have to try to make an order of $x to get free shipping. I ordered my favorite blend, Lake Shore Drive Shallot and Herb Seasoning yesterday!

• Living in Houston, I have fresh herbs almost year round, including a nice bay tree. Sadly, I keep killing thyme and buy that fresh from the grocery.

I'm in Baton Rouge. Thyme may be considered a perennial here, but I treat it as an annual in my garden. In fact, it's time to replace what I have growing. Good drainage is important as is protection from the summer afternoon sun.

I am not sure if/why they don’t exist elsewhere - but in my area there are health food stores with fairly extensive bulk spice sections. I forget the supplier but the quality seems good. Some more exotics spices but generally the common ones. Plus mixes like chili powder and pickling mixes (tis the season)

The HF store closest to me started prepackaging into tiny bags during the pandemic and hasn’t stopped. Which depending on the spice and my use can be frustrating. Nonetheless the price per pound is generally much better than bottled grocery store prices. Plus I bought cinnamon yesterday and I had like 8 choices between forms and varieties.

The other store relatively nearby lets the customer fill bags themselves. Plus bulk bags from the supplier for the things you use a lot of. Loose leaf teas as well.

I also grow many of my own herbs, but I live in Michigan so the only ones that can last through our winters are thyme, sage and lovage. I plant basil, dill, rosemary and parsley every year and use them fresh. I've frozen basil in ice cube trays, rosemary and parsley seem to be OK dried and I never have extra dill, LOL. I do like Penzey's Vietnamese Cinnamon and my nephew uses their Venison Sausage seasoning on his yearly venison harvest. I don't like their chili powder or the fajita seasoning. I'm also very fond of their almond extract.

That said, I buy spices and herbs from all over, including the ethnic markets when I go to Grand Rapids, the Mediterraean Island is very inexpensive and also has bulk Ceylon tea which I like a lot.

Anyone remember Watkins? I bought a couple bottles of their vanilla at our local Menards on clearance and sure enough, it tastes just like vanilla, LOL.

Annie