Keep Spices Fresh & Organic As Baking Season Approaches
Two great articles to come out of Cottage Living magazine this month…”Undiscovered Wine Country” with a 5-page spread on a place very near and dear to my heart (Paso Robles, California) and “The Seasoned Palate”, a write-up about the two woman behind tsp spices. (I’m sure there were more great articles, but these were my favorites!).
tsp spices is a very clever idea concocted by Katie Luber and Sara Engram, friends who shared a passion for cooking but a lack of excitement in their previous employment at the Philadelphia Museum of Art (Katie) and at The Baltimore Sun (Sara). With a shared love of cooking, they would talk at length about their love of it which eventually led to their creating tins of longer-lasting individually packaged spices.
We all know we have spices in our cupboards that have been there for months (if not years) and obviously over time their potency and quality is diminished. But these ladies have come up with a brilliant concept in cool packaging…pre-packaged spices in 1 teaspoon quantities! You no longer have to measure them out and you can be sure they’re always fresh…and USDA organic! This is a great addition to any kitchen to get through baking season or a nice Christmas gift for the Foodie in your life. (Plus, right now it’s on sale for $30 & free shipping here). tsp spices will soon be launching their “Smart Spice” line which will consist of smaller quantities.
Posted on October 19th, 2008 by Stancie Wilson
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Packaging spices individually is a smart idea, but doesn’t that create more waste? Is the packaging made out of sustainable, recycled, or biodegradable materials?
October 21st, 2008 at 1:32 pmHi UncleBob!
I had the very same question so I emailed the company. As soon as hear back I’ll let you know. I know a lot of my spices go to waste because they are unfresh and unused so I buy more which equals more waste + more money. I love that fact that they’re organic but I, like you, definitely hope their packaging is sustainable, recycled or biodegradable materials!
October 22nd, 2008 at 8:40 amHi Uncle Bob,
October 28th, 2008 at 2:25 pmThis is Sara from tsp spices, and I am happy to address your packaging question. Katie and I thought long and hard about packaging, because it was all those jars of wasted spices in our cabinets that inspired this idea in the first place.
Our tins are easily recycled and they are good for many uses around the house, from nails and tacks to stamps, paperclips and stray Legos. Our brown gift boxes are great for recipe cards and note cards, and they make perfect treasure boxes for kids. The only part of our packaging that is not recyclable is the foil-lined packet that protects the flavor of the spices, and we are watching the packaging news like hawks for the moment when a biodegradable material will be available that will be able to seal out light, air and moisture, the 3 enemies of spice flavor.
In the meantime, we believe we are making a responsible packaging choice. The “stick packaging” technology used for our packets was developed in Japan to use less than half the amount of material found in those foil-lined packets that protect teabags.
Any packaging involves some environmental trade-offs, and we believe our packaging makes sense for the consumer. It protects the spice flavor and gives our products a long shelf life, while also making them easy for consumers to use. Certainly, this packaging makes more sense for spices than the traditional jars and bottles that force consumers to buy far more spices than they will use before the spices are as stale as last summer’s grass clippings.
I hope this helps!