Magnetic Spice Jars

And how to dry your own herbs

Our house has limited pantry space, and these magnetic spice jars have been a perfect solution in our kitchen. They fit nicely on the side of my fridge and keep my dried herbs and spices easily accessible while I’m cooking. I’m not a fan of having a cluttered counter, so I like the option to keep these jars up and away from my work surfaces. And the chalkboard labels make it so much easier to find what I’m looking for than digging through a drawer or cabinet.

I bought these spice tins on Amazon. They are a nice large size for storing herbs that you harvest from your garden or buy in bulk at the grocery store. The lids come off to refill them, but they also have holes on the side for easily shaking out spices while you cook. The magnets are strong enough to stay firmly attached to your fridge without sliding down. I added stick-on chalkboard labels like these. They come with a chalkboard marker which you can wash off if you want to change what it says. I use these chalkboard stickers to label tons of things… jars, indoor plants, meals in the freezer, etc. A single pack lasts a long time.

Harvesting and Drying Herbs

We have a small landscaped area with some herbs at the side of our house. It is very rustic (meaning full of weeds!), but that just goes along with having a large property. We sometimes have to remind ourselves that if we wanted a nicely manicured yard, we would have chosen to live in a very different place! Anyway, I am a big fan of planting herbs in the yard because they are easy to care for, generally deer-resistant, and both beautiful and useful. And who doesn’t like edible landscaping? I like to cook with fresh herbs while they’re in season, but I’ve also started cutting and drying my herbs for use during the winter months.

From left to right: parsley, lavender, thyme, sage, and rosemary. Other good options for an herb garden include oregano, mint, and basil, all of which I intend to harvest before the end of the summer. The deer in our area eat the parsley and basil, but leave the rest alone. When you cut herbs for drying, cut bundles early in the day, just like you would with cut flowers. I don’t know why this is important, I just know that this is what the experts say to do!

I use twine or string to tie the herb stems into bundles, and then tie a loop in the string. This makes it easy to hang the bunches on hooks or nails in your kitchen or another dry space in your house. In a couple of weeks, the herbs should feel dry to the touch and crumble when you rub them between your fingers. At this point, they are ready to be chopped by hand or with a food processor and put into your spice jars.