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I hate wasting food.

I have no problem with using up all my vegetables or meats – those just get transformed into something like salads, soups, stir fries or fried rice. The problem we have is usually with fruits (they go bad so fast!) and spices.

When we were packing up our kitchen to move, I realized that nearly every single spice I owned was over 6 years old. I even found a mustard powder from 2001, hidden way back in the pantry. What’s the shelf life of spices? I get conflicting answers – I once had a spice companies tell me to switch out every 6 months. Searching for an answer online, I found several sources that say 1-2 years and another that stated 3-4 years.

Spices lose their aromas and potency over time, and some even become rancid. The problem? Spices are expensive.

Fresh herbs are expensive too! That’s why we always grow our own. But in certain times of the year, when the garden is shut down, it’s hard to maintain a full herb garden. Many recipes will call for sprigs of multiple herbs – and when you buy at the grocery store, that adds up. But these recipes might call for a tablespoon of minced fresh mint, or just a small sprig of rosemary. How do you keep the unused portion fresh?

We’re loving the concept of Ground 2 Table, a new company focused on “Buy small, use it all.” They sell spice blends packages and flavor kits that are non-GMO, organic, salt-free, sugar-free and kosher.

Best of all, their spice blends are made for 1-3 uses, so that you don’t waste any.

My favorite spice blend is their All-Purpose, which includes: organic onion, organic garlic, organic black pepper, organic cayenne, organic lemon peel powder, organic ground bay leaf, organic ground mustard, organic ground cumin, organic ground coriander.

The Gourmet Favor Kits are recipe-based – the Steak includes all the spices and fresh herbs you need for a fantastic steak dinner: Fresh Italian parsley, rosemary, oregano, thyme and our Steak spice blend for 1 lb of steak.