How to Save Money on Good Herbs and Spices

Herbs and spices that we see and use in our dishes everyday dishes don’t just act as an taste enhancer, but also plays an important role in having a healthier diet. With the large number of herbs we use on an everyday basis, it may become quite expensive to buy fresh herbs. Also, fresh herbs have a limited time after which the herb becomes unusable. This is also known as the shelf life. Most herbs have a shelf life of 6 months. This means that buying the fresh herbs would mean you may end up wasting the unused portion. Problems like this will cause the money sum to add up to be a great amount. However, this article will provide you tips and tricks on how to save up a bit of money and yet keep using the herbs like you always did.

Buy in bulk

When buying spices try to avoid going for the pre-packaged ones no matter how urging they might seem. Instead go over to where they have the herbs in open space, over there you can buy them in bulk. This is becoming a popular idea in most grocery stores these days since with bulk purchase you can buy the exact quantity you need and you can save up on the packaging cost. If you do not have this option in your immediate local grocery shop, try to find a natural food co-op in your area. These stores are known to have herbs and spices available in bulk. After purchase you can always store them in the old spice containers you used or small, cheap jars that are easily available in stores. Note that most spices kept in this manner have an expiration date of around 6 months.

Grow them in your windowsill

Another inexpensive idea for getting herbs at low cost is to grow them yourselves. You can grow them in small pots that can be placed on your windowsill. On the internet you can easily get the instructions on how to grow different herbs at your home. Various kits that help you grow your own herbs indoors are available for purchase online and at local store. In this manner you will not only save money, but you can also indulge yourself in the freshness of these herbs!

Purchase good herbs and spices inexpensively: Freeze or dehydrate herbs

One way to save on herbs is to waste less. Less wastage means more savings. Normal herbs have a shelf life of about 6 months, but when you freeze them, you can retain their taste up to 1 year. Upon thawing, though they won’t appear as appealing as they might have at first, but they will do the work well enough.

There is another way to reduce wastage too. To do that you can purchase a dehydrator and dry up the herbs u buy in bulk. They can then be powdered and placed into spice bottles and used for a time being of up to six months. You can get a dehydrator for about $30.00 at stores that sell camping equipment and at online stores.

Buy wholesale quantities and split them with your friends and neighbors

In order to get certain discounts on the spice costs you can buy them in large quantities from the wholesalers. Try and look about for friends or neighbors who are looking to save up on herbs too. You can buy the whole sum of herbs and spices from the wholesale dealer and then split it amongst yourselves. By following this manner you can see a noticeable amount of money saved for yourself and your friends.

Herbs and spices can be quite costly at times, but do not let that keep you from using them. You can stop buying small pre-packaged containers and already see noticeable drop in your grocery bill. Furthermore, grow them domestically and use the herbs fresh and cheap. You can follow the other tips too for an even greater save. With these tips you will be able to enjoy the contentment of enjoying the tastes of different herbs and get many of the health benefits from various fresh herbs and spices.