It’s a common kitchen conundrum. One is working on a dish, only to discover that they are out of a specific spice blend. Alternatively, one might only need a small amount of a specific spice mixture for a recipe—meaning that the rest of the blend will sit in their cabinet untouched for a considerable amount of time.
Now, a user on TikTok has gone viral after sharing her solution. In a video with over 1.1 million views, musician and TikTok user Holley McCreary (@holleymccreary) shows her spice cabinet and her hack for getting the perfect spice mixture.
The video demonstrates McCreary opening her cabinet to reveal a list of various popular mixtures and how to make them yourself.
“There is every kind of seasoning mix you could ask for,” she says in the video, showing the recipe list. “I just keep this taped right here in the inside of my cabinet. That way, if I’m going for a spice packet I have—great! It’s there. If I don’t [have it], I have my spices, I have a plan.”
@holleymccreary Not to mention the sodium count in those god awful things…#spicehack #spicehacks #saveyourmoney #youdonthavetobuyit #nomorespicepackets #cookinghacks #foodie #food #foodies ♬ original sound – holleymccreary
The recipe list is available here from My Food Storage Cookbook, with the recipes themselves sourced from the blog Rainy Day Food Storage. This list contains 46 popular spice mixtures and ways to recreate them at home using common spices.
“Honestly I was sick and tired of having to track things down on Google or find some way to incorporate my iPad into my cooking arrangement,” she told the Daily Dot via email. “I found the list and was able to customize it to my preference.”
“This will absolutely date me, but I grew up watching The Frugal Gourmet, Yan Can Cook and Alton Brown,” McCreary continues. “All of these great chefs taught me I could do it, if I tried and wasn’t afraid of failing. Whether it’s to cook healthier, to specify recipes to avoid allergens, or you just want to save money… YOU can do this.”
She also says that, though she hasn’t tried all of the spice blends yet, she’s enjoyed the ones she’s made to date.
“The ones I have on my personal list have quickly become a go-to staple,” she explains, noting that her favorite is “Mulling Spice, hands down. Especially living in New England now, I absolutely love the smell and taste.”
In the comments section, many users spoke about the value of making one’s own spice blends.
“I figured this out in my mid 20s because I ran out of this Cajun seasoning blend thing,” recalled a user. “Now I don’t buy premixed blends ever.”
“I premake my seasoning blends & store them in Mason jars,” offered another. “So much easier to do that & label them.”
“I make a collection of homemade seasonings for Christmas presents,” shared a third. “Everyone always loves them.”
“‘I have my spices, I have a plan!’ is my new affirmation,” declared an additional TikToker.
