I’ve not heard of this but I’ve often thought about how nice it could be to have this sort of arrangement among close (proximity) friends. A ”register your spices” type of website database where you update what you have to share. I have this thought when I buy a spice for one specific recipe, or when discarding something I’ve been hesitant to throw out despite being past its prime.

Could be extended to other pantry non-staples. And even for some more perishable items - herbs come to mind. I’m often more torn about buying herbs. They don’t tend to be very expensive, but it seems wasteful and adds up if all you want is a tablespoon or two of something. I‘d forgo fresh herbs far less frequently if I could offer up the rest of the bunch after I’ve taken my pinch.

It’s awesome that your parents have this arrangement!

This is a wonderful idea. I am thinking about how I could organize this on my block.

I hate the smells of a well stocked spice cabinet. Those smells end up seeping into the wood of the cabinet and eventually into the kitchen. I would love to be able to store spices elsewhere, out of my house, specially all the bbq rubs my DH keeps buying!!

I love this idea! Sometimes when I need just a small amount of a certain spice for a recipe, I go to the local bulk store (it's also handy for things like cookie sprinkles or side treats like chocolate covered almonds.) It's only about 2.5 miles away, but I don't get anything else near there so sometimes I just buy a jar at my local grocery store. Then I have a jar of something I don't really need taking up space in my cabinet.

A spice library would be fun for cooking and also meeting new neighbors! I can see this expanding into sharing recipes, meals, and socializing.

My local library has a program, where small bags of a spice are available each month. You take a bag, and then there is on online cooking class, preparing a dish using that spice. I have not done it, but it sounds like fun!

That's a wonderful idea. My library has had seed packets free for the taking during planting time. I have been disappointed before in buying a small amount of spice from "the bins". The concept is great, but I have noted little to no aroma from the spice before. I don't want it if it's not knock your socks off fresh smelling.

True about the spices @chispa .I hope it doesn't make the books smell like a spice cabinet. It probably will. Perhaps they can store them in an airtight box. I loathe the smell of a spice cabinet and spice aisle. I rarely cook with spice. Salt, lemon, and fresh herbs are my go to flavorings.

I love this idea! Thanks for sharing it.

That's very suitable for a vertical coop building but maybe not so much in other circumstances.

Just thinking a moment about how screwy some people are, I'd probably be willing to contribute to such an effort but I'd unlikely want to borrow from one.

I’ve thought about this. My block is eight households, maybe twelve if you include folks around the corner. We all know each other, more or less. My neighbor has a key to my house, my other neighbor sits my cat, across the street adopted a cat I couldn’t keep, I bought a ’58 Bugeye Sprite from another neighbor, etc. We have a group email thread going. No one sketchy.

I’m thinking I could put a minifridge or cabinet on my porch or in my driveway, with a combination padlock, we all know the combo. Or a padlocked cabinet on a post like a Little Free Library, there are two of those on our block as well.

Post to the thread. ”Hey, just added _______ to the spice library.” Logistically it could work. I just don’t know if enough folks are avid enough cooks to use the library. I guess I should ask.

I was wondering who would be responsible for replacing empties. Plus, I am not as forward-thinking as others. If I need a tsp. of something will I remember to get it BEFORE I start cooking? And transporting that tsp. to my kitchen? I know that Martha Stewart has all these tiny glass bowls for her ingredients, but she also has people to wash them for her.

John - I would make sure it doesn’t sit in a sunny spot, but a “Spice Library” sounds great.
Maybe a Spice Swap in your neighborhood would work? Then everyone donates the nearly-full bottle of something they bought for one recipe and get one they need.

@faftris - My understanding, this would be for less commonly used spices that you happen to have on hand. For me an example would be smoked paprika. I use it once in a blue moon, and when it’s used it’s pretty important. But ”once in a blue moon” means I rarely make a substantial dent in the jar before feeling the need to replace it. I’d love to share the rest. Or have somewhere to grab a few teaspoons rather than buy a jar.

To Elmer’s point, I could see this more easily working in a vertical ”coop” (sic 😂) and is why in my idea it would involve a simple database in a neighborhood setting. I’d be much more likely to go down the street to fetch some if I know it’s there.

@foodonastump - I have a GREAT recipe with Smoked Paprika! I now have two jars of it so I don’t run out.

In Franklin, TN there is an amazing Spice Store. I have taken every visiting friend there and they usually spend at least an hour browsing. I can walk the whole shopping area before they finish…..

I think it is going to work great in their building library, basement, no sunlight, and a retired librarian who does a fantastic job of organizing the library, I can only image the spice shelf will be as well done. This fifty unit building has card games going in the lobby four afternoons a week, movies on the roof deck in the summer once a week, holiday parties, a building cook out, everyone shares the grill on the roof nicely, improptu gatherings for drink, and it is all full of the nicest people you'd ever meet.

My coop in Manhattan has 540 units. We have a communal herb garden in the summer that anyone who lives there can snip from. I never, ever remember to get herbs before I cook. My neighbor uses it regularly.

No way in hell would I do a spice library in our coop. There are three truly evil and crazy people who live there and are resentful of the coop board, neighbors, restraining orders have been taking out on them by other neighbors. They have held up city mandated replacement of our gasline projects for months by refusing to let engineers enter their unit. While I'm not sure they would poison the spice library with something that would kill anyone, I can imagine them causing other kinds of spice mayhem just because they are clearly mentally ill odd balls. (Although they have been crazy for decades, they happen to be the only three vocal MAGAs in the building too.)

I don't have an extensive personal "library" of spices and dried herbs but I'm attentive to what I have. I write the date of purchase on each container and toss them after 12 months. (I read that advice from a prominent chef once who suggested a combination of checking age and sniffing contents to decide what to keep and what not to keep.

Am I likely to find fresh items in a shared space or not? Am I likely to happen upon a peculiar prank by someone whose head isn't screwed on right? There's no reason to wonder about it.

As KW PNW mentioned, I too eat sparingly at potluck events. Crackers or chips, fine. Other things don't appeal to me, not knowing the cleanliness or kitchen habits and after-preparation handling of the items (hot things hot, cold things cold, etc.). It's not a phobia, I just don't find food in such circumstances to be appealing. I like to know what I'm eating.

I don't eat at potlucks and avoid buffets because of germs. As far as the cleanliness of a prep space, well, I'd never eat at a restaurant if I were concerned about that.

In my area, health department restaurant inspection reports are available online. I don't regularly visit the sites but when I'm considering going somewhere that could be sketchy, I do spend a moment to look up its inspection history.

Beyond that, a little common sense also helps. It isn't something I think much about other than in the extreme cases mentioned above - small, semi-grubby looking little places where (usually) a quick lookup is reassuring.

Sounds as if it might work - you know, like communism. I’ll pass.

I bought sumac powder once. Used only about a tsp.. Forgot what food or ethnic food i was cooking at the time.

Unless I am in esthetic and hygenic harmony with another person’s sensibilities, I do no believe I want to share or exchange.

I don’t know whether I would use it or not. Maybe if it was something I knew I would never use again.

I was reminded of something when others mentioned spice smell. When I was pregnant with my first child I was working as a scanning coordinator in a supermarket. I was all over the store every day. There were 2 sections which started giving my dry heaves so I had to hold my breath and walk real fast past them. One was the spices. I had completely forgotten about that! It started at work, but soon after I had to be careful at home holding my breath when reaching in my pantry. The other section of store that was a problem I couldn’t figure out what it was. A coworker went up and down the aisle sniffing lol. It turned out it was a slight wax smell from the candles. They were unscented candles in glass for Jewish holidays. Once I knew what it was I could hold my breath and zoom by! It was strange.

Back to spices. There are some that get used once or twice then tossed. It would be nice to pass them on.

I don't think I'd want to use spices from jars other people had been digging into. I honestly don't find I have a problem with left over spices. I generally double amounts given and I use pretty much all of them all the time because I don't stick rigidly to recipes. If I have a thing I'll use it as the whim takes me. And they're right by the stove. Having to go elsewhere to pick up a few teaspoons of stuff seems like hard work. I normally just look in the cupboard for inspiration. If they were out of sight I'd probably not think to use them.

All in all the idea seems to me like a sledgehammer to crack a nut.