Buy Organics has a nice selection of organic herbs, spices and salt, ranging from lime leaf, basil, and dill to saffron, assorted curry components and blends, and chilli chipotle, to the finest French fleur de sel. (As opposed to English fleur de sel, teehee.) All at £1.99 for most containers (although the quantity varies) or £2.30 for a gram of saffron or a vanilla pod, it's extremely worthwhile. Organic herbs and spices pack far more punch than the supermarket variety so they go a lot farther. Organic ginger and cayenne are particularly spectacular.
I'm guessing these seasonings are stored in glass bottles for reasons Ella's pointed out before, but it would be nice if the glass was tinted instead of clear. Herbs and spices deterioriate if exposed to direct light and dark glass is a great way to slow that down. Conventional spice racks, with the seasonings exposed on your countertop, are actually about the stupidest storage method available. Put them in tinted glass, in a cool, dark, dry place, and you'll be amazed by how much longer they keep. Just moving the spice rack from your worktop to the back of a cupboard is an excellent start. And never, ever buy those awful supermarket spices - they're insanely overpriced and horribly poor quality. Buy them in bulk; they'll be both fresher and cheaper. -- [GT]
From: BEST OF 2008: Eco-friendy and sustainable shoes