Cost Plus carries such exotica as African bird pepper, also called long pepper. Like most spice purveyors in this country, Cost Plus buys spices from an importer. For its private label, they are packaged in small, clear packets. Buy spices in small amounts so they'll be fresher. But it's hard to get rid of a tin of musty spice when you paid so much for it in the first place.
Spices are costly.
Smaller sizes cost less. In general, the less packaging there is around spices, the less expensive they will be. Start saving small jars and make your own labels if you have spices left over from the packets. And if you have old spices you can't bear to discard, consider using them in potpourri, or dump them into water and boil to freshen your home with the remaining fragrance. All rights reserved.