Comments on: How long do spices last?

By: Joanne

Joanne — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 05:31:56 +0000

They keep for a very long time in cool, dry conditions. But they slowly lose flavour after the expiry date.

By: Rab

Rab — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 04:42:13 +0000

Hi Cristol,I would just keep the rack and wash out the jars after throwing the spices .there should be use by or sell by dates on every jar if they are recent. You can even buy different jars as they usually come in standard sizes to fit these racks.I hope this helps,all the best.Rab.

By: Megan

Megan — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 04:32:11 +0000

Spices never really go bad, but they can lose their potency if kept for too long. Whole spices can last up to 4 years if kept in the right conditions (airtight container, cool, dry place). Ground spices can last 2-3 years, and leafy herbs last 1-3 years depending on the herb. Really strong spices like cinnamon sticks, cloves, cumin, nutmeg, ect. can last much longer than other spices.

If you want to know how to tell if a spice is still potent, just smell it (for ground spices, give the jar a shake before you smell them). If you can hardly smell it, it probably won’t have much flavor so don’t use it. If you can smell it fairly well, it should taste fine.

Hope this helped!

By: Gothic

Gothic — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 04:06:05 +0000

Um I would not use any spices bought from a yard sale.
I would throw them out and restock the jars after cleaning.
Are you really putting your trust and life in some yard sale owners hand, who knows if they tampered with the herbs and spices in the jars.

By: CHEF,SLC,UT,RETIRED

CHEF,SLC,UT,RETIRED — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 03:29:47 +0000

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/326261

By: madison

madison — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 03:09:35 +0000

some spices last months and others last years!