ADMIN: Useful information - Or is that my Oregano or did my Caraway Seeds grow mold?

[amireal]

First I'd like to say that membership in this community has increased to 72 members and 86 watching in just two days. I'd like to welcome all the new people, especially the ones I don't recognize any which way. Seriously, I don't get how some of you found this place

Comments

[flosspyromaniac]

I take it you mean dried herbs rather than fresh, cos you're talking a few days to week maybe otherwise ^.^

[amireal]

Oops. Yes. :p

[hearthandheart]

I found this wonderful community through hippyfeet and I will pass the word on to my Friends List!

So prepare to bounce some more!! :)

[jenna_thorn]

I fear that after a year and a half or so, even dried herbs and ground spices would be so dusty as to be stale and less than desireable. Even frozen herbs will lose potency, first on freezing, and then as they age, even chilled.

Whole spices, less so, though I've been known to use up old peppercorns, old cloves, etc to clear them out to get new before the flurry of fall baking. I've not had sea salt get stale, but some, like particularly cinnamon, age badly.

My opinion, of course, and I've been told that I'm unecessarily fussy about such things. But I'd try very hard to cycle spices within a year.

extracts

[an_kayoh]

Extracts may last years, but a major problem with them is storage. I've had extracts sweat through glass bottles in less than a year.

Re: extracts

[amireal]

I tend to buy the smallest amounts possible so I'm not sure I've ever had this problem. But it's something to note. Any solution other than watch your liquid levels?

Re: extracts

[an_kayoh]

I also tend to buy the itty-bitty bottles. Vanilla extract doesn't pose as much as a problem but the fruity one (orange) often vanish before I find them again.
I can't suggest anything other than, if you're going to use orange or lemon (or cinnamon...*sigh*) extracts that you use them up quickly...or find funnny little empty bottles in your fridge.

[windtear]

I find shelf life is directly related to the conditions of where the spices are kept. I keep mine in the pantry, on a high shelf, nowhere near my refrigerator or stove. The door stays shut so the shelf is dark most of the time, and remains unexposed to heat or cold beyond the general environment, and I've kept spices for up to five years.

In contrast, my mother keeps hers on a shelf with a glass door, and hers don't keep longer than three years; my sister has her spice rack beside her stove, and hers are gone in a year (fortunately she uses them regularly so they're not wasted). So that table's a good rule of thumb but there are things you can do to help it along. I'd never dream of putting my spices near heat (the stove) or cold (in the fridge).