When Do Spices Give Up The Ghost?

How long can bottled spices be kept; what is the shelf life? The good news is, spices typically do not spoil. The bad news is, they lose their strength. What is interesting is that a lot of cookbook writers tell you to purge your pantry once an herb or spice is about 6 months old. But most spice
companies are not so reckless. They tell you to keep and use the spices as long as they appear to have flavor—and they trust you to be able to tell! Stored in an airtight container, in a cool, dry place, spices retain their potency longer than you’d think — as long as 4 years for whole spices, 2 to 3 years for ground spices, and 1 to 3 years for leafy herbs, depending on the herb. Whole peppercorns, nutmegs and cinnamon sticks hold on to their flavor for ages. Particularly potent whole spices, such as cloves, cumin, and cardamom will also last for a long time. For ground spices, shake the jar, let it settle, and give a sniff. If there’s essentially no smell, it should be tossed out. If the spices have a bit of fragrance left but are not as potent as you remember or think they should be, just use more in the recipe. Then you’ll run out sooner and have a reason to start fresh with a new batch. Of paramount importance in getting the most flavor and value out of your herbs and spices is to store them well — nowhere near the heat of the stove, nowhere near the humidity of the stove or dishwasher, nowhere bright and sunny. But don’t get the idea that putting them in the freezer is ideal, either. Condensation will be a problem each time the bottle comes out of the freezer and is likely to introduce moisture in the
spices. Similarly, don’t ever shake herbs or spices out of the bottle directly into something you’re cooking — that’s the quickest way possible to steam and despoil your spices.

As Watkins associates, realize that most people have spices on their kitchen shelf that they’ve had for 5, sometimes 10 or more years. Compare the smell of a new Watkins spice to one that is years old. What a difference! Almost everyone needs a new set of spices. And guess what? We have the best!!

Information taken from oChef.com.