Comments on: About how long do bottled dry spices last?

By: Doodlestuff

Doodlestuff — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 16:55:31 +0000

About a year and a half. You can really tell a flavor difference between fresh and the older stuff. I continue to use older stuff like cinnamon and nutmeg because I add it to cooked stuff. For baked stuff, I really want it fresh.

By: MYRA C

MYRA C — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 20:36:59 +0000

I keep my spices in the pantry, cool and dark. I don’t pay a lot of attention to the dates but I smell them & taste them. Some I use a lot of , others that I don’t use often I test prior to making a particular meal if it’s special. Special meals I plan up to 2 weeks in advance so that there is no danger of running short of anything.

The one thing I am scrupulous about is yeast. I never use after the date, ever.

We don’t care for heavily spiced foods.

By: mil414

mil414 — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 00:22:07 +0000

This is my rule of thumb, when you open the container and the spice no longer has a smell, it’s time to toss it. I know a lot of people say after 6 months toss it some go by the expiration date, I don’t.I trust my nose.

By: Rae

Rae — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 17:58:53 +0000

when you buy them mark the month and year on the bottle. for instance if you bought it now put an 01/08 on it.

its suggested through i cannot remember…. that you replace a spice after you’ve had it over a year or a year and a half.

TIP: if you know you cook italian food a lot rather than buying all the spices seperately, buy it all mixed together. you’ll use it faster and save money!
pumpkin pie spice is also good rather than taking up space and wasting money on all the different ingredients in it.

By: Tseruyah

Tseruyah — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 14:29:55 +0000

Spices are dried and do not go bad but do lose their potency of flavor, color and can go stale.

Most experts recommend tossing your opened spices six months after the date of purchase.

Paprika keeps better in the refrigerator, as do most spices, as long as the humidity is low.

It’s most economical to buy the locally-packaged spices in plastic bags than the McCormick’s or other jarred spices. The big companies have to spend more on their fancier packaging and advertising and the prices per ounce reflect just that.

By: princessil0523

princessil0523 — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 23:28:48 +0000

rule of thumb,

if the spice bottle has an expriation date, follow it, otherwise dont keep it longer than a year.