I was looking through my spices today to see what I have on hand as I begin the christmas cookie baking. I got a little irritated when I found 4 duplicates on the shelves. One of them I will use as I use it a lot but the rest no way. I don't even know what I bought coriander for let alone two of them! So I gave one to my mom and started organizing them. I then decided to find out how old they were and how long they are supposed to last. Here is what I discovered.
Ground spices last 2-3 years
Whole spices 3-4 years
seasoning blends 1-2 years
Herbs 1-3 years
Extracts 4 years.
If you have anything in a tin can it's at least 15 years old. (Had one of those)
If it is from Baltimore it is at least 15 years old. (Had one of those)
Shows how often I look through my spices. The good news is, the stores usually do half price sales around this time, not to mention you can get a lot of stuff at Dollar tree or the 99cent store.
Btw, you know you have too much time on your hands if you are organizing your spices!
2 comments:
Hey Beth!
I buy mostly whole spices and grind them with mortar and pestle if I need it ground. Herbs I grow in the backyard (except parsley which always seems to bolt and then is no good to me). The least expensive places to get spices are in ethnic groceries: Fresno Deli for saffron, anything you need for curry and Bingo Market on Belmont for sea salt, star anise, pretty much anything.
TC,
Only a doctor would have a mortor and pestle. LOL So where did you get that? I'll have to go to the Bingo market. I shop there when I want asian food but not usually for anything else. Anything else good there?
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