Spice Up Your Life

I love pinterest and have tried many recipes, crafts, decorations, etc from that amazing website. Out of boredom one night I decided to do an overhaul of my spices and work on creating some of my own spice blends. I have the same spice rack full of the original supply of spices from our wedding registry. I realized there were some spices I've never even opened and although I didn't know the exact shelf life of spices and herbs, I figured 4 years was too much. I used the chart located at the bottom of the blog as proof that it was time to say farewell to most of my herb spices.

I went on a trek to Sprouts and discovered my new favorite part of the the store: bulk herbs. From there I filled up about 9 bags of herbs (all only 99 cents an ounce). For the lighter herbs that is beyond a great deal! When I came home I refilled many of my herb/spice jars and created several homemade spice blends from pinterest.

Poultry Seasoning

http://pinterest.com/pin/257127459948004734

Italian Seasoning

http://pinterest.com/pin/257127459948004704

Faijta Seasoning

http://pinterest.com/pin/257127459948004691

Steak Seasoning

http://pinterest.com/pin/286330488779923656

You may be wondering why I would even spend the time to make my own seasonings when I can buy all of these pre-mixed and ready for me at the grocery store. A couple reasons come to mind:
1. guaranteed no MSG
2. less sodium goes into my spice mixtures than store made ones
3. fun!

I encourage you to try to it

Herbs and Spices Shelf Life

			Freezer

	Pantry	Refrigerator	Freezer
Spices, whole	1-3 years	- -	2-3 years
Spices, ground	6-12 months	- -	1-2 years
Herb/Spice Blends, opened	1 year	- -	- -
Herb/Spice Blends, unopened	2 years	- -	- -
Herbs	6-12 months	- -	1-2 years
Chili Powder	6 months	- -	- -
Herbs, flakes or crushed	6-12 months	- -	- -
Fresh Herbs	- -	Up to 1 week	- -
Garlic	1 month	1-2 weeks	1 month

Handling Tips: 

Store in airtight containers in dry places away from sunlight and heat.

Whole cloves, nutmeg, and cinnamon sticks maintain quality beyond 2 year period.

Dried spices and herbs don't spoil; they just gradually lose their aroma and taste. If properly stored, they may be fine well past the "use by" date. Color aroma, and taste are all indicators of quality. Check potency by pouring a small amount in the palm of your hand (if seeds, crush first) and then sniff. If the scent is gone, discard the spice.

According to the experts at the Spice House, freezing won't hurt dried spices and herbs, but it probably won't extend their shelf life either.

Whole spices last longer than ground ones. For best quality, buy whole spices and grind them yourself just before use.

Refrigerate and DO NOT freeze fresh herbs. Basil is the most fragile. If it turns gray, discard it.

Source(s): 

Boyer, Renee, and Julie McKinney. "Food Storage Guidelines for Consumers." Virginia Cooperative Extension (2009): n. pag. Web. 7 Dec 2009.