Tip of the Day: The Spice Cabinet

Why not take a few minutes today to go through your spice cupboard and do a little organization?
Here are a few things to keep in mind as you sort and throw away.
The good news is, spices 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 the spice companies -among them McCormick - 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-

  4 years for whole spices, 

  2 to 3 years for ground spices

  1 to 3 years for leafy herbs (depending on the herb). 

Whole peppercorns and cinnamon sticks hold their flavor for ages. Particularly potent whole spices, such as cloves, cumin and cardamom will also last for a long, long time.

Herbs lose their flavor faster than spices. Dried herbs that have no color and no or very little smell when crumbled in the palm of your hand are probably too old for practical use. Yet even if they don't look all that green anymore, but still have some oomph when crumbled in your hand, use them freely.

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.

It is hugely important  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. Also, 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 spoil your spices.

If you live in San Antonio, HEB's Central Market (Mecca) :) has a fantastic selection of fresh herbs and spices in bulk.  You can measure out exactly what you want. Central Market also has honey, balsamic vinegar and wonderful olive oils which you can measure to your own needs as well.  I've found that it is much more economical to get my herbs (that I don't grow myself) spices etc. this way and I know it is much more fresh that what I might find in a jar at the grocery store.
I'm sure your town has somewhere to get herbs and spices in bulk. (Whole Foods, Health food stores etc.)  If not, there are a plethora of on-line sources to buy from.  Here are a few of my favorites. www.myspicesage.com, www.spicesetc.com, www.spiceandherbs.com
For a complete list of herbs and spices for the well stocked pantry see the "Simply Home" blog entry "Essential Herbs and Spices".

Sue