Finally the days are getting longer and the weather on most days is becoming bearable. Well it must also mean that its that time of year again --- time for spring cleaning. There is nothing quite as wonderful as putting your snow shovel back into the farthest reaches of your garage, washing windows and cleaning off the picnic table for the warmer months just around the corner. Well, be sure that you dont neglect your spice cabinet!
The best way to get started is to pull all of your spices out of the cabinets, drawers, fridge and any other crazy place that they may end up in over the long winter months. You need to be able to inventory all the spices that you actually have. I have found the easiest method is to separate them alphabetically. This way you can also see all of the duplicates. Good lord how many bay leaves does one family need to have anyway?
Next its time to starting checking for expired spices. First concentrate on those spices and herbs that actually have dates listed. Throw out all that have expired dates. Now take a look at all that have no dates listed and check for freshness. You will use your eyes, nose and touch for this part: Are the colors still bright and vibrant or are they washed out and faded? Do they still possess a strong aromatic presence or do they smell weak and are the herbs brittle and crumbly? If any of your spices or herbs dont past these tests --- toss em out!
Now its time for the duplicates, if they havent expired and the expiration dates are close you could combine these together or take the older of them and whip up your own seasoning blends. If you do make up your own seasonings make sure that you label and date them. Some will take their faded spices (less than 30 days past expiration) and bring them back to life by lightly toasting over low heat in a frying pan.
My rule of thumb regarding shelf life is: for ground or powdered spices 1-3 years; whole spices 2-3 years; seasoning blends 1-2 years; herbs 1-3 years; extracts 3-4 years (except for vanilla which lasts forever). And my golden rule when in doubt throw it out.
Remember our helpful spice storage hints and store your spices and herbs away from heat, moisture and light and dont freeze. So if your normal spice location is above the heat and moisture of your stove --- find a new dark place for them. And when it comes to your capsicums (like paprika and chili powder) you should refrigerate these to help them retain their vibrant colors. Remember it is best to store you spices at a consistent temperature of less than 70 degrees for the longest shelf life.
I always recommend purchasing your spices, herbs and seasoning blends in smaller quantities to provide maximum freshness. I also prefer to purchase whole spices as they maintain their flavor and aroma much long and can be freshly ground when needed. You can purchase a top grade coffee or spice grinder for under $30. And be sure not to use your spice grinder for coffee or vice versa as the tastes do not mix well.
If you prefer to purchase some of your most often used spices in bulk be sure you date and label these. While we like to periodically see what is in our spice cabinet our favorite to clean and reorganize this cabinet is in the spring to get ready for grillin season.
Although we really grill all year long, even when its snowing, sleeting and ridiculously cold, there is nothing like grilling for family and friend get-togethers when warm weather finally returns. So this is the perfect time to make sure that not only are our favorite spices all up-to-date but also to ensure that we have all the spices that we need to prepare our warm weather favorites.
The best way to get started is to pull all of your spices out of the cabinets, drawers, fridge and any other crazy place that they may end up in over the long winter months. You need to be able to inventory all the spices that you actually have. I have found the easiest method is to separate them alphabetically. This way you can also see all of the duplicates. Good lord how many bay leaves does one family need to have anyway?
Next its time to starting checking for expired spices. First concentrate on those spices and herbs that actually have dates listed. Throw out all that have expired dates. Now take a look at all that have no dates listed and check for freshness. You will use your eyes, nose and touch for this part: Are the colors still bright and vibrant or are they washed out and faded? Do they still possess a strong aromatic presence or do they smell weak and are the herbs brittle and crumbly? If any of your spices or herbs dont past these tests --- toss em out!
Now its time for the duplicates, if they havent expired and the expiration dates are close you could combine these together or take the older of them and whip up your own seasoning blends. If you do make up your own seasonings make sure that you label and date them. Some will take their faded spices (less than 30 days past expiration) and bring them back to life by lightly toasting over low heat in a frying pan.
My rule of thumb regarding shelf life is: for ground or powdered spices 1-3 years; whole spices 2-3 years; seasoning blends 1-2 years; herbs 1-3 years; extracts 3-4 years (except for vanilla which lasts forever). And my golden rule when in doubt throw it out.
Remember our helpful spice storage hints and store your spices and herbs away from heat, moisture and light and dont freeze. So if your normal spice location is above the heat and moisture of your stove --- find a new dark place for them. And when it comes to your capsicums (like paprika and chili powder) you should refrigerate these to help them retain their vibrant colors. Remember it is best to store you spices at a consistent temperature of less than 70 degrees for the longest shelf life.
I always recommend purchasing your spices, herbs and seasoning blends in smaller quantities to provide maximum freshness. I also prefer to purchase whole spices as they maintain their flavor and aroma much long and can be freshly ground when needed. You can purchase a top grade coffee or spice grinder for under $30. And be sure not to use your spice grinder for coffee or vice versa as the tastes do not mix well.
If you prefer to purchase some of your most often used spices in bulk be sure you date and label these. While we like to periodically see what is in our spice cabinet our favorite to clean and reorganize this cabinet is in the spring to get ready for grillin season.
Although we really grill all year long, even when its snowing, sleeting and ridiculously cold, there is nothing like grilling for family and friend get-togethers when warm weather finally returns. So this is the perfect time to make sure that not only are our favorite spices all up-to-date but also to ensure that we have all the spices that we need to prepare our warm weather favorites.
About the Author:
Stock up your spice cabinet with only gourmet spices and herbs. To discover more about the highest quality, freshest spices, herbs and seasoning blends visit Spices Inc.com.
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