SC - re: old spices

[kat]

Noemi asks:

> Having just moved the some of the same bottles of herbs, spices and
> extracts for the third time in two years I began to wonder if any of this
> stuff was still good.  What is the average shelf life for seasonings?   How
> can you tell when its time to get rid of them? (Beyond a large layer of
> dust.)


and Geordon replied:

> As far as I know, the "shelf life" of herbs for seasonings can be up to a
> year whith the herb still having the "umph" of flavor that it started with.
> Personally, I use my spices within a year of purchase, or I toss them.


Instead of just chucking them out; my trick was always:  Wait till the next time we barbecued, then throw the half-bottle or so of "weak" spices on the coals.  Yummmmmm.... 

(Of course, we got some funny looks from the neighbors when I did this with some old sun-faded basil... burning herbs can smell a lot like, well, burning herbs...)   ;-)

		- kat


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