[Sca-cooks] How long do whole spices last??

ranvaig at columbus.rr.com ranvaig at columbus.rr.com
Tue Aug 8 05:39:50 PDT 2006


>Hello from long-lost Phillipa Seton.
>:-)
>Can someone tell me how long whole spices last? I have some that are at
>least 5 years old.
>Thanks a lot.
>Be well,
>Phillipa

Good to see you here again.

I have some whole nutmegs that I bought in '80 or so, kept in a small 
glass bottle with a tight stopper. When I use it, I grate off a bit 
to a fresh surface, then grate what I need.  It's lost some strength, 
but still better than ground nutmeg from the store, even when that is 
"new".

Whole seeds like fennel or coriander, I usually discard any older 
than 3 years old.   They still have some flavor but not enough to 
suit me.  I bought the big bottle of black pepper from Sams and it 
was gone before I felt the need to discard it, maybe 3 years.

Ranvaig



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