Spices don’t last forever, and fresher is better. If you have a few spices you don’t use all that often, make sure they haven’t lost that flavour with this cheat sheet.
Whole spices tend to last longer, while dried herbs, flowers and zested citrus lie on the shorter end of the spectrum. You may get a slightly longer shelf life than quoted in the sheet, but freshness will usually start to decline after a few months.
Check out the chart below and if you haven’t given your spice drawer a good cleaning in a while, now may be a good time.
[Via Serious Eats]
This story has been updated since its original publication.
[referenced url=”https://www.lifehacker.com.au/2020/03/this-infographic-tells-you-how-to-best-use-herbs-in-your-cooking/” thumb=”https://www.lifehacker.com.au/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2018/12/Herbs-410×231.jpg” title=”You’re (Probably) Cooking With Herbs Wrong” excerpt=”Herbs are an essential part of cooking, but it isn’t always clear how to use them properly to enhance a recipe. This easy-to-read infographic tells you all about the major herbs and the best pairings for them.”]
Comments
5 responses to “When To Throw Out Old Cooking Spices”
So I should probably replace the cayenne pepper that’s been in the back of the cupboard for the last 10 years?
My mother is the worst spice hoarder – she has every Masterfoods label redesign going back to the 1970s.
I’m not that bad.. I mean I threw those out last year 😀
How long does vegemite last? Just found a small jar at the back of the cupboard (Best before June 1998)
in 1000 years time someone will find a jar of vegemite like that fruit cake they found recently except the vegemite will still be good to eat.