Have you checked your spices lately?

12 years ago

After I read Sooey's posting about finding a new spice rack, I made a mental note to go through my spices' expiration dates and see if I should toss some out.

I'm sure I've mentioned this before, but I really am not much of a cook. Not great at it, don't have the desire to learn. But occasionally I get the itch to try a recipe, maybe to duplicate a frozen entree and make it healthier or if I have a craving for something.

So how in the world did I end up with 2 containers of celery seed? I cannot even remember the recipe(s) that made me buy them. Clearly the dish turned out bad, or I'd be using that celery seed more often.

So on Sunday, I Went through a spice rack that holds 12 glass bottles of spices. Tossed those spices right out once I saw the expiration dates on the original bottles they were "decanted" from (the spice makers' Web sites have "date calendars").

I had a lot of spices, most of them expired (gee, ya think that affected how my food tasted?). One I dated myself by the store name (that one was 12 or 13 years old, based on the last time I was near a Kroger!). Now I'm down to under 10, basics like cinnamon, Italian seasoning, ginger, lemon pepper, etc. Put those 10, in the original containers, in a plastic shoebox and tucked it in a small sideboard. After those are done, I'll start marking purchase dates on their replacements.

Sure did clear up cabinet space!

Now I have to figure out what to do with all the glass bottles that the 12-spice rack came with as well the ones from my previous spice rack (which held a lot more).

Might just put the 12-spice rack back together with cleaned bottles and put it up as a freebie on Craigslist.

Any suggestions for repurposing the glass spice bottles?

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (12)

sheilajoyce_gw
12 years ago
I do not throw out spices. If anything, they lose their potency, and so I might add a little more of whatever if I have had it for a few years.

I remember reading a marketing expert's discussion of this ploy. The spice industry started this expiration date stuff. Throw out your spices after a year. A great way to sell more spices. But the product they found most impressive for selling more and more was Arm and Hammer Baking Soda. Throw it out but do so by pouring it down your sink to freshen your pipes. Or just buy it in the first place to pour down the drain. Put it in the refrigerator, the whole box, to freshen the refrigerator, and then replace it every so many months and throw the old stuff out, down the drain if you like.

Nope, I don't throw good money away.
dotmom
12 years ago
I did when I was getting ready for our move to our downstairs Apt. I went through all the cupboards, closets and drawers, and brutally tossed stuff. I found I had a lot of duplicate containers of spices, so tossed the oldest ones. Sheilajoyce, I've wondered about that, of spices really do go bad. Recently I was going to make a salad that called for Cumin, and found I didn't have any, so asked a neighbor if she had some I could borrow. She gave me her container and I noticed it expired 4 years ago! But I couldn't go out to buy new, so I tasted it and it tasted like......Cumin. So I used it, and the salad tasted like it should. I usually buy spices in the smallest container, (I know I'm paying dearly for that) but I don't use them all that much and am more likely to use them up.
Related Discussions
TN, KY and environs: check your late weekend weather forecast
Q
Comments (35)
I know it wont be as bad, but DARN, I was just outside and everything is just starting to look good. Ann, you know things have developed slowly this year, and that was good because we didn't need a repeat of last year. So to loose it now would be doubly bad. It's not just the roses, although to lose the buds on my once blooming monster QE would be bad, but the hydrangeas and my poor Japanese maples that almost lost half their growth last year from frost damage. And my one crepe myrtle that got badly zapped last year and is now 3 feet shorter than the ones near it and is all budded out already. I did read in Horticulture Mag that last year was a perfect storm. Warmer than normal Winter and March seduced everything to grow earlier than normal. Then ZAP 3-4 days and nights of freezing temps. Good thing is it is going to be wet, so that should help. And I have bags of shredded leaves that I can put on somethings like my hydrangeas and at least protect the lower growth. And it's not going to be as cold during the day (supposedly) so maybe that will make a difference.
...See More
If you're a gardener but have no land check this out..
Q
Comments (1)
I don't have land but sure would like to "Share a Garden" where I could experiment by planting Strawberries and Blueberries in containers. Also I didn't see anything listings that interested me.
...See More
Have you been to your local nursery lately?
Q
Comments (20)
Come on by, Mandib! We've been getting lots of deliveries. Ten trucks or more a week (and man I feel it ~ I have to help unload every single one ;). Many of them are vegetable plants (got 350 flats of tomatoes and peppers alone last week) and perennials, but also many shrubs and trees. "Vegetable plants at the NG seemed to go quickly this year but perhaps that's because I'm fairly new to veggie gardening and don't know any better." Nope, Redthistle, they really are going quickly. It's amazing ~ half of those tomatoes and peppers I mentioned above were gone by Friday at closing (only a day or two!), along with fully 1/3 of the fifty or so flats of strawberries. If you want to get in on the best selection, sign up for the newsletter next time you're in the store (look for the stand with the clipboard to the left of the bathrooms) and be sure to come in on a Friday morning. Most deliveries are on Wednesdays and Thursdays, so best selection is on Friday morning. The newsletter goes out on Thursdays and lists what we got that week. If it's hard for you to get in on Friday mornings, it's best to call before you come just to make sure what you want is still there. And here's a tip on picking good tomato and pepper plants ~ look for the seed leaves. If they're still there and nicely green, that's a sign that the plant has been treated very well. Those seed leaves are very susceptible to mistreatment, yellowing or browning at almost the slightest thing, so if they're there you can rest assured that the plant wasn't severely overwatered, underwatered, overfed, etc. Of course if the tomato plant was buried extra-deep when it was transplanted, the seed leaves will be buried and you won't be able to tell, but it holds true on most plants. An ugly hole ~ PERFECT description of it, Lou_Midlothian. Ha! "...but unfortunately, they have been there too long last time I saw them." How can you tell, Lou? I'm not doubting you ~ I'm trying to pick up tips anywhere I can get them. And which growers use those pots? I'd love to know so I might could bring it up to the people who do the ordering. They probably have reasons for not ordering from them (they like to order from smaller, local growers, so maybe that's it), but then again it might be that they just don't know about them. Good job on planting and caring for those trees, too, Lou. They look GREAT! It looks like you avoided another common mistake ~ burying the root flare. Did you prune off the lower branches, too? I like doing that as it really does make those trees jump up out of the ground, doesn't it?
...See More
Have You Checked Out Your Dryer Lint Filter & Vent? Check Out My
Q
Comments (20)
Been there, done that...lint is such a HUGE annoyance to my life. We're in a 2nd floor condo where the dryer vent ducting goes to the roof through the attic over 20 feet and several elbows. My husband bought the condo years before we met, and the ducting was clogged after several years. At the time, he decided to disconnect the vent from the duct. The resulting moisture did some damage to the cabinetry (swelling of the particle board, even under layers of oil-based paint). Soon after we married, he decided we needed to fix the problem correctly. He went up into the attic and disassembled the ducting, brought it outside, and blew it out with his air compressor. I pushed some cleaning tool through it as well. We can't be doing this regularly! I mean preferably, never again! So, I had him put a filter -- a gallon paint strainer -- over the dryer vent where it connects to the machine. This clogs every month or so, we pull the machine out, disconnect the vent, clean the strainer, and put it back. This is still an annoying chore, but not the nightmare of dealing with the whole duct run. My husband had a cool idea, that what we need to do is sew a new, longer strainer that tapers to a skinny point, so that even when it clogs at the point, there can still be air flowing past the clogged strainer, and we should be able to go longer between cleanings. We got a new dryer last summer, and pulled the ducting out of the attic to clean it -- but it was already clean as a whistle. So, our secondary filter system has kept the duct run clean for 9 years. I found you can buy secondary lint traps with a door that opens to clean them out, but we don't have room to install the box in our laundry room, and I don't think it would work any better or be easier to clean than our homemade filter. When I redo the floor, I plan to put magic slider thingies under the dryer feet to make it easier to move in and out, plus I won't want to gouge my new floor. I have researched other solutions. People claim that solid metal vent will maintain better airflow than pleated, but I think it will still clog because we need 2 90-degree elbows to get it connected to the duct in the wall. And if it clogs, how do we pull out the machine with a non-stretching vent? If we could move the duct in the wall to match the dryer vent outlet, that would eliminate 2 elbows and would probably help... I also found you can install a secondary fan in the ducting near the exit, increasing the airspeed in long ducts so the lint won't clog. They cost $150-200, but if I never had to clean out the duct run or pull out the dryer to clean my makeshift secondary lint trap ever again, it would be well worth it. I also think that our ducting is leaky somewhere, because rooms on the other side of the wall (our master bath) get crusted with lint all the time. Finding and sealing those leaks would probably improve airspeed some, plus save me tons of work cleaning the lint all the time. I think the additional fan is the way to go. In 2 other areas where we replaced an ineffective low-cfm cheap fan with a high-cfm good one, like the hood over our cooktop, it made an amazing difference, night and day. Here is a link that might be useful: example of dryer duct fan
...See More
bigack
12 years ago
I mostly use Garlic powder, onion salt, cumin, chili powder, cinnamon, and curry powder. Don't have a lot of the unusual spices. I buy these as soon as they run out, esp. garlic salt.
jannie
12 years ago
I'm going thru my spices today. I know many are over ten years old. Also checking my fridge for leftovers, anything open, "suspicious", etc. My compost pile is the place they are going, provided my dog Molly stays out of the pile. SHe's been known to go in there and graze, later vomiting.
minnie_tx
12 years ago
I read a while back on how to check spices you are worried about. Put a small amount on a clean piece of tying paper and set on a table or counter overnight. In the morning if you see little trails coming out of the pile then toss the spice out !!!
country_bumpkin_al
12 years ago
I keep my spices in the door of my freezer. Now and then I go through them and toss certain ones. Not even sure why I buy so many differents kinds..there's only a few I actually USE! lol
goldy
12 years ago
I don't think spices go bad.They might get buggy but not bad.The ancient people used spices to preserve everything even mummies.a spice is a seed and a seed if it"s dry can't go bad.As long as it's in a dry container.Stop throwing away good money.
lazypup
12 years ago
When i go to buy spices I get so damned mad I could spit...they have an entire isle in the grocery store devoted to spices, but it is an all day chore to sort through the nonesense and find real spices. They have all sorts of rubs and stubs and some things are even packed in tubs, but where are the spices? A hamburger blend, a steak blend, a pot roast blend, a fish blend, a chicken blend, seafood blend, shellfish blend, cajun blend and on and on, but where are the spices? Garlic salt, lemon pepper salt, sea salt, fine ground salt, and on and on..but where are the spices?

I grew up on a farm and we only ate what we raised so I learned how to cook from scratch and it is extremely rare if I open a cookbook.

I probably have over 50 basic spices in my rack, not to mention my herb garden and the ginger root and horseradish root in the fridge yet none of my spices last long enough to exceed the recommended shelf life.
kathyg_in_mi
12 years ago
Use the spice rack and bottles in the garage. Great for nuts, bolts, etc.
Kathy G in MI
linda_in_iowa
12 years ago
For about the last 30 years I have been buying my spices in bulk at a natural foods store. Cinnamon costs about $5 for a jar at the grocery store, in bulk I buy about 3 tablespoons for less than $1. I then refill my spice jar. I used to do this with my flour, etc. Check out the spices and dry goods in a natural foods store.
suzieque
12 years ago
What is "tying paper"?

And would the little trail be bugs?
joyfulguy
12 years ago
Check your current spices first ... if you see movement among a couple, it probably indicates the presence of livestock ...

... which, if you choose to use them for their usual purpose, will add a little extra protein to you diet, that day.

On the other hand, if you spread them on a tray and put them in the oven on low for a while, the unwanted residents'll likely desert the place. It may work if you put the tray out into strong sunlight, as well, especially if you cover some pieces of cardboard with sheet aluminum and have the reflected sunlight shine on the tray, as well.

Probably a good idea to drop them into a sieve and give them a shake, after the livestock 's departure, to get rid of their offloaded material, as well.

I have a dim view of the claim that spices expire ... especially after a specified date. It depends on how they've been stored. I suggest that you try them to see whether they have retained at least a measure of their potency and be guided largely by that standard.

As to the future regarding the ones that you decide to discard, here's what you do.

Gather a dozen neighbours ... friends ... relatives ...

... well, not "gather" ... but contact them.

Ask their opinion, especially of the ones that use quite a lot of spices, as to the validity of the "expiry date" project ... whether they've used old ones and what results they've had.

See if they need some spices, of the kinds that you feel that you need to replace.

Check out a place that you can buy them in bulk: as Linda said, they come a lot cheaper, that way.

Buy some and share them with the other needy folks.

While you're at it ... possibly some of your contacts may know some spicy stories which they may be willing to share ... you could pass them on ... and gain a reputation (of sorts).

ole joyfuelled ... fuelled partially also by spicy stories ... but fresh out of fresh ones, at the moment

P.S. If you end up with some empty bottles - they're great for holding small screws, map pins, regular pins, thumbtacks, paper clips, etc. (a bit too small to store store teeth, though).

o j

Have you checked your spices lately?

Comments (12)

sheilajoyce_gw

dotmom

Related Discussions

bigack

jannie

minnie_tx

country_bumpkin_al

goldy

lazypup

kathyg_in_mi

linda_in_iowa

suzieque

joyfulguy

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US