AFA safety is concerned, it does go on forever :-) It won't cause any distress by eating it regardless of how long it has been hanging around but it may lose some of its effectiveness in cooking and baking.

This is assuming it has been kept dry and in a sealed container.

Agreed.

Thank you both. This what I thought… or thought I remembered.

So many pantry spices are fine for years, especially the whole pods/seeds like star anice, cardomon, (except for the black cardomon that can be juicy/gummy and should be frozen). Allspice whole seed seem fragrant forever. Dried leaves lose flavor quickly. Dill, thyme, and summer/winter savory hold flavor for longer.

I'm familiar with old spices having grown up with my mothers minimal collction over the stovetop. A dozen or so that do not have scan codes---just old 50cents sticker prices. No longer fragrant and useless as a spice. Guessing 30 years old. My MIL has similar in her Penzy collection. Tiny bags 20 years old. I made a decent spice blend with some of her old dead spices. Dried rosemary is a good perky pick-up spice in a Mediterranean blend.

I made a big batch of curry last night using 90% fresh whole seed. Some ground like tumeric and mustard.. The allspice, star anice, and green cardomon are still fragrant so i just doubled the amount. Minor player in my spice blend.

The most important keeping fresh is yeast and baking powder. Yeast in the freezer and baking powder labeled with the date opened on the lid with a sharpie.

I buy bulk but grocery tiny bottle amounts are expensive. Investing in a 15 dollar spice grinder or 2-3 bucks at a yard sale is indispensable for homemade spice blends.

Old but still fragrant spices can add quite a bit to homemade spice blends.

Any spice that clumps because of moisture should be tossed.

I purchase almost all of my dried herbs and spices in bulk so I buy in small amounts but often. In most cases, freshness governs flavor and I want to taste whatever I have added. IME, bulk prices for these products is far more economical than buying them in the supermarket in sizes it will take a lifetime to use up!

To your point, gardengal, I've been buying the smaller containers of spices these last couple of years. I live alone, mostly cook for one, and use few dried spices unless called for by a specific recipe. I do grow and use a lot of fresh herbs... and dry a few.

As long as it doesn't get wet, it's all good.