Slightly OT: the secrets of shelf life

[DeniseGoldberg]

My sister sent me a link to an interesting article titled "the secrets of shelf life". It's about the shelf life of kitchen staples - and since we sometimes do explore recipes (cooking!) here, I thought it might be helpful to others too.

Anyone here have a cupboard full of old spices?
http://www.delawareonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2007702210334


--- Denise

[traveller_62]

Umm. Yipes. I've got lot's of the offending McCormick's spices described in the article that I probably "inherited" from my parents when I left for college several decades ago....

Then again, left to my own devices I live on Kashi cereal so it isn't like I'm likely to notice when spices have lost their punch. Maybe my spice tins qualify as antiques at this point?

- CB

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

I'm good about throwing old food out.
DH thinks I'm nuts when I throw out spices after 2-3 years and buy fresh ones.
I just find they don't have much taste after a couple of years. What's the point in adding tasteless spices to foods? :confused:

[chickwhorips]

i never thought about herbs and spices having a shelf life. thanks for the article!
i guess it explains why some of my herbs don't have quite that "kick" anymore.

[7rider]

I'm with you, Traveller - "Inherited" spices in the cubboard.

I think I saw a McCormick ad with the coupons in a recent Sunday paper insert that mentioned this about the Baltimore address and the tin cans. I have dried mustard that's been following me around since I moved out of my parent's house...in 1990! I never use it, but gads! I can't throw it out.

But is it just me, or do I find it hard to find plain old basic spices anymore? Am I not looking in the right section? I go to the store and they have all these blends- "Lemon and Herb" "Steak House" and who knows what else. I just want basic old basil. Or dill weed. Why is that so hard to find?

[divingbiker]

But is it just me, or do I find it hard to find plain old basic spices anymore? Am I not looking in the right section? I just want basic old basil. Or dill weed. Why is that so hard to find?

Hey, Regina, just go to a food co-op and you can find all the basic spices you'll ever need, and for way less money than in the grocery store. You can buy as much or as little as you need from the bulk bins. The Takoma Park-Silver Spring Co-op is in the same shopping center as your LBS, isn't it? Check it out the next time you're at the bike shop.

[traveller_62]

I have dried mustard that's been following me around since I moved out of my parent's house...

Ah yes. Dried mustard. That is definitely one of the vintage spices in my cupboard. I also have a very nice tin of Old Bay Seasoning from the 70's.

:)

- CB