How long do our spices last?

LOTS of people have been asking how long do our spices keep, and how to tell if they should toss the spices in their cupboard.

The shelf-life of our spices can be measured in years. How do I know? I tested this on one of our most “volatile” blends. Let me explain: … No, there is too much, let me sum-up.

Spices don't really go “bad” (unless they get wet) so much as they lose all their essential oils, which are what makes spices taste the way they do. These oils are otherwise known as volatile oils. They're called that because they volatilize, or evaporate into the air easily at relatively low temperatures.

So, I tested our Jambalaya blend, which has some of the most volatile spices in it of our blends. I kept it a jar like what you always get from us for 5 years. It took between 4 and 4 ½ years for it to get as weak as I would expect of something that comes from the supermarket.

Why did it take so long????

Two things: The potency of spice we use to begin with, and what we package it in.

The Oregano my family grows for me is 3x stronger than anything else I can buy! This is the potency which I look for when I source the rest of our spices. The more potent, the better!

We package our spices in glass, with a glass top, a good gasket, and a pressure-fit-top (that wonderful little wire closure). Most other spice blends are packaged in plastic, or with a plastic top. The problem with this is that plastics allow essential oils to go pass through them rather than being trapped in with your spices. Essential oils cannot pass through glass! We like to keep all that wonderful flavor IN your jar rather than smelling up your pantry until you use it!

SO! How can you tell when your spices have “given up”?

1. For green spices, look at the color: Is it vibrant, or faded? This is a dead giveaway. If it's faded, yellowed, or brown, go to step two.

2. Open the jar and take a good whiff. Do the spices smell like dust and grass? IF yes, go to 3, if no, put it back, it's great.

3. Pour some on your palm and crush it. Smell again. Do they still smell the same? IF yes, toss them, they're done. If no, use more than usual to get the flavor you want. They're getting old, but they're not done yet.