Spice Shelf Life

[bainbrig]

For example cumin seeds, fennel seeds - I did a dish today, same as usual, and it tasted ‘stronger’ than a couple of weeks ago, and I was wondering whether topping up my spice jars was a factor.

BB

[Old_Geezer]

I'd guess different spices have different shelf lives. Probably best to replace after 6 months.

[Buenchico]

Scroll down to the list of common spices here:
https://www.wideopeneats.com/mccormick-spices-expire/

See also here:
https://www.stilltasty.com/articles/view/67

[KARL]

Over time, seeds of all kinds, including for example coffee, lose oils, etc. to evaporation. When used as ingredients in food and/or drink the fading of flavour will eventually be noticeable to people. In the case of coffee the change is noticeable over a particularly short time, especially once ground. Even other vegetable matter has this same characteristic. That cloves exude gases/fumes is especially evident if they are stored in a plastic container - we have one that shows serious effects, including changes to the container's shape.

[bainbrig]

Thanks, useful links and answers.

I suspect that the seeds I bought recently were from a different supplier, and possibly from a different source (or even country).

Lesson: stick to one supplier, one source, for consistency...

BB

[retrocop]

Never store herbs or spices in daylight.Some spices have a longer shelf life than herbs. Peppercorns verses Fenugreek leaves for instance. All my herbs and spices are stored in about forty Egbert's coffee jars and I filled one up with fenugreek once. Within a week the leaves went from green to yellow and lost all flavour. I keep them in the jar now within a black plastic liner.

[spathiphyllum]

Herbs lose their fragrance over time. They become duller, more musky and dry.

[bainbrig]

All mine in two cupboards, (dark), all in jars, good screw-tops, so I'm tending to rule out the old and musty ideas... I still think my latest Fennel seeds might be from a different country! I once had this with cinnamon bark - Sri Lankan is dark and pungent, and the new stuff I think was Chinese - very light colour, and not much flavour.

BB

[retrocop]

Agreed. Spices from different countries of origin do differ in taste. We have a Turkish hypermarket that sells Chinese garlic cheap as chips but is flavourless. We always pay more for Spanish Garlic in Sainsbury.