Author Topic: How Frequently Should I Restock My Spices??  (Read 3278 times)

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Offline awclymm

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How Frequently Should I Restock My Spices??
« on: September 30, 2018, 04:46 PM »
Hi

I went on a blitz when I first started on this hobby and bought all the spices used in the majority of recipes - how often should I replace these??

Thx

Online Peripatetic Phil

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Re: How Frequently Should I Restock My Spices??
« Reply #1 on: September 30, 2018, 05:32 PM »
Whole spices, well sealed and kept in the dark, should keep for several months; ground spices far less, and ideally are fresh-ground for each meal or at most every few days.


Offline awclymm

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Re: How Frequently Should I Restock My Spices??
« Reply #2 on: September 30, 2018, 08:23 PM »
Ah - so all of my packets of dried / powdered spices should be replaced then? Bugger. Cost me a small fortune....!

Offline chewytikka

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Re: How Frequently Should I Restock My Spices??
« Reply #3 on: September 30, 2018, 08:26 PM »
Use airtight containers, store in a cool, dark cupboard.

Whole dried spices will stay good between 5 and 10 years, maybe longer
Ive never road tested anything older than 10 years. (Dried Szechuan Pepper)

Ground spices also have a long shelf life. if they are stored correctly, as above.
Probably 2 to 3 years if you don


Online Peripatetic Phil

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Re: How Frequently Should I Restock My Spices??
« Reply #4 on: September 30, 2018, 08:39 PM »
Given conflicting advice, I would suggest making one curry with your old ground spices, and an identical curry with freshly bought replacements.  If you can tell the difference, ditch the old ones !  I label my spices in terms of year and quarter, no finer granularity, but lightly-roast and fresh-grind spices such as coriander & cumin as frequently as I can. 

Offline mickdabass

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Re: How Frequently Should I Restock My Spices??
« Reply #5 on: October 01, 2018, 09:37 AM »
coincidentally I made a curry last night and had to grind some coriander seeds and cumin seeds as I had run out of powdered. The smell was incredible, but to be honest, the final curry was no different to normal. Both packets of seeds had a 2012 use by date!!

Regards

Mick

Offline awclymm

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Re: How Frequently Should I Restock My Spices??
« Reply #6 on: October 01, 2018, 09:46 AM »
Thanks guys

I'm a bit conflicted by these answers - part of me was secretly hoping that a new batch of spices would take my curries into another dimension - and part of me was hoping that I wouldn't have to fork out a whole load of cash!

I'll keep what I've got and try to make improvements in my technique I think!

Cheers


Online Peripatetic Phil

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Re: How Frequently Should I Restock My Spices??
« Reply #7 on: October 01, 2018, 10:14 AM »
OK, good luck.  All I can say is that in my own experience, binning old spices and starting afresh can really give one's curries a lift.

** Phil.

Offline Madrasandy

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Re: How Frequently Should I Restock My Spices??
« Reply #8 on: October 01, 2018, 05:27 PM »
Whole spices, well sealed and kept in the dark, should keep for several months.

And the rest !, poor advice

Online Peripatetic Phil

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Re: How Frequently Should I Restock My Spices??
« Reply #9 on: October 01, 2018, 06:17 PM »
Whole spices, well sealed and kept in the dark, should keep for several months.

And the rest !

Are you speaking of spices where the packing has been opened, and the spices then transferred to a secondary container, or spices left unopened in their original packaging ?  In my experience, the latter will keep fresh significantly longer than the former.  Even more so when discussing ground spices rather than whole, of course.

** Phil.
« Last Edit: October 01, 2018, 10:10 PM by Peripatetic Phil »



 

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