![]() ![]() It won't do any good taking up real estate in that congested spice cabinet of yours. And don't feel guilty if you have to toss and replace a spice. If a spice has some fragrance left but is far less potent than it used to be, just double the amount called for in a recipe.Īlso, remember to keep spices, whether of the ground or whole variety, in a cool, dry place away from your stove with their lids securely fastened so that they keep as long as possible. If a spice is no longer fragrant, it's probably best to replace it. In addition to the color test, you can perform a sniff test as well. Sure enough, it tasted like "paprika light" and was definitely not worth using. Over this past summer, I encountered grayish-brown, not red, paprika at a friend's house and remember being wary. If the vibrant color has faded, then usually so has the flavor. For starters, simply pour out a little and observe its color. If you don't buy McCormick brand spices, there are a couple of things you can do to see if a spice is still good. And as McCormick notes, if a certain bottle of spice originates from Baltimore, it's at least 15 years old, and if you have Schilling brand spices, they're at least seven years old. To ensure that your spices are living up to their potent potential, in addition to a "best by" date, McCormick even has a "Fresh Taster" feature on its website where you can plug in a code found on the bottom of each McCormick spice bottle to verify its age and TOSS (Toss Old Spices Seasonally) accordingly. In fact, I was just eying an almost-empty container of dried parsley that I'm pretty sure has been living on my spice shelf for four-plus years. The many Fairway brand spices that I own aren't so transparent when it comes to their shelf life. Some spice companies like McCormick do include "best by" dates on the bottles while others don't. Pretty straightforward, eh? Sure, but unless you keep some kind of "purchased on…" checklist inside of your cabinet it's probably hard to keep track of how long each and every spice has been kicking around. ![]() Play icon The triangle icon that indicates to play
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