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Aug 15 2012

{DECLUTTER} Clean out expired spices

Category: Kitchen • Organising

In my recent pantry clean out I was horrified to come across a spice bottle that had expired in 2008. I thought I regularly checked their expires, however I must have kept missing this one. Whilst I’m happy to use spices that are only a few months past expiry, I do throw them out after an extra 6 months than suggested, as expired spices tend to lose their flavour after time.

When you purchase spices from the supermarket check the expiry first to ensure that you are purchasing one that will not expire within the next year.

Today’s task is for you to have a look through your collection of spices and throw away any that are well and truly passed expiry.

McCormicks expiry guide suggests spices can be kept for:

  • Ground spices:  3 years
  • Whole spices: 4 years
  • Herbs:  1-3 years
  • Seed:  4 years, except poppy seeds and sesame seeds, which should be used within 2 years
  • Extracts: 4 years, except vanilla extract, which has an unlimited shelf life
  • Seasoning blends/mixes: 1-2 years  

Are you brave enough to look and take this challenge to declutter your spices?

 

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  • Jodee

    OMG – I just got rid of all thr expired spices in my spice rack and I threw out 42 bottles, 7 unopened the oldest of which was May 2005! Thank you for your fantastic website – we have started a LifeEdited project in our house – you are an ispiration. :-)

  • Laura Keller

    Here in Canada, we have a place called “Bulk Barn” where you can buy spices in just the quantity you want … really helps with this problem. For example I only use Allspice at Christmas, so I just get a couple of tablespoons at that time of year. Then I don’t have to store it for the next 12 months! I imagine you have a place like that in Oz …

  • http://twitter.com/kylapoyner Kyla

    just found some nutmeg that expired in 2003. put it in the bin, eek

  • Merran

    I emptied 6 expired spice jars. Then wondered what I could do with them. Anyone got any ideas on how we can reuse these? I thought maybe to store beads for kids craft projects, or seeds for my veggie garden …

  • Namz

    A suggestion – those dates stamps rub off after time. I normally get a marker pen and write the date on the label, so that a few year’s down the track, I can still clearly see when the spices have expired.

    • http://www.theorganisedhousewife.com.au Katrina

      That’s a clever idea!

  • CRYSTAL

    While staying at my MILs place a couple years ago, I came across spices expired in 1995. She insisted that they were still good to use. Ewww……I had to chuck them while she was out.