How many of us have professed to want to eat healthier, lose weight and get organized? It’s almost as if these three things are the ultimate trifecta! Believe it or not, one of the best ways to do all three of these things is to spice up your low-calorie fare with herbs and spices.
But before you can organize your spices, you need to do a quick spice check. I’ve got this feeling we’ve got some OLD, ancient spices sitting in those cupboards! Let’s go on an archaeological dig and see what kind of fossils we can unearth. Here’s how you’re going to know you need some new spices–
You may need some new spices if:
*The date stamp on the bottom of the jar was from when you were in high school:
*The company that made the spice in the first place is out of business. Since 1980!
*The can is rusted and the label indistinguishable—you don’t know what’s in there.
*The label is missing so you smell it to identify it and can’t!
*The smell of the spice smells oddly like the garage on a rainy day.
*You mistakenly grab ground ginger for white pepper and it didn’t ruin what you were making because it had no flavor!
According to the website of McCormick Spice, if you still have spices in a tin can, you know the square and rectangular-shaped cans with shaker and spoon out tops, they are seriously out of date (with the exception of black pepper), they have not manufactured the cans in over 15 years!!
The shelf life of spices is as follows:
Ground spices: 2 to 3 years
Whole spices: 3 to 4 years
Dried Herbs: 1 to 3 years
Great rule of thumb to figure out what to keep and what to pitch—if your spice is over a year old, it needs to be tossed. To keep your spices fresh and nice, you will want to buy only what you need and mark the bottom of the container with a Sharpie, indicating the date you purchased the spice.
I love buying my spices at the health food store (they are unbelievably fresh and cheap because you buy what you need) and discount stores like Wal-Mart (2 for $1.00!). You can always have fresh spices when you get them this way.
Are you ready to spice up your life with some FRESH spices? Old Spice is cologne, not what should be hanging out in our spice drawers. Let’s get some fresh ones this week!
Now that you have all fresh and new spices, be sure and pick up a copy of our Ultimate Mix Ebook to create some spice, soup, and sauce mixes of your own!