How Old are Your Spices?

By Karen Blakeslee

Wednesday, June 14, 2017

Store spices and herbs in a cool, dry, dark cabinet for best storage conditions.

Do you ever buy a can of herbs and only use it once? It happens to all of us. Then we have a cabinet full of herbs and spices that get old go out of date.

Here’s a general guide for how long to store herbs and spices:

  • Dry herbs—1-3 years
  • Ground spices—2-3 years
  • Whole spices—3-4 years
  • Seasoning/Herb blends—1-2 years
  • Extracts (except vanilla extract) – 4 years

Source: Tufts University Health & Nutrition Letter Special Supplement, June 2017