Your Spices? Expired!
Sugar, spice and everything nice is only so nice for a couple of months. Your spice rack may be filled with little bottles of seasoning with the power to enhance any dish on the planet, but the truth is, they can only do this for so long. Many of us are guilty of keeping those containers of magic dust — ubiquitous allspice, heat-inducing chili powder and please-add-it-to-everything cinnamon — in our pantries way past their due dates. Are you ready for it? According to Karen Page, author of “The Flavor Bible” (and most recently, “The Vegetarian Flavor Bible”), spices should be replaced every six to 12 months. When dealing with ground spices, veer on the side of a decreased shelf-life. Whole spices, like cinnamon sticks and peppercorn, will last a little longer.
