The Life of Spice

Extend Your Spice Life

Over the years I have cleared many a cupboard of spices that are decades old, some never used.  Whether you love to cook or just cook to eat, here are a few suggestions  from Dan Hayward, owner of Savory Spice Shop to help keep your spice rack from turning into a museum of useless items.   1)  Mark the purchase date on your spice jars with a Sharpie as soon as you take them out of the grocery bag.  A year is the typical life span of a spice.  2)  The 4 key words for spice preservation:  Cool.  Dry.  Dark.  Sealed.  3)  Store your spices away from moisture and heat, which means a reasonable distance from the stove and oven.

Get Cash From Your Old Spices

I recently met Dan Hayward for the first time at the Savory Spice Shop location in Boulder, on Broadway between Spruce and Pearl.   They also have locations in Littleton and Denver.  It’s a gorgeous store and an international adventure.   During the entire month of June, you can bring in an old spice bottle and get a buck!  Yes, you can save a dollar on any new Savory Spice Shop bottle, so you can trade in the old for new.  Hurry before this deal ends.  They also have a wonderful website where you can purchase spices at www.savoryspiceshop.com.

Here’s why I’ll buy all my spices from Savory from now on:  1)  Their prices are usually better than grocery stores.  2)  You can taste everything.  3)  You can buy in quantities as small as 1/2 an ounce– which is great if you need an exotic/expensive spice for one recipe– or as large as a pound, if you own a restaurant or cook a lot.  4)  They make their own yummy custom blends.  5)  They strive to buy from the best sources around the world to provide the best quality.  5) Their spices are not irradiated and they are expanding their organic products.  6)  The staff  is friendly and informative.

What Your Organizer Says About Spice

If you’re still not sure what to discard, here’s my advice:  1)  open the bottle and sniff the contents.  Old spices lose their scent.   2)  If it’s clumped, it should be dumped.  3)  If the label is yellowed and the graphics look dated, err on the side of tossing.