Are you ready for your last Challenge in the kitchen. . . for now?
I am.
Today we are diving into our spices.
The rule of thumb for spices is that ground spices are good for six months.
That’s all well and good if you have an unlimited food budget. For the rest of us, use your nose. If you can still smell the spice, you can use it. If you don’t smell much of anything when you open the jar, it’s time to let it go and replace it. Now, if you have room in your budget, by all means, go ahead and replace spices that are losing their potency.
Unlike many food storage situations, this is a quality concern rather than a safety concern.
As far as organization, if you have spice mixes or rubs, you don’t like, get rid of them. There’s no reason to hang on to food you are not going to use. If you have duplicates that are open, combine them if you can. I can’t be the only one who ends up with multiple containers of basil, can I?
This one shouldn’t take too long.
Don’t forget that your local grocery store is not the only place to replace your spices. Your local Indian, Asian, and Mexican grocers often have spices at much better prices. Don’t let a trip out of your comfort zone get in the way of some of the best resources in your area.
Good luck!
