Section 2 Common Storage Foods
F. Cooking Adjuncts
F.3 HERBS AND SPICES
It is difficult to give exact instructions on how best to store culinary herbs and spices because there are dozens of different seeds, leaves, roots, barks, etc., we call an herb or a spice. There are, however, some general rules that may be followed to best preserve their flavors. All spices, particularly dried, are especially sensitive to heat, air, moisture, and light. Room temperature is satisfactory for storage but refrigeration or freezing is even better. What ever you do they should be kept away from heat sources. It is common for the household spice cabinet or shelf to be located over the stove, but this is really about the worst possible place to keep herbs and spices even if it is convenient. Dark opaque glass is best for storage, but failing that, keeping a tightly sealed glass container in a dark place is next best. The cellophane packets some products come in won't do. Tightly sealed metal containers will work as well. Even dense plastic will do, but glass is best.
Where possible, buy spices whole. Whole nutmegs will keep their flavor far longer than ground nutmeg, the same for other seeds and roots. You'll have to use a grater, grinder or whatever, but the difference in flavor is worth it.
If you buy spices in bulk containers (which is certainly cheaper) consider transferring some into smaller containers and keeping the larger one tightly sealed in a cool, dark place. This will prevent unwanted light and air from continually getting in and playing havoc. My large jars of reserve spices are kept in vacuum sealed jars with smaller jars of ready spices kept in the kitchen.
There are many mail order or online suppliers of bulk herbs and spices. My personal favorite is Penzey's www.penzeys.com. Their products have been consistently excellent with good prices. It's worth investigating some of these companies as they can really take the sting out of purchasing large quantities.
Updated: 9/18/96; 4/16/97; 7/21/97; 10/20/97; 9/15/98; 11/02/99; 12/01/03
Copyright © 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2003. Alan T. Hagan. All rights reserved.
Excluding contributions attributed to specific individuals or organizations all material in this work is copyrighted to Alan T. Hagan with all rights reserved. This work may be copied and distributed for free as long as the entire text, mine and the contributor's names and this copyright notice remain intact, unless my prior express permission has been obtained. This FAQ may not be distributed for financial gain, included in commercial collections or compilations, or included as a part of the content of any web site without prior, express permission from the author.
DISCLAIMER: Safe and effective food storage requires attention to detail, proper equipment and ingredients. The author makes no warranties and assumes no responsibility for errors or omissions in this text, or damages resulting from the use or misuse of information contained herein. This FAQ is not intended for, nor should it be used in, any commercial food applications.
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Table of Contents
Section 1 - Shelf Lives
Section 2 - Foods
A. Grains & legumes
B. Dairy Products
C. Eggs
D. Sugar, Honey and Other Sweeteners
E. Fats and Oils
F. Cooking Adjuncts
G. Infant Formula
- Alternatives to Breastfeeding
- Selecting and Feeding An Infant Formula
- Storing Infant Formulas and Baby Foods
H. MREs - Meals, Ready to Eat
- U.S. Military MREs
- U.S. Civilian MREs
- British/Canadian MREs
- Other Self-Heating Ready To Eat Type Products
I. Ration Bars
Section 3 - Specific Equipment Questions
A. Storage Containers
- What is Food Grade Packaging?
- Plastic Packaging
- Metal Cans
- Glass Jars
- Mylar Bags
- Reusing or Recycling Packaging
B. CO2 and Nitrogen
C. Vacuum Sealing
D. Freeze Treating
E. Oxygen Absorbers
F. Moisture in Packaging and Food Storage
- Why Moisture is Important
- What Is A Desiccant?
- Types of Desiccants
- How Do I Use Desiccants?
- Where Do I Find Desiccants?
G. Diatomaceous Earth
- What is Diatomaceous Earth?
- Where Do I Find DE and What Type Should I Buy?
- How Do I Use DE in Food Storage?
Section 4 - Spoilage
A. Insect Infestations
B. Molds in Foods
C. Bacterial Spoilage
D. Enzymatic Action in Food Spoilage
Section 5 - Shelf Lives
A. Food Product Dates
B. Closed Dating
C. Shelf Lives
Section 6 - Resources
A. Books
B. Pamphlets
C. Electronic-online
D. Organizations
E. Food and Equipment Suppliers