Do herbs and spices go out of date

JudyC · 23 Oct 21, 12:19 PM

Just clearing the cupboards out. I need cumin seeds for a recipe and it's about the only one I don't have 😅

mitch84 · 23 Oct 21, 12:25 PM

No I�d use them forever. Sometimes the spices get damp eventually and clog, but if not feel free to use

marypoppins38 · 23 Oct 21, 12:49 PM

I would use them. I don't think they are going to make you sick, I just think they tend to lose a bit of their potency and flavour.

megaflyer · 23 Oct 21, 12:52 PM

I tend to toss them as they dont really taste the same to me (weak and sometimes straw or gritty sensation when they are very old)but I doubt they would make you sick

WhereIBelong · 23 Oct 21, 12:54 PM

They do not go out of date in a nasty way, but do run out of flavour. My dad used to cook with spices out of date by a couple of years - producing food that was a bit bland.

Bellasmummy · 23 Oct 21, 01:00 PM

I was thinking about this yesterday. In my aunts kitchen she has a spice rack that looks like it was last used in the 60�s, I wondered if they�d still be usable not that I�d ever try it.

**EssexSue** · 23 Oct 21, 01:10 PM

Originally Posted by Bellasmummy

I was thinking about this yesterday. In my aunts kitchen she has a spice rack that looks like it was last used in the 60�s, I wondered if they�d still be usable not that I�d ever try it.

Is it a Spice wheel? They were a big fashion when I got married in the 70s

wanye · 25 Oct 21, 08:45 AM

they dont tend to go bad, they just lose flavour/potency, so you may need to use a bit more of it in a recipe than normally.

if you have your own spice grinder (a coffee grinder that you dont use for coffee!) then buying whole spices and then toasting and grinding yourself can mean they last a lot longer than pre-ground spices...

but if your tub of ground cumin is 5 years out of date, its probably time to get a replacement...

Disney_time · 25 Oct 21, 09:28 AM

Originally Posted by EssexSue

Is it a Spice wheel? They were a big fashion when I got married in the 70s

This is my mum's. She brought it from Norway in the 70's I cleaned it up and refilled it for my niece.

**EssexSue** · 25 Oct 21, 09:44 AM

Originally Posted by Disney_time

This is my mum's. She brought it from Norway in the 70's I cleaned it up and refilled it for my niece.

I had a pine one of those! I didn't have a clue what most of the things in it were or what to do with them but no kitchen was complete without one.

23 Oct 21, 12:19 PM	#1
	23 Oct 21, 12:19 PM JudyC Imagineer
JudyC Imagineer Join Date: May 05	Do herbs and spices go out of date Just clearing the cupboards out. I need cumin seeds for a recipe and it's about the only one I don't have 😅 __________________ 2018 Vegas & San Diego 2017 Vegas/Arizona/Utah 2013 New York/Vegas/California 2010 California 2000 2004 2006 2008 2011 2015 Nov 24 in planning mode Florida 93 94 03 2023 DLP

23 Oct 21, 12:49 PM	#3
	23 Oct 21, 12:49 PM marypoppins38 Imagineer
marypoppins38 Imagineer Join Date: Mar 10	I would use them. I don't think they are going to make you sick, I just think they tend to lose a bit of their potency and flavour.

23 Oct 21, 12:52 PM	#4
	23 Oct 21, 12:52 PM megaflyer Imagineer
megaflyer Imagineer Join Date: Nov 07	I tend to toss them as they dont really taste the same to me (weak and sometimes straw or gritty sensation when they are very old)but I doubt they would make you sick

23 Oct 21, 12:54 PM	#5
	23 Oct 21, 12:54 PM WhereIBelong Imagineer
WhereIBelong Imagineer Join Date: Aug 15	They do not go out of date in a nasty way, but do run out of flavour. My dad used to cook with spices out of date by a couple of years - producing food that was a bit bland. Edited at 12:55 PM.