Looking to store some spices like pepper and chili powder. Stuff that I cant grow in an herb garden but that we use. What is the best way to store it and what is the shelf life of this stuff? If it lasts a good long time I will probably buy some of the big restaurant containers at BJs. Thanks.
Spice storage and life
- Thread starter mecoastie
- Start date
The best way to store any spices is in as WHOLE a form as possible. If that's not possible (chili powder is a blend of several powdered spices) then vacuum seal it in small mylar packages or small glass canning jars and keep as cool as possible in the dark.
Stored like this, even the powdered or ground spices will keep 2-3 years (possibly longer... I'm using ground cinnamon from 1999 which is still pungent and powerful when I open a new jar).
Summerthyme
Stored like this, even the powdered or ground spices will keep 2-3 years (possibly longer... I'm using ground cinnamon from 1999 which is still pungent and powerful when I open a new jar).
Summerthyme
Dinghy
Veteran Member
I'm still using stuff I bought for y2k. I keep it in a cool, dark cupboard. I always buy when it's 2/$1 or at Big Lots for .48. I've never noticed any difference in it. If anything, it might lose a little potency and you'd have to use more to get the desired taste. I like the smaller jars, because once they're open you can use them up before they go stale.
A.T.Hagan
Inactive
What Summerthyme and Dinghy said. If possible store them in their whole form - whole peppercorns, whole nutmegs, cinnamon bark rather than powdered, etc. No matter what form they are in they'll benefit from storage in a cool, dry, dark place. The kitchen is a terrible place to store herbs and spices except for the stuff in current use.
I store all of my bulk stuff in vacuum sealed glass canning jars. If I didn't have a vacuum sealer I'd use oxygen absorbers. Essential oils are the primary contributers to spice flavor and they are sensitive to heat, light, and oxygen.
This is a link to the section on herbs and spices in the <i>Prudent Food Storage FAQ</i>. It's essentially what we've said here.
http://athagan.members.atlantic.net/PFSFAQ/PFSFAQ-3-2.html#Herbs
I'm using peppercorns and nutmegs I bought back in '97 or '98 that I can't tell are any different than the last Penzey's order we bought last year.
Anyone got a good cinnamon grinder?
.....Alan.
I store all of my bulk stuff in vacuum sealed glass canning jars. If I didn't have a vacuum sealer I'd use oxygen absorbers. Essential oils are the primary contributers to spice flavor and they are sensitive to heat, light, and oxygen.
This is a link to the section on herbs and spices in the <i>Prudent Food Storage FAQ</i>. It's essentially what we've said here.
http://athagan.members.atlantic.net/PFSFAQ/PFSFAQ-3-2.html#Herbs
I'm using peppercorns and nutmegs I bought back in '97 or '98 that I can't tell are any different than the last Penzey's order we bought last year.
Anyone got a good cinnamon grinder?
.....Alan.
psychonautbuddy
Membership Revoked
mecoastie said:
I stored some crushed red pepper (the kind with those flat little yellow seeds) in a ziplock bag back in 2002. I went looking for it recently and found that it was full worms. (Man, those are some TOUGH mealy bugs!)
I would have thought nothing would DARE chew into it, but I was wrong.I should have froze it, or sealed it up with oxygen aborbers before storing it.
Hope this helps.
Spice storage
I went through this same question about a year ago. I took a 5oz jar of garlic powder, 5oz jar of chili powder and an 8oz can of pepper and placed them in a #10 can. I then put two quart size ziplock bag on the sides and filled them with salt (about 3.5 pousd of salt) to keep things from rattleing around. This was then sealed with an oxygen absorber at the LDS cannery. I made two of these and labeled them cooking spices.
I also made two cans labeled sweet spices with cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger and again used ziplock bags filled with salt as filler. I figure that I can never have to much salt. I could have used sugar as the filler, but I already have #10 cans of sugar.
Next time I go to the cannery, I was thinking of doing this again. I also thought about doing up a couple cans of bouillon cubes. I also have 28lbs of salt that I'll put into gallon size ziplock bags and seal in four #10 cans.
I went through this same question about a year ago. I took a 5oz jar of garlic powder, 5oz jar of chili powder and an 8oz can of pepper and placed them in a #10 can. I then put two quart size ziplock bag on the sides and filled them with salt (about 3.5 pousd of salt) to keep things from rattleing around. This was then sealed with an oxygen absorber at the LDS cannery. I made two of these and labeled them cooking spices.
I also made two cans labeled sweet spices with cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger and again used ziplock bags filled with salt as filler. I figure that I can never have to much salt. I could have used sugar as the filler, but I already have #10 cans of sugar.
Next time I go to the cannery, I was thinking of doing this again. I also thought about doing up a couple cans of bouillon cubes. I also have 28lbs of salt that I'll put into gallon size ziplock bags and seal in four #10 cans.