does anyone know how long spices r good for?

Question

my grandma passed away and i got her old spice collection, i remember her having them as far back as 20years, they r in tightly sealed in little containers.r they safe to use??

Answer 1

I send you my condolences.
I would keep your Grandma's spices in a place of honor, preferably in the kitchen, to remind everyone who notices them that your Grandma's essence is still with you. Here are some websites that you may find helpful in the future. As for using your Grandma's, I wouldn't, so that you will always have them just the way your Grandma last saw them.

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Answer 2

The good news is, spices do not spoil. The bad news is, they lose their strength. What is interesting is that a lot of cookbook writers tell you to purge your pantry once an herb or spice is about 6 months old.
Stored in an airtight container, in a cool, dry place, spices retain their potency longer than you'd think — as long as 4 years for whole spices, 2 to 3 years for ground spices, and 1 to 3 years for leafy herbs, depending on the herb. Whole peppercorns, nutmegs, and cinnamon sticks hold on to their flavor for ages. Particularly potent whole spices, such as cloves, cumin, and cardamom will also last for a long, long time.

Herbs lose their flavor faster than spices. Dried herbs that have no color and no or very little smell when crumbled in the palm of your hand are probably too old for practical use. Yet even if they don't look all that green anymore, but still have some oomph when crumbled in you hand, use them freely.

For ground spices, shake the jar, let it settle and give a sniff. If there's essentially no smell, it should be tossed out. If the spices have a bit of fragrance left but are not as potent as you remember or think they should be, just use more in the recipe. Then you'll run out sooner and have a reason to start fresh with a new batch.

Answer 3

They're PROBABLY safe... but they probably wouldn't taste good. Herbs & spices lose the stuff that makes them taste good over time, so unless she's been replenishing her supply by putting new herbs in the old containers (or getting containers that look just the same for 20 years - which is possible with some of the companies) hers are almost certainly no good.

The best way to tell is to look at them individually. If the color is off, or if you can take a pinch of it and not smell it, it's probably no good any more.

Answer 4

Old spices are probably safe to use, but so tasteless to be almost worthless. Spices completely sealed last only a couple of years. One that are open frequently should be replaced after a year.

Answer 5

They're probably safe to use,but will most likely taste like shredded newspaper.
A good rule of thumb is to discard unused spices after 6 months to a year.But you might want to keep the jars.They might be of value to a collector.

Answer 6

They will be safe to use but may be worthless as thier potency may have gone away. Best way is to open each container and smell the contents to see if they are still viable for cooking. If not then throw away and buy fresh replacement boxes.

Answer 7

I'm sorry about your granny.
If i were u i wouldn't use it right now. For now i would just keep for show, keep it on the kitchen shelf or something!!! I'm not really sure if you can eat it but i wouldn't