How to store your herbs and spices

Good cooks rely on a well-stocked spice cupboard. When you reach for that dried herb or spice, you want to know it will be full of all the flavour you expect.

Herbs and spices can last six months to five years, depending on the type. It may seem like a bargain to buy that super-size container of oregano at the discount store. But it's a lousy deal if the stuff turns tasteless before you get a chance to use it. Keep the following guidelines in mind the next time that you consider bulk buying:

• Ground herbs, spices, rubs and blends are generally good for six months to a year. Even those with salt don't hold up beyond a year.

• Whole seeds, beans, flowers and leaves are good for one to three years.

• Barks, roots, and some tubers are good for up to five years.

• How can you tell if that herb or spice is still good? First look at it. Is it still bright in colour or has it faded?
• Are there any granules in it or appearance of bugs, weevils or black spots?
• Black spots may be bug excrement. Has it gotten mouldy or formed any foreign bumps, which may be fungus, bug nests or such?
• You may have to pour it into a clear glass or dish to view the whole sample. If it passes that test, smell it. If it still smells like spices or herbs, it is still good.
• If it has no odour, then stir it up. Does this release the smell? If it has no smell, it won't have any taste either.

• Dried herbs may not be quite as savoury as fresh ones. But often they are all you have on hand. And there are a couple of ways that you can spark up their flavour in no time.
• First, always crumble dried herbs between your hands before adding them to a dish. This will help to release more flavour during cooking.
• Second, before adding dried herbs to a sauce or salad dressing, put them in hot water for a moment and then drain. They'll be greener as well as more flavourful.

When seasonings have lost too much taste to enjoy in cooking, you may still be able to enjoy their aroma. Here are some uses for old herbs:

• Try boiling your old herbs in water on the stove or in a potpourri dish. Sometimes you can coax some scent out. Once you bring the stovetop mixture to a boil, turn down the heat to let it simmer, and the scent will permeate the air.

• Another technique is to burn old herbs and spices directly on an incense charcoal or on a dish. Or just toss them in your fireplace.

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