In the grand scheme of things to watch out for—heavy metals, date rape drugs, foreclosure—a jar of less-than-potent nutmeg might not seem like such a big deal. But most ground spices lose their potency after only six months, which means households all across the country are about to enter the most spice-centric time of the year with expired spices. Spice seller McCormick now offers a handy spice-dating service via its website, which is how one highly excitable reader discovered that her local supermarket was selling stuff that was 5 years old.
I bought a bottle of McCormick curry powder a few days ago at the Superfresh (NOT) at the Hillcrest Shopping Center, Lansdale PA. I checked the site and it indicated it had no record of that number. OMG! Counterfeit spice! From China! With lead and anti-freeze in it!
So I called McCormick and gave a nice woman named Jenny the number. She said it was from 2002!!!!!!!!! No lead or anti-freeze.
We think the McCormick spice-dating service is great, but we also think it’s an easy way for McCormick to push greater sales of its spices, so we looked online for some independent info about how long spices really last. Turns out, six months is about the limit for ground spices, and whole spices can last one to two years. Peppercorns are the exception, lasting 5 years or more.
Spices aren’t dangerous when they’re too old, just less potent. One website says that “greatly increased quantities will be needed to get the same strength of flavour” and that “some of the more delicate elements of the flavour may be lost entirely.”
Patty didn’t have a lot of luck convincing the Superfresh manager that he was selling old merchandise, but we greatly admire the way she got so obsessive about something the manager would obviously prefer to just ignore:
SOOOO, I go to the “Superfresh” and explain to the guy at the ‘service’ counter about the dating system and how I called McCormick and how they said the curry I bought two days ago was manufactured in 2002.He replied “we’ve only been here year so I don’t see how that could happen”
Leaving aside the IQ question I asked if he’d like to go with me to check to see if any more were out of date. He said no.
So I checked and the majority that I looked at were out of date, like one was made after 2004.
I went back and relayed this to him and he repeated they had only been there a year. I told him I would pass this information and what it implied about the freshness of their merchandise on and that I had written to The Consumerist about it. He gave me a refund card.
McCormick Spice Checker (thanks to Patty!)
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@Ailu: Spanish Paprika is crap anyway.
that’s why Old Spice is Hungry like the wolf.
I might have to call bullshit on a lot of this. I think it’s a combination of information from overzealous gourmet cooks who cook with perfection and the advice of the industry who wants to see more and more product turnover to boost earnings. I have some spices that are 5-10 years old and still taste just as good. Historically, the spices imported by caravan from China into Europe hundreds/thousands of years ago took a very long time to get to their destinations… and if they went flat over that time, there wouldn’t have been the demand for them.
@mconfoy:
I totally agree. But then, my great-grandmother was Hungarian, so I’m admittedly biased.
For those looking for little spice jars: Tones. They’re not everywhere–I’ve found that they tend to be in independent markets/corner stores–but you get about an ounce or two of spice for $1.09, which is perfect for things like tarragon, rosemary, thyme, clove — you know, the stuff you don’t use as often as you do your basil and oregano and cinnamon.
I’d venture to say that Victoria Beckham’s Spice rack will never go bad since silicone doesn’t degrade.
wow, I did not realize that, I’ll have to recheck all my spices now.
McCormick does not recommend 6 months nor 1 year though.
Checking their shelf life page, they advise:
Ground spices 2-3 years
Whole spices 3-4 years
Seasoning blends 1-2 years
Herbs 1-3 years
Extracts 4 years (except pure vanilla which is forever)
I just checked the bottle of ground cloves I bought this year, it was packaged December 2000.
@liquisoft: As far as I’m concerned, if Alton Brown says “it is so” about anything in cooking, then it is true. I remember he had a whole show about keeping your spices fresh and proper storage and all that.
Very helpful.
@RocktheDebit: No doubt. Tone’s has good spices on the cheap. And if you need something that you use all the time they have larger containers as well, and very cost-effective too.
I was staying in Baltimore when they were demolishing the old McCormick plant on the edge of the Inner Harbor. It was a massive concrete building and as the wrecking ball pulverized it, the aroma of decades of accumulated spices were released into the air. It was overwhelming.
@igg10: Six months is probably when the decline starts for most spices, not that they are totally useless by then. I think that’s what the date discrepancy is.
@mconfoy:
@RocktheDebit:
Yep — Hungarian Paprika FTW. Growing up in a household where the predominant “spices” were salt and old ground black pepper, I thought paprika was simply the stuff you sprinkled on deviled eggs for a little color. It wasn’t until a friend in Cleveland introduced me to Hungarian paprika that I realized that it actually has FLAVOR.
@Consumerist Moderator – ACAMBRAS: Hungarian Paprika in the large red tins is, ounce for ounce, cheaper than the “whatever” paprika in the little glass bottles anyway. For real fresh, tasty paprika (yes, it HAS a taste), you want Otto’s mail order: [members.aol.com] I just put in a 200 dollar order for Christmas tree bonbons, Hungarian salami, and, yes, paprika.
@stickystyle: Seconded. Whole spices, a Microplane and a coffee grinder are your friends.
@timmus: A quick Google search on ancient travel times for spice routes reveals that estimates range anywhere between 6 to 18 months, well within the “Life of Spice” table on the McCormick website. During that travel time, spices were shipped whole (unground). Whole spices keep their flavor far longer than ground spices, and shipping them whole helped preserved the spices during the lengthy travel time.
Also consider the fact that demand for spices in ancient times was likely not dictated by freshness; it was a major revelation that they had access to these spices in the first place. With the technological advancements, knowledge we have today of chemical properties in spices, and variety of spices available to us, of course the flavors and freshness will be a factor now. As previously mentioned in the OP, “Spices aren’t dangerous when they’re too old, just less potent.” I’m a bit of a pack rat myself, and if I have old spices on hand, I simply increase the amount for the recipe. Still not the same, but better than nothing.
Lastly, I’ll venture to say that if you were to purchase a new bottle of those same spices you’ve had for 5-10 years, you’ll definitely be able to taste the difference.
See here for lengthy discussion on trade times. And yes, it’s been a slow day.
Some spices are only harvested once a year. For those, changing them out every six months would at best give a marginal benefit.
“How should I store my spices and how much should I buy?” [www.alaskaspice.com]
Also, see page 4 of Penzey’s latest catalog (PDF warning): [www.penzeys.com]