Whole Spice Storage? How Long?

Where to buy, how to use. Stuffers, casings, spices, grinders, etc.

Whole Spice Storage? How Long?

Postby JLPicard » Mon Feb 27, 2012 3:23 pm

I want to buy some bulk whole seed spices like Fennel and Coriander. I can get a good deal on 5 pound bags of these much used spices, but concerned about storage. Does anyone have any knowledge about storing un-ground spices long term? Should I go to the trouble to get some Mylar bags and vacuum seal them in smaller portions?

I always assumed that since they were dried and whole they would retain their flavors longer than if they were ground, so they could be stored and used for a long period. It is more then likely they WILL retain their flavors longer than ground, but not for a long protracted time.
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Postby SausageBoy » Mon Feb 27, 2012 3:34 pm

I vac pack and toss in the freezer.


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Postby grisell » Mon Feb 27, 2012 3:45 pm

I'm not so choosy when it comes to dried spices. Some of my spices have been standing in the kitchen cupboard for 10-20 years or more. :oops:

Seriously, I don't think much will happen to them if they are kept airtight, at least not for a couple of years. Herbs lose their aroma faster. Anyway, that's my impression.
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Postby vagreys » Mon Feb 27, 2012 8:34 pm

The spice industry would love for you to replace your spices as frequently as possible. Ground spices, stored properly, last longer than the spice vendors want you to believe. Whole spices last much longer than that. Oxidation is always the problem. You can extend the life of your spices, ground or whole, by storing them in airtight containers, away from light and heat. I do not store spices in the kitchen, but in a separate, dry space. I have an antique Hoosier cabinet in another room that serves as my spice, tea and coffee storage. Small amounts get stored there in brown glass jars with oxy-seal tops behind closed cabinet doors. Large amounts are vac packed and stored in the freezer. If I could use opaque vac bags, I would. I have spices that are still potent after several years. Ground spices, even stored well, taste more like sawdust than fragrant spices after a year or two. In my experience, whole spices last me several years or more, depending on the spice.
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Postby RodinBangkok » Tue Feb 28, 2012 9:17 am

Well I gotta say that the only way we use spices is to grind fresh for each usage. I came to this realization many years ago when I first came to Asia and realized the tremendous difference in fresh ground versus purchased ground. With a few exceptions the difference is night and day. We buy whole in large quantities from these guys:

http://www.bangkokchili.com/history.html

It's a Disney land for spices when you go into their Chinatown shop their product line is huge.

Here's the way we store them if need be:

Place in an airtight container, if you have a vacuum sealer thats the best. Place in the freezer. Now to really extend their life when you need to replenish your daily use container, pull the sealed pack out of the freezer and let it come to full room temp before opening it. This prevents moisture from condensing if you'd have opened it cold. I learned this from a yeast supplier, as yeast is extremely sensitive to moisture it was what he recommended for yeast. I've done the same ever since for whole spices also and have never sensed a difference in the ground quality. I cannot say the same for even short term stored ground spices, they just loose their intensity too quickly. We use a mortar and pestle mostly measuring by weight the whole spices for our mixes, then pound away. IMHO you get the best quality from the best ingredients processed the best way you know how.
Know one will ever convince to go back to using pre-ground anything unless I cannot get it whole, that's the case with our smoked paprika and chipotle powders, with those we use the same technique described above for storage, and try and buy not in too excessive quantity.
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