If you're passionate about cooking, you probably feel a great sense of
pride when it comes to your spice collection. But the downside of owning
everything from Allspice to Za'atar is that their shelf-life is shorter
than you think. Further, expired spices have noticeably less flavor,
potency, and color vibrancy. But all is not lost!
First, we offer shopping tips for selecting longer-lasting spices, and then we suggest how often to check those jars' expiration dates. Finally, we recommend 10 ways to repurpose expired spices and reduce unnecessary waste. Perhaps you'll come up with some more on your own!
Shop Wisely
Getting the most out of your spices starts at the grocery store or market by opting for whole spices over ground whenever possible. This is because whole spices have less surface area that's exposed to oxygen—the key offender in the spice degradation game—so they hold onto their flavor longer.
Additionally, shop for spices at specialty markets or spice stores rather than your local supermarket. While they may be a bit more expensive, spices sold at a specialty market are likely to stay fresh longer, which helps you save money in the end.
Do a Spice Rack Sweep
It's a good idea to do a sweep of your spice rack every 6 months to make sure you're not still using the old stuff. Cooking with fresh spices results in the most bold, flavorful dishes possible.
Ways to Use Expired Spices
Before you toss those old spices in the trash, consider repurposing them. Here are 10 ideas to get you started.
Craft Seasonal Candles
Who doesn't love to celebrate fall with a fragrant candle? To make your own, melt soy wax, coconut oil, and spices—like ginger, cinnamon, clove, and vanilla bean—in a double boiler. Then, holding a wick vertically (using tweezers or clothespin), slowly pour the mixture into a heat-resistant glass container, like a mason jar.
Create Natural Dyes
Colorful spices like turmeric, saffron, and paprika are effective for making fabric dye:
- Wrap each spice separately in a cheesecloth pouch and boil a pot of water.
- Drop one of the bundles into the pot and simmer for about an hour.
- Add 1 cup white vinegar into the colored water, place the fabric in the pot, and simmer for about 30 minutes.
- Remove the fabric, ring it out, and hang dry.
And don't forget about Easter eggs! Expired spices make a fabulous all natural dye for decorative eggs. Try paprika for orange and turmeric for yellow.
Keep Insects Away
Yes, you can repel little critters with your spice cabinet rejects, because bugs and insects hate the scent of certain spices. Fill sachet bags with expired spices and place them in areas where bugs like to congregate. Here's a partial list of spices and the pests purported to be repelled by them:
- Bay leaves - cockroaches
- Chili pepper - spider mites, thrips, whitefly, aphids, lace bugs, and leaf-hoppers
- Chives - aphids
- Cinnamon - ants, cockroaches, spiders, fruit flies, rats, wasps, earwigs, silverfish, mosquitoes, and bed bugs
- Garlic – stinkbugs, root maggots, beetles, carrot root flies, and mosquitos
- Sage – ants, flies, and mosquitoes
Make Potpourri
Heating spices helps express their aroma and transform them into ace potpourri material. To make potpourri, just boil a pot of water and add ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, or cloves. Throw in some citrus peels, too.
Craft a Bar of Soap
Spices smell wonderful in DIY soap, and their granular bits act as a natural exfoliant. These are some of the most popular spices for soap-making:
- Anise
- Basil
- Cinnamon
- Ginger and gingerbread spice
- Pumpkin pie spice
- Rosemary
- Sage
- Thyme
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