Ring in the New Year by cleaning out something old – your spice rack.
This is the perfect time to replace those old jars of spices that have been on your spice rack so long you don’t even remember when you bought them.
Ground herbs and spices retain their best flavor for only a year. So pitch out those jars from times gone by. Whole spices will retain flavorful for up to 2 years, so you can keep those a bit longer.
To determine whether a spice is so old it needs to be replaced, check to see if the color has faded, or if the spice has caked up. An unpleasant odor is another sign that spices have passed their prime.
Light, heat, and moisture all cause herbs and spices to lose their flavor more quickly. Move your spice rack away from the stove if that’s where you have it now. It’s also best to choose ground herbs and spices in metal tins with tight fitting lids (instead of clear glass jars) to lessen their exposure to light. Also, keep them in a cool, dry cabinet or pantry and they will retain their flavor longer.
Purchase smaller quantities of herbs and spices that you don’t use very often, then next year at this time "ringing in the new" will be quick and easy.
Suzanne Lieurance is a freelance writer, children's author, and owner of the Three Angels Gourmet Co. Read her daily food tips at http:// http://www.threeangelsgourmet.blogspot.com and visit the Three Angels Gourmet website at http://www.threeangelsgourmet.com for a line of "heavenly gourmet mixes."
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