vs.
My first rule of thumb on spices is if you can’t remember the last time you used it, then you may want to start with a new bottle. The truth about dried spices and herbs is they can be kept in a cool dark place for 6 months or so. If the bottles in your spice cabinet have dust, then you probably haven’t used it in 6 months. One of the best ways to tell if your spices or herbs are getting old is by looking at the color of them. Spices and dried herbs change color with age, your once bright red paprika now may be brownish. Dried herbs will no longer have a green color, but will appear grayish. The changing color of your spices indicates they are no longer as potent as they once were.
I suggest keeping the spices and dried herbs on hand that you use most frequently and buying the others in the smallest quantities possible. I always have the cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves, Italian Seasoning, Herbs de Provence, red pepper flakes, chili powder, cumin, etc. on hand. I do not buy dried herbs as much because I find the fresh ones so readily available and relatively inexpensive. If you do spring cleaning each year, it may be a good time to get rid of those old bottles of stuff you last used in 1988.(Oh, come on you know we’ve all have a bottle of something or other that we’ve had for the last 20 years…)