Spices from year to year

amother

Mon, Apr 08 2019, 9:49 am

How long can they be kept
They’re so expensive
If they smell ok is it ok to use
Which ones do we need to chuck

ra_mom

Mon, Apr 08 2019, 9:58 am

Sometimes they lose potency but it's ok to use it from last year.
If you're buying fresh spices, maybe store in the freezer until the next year.
But really best thing to do it hold onto it until you run out of that spice during the year and then use it then.

sbk

Mon, Apr 08 2019, 12:14 pm

don't know if this is applicable abroad, but in EY spices (at least with a good pesachdik hechsher) are really 100% pure -- better than the chometzt ones. Even if the label doesn't say so during the year, they might add preservatives or whatever. After Pesach I usually buy a supply of pesachdik spices. (In some of the larger stores they're less expensive then.) they keep very well in the refrigerator or freezer.
On & off have kept pesachdik spices together with the Pesach dishes -- wrapped well in saran or a plastic bag. s time goes by, might have to use a little bit more.

tichellady

Mon, Apr 08 2019, 12:52 pm

amother wrote:

Ask your rav....my rav says you cant use spices from year to year

Why?

SixOfWands

Mon, Apr 08 2019, 1:00 pm

amother wrote:

Ask your rav....my rav says you cant use spices from year to year

Are you sure he doesn't mean that if you use KLP spices year round, they can't be used for Pesach because they've been in your kitchen? I can't imagine the issue if they're stored away.

zaq

Mon, Apr 08 2019, 2:39 pm

I used to keep them for years, till one fine Pesach all my ground spices smelled less like spices and more like the dust in my vacuum cleaner! They weren’t spoiled as in putrid, just so old that all the volatile compounds that make up the flavor were either evaporated or oxidized. I now limit my hoarding to one year. The following year I keep the spices for chometz after Pesach and buy fresh the next year.

Vinegar I keep till it’s used up or till it’s not worth storing a big bottle with just a little liquid in it. Whole peppercorns and other whole spices also lost more than a year, though they do get weaker.

OutATowner

Mon, Apr 08 2019, 3:16 pm

I kept them in a gallon ziplock bag in the freezer. I did the last year, they should be fresh this year, right? I would never keep them year to year unless they're in the freezer.

amother

Crimson

Mon, Apr 08 2019, 6:23 pm

SixOfWands wrote:

Are you sure he doesn't mean that if you use KLP spices year round, they can't be used for Pesach because they've been in your kitchen? I can't imagine the issue if they're stored away.

No he said you cant use them even if stored away

Simple1

Mon, Apr 08 2019, 6:28 pm

amother wrote:

I use my up pesach spices after pesach & buy fresh every year.

I do this. My Pesach food is very tasty because of the fresh spices, even though I keep the menu very simple.

Last edited by Simple1 on Mon, Apr 08 2019, 6:34 pm; edited 1 time in total

Simple1

Mon, Apr 08 2019, 6:31 pm

amother wrote:

No he said you cant use them even if stored away

Is he concerned about infestation? I would think you would have to look out for that if the spices are stored for so long. More so if it's kept in a warm or humid place.

SixOfWands

Mon, Apr 08 2019, 6:46 pm

Simple1 wrote:

I do this. My Pesach food is very tasty because of the fresh spices, even though I keep the menu very simple.

Whole spices will stay fresh for about 4 years, ground spices for about 2 to 3 years and dried herbs for 1 to 3 years. So unless your rabbi holds like the OP, there's no reason to replace every year. We replace every other year, or every 3rd year (which would mean that the spices were opened at most 2 years earlier).

mommish613

Mon, Apr 08 2019, 7:30 pm

SixOfWands wrote:

I do the same. It’s put away with my pesach stuff. The only one I had to replace more often was black pepper because it wasn’t as potent. Honestly, I have some interesting spices in my year round spice cabinet that ived used very sparingly over the years and they do great for what I need them for.

amother

Olive

Mon, Apr 08 2019, 7:47 pm

I think some people are more sensitive than others to the freshness of spices. I buy all new for pesach and then use it up mostly during the year. I toss spices when they start tasting a little dull- I'm very sensitive and really appreciate the difference. When I was at my in laws vacation home recently where the spices can sit for a full year or two, I definitely noticed that the flavors weren't great. I bought a few new spice bottles, same brand as what they had- and boom, huge difference.