Do spices go bad/mouldy?
Do they become harmful after a given
lenghth of time?
On a concrete level, I have found a few
packets in the kitchen and I am wondering
if I could still use them especially the one for
nahari?
There is no "best before" date.
Cheers
Hello Sayedz
Spices definitely loose their 'best' when old. If they are mouldy, they are definitely bad. If your Nehari spice mix is in a packet, I am surprised that it does not have a Best before date. They will not go bad on that exact date obviously and will be okay for a while, as long as the packet has remained sealed. However, the falvours do suffer in old spice.
If you buy large packets and do not use them quickly, specially less commonly used ones, take out only a small amount at a time and keep the bulk in fridge/freezer.
Mamta
I too keep my surplus spices in the freezer, they stay fresh for much longer this way.
Neeru
I didn't know you could keep them in the freezer. Interesting.
If you have easy access to sources that sell spices, I think it's best to buy them whole and in small amounts, grinding them afresh each time you need them. If you know which ones you use most frequently, you can buy bigger bags and use them fairly quickly.
My mother used to keep ground nutmeg and cinnamom for years: completely tasteless. I never buy pre-ground spices: they lose their taste really quickly
Phil