It's that time of year again. All of my Tupperware boxes of spices are failing to deliver and it's obvious why. They've been there for around a year since the last binning session and their smell is next to nothing! It's affecting my curries. Time to bin it all and refresh I think. I feel bad doing it but it's a necessary evil of not being a BIR!

Does anyone else notice the drastic change one day, when that toffee aroma has gone and your curries are just less flavoursome? To be expected I suppose.

What are your procedures on discarding and replaces spices?

I noticed this a while back. Personally I don't bin absolutely everything. The key ones to keep in constant rotation for me are cumin, coriander, paprika, garam masala, and tandoori masala. Spice mix never lasts long enough to go off.

I find that chilli powder, cassia, bay leaves, and turmeric last longer and keep their potency.

Curious to see what other do as well, as I am convinced that fresh spices are critical to good results.

-- Josh

Hi

I agree with you all totally that fresh spices absolutely key to producing the best curries!

A simple scheme that I have been using is to have around 15 or so of these air tight storage boxes which are for quick access and kept in the dark in the kitchen cupboard - http://www.spicesofindia.co.uk/acatalog/Lock-and-Lock-HPL805-180ml.html

Then to keep the rest of the spices sealed in the packets they came, normally 100, 250, 400g bags and stored in a sealed metal biscuit tin or two under the stairs out of the way and in the dark. Then ever so often top up the working containers in the kitchen.

It is amazing to see just how much the pungency of the spice has declined in the kitchen boxes even after 6 or 8 weeks let alone a year!

It is inevitable  unfortunately, that some spices are used so infrequently they just reach a point where they must be discarded and replaced.

BTW, this guide is handy for determining how much spice you can fit in the above containers - http://www.spicesofindia.co.uk/acatalog/Lock-and-Lock-Comparison-Table.html

I personally find that the smallest ones that fit around 100g are the best usage to freshness ratio, but obviously this depends on how much curry you cook!

cheers all.

I keep mines in their packets and in biscuit tins so they don't get any light. Like others the main spices are used up quite quickly but things like fennel I find last for ages.

Quote from: solarsplace on June 29, 2010, 11:05 AM
I agree with you all totally that fresh spices absolutely key to producing the best curries!

I agree. Fresh spices make a huge difference. Even if a pack has been open for just a week, and carefully closed with an elastic band, so-called airtight container or something, you should bin the remaining contents (even if you used only 1%) and get a new vacuum packed pack. If you use whole spices, I'd give it one month max (in an airtight container) before they should be thrown away also.

It costs a small fortune but it's what's required to get meaningful results from any recipe. For anyone who doesn't do the above, then it could explain numerous disappointments with end results in terms of flavour.

Quote from: George on June 30, 2010, 09:32 AM

Quote from: solarsplace on June 29, 2010, 11:05 AM
I agree with you all totally that fresh spices absolutely key to producing the best curries!

I agree. Fresh spices make a huge difference. Even if a pack has been open for just a week, and carefully closed with an elastic band or something, you should bin the remaining contents (even if you used only 1%) and get a new vacuum packed pack.

Fresh spices, absolutely,
But bin them after one week, thats a little OTT for me,
But each to their own,

I have now started buying Corriander and cumin in seed form and use a coffee grinder when I require some powder, they seem to keep alot better this way and the powder always smells wonderful.
M

I would advise checking the sell by date before you buy any replacement stock. Bought some Rajah ground coriander the other day from Asda and when I opened it, it had no aroma whatsoever. The sell by date only had a month left so beware!

Quote from: mickdabass on June 30, 2010, 01:52 PM
Bought some Rajah ground coriander the other day from Asda and when I opened it, it had no aroma whatsoever.

I never buy from commercial supermarkets any more..  a 35g jar of turmeric for about 1.50 (pounds) when i can get a 400g bag from the Asian supermarkets for 1.99 pounds, and with the vast array of airtight containers on the market there's no need to throw what you don't use away.