Spices are what make our food delicious and flavorful. Storing them properly will help bring out the true flavor of the flavoring agent. Most women want to know the best way to store spices so that they last a long time. Here are some tips to help everyone better organize and store spices.
- Keep spices close to where you use them. If you use them primarily while cooking, keep them near the stove area. If you use them while preparing your food, keep them near your preparation area. If you use them as condiments, store them near the serving area.
- If there is a large number of spices to store and there is not much space in the kitchen, you can sort them by frequency of use. Keep the most frequently used spices in the kitchen and the rest in a storage cabinet outside the kitchen.
- Helps store spices in alphabetical order like they do in grocery stores. This makes it easier to find them. Also, you will be able to check how much of a spice is there and if you have duplicates. This will save you space and money.
- Most people keep their spices in the spice rack or in the kitchen. While using them, we can leave the lids open by mistake, which makes the spices lose their aroma quickly. Proper storage of spices is just as important as deciding which spices to choose to use in a meal.
- The best thing you can do to maximize the aroma of your spices is to buy whole spices, not ground. The latter begins to deteriorate after 3-4 months and more if it is stored incorrectly. Whole spices can last for many years. If you need small amounts, take some of the whole spices and grind them up. It can also be ground in the coffee grinder and used.
- It is best to store spices in a dry, dark place. Air, moisture, light, and heat are not good for spices. They diminish the flavor of the spices. If you store them in a spice rack, be sure to avoid placing the rack over an oven or dishwasher, as the heat will affect the flavor of the spices.
While proper storage of spices helps maintain flavor and freshness, it’s critical to know when it’s time to throw them away. The golden rule is once a year. If the spice starts to smell musky, or doesn’t give off any scent, or changes color, you can replace it.