Spice Storage

[Bill Rickert]

I bought some bulk spices from Penskys and was wondering about the best way to store it. I put some in containers I had and the rest I left in the original baggy and then put them in foodsavers. Should these be kept in the freezer or the cabinet?

 

[Jerry N.]

I wouldn't freeze them. Air is the thing that will spoil the spices and you got that taken care of with the foodsaver. I'd just keep them in a cabinet. Heat is an issue too, but normal household temps should be fine. Just don't leave them on a counter where the sun might heat them up. That wouldn't be good either.

 

[Rita Y]

Jerry's right. Heat and light are bad for spices.

I usually FoodSaver mine light- and heat-free in 8-ounce canning jars and store them in a drawer setup that I found at Container Store. (Sweater, shoe/boot, or shirt drawers, but I'm not sure of which size at the moment - they carry 3 or 4 different sizes of plastic drawers) I've had good success with Penzey's chili powder, paprika, and other spices.

Rita

 

[JRPfeff]

I believe Alton Brown discussed spice storage on his Spice Capades episode. He recommended the freezer for long-term storage, based on input from the expert at The Spice House.

But that might have been another show. Here's a recent story about Alton's visit to The Spice House for his fruitcake episode.

 

[Bill Rickert]

Thanks all. I guess I overcame the major problem by using the foodsaver. That machine has been a great addition.

 

[Karl]

Foodsaver plus Ball jars is the way to go. I like to pre-mix my rubs and also store those FS'd in Ball jars. Sacrifice one lid and punch/drill holes in it and you have a shaker lid. When rub is needed, pop off the FS'd lid and screw down the shaker lid and apply rub. Then put the (solid) lid back on and FS it again. No muss, no fuss and keeps everything fresh and for those rubs with brown sugar there's no clumping.