Out of date spices - safe?



Katra wrote:

>> >I'm curious. What facts are those figures based on?
>>
>> Probably experience and common sense. The guidelines are far from the "throw everything out every
>> 6 months" that's often advised. It also mentions that spices don't "go bad," but do lose flavor
>> over time. The "don't freeze" caveat is new to me, but is uses the same reason Alton Brown does
>> for not freezing coffee beans.
>
> ???what is wrong with freezing coffee??? My parents taught me to do that, and it's worked very
> well. I DO freeze them inside of a lightning jar, so maybe that is why it works so well?

The "don't freeze" doesn't so much apply to the actual freezing process, but to the fact that, each
time you take the container out, you let in moisture when then freezes onto the surface of the
beans. If, however, you were to freeze your beans (hehe, sorry <g>) in preportioned amounts, then
the problem wouldn't occur.

--
Darryl L. Pierce <[email protected]> Visit the Infobahn Offramp - <http://mypage.org/mcpierce>
"What do you care what other people think, Mr. Feynman?" "Die for oil
suckers....suckers....suckers...." - Jello Biafra
 
[piggybacking since I didn't see Frogleg's followup]

> In article <[email protected]>, Frogleg <[email protected]> wrote:
>> Probably experience and common sense. The guidelines are far from the "throw everything out every
>> 6 months" that's often advised. It also mentions that spices don't "go bad," but do lose flavor
>> over time. The "don't freeze" caveat is new to me, but is uses the same reason Alton Brown does
>> for not freezing coffee beans.

Ah, okay. I just like to know from where someone's opinion comes from when they make such statements
as those in the article. If it's just preference opinion then that's fine.

--
Darryl L. Pierce <[email protected]> Visit the Infobahn Offramp - <http://mypage.org/mcpierce>
"What do you care what other people think, Mr. Feynman?" "Die for oil
suckers....suckers....suckers...." - Jello Biafra
 
In article <[email protected]>,
"Darryl L. Pierce" <[email protected]> wrote:

> Katra wrote:
>
> >> >I'm curious. What facts are those figures based on?
> >>
> >> Probably experience and common sense. The guidelines are far from the "throw everything out
> >> every 6 months" that's often advised. It also mentions that spices don't "go bad," but do lose
> >> flavor over time. The "don't freeze" caveat is new to me, but is uses the same reason Alton
> >> Brown does for not freezing coffee beans.
> >
> > ???what is wrong with freezing coffee??? My parents taught me to do that, and it's worked very
> > well. I DO freeze them inside of a lightning jar, so maybe that is why it works so well?
>
> The "don't freeze" doesn't so much apply to the actual freezing process, but to the fact that,
> each time you take the container out, you let in moisture when then freezes onto the surface of
> the beans. If, however, you were to freeze your beans (hehe, sorry <g>) in preportioned amounts,
> then the problem wouldn't occur.

Ah. good point. :)

K.

--
>,,<Cat's Haven Hobby Farm>,,<[email protected]>,,<
http://cgi6.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewSellersOtherItems&include=0&userid=katra
 
On Mon, 26 Jan 2004 19:22:43 GMT, "Darryl L. Pierce"
<[email protected]> wrote:

>[piggybacking since I didn't see Frogleg's followup]

>> Frogleg <[email protected]> wrote:

>>> Probably experience and common sense. The guidelines are far from the "throw everything out
>>> every 6 months" that's often advised. It also mentions that spices don't "go bad," but do lose
>>> flavor over time. The "don't freeze" caveat is new to me, but is uses the same reason Alton
>>> Brown does for not freezing coffee beans.
>
>Ah, okay. I just like to know from where someone's opinion comes from when they make such
>statements as those in the article. If it's just preference opinion then that's fine.

Whoops -- I wasn't speaking as an authority on that site. My comments were just observations. Since
it agreed pretty much with what I believe, I reported favorably. :) I.e., "makes sense to me."
 
Katra wrote:

>> > ???what is wrong with freezing coffee??? My parents taught me to do that, and it's worked very
>> > well. I DO freeze them inside of a lightning jar, so maybe that is why it works so well?
>>
>> The "don't freeze" doesn't so much apply to the actual freezing process, but to the fact that,
>> each time you take the container out, you let in moisture when then freezes onto the surface of
>> the beans. If, however, you were to freeze your beans (hehe, sorry <g>) in preportioned amounts,
>> then the problem wouldn't occur.
>
> Ah. good point. :)

One thing, though. How much moisture is contained in the actual beans themselves and what affect
does the freezing process have on that moisture? I'll have to consult _On Food And Cooking_ to see
what it says. If there's a fair amount, then the freezing may actually do damage to the beans. But,
if that damage is negligible when you thaw, grind and use the beans, then it's worth it.

For example, I know that the freezing process does damage the cellular structure in meats, which is
why a frozen-thawed-cooked steak never tastes as good as a fresh streak. But, I've never noticed any
change in quality for frozen grounds. I've never frozen beans, though...

--
Darryl L. Pierce <[email protected]> Visit the Infobahn Offramp - <http://mypage.org/mcpierce>
"What do you care what other people think, Mr. Feynman?" "Die for oil
suckers....suckers....suckers...." - Jello Biafra
 
"Darryl L. Pierce" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Katra wrote:
>
> >> >I'm curious. What facts are those figures based on?
> >>
> >> Probably experience and common sense. The guidelines are far from the "throw everything out
> >> every 6 months" that's often advised. It also mentions that spices don't "go bad," but do lose
> >> flavor over time. The "don't freeze" caveat is new to me, but is uses the same reason Alton
> >> Brown does for not freezing coffee beans.
> >
> > ???what is wrong with freezing coffee??? My parents taught me to do that, and it's worked very
> > well. I DO freeze them inside of a lightning jar, so maybe that is why it works so well?
>
> The "don't freeze" doesn't so much apply to the actual freezing process,
but
> to the fact that, each time you take the container out, you let in
moisture
> when then freezes onto the surface of the beans. If, however, you were to freeze your beans (hehe,
> sorry <g>) in preportioned amounts, then the problem wouldn't occur.
>
>

This is one of those proclamations that seems to make sense but is not valid in the real world, at
least not always. I have been freezing coffee beans, ground coffee, and some spices for years and
this moisture "threat" has never been even a slight problem. I suppose if you lived in a very humid
climate without air conditioning it might have an effect, but in my experience this "moisture" that
theoretically collects is never even visible and never affects quality.

--
Peter Aitken

Remove the **** from my email address before using.
 
Listen everyone, first let me say thanks for checking out the article. secondly, the advice received
came directly from McCormick brand seasonings. These, like everything else as far as culinary advice
goes are mear "guidelines". Think about it..if you buy a loaf of bread, it has a freshness date
right? Now, if you know you arenet gonna use the bread by the date, then you freeze it to "PROLONG
FRESHENSS". But even after a while, the bread will loose it's flavor the longer it is stored. Food
and spices are perishables. The don't last forever. Though they may not "spoil" in the literal
sense, they will loose flavor and effectiveness. Such as if you have hot pepper flakes, if you store
them in a cool dry place for about six months, try tasting those, along with some that you've
recently purchased. These are just guidelines to help you make your foods taste better is all. If
you don't like dry, the use fresh. Simple.

Happy Eating!
 
In article <[email protected]>, Frogleg
<[email protected]> wrote:

> On Mon, 26 Jan 2004 17:46:44 GMT, "Darryl L. Pierce" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> >SFC Girl wrote:
> >
> >> Throw them out and get new ones. Here is a great article with guidelines for keeping dried
> >> spices http://www.simplyfoodchicago.com/Spice%20Storage%20Tips.htm
> >
> >I'm curious. What facts are those figures based on?
>
> Probably experience and common sense. The guidelines are far from the "throw everything out every
> 6 months" that's often advised. It also mentions that spices don't "go bad," but do lose flavor
> over time. The

Dry spices and herbs do not go bad, they just lose their flavor. Throwing them out after six months
makes no sense, since they are often only harvested once a year, so your "new" spice might be just
as old as the one you just threw out.

My advice would be to taste them, and if they don't taste right, toss them. If they taste
fine, use them.

--
Dan Abel Sonoma State University AIS [email protected]
 
in article [email protected], maxine in ri at
[email protected] wrote on 1/26/04 12:17 PM:

> And what you forgot to mention, Sheryl, is that the food bank throws out past-dated foods. If it
> isn't fresh, it isn't legal....
>
> maxine in ri

In CT, they are allowed to use it a certain amount of time past the "use by" date, if it's a "non-
perishable" item, such as food that comes in a can or box.

There was something in our local paper about this just a week or two ago, and I remember reading it.

The date varies by item.
 
Peter Aitken wrote:

>> The "don't freeze" doesn't so much apply to the actual freezing process,
> but
>> to the fact that, each time you take the container out, you let in
> moisture
>> when then freezes onto the surface of the beans. If, however, you were to freeze your beans
>> (hehe, sorry <g>) in preportioned amounts, then the problem wouldn't occur.
>
> This is one of those proclamations that seems to make sense but is not valid in the real world, at
> least not always. I have been freezing coffee beans, ground coffee, and some spices for years and
> this moisture "threat" has never been even a slight problem. I suppose if you lived in a very
> humid climate without air conditioning it might have an effect, but in my experience this
> "moisture" that theoretically collects is never even visible and never affects quality.

I guess it would depend on a few factors:

o how often do you access your stash o how long is the stash out of the freezer o how long is the
stash container open while outside of the freezer o how much space is there for air in the container

If you treat the spices/beans the way you treat meats (i.e., tight wrapped or kept in a ziploc bag
that can have as much of the air extracted as possible) then you can lessen the damage. But, like
anything else with moisture in it, freezer burn can happen.

--
Darryl L. Pierce <[email protected]> Visit the Infobahn Offramp - <http://mypage.org/mcpierce>
"What do you care what other people think, Mr. Feynman?" "Die for oil
suckers....suckers....suckers...." - Jello Biafra
 
SFC Girl wrote:

> Listen everyone, first let me say thanks for checking out the article. secondly, the advice
> received came directly from McCormick brand seasonings.

Ah, people who have a vested interest in you throwing out your spices every so often and buying
new ones. ;)

<snip>

--
Darryl L. Pierce <[email protected]> Visit the Infobahn Offramp - <http://mypage.org/mcpierce>
"What do you care what other people think, Mr. Feynman?" "Die for oil
suckers....suckers....suckers...." - Jello Biafra
 
So what that article tells me is that the spices don't spoil but might loose flavor. If they don't
seem as strong or flavorful as you would like.....chuck them. I basically use the exp. dates on
products to make sure I'm buying something fresh. Have had many things last long after the exp.
date. Anita
PS. My mom used to tell me that people were too paranoid about this sort of thing and after
watching those shows with people eating worms, spiders, etc.......I think I believe her.
 
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