CRASH!

This the sound that awoke us at 3:00 am.

NO...we did not get up out of bed to figure out what had happened.
I thought about it...
and then thought better of it.


Later on, we did figure out what had happened....

One of the shelves
in the panty had FALLEN OFF the wall.

See the empty shelf?

But...why?

Too many canned goods on the shelf.

Silly me.

The man featured here...
took care of the situation...

and 
YEP
strangely enough...
he is my husband..

He thought that was a weird thing to say.


MOVING ON!

So...you know how these things go...
In order to take care of the pantry problem...
the entire kitchen needed to be cleaned out and re organized.


This man...

thought that idea made no sense.


I have no response to that....
except to say...

I ended up taking a really close look at my spices!

Spices!  Extracts!

How long do they last?


I know!!


I sometimes lay awake at night
and ponder this mystery of life myself!


I just love my spices...and I have A LOT.
But...I haven't thought about their expiration date
for quite a while...


My first item was an extract from Durkee.
But...there wasn't an expiration date on the bottle.
So I googled 'Durkee' and found out a few things.


On a Durkee label, the first number is the year.
Next to the number is a letter.
This corresponds with the month
(Jan is A, Feb is B, March is C, etc.)
The rest of the numbers/letters don't matter here.


So, on the back of my extract from Durkee is:


6L12SDA


So it was manufactured in
2006, December
Now...
if I look at the chart below...
I find that extracts last 3 to 4 years.

Durkee Spices

• Durkee Pure and Imitation Extracts 3-4 years
• Durkee Lemon Pie Filling 18 months
• Durkee Coconut 1 year
• Durkee Famous Sauce 1 year
• Durkee Gravies and Dry mixes 18 months

Land's Sake! Glory Be!!
This extract expired in December of 2010
Wow.
Blushing...
throwing it out now...


I have a few other spices from...

McCormick Spices

Spice Islands

I have noticed that some of the spices have 

an expiration date printed on the bottom of the bottle...

but if you need any help

Go ahead and click on brand names above

and you will be connected to their respective websites 

where they explain their spice's expiration dates.

Down below are some tips from the Spice Islands..

A rough guideline for how long to keep herbs and spices.

• Ground Spices 2-3 years
• 
  
• Whole Spices 3-4 years
• 
  
• Herbs 1-3 years
• 
  
• Seasoning Blends 1-2 years
• 
  
• Extracts 4 years
• 
  

CHECKING FOR FRESHNESS

Before using your herbs and spices, use your senses to determine freshness.

COLOR

Green, leafy herbs will often fade as they age. Red spices such as paprika, red pepper and chili powder will turn brown in color.

AROMA

Place a small amount in your palm and gently rub with your thumb. The aroma should be rich, full and immediate. If not, it's probably lost potency. For whole spices, break or crush to release their full fragrance. Then scrape with a knife or grater.

IF IN DOUBT, THROW IT OUT

Herbs and spices are some of the least expensive ingredients in any entree. So if you question their freshness, it's worth it to replace them.

TIPS TO PROLONG FRESHNESS

BUY QUALITY PRODUCTS

Our spices and herbs start with some of the highest volatile-oil levels, so they can retain their flavor longer.

STORE PROPERLY

Store herbs and spices in cool, dry surroundings, away from direct light, heat or humidity. Keep in airtight glass jars and close tightly after each use.  

In other words...store away from the stove and the oven...

DON'T SHAKE OVER A BOILING POT

Moisture from steam may diminish the potency of spices or herbs remaining in the jar. Pour a small amount into your hand or a ramekin, then add to dishes. 

 I had NO idea about this one...Oopsies!!

I'm having a bit o' fun here looking at my spices.

Yep....

this sure is helping me get that canned goods shelf fixed up nicely.

Tee Hee.