Do spices really expire?!
Answers: I have some spices that are past their "best by" dates. They still smell fine. Will they just start losing their potency?
That's it exactly. Most spices never really "go bad" in the traditional sense; they simply lose their aromas and flavors after time. The spices will usually smell fine for a a certain amount of time after their expiration dates. However, as time goes by, they will become weaker in smell and flavor. With some spices the color may also suffer, especially after longer periods.
A common rule of thumb is that opened jars of spices in powdered form usually have a pristine to good quality shelf life of between 4-6 months, depending on the specific spice. Some spices will actually last longer, while some don't come anywhere close to lasting even this long. Nutmeg is one spice that should be ground and used when needed instead of being kept around for months or years. Regular black pepper is the same way.
All of this is assuming that your spices haven't been exposed to heat or light, both of which can break down oils in the powder and lead to the spice losing its potency faster.
Try to buy spices in the smallest amounts possible, make the most of whole spices you can grind or process yourself, use them quickly, store them in tightly sealed containers, and protect them from heat and light. For the time being though, you should be all right, but try to use up those spices as quickly as possible before they degrade any further.
from my experience they loose their potency after about 5 months.
They just start losing their potency. Unless you have bugs in them (I've seen this happen with Italian Seasoning), they're perfectly fine!
they are still fine to use, i have some that are years old, but they are just not that 'pungent' anymore, the more you open a container, the more they are exposed to air, the more the tast suffers i'd say, bottom line they are safe to use but might not give you the tast you want
yes they lose tehre kick and they will clump together
Spices will last a long time, probably well past their "best by" date if stored in a cool dark place. If you store them someplace warm (like above the stove) they will loose their potency faster. If they still taste and smell fine, go ahead and keep using them.
Depending on the spice, they lose potency after a few weeks, but not noticeably so until around 3-6 months. Whenever possible, keep spices in their "whole" form (cinnamon sticks, vanilla beans, etc.) for as long as possible and then prepare what you need for a recipe. This will maintain potency for much longer.
They are just not as "fresh". Try grinding whole black pepper and compare it to preground black pepper. The fresh stuff will make you sneeze.
Same for the other spices. However, most of the essence of the spice is released in cooking heat, so it "may" be a minor reduction in potency. But we just add a bit more "to suit individual taste"
they lose potency, i buy my spices at the organic food store. you can buy them from bulk. i just buy a small amount, that way i use them before they expire. they're cheaper that way too.
They might be less strong but not much. it dpends where u stored them. if in a cupboard with the lids on, they r fine. the sell by dates r so the stores know when to order a new shipment.
They do expire. They are less potent or the flavor changes dramatically.
Definitely. They dry out and the oils hat are the flavoring agent evaporates.