Don't Throw Out Older Spices: The Easy Way To Bring Them Back To Life

You may not know how long that cumin has been sitting in your pantry, but you should never throw spices out until you're sure you can't bring them back to life. Spices never really expire. Using some two-year-old paprika won't hurt you, but over time they lose a lot of their flavor, making them mostly pointless. Ground and whole spices differ in how long they are at their best, but in general they will start noticeably degrading in quality within six months and won't taste much of anything after a year. But if your spices are on the bubble they can be worth saving, so we decided to talk to Mohammad and Anita Salehi, the founders of Heray Spice, about the best ways to bring old spices back to life.

The Salehis say that what gives spices their flavor and aroma is fat, explaining that, "most spices have a layer of essential oils around their seeds." And their suggestion for a little flavor boost is toasting or blooming spices. According to the Salehis, by exposing them to heat "you are helping release the fat (oil) which brings more flavor and aroma." However, the Heray Spice founders explain that this isn't a cure-all: "[T]he problem with older spices is that if the oils have already evaporated or dried up with age, toasting can't fully restore them."

How you bring spices back to life is going to depend on what type they are. The difference between toasting and blooming is that toasting uses dry heat, while blooming involves heating spices in fats like oil or butter. Mohammad and Anita Salehi say that "toasting is mainly useful for whole spices like cumin seed, coriander seed, fennel, cloves, peppercorns, cardamom, mustard seed, sesame, etc." Moreover, they warn that ground spices can be toasted but risk being burnt. Instead they say, "Blooming is often better than dry toasting for ground spices and blends." This is because the fat helps heat them more gently. However, you should still be careful not to overdo it.

To bloom ground spices the Salehis tell us, "Warm oil or ghee on low to medium-low. Add spices and stir constantly. Look for tiny bubbles, glossy color, and fragrance. Bloom 20–45 seconds." Smoke or a darkening color are signs of burning. For toasting whole spices they recommend using medium-low heat and stirring constantly to prevent burning. They also state, "You can toast until fragrant and slightly darker (30–90 seconds). You can feel the aroma very quickly." It won't save the oldest spices in the farthest depths of your pantry, but toasting or blooming can keep plenty of them from going to waste.