The Overlooked Pantry Staples Martha Stewart Adds Expiration Dates To

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Another day, another genius tip that elevates our kitchen experience from everyone's favorite home expert. Martha Stewart has all sorts of wisdom on kitchen organization in particular, and there's one that not only improves storage methods and neatness but also the way we cook and the flavors of our meals. This piece of advice? Label your spices and seasonings.

"Always, I think, for spices, you should put the date on the bottom," Stewart once told Today, and we can't argue. Although spices do last for quite a while, they do go bad over time. "Going bad" in this case doesn't mean spoiling or rotting the way it does for things like produce, dairy, or meat — jarred spices won't get moldy or rancid with bacteria. However, the flavors will begin to dramatically fade, to the point where you may think you're seasoning your dish, but you're just sprinkling grains of bland.

Since old spices don't result in any dire consequences, most of us don't pay too much attention to how long we have our jars of cinnamon or dried rosemary. Months can become years before you know it, considering the tiny amounts of any spice any dish needs. It's especially easy to forget about seasonings you use less often. If you take Stewart's advice and label your spices with the dates you bought them, it's suddenly so easy to see when you have to replace anything. 

According to Stewart, your best friend when labeling spices is a label-maker, like this Nelko Label Maker Machine on Amazon for under $20. Or you could go for a personalized aesthetic with something like these Onupgo Chalkboard Labels — which are waterproof so that you don't have to worry about dates smudging from moisture when you have jars out while cooking. These labels are especially essential if you follow another major piece of kitchen-organization advice from Martha Stewart, which is to move all pantry items to clear glass jars. This allows more airtight seals than many off-the-shelf packages and creates a clean, cohesive look. But even if you keep your spices in their original jars, easy-to-read labels are a game changer.

You can either note jars with the date that you purchased them or with an expiration date you figure out. Either way, you have to have a better idea of how long these spices last. Ground spices like garlic or ginger powder will still be aromatic and flavor-packed for about three to six months, while whole seasonings like peppercorns or anise pods last eight to ten months. With clear labels, every time you open your pantry, you'll see which spices are still in their prime and which are about to be rendered pointless. Further enhance your spice organization with brilliant pantry storage solutions, like using a turntable so you can see all your seasonings (and their dates) with a spin.