Oh pshaw, on Mon 10 Dec 2007 11:27:32a, Julia Altshuler meant to say...

> Wayne Boatwright wrote:
>> Some time ago a friend gave me a packet of chili seasonings which I put
>> in the pantry for later use. This was a couple of months ago. Early
>> this morning I decided to put on a pot of chili to have for dinner and
>> remembered this packet. Apart from this seasoning packet, I used all
>> the chli ingredients I always use, except for seasonings. The first
>> taste made me want to spit it out. It was godawful! I don't know what
>> was in those seasonings, but apart from a really nasty flavor, it was
>> so salty I couldn't eat it. The whole pot went into the garbage. What
>> a waste of ingredients!
>
>
> In my experience, dried herbs and spices can be left in the cupboard.
> When they go stale, the flavor is less intense. You can get away with
> using more of it for the same effect. The exceptions are chili powder
> and paprika. When they get stale, they go bad and taste godawful, as
> you describe. I keep those in the refrigerator. Even so, I taste them
> before putting them in anything. They really need to be fresh. The
> saltiness is another matter; I think the problem was the seasoning
> packet's age.
>
>
> --Lia
>
>

Could be, Lia. I do use dried herbs, but I buy very small quantities of
them that I can use in a short period of time.

Spices that I like to keep on hand, if they aren't used almost daily, are
kept on a shelf in my upright freezer. I find they don't lose their
freshness.

If I can anticipate the need, I will buy fresh herbs to put into a dish.

--
Wayne Boatwright

Date: Mon, 12/10/2007

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