On Mon, 08 Oct 2012 10:41:54 -0400, Dave Smith
> wrote:
snip
>I would bet that in most kitchens there are herbs and spices that have
>been there for years.
Nope. Everything is dated. One-year turn around for most, 2 year
maximum. Exceptions are whole cloves, whole cinnamon and whole nutmeg
-- those I will keep longer.

snip
You will have a hard time convincing me that a less
>than fresh spice in a bulk store is going to be any worse for wear when
>you finally use it five years later. And FWIW.. oregano is usually used
>dried, rarely fresh.
>
>
Have you ever watched the turnover in the bulk section? In my Winco,
there are 2 times of the day that you will darn near be run over by
staff refilling all the bulk stuff -- including herbs and spices. At
other times it is difficult to elbow space enough at the bins to get
what you want. Maybe in your stores, but not in mine.
Janet US