Just about everyone has spices in their homes, from gourmet chefs to amateur cooks who only reheat things in the microwave. In fact, according to Census data as well as a Simmons National Consumer Survey, 300.62 million Americans used seasonings and spices in 2020, and McCormick, the largest spice manufacturer in the world, has a warning for all of them.
Since it takes the average person a really long time to go through their spices, many containers with seasonings wind up sitting on shelves for years. Well that can actually be problematic. In a pair of Facebook posts, the company explained how to tell if your spices are too old... like way too old. Thankfully, it's not very hard to figure it out.
The fastest way to see if your spices are too old is if they are in a rectangular tin or if they were packaged in Baltimore. If either of those things are the case for you, congratulations, your spices have been around for over a quarter of a century.
Photo: Dave Basner
If you happen to own one of the older spice containers, don't worry, the seasoning won't make you sick, but it's probably in your best interest to not use them anymore since they aren't going to be effective. When spices age, they tend to lose their flavor, so adding old spices to your dishes is pretty pointless.
McCormick's recommendation is to make sure your spices have a strong aroma and taste, as well as a vibrant color. It's also good practice to replace them every three years.