Thanksgiving

To be completely frank, I’ve never been all that big a fan of the holiday season.  If it weren’t for football, hikes in the woods with our dogs, and movies, it’d pass me by.

Nom nom nom

I generally refer to the period between Halloween & Valentine’s Day as “Fat Season,”  for obvious reasons.  Of all flavors, I really love the warmth & homeyness of cloves, cinnamon & ginger.  Especially in pumpkin pie, & butternut squash soup.  They even liven up a sweet potato nicely.

Spices are ancient: by some estimates, the use of spices is 50,000 years old.  Not that any in your kitchen are that old, when was the last time you replaced your spices?

Humidity + spices = flavor zapper

The basic rule of thumb for whether spices are still useful is how strong their smell is.  Spices don’t spoil – but they do lose their flavor.

Depending on whether they are whole, ground, or leafy, their shelf life varies, though all are best stored in an airtight container  in a cool dry place:

• Whole spices last about 4 years
• Ground spices keep their mojo for about 2 – 3 years.
• Leafy herbs like oregano and parsley hold out for about 1 – 3 years.

Ok, I *am* looking forward to the pumpkin pie.