Is There Really a Right Way to Store Spices?

Take a peek at your spice cabinet: If it’s anything like mine, you’ve got a mix of plastic and glass jars, and maybe a few pouches here and there, too. All of them are from different retailers, ranging from the nearby dollar store to Kalustyan’s, and there’s at least one duplicate bottle, from the time you forgot you already had a certain spice at home—in my case, cardamom.

Though it’s not the prettiest or best-organized cabinet out there, it’s deeply functional, and that’s what matters most to me. However, I wondered if—given the variety of spices in my kitchen (and their containers)—there was anything I could or should be doing to extend their shelf lives. Though spices don’t typically go bad or mold like other ingredients, they can lose their potency in a matter of months. So, I reached out to Ethan Frisch, co-founder and co-CEO of Burlap & Barrel, a spice company that works directly with farmers to source its products, who had an unorthodox answer to my spice storage question.

“Generally, I recommend not storing your spices, but using your spices,” Ethan told me.

Listen, I get your skepticism: This is exactly the advice you’d expect from someone whose goal is to get you to buy more spices. But as we chatted, I started to better understand his philosophy. “Spices don't get better with age no matter how they are stored,” Ethan explained. So, while there are ways to marginally improve a spice’s lifespan (we’ll get to those below), the fact of the matter is that “most people won’t be able to tell the difference” between a spice stored in a sealed, glass jar or in a plastic bag.

“What I recommend is to not worry too much about [how] you're storing them,” Ethan said. “People often get overwhelmed by the number of spices they have, and stuff gets pushed to the back of the cupboard and sits there for years.” Instead of letting spices accumulate dust, he suggests keeping them either on your counter or at the front of your pantry, so they’re visible as you’re cooking on a daily basis.

All of this being said, for those who are already making good use of the spices in their pantry, Ethan did have some tips that could be helpful to keep in mind.

Buy Whole Spices

Whole spices “will definitely last longer” and are “more resilient and more flavorful” than their ground counterparts. Why? Ground spices have more surface area, which means they’re more prone to oxidation, which causes their essential oils—which provide their smell and flavor—to evaporate. Additionally, the actual process of grinding spices can reduce their potency because of the heat and friction it can generate.

Glass Is Best

Airtight containers made of metal or glass are ideal, though in most cases, plastic containers will suffice (ie. there’s usually no need to decant spices from plastic containers or pouches and into glass jars unless you really want to). However, there are certain spices (like cloves and star anise) that, when they’re especially fresh, can actually degrade plastic due to their high concentration of essential oils.

Store at Room Temperature

For day-to-day use, Ethan advises against keeping spices in the fridge or freezer: “I generally don't recommend it because of the condensation that can build up in the jar,” he said. “You can introduce moisture and that's where you really actually can start to get spoilage or mold.” However, if you’re going out of town for an extended period of time (say, six months), you can store spices in the freezer—just keep them in an airtight container. Once you’re back, simply let the spices thaw and keep them at room temperature from then on.

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Do you store your spices? Tell us about it in the comments!