What is the best way to store cooking herbs and spices?
Dried spices should be kept as far as possible from the range or any other source of intense heat, yet convenient to your food preparation area. Heat will speed flavor loss in dried spices, while the steam from cooking can cause ground spices, blends, and dehydrated vegetable powders to cake. You should also keep your herb and spice shelf away from strong, direct light, especially if your cooking spices are stored in clear glass. Paprika, parsley flakes, freeze-dried chives, and many other herbs are light sensitive. While slight color fading is not too serious for flavor, if you intend to use the spice as a garnish it’s obviously undesirable. Substantial color loss (such as in “straw”-colored herbs) is also a sign of substantial flavor loss. Refrigeration will increase the life of the light-sensitive spices.
