Kitchen

[RespectLife]

On 3/27/2015 ChiliPepper said:

Thanks Respect.

Mmmmmmm, my turmeric didn't have any "scent" to it last night. As I recall it does usually have a scent but I can't remember for sure. Brain fade today!

Morning, Chili!

I did sniff my turmeric over the weekend! LOL

It is brand new. It has a very subtle 'scent', not strong or noticeable at all.

Do you have any idea why I bought it? LOL I have no idea! I must have seen a recipe recently calling for it!

What are you going to do w/ yours? There was another thread asking for suggestions for other uses than Indian Cuisine...

[ChiliPepper]

Hi Respect, Happy Monday!

I have no clue why you or I for that matter have turmeric LOL! I know I hardly ever use it - that's why mine is old. I dug mine out after I responded to the other thread.

I might just use mine up by trying soonersis's idea to cover my ummmmmmm "greys". Sssshhhhhh, don't tell anyone ok? If it works for that - fine, otherwise I probably won't replace it.

The turmeric supplement idea might be worth looking into though.

[Vamp]

Good to know! I have a few things on my list that I need to pick up. Thank you

[momtochloe]

To Chili, Respect, Vamp and others that were wondering about sniffing their spices . . . I just received my order from the Spice House and oh my goodness what a huge difference in the scent of the tumeric! My current jar from a grocery store is easily three years old so I am very interested in tasting the difference when I cook with it next . . . sounds like rice is on the menu for me!

[RespectLife]

On 3/31/2015 momtochloe said:

To Chili, Respect, Vamp and others that were wondering about sniffing their spices . . . I just received my order from the Spice House and oh my goodness what a huge difference in the scent of the tumeric! My current jar from a grocery store is easily three years old so I am very interested in tasting the difference when I cook with it next . . . sounds like rice is on the menu for me!

Thank you very much for the suggestion of using it in rice!

[momtochloe]

You are most welcome Respect and tomorrow I am going to try it on my eggs (scrambled for a breakfast quesadilla) tomorrow. I also want to thank you for your suggestion on the red and green peppers . . . I don't use them as much as I would like as the fresh peppers I buy usually don't make the expiration date (I need to get better at menu planning) . . . I had no idea these existed and they are now stored next to the shallots, thank you again for the head's up. When you go into either Penzy's or the Spice House it can be overwhelming with the wonderful selection both provide! I have the same problem at Costco . . .

[RespectLife]

And you are most welcome also! I was thrilled to find those peppers. I always have red & yellow fresh ones. They are fresh when I buy them! Then they crawl to the back of the frig and slime themselves! LOL I started putting them in LockNLock and they last much longer. I always thought peppers needed air? I am a big red pepper user so I love these in a pinch!

I don't really care for green peppers...but there are some recipes that just NEED a green one! Now I can add the flavor whenever I want without running to the store.

I place my order with the Spice House last Friday...yesterday, on Monday it arrived all ready! I reordered both varieties in the bags now since I used them so much.

[momtochloe]

Excellent and I guess great minds think alike . . . I also purchased a bag of the red peppers and one of the mixed as sometimes you just need that green pepper kick . . . apparently we have the same refrigerator as I tried to circumvent the slimy peppers by buying those cute little bags of mixed peppers . . . they still snuck into the back of the fridge . . . I do use those green bags that HSN sells. I know people have very mixed reviews but they work great for me. Right now I have cauliflower and broccoli that I bought a while ago that is still in great shape. For me it depends on how fresh the produce is when you buy it as I had a very unfortunately asparagus episode that ended up taking said green bag with it . . .

[DiamondGirly]

I found this - someone may have already said the same, but I'm in a rush and will read all responses later!

Question: I have some opened bottles of spices in my cupboard that I purchased about five years ago. Are they still okay to use?

Answer: From a safety perspective they should be fine, but when it comes to flavoring your food, you may not be very happy with the results.

As seasoning makers like McCormick point out, spices do not actually spoil. But when it comes to quality, the story is different. Over time, spices will lose their potency and not flavor your food as intended.

As a general rule, whole spices will stay fresh for about 4 years, ground spices for about 3 to 4 years and dried leafy herbs for 1 to 3 years.