Spices are found in nearly everyone’s home but not everyone knows the best practice when it comes to buying them.
Spices are more than just delicious. Many of them offer substantial health benefits, making it super easy to sneak a bit more wellness into the food you make for yourself and your family.
What’s not to love about adding a bit of this or a bit of that to make dishes healthier? But before you can fully reap the taste and health benefits of spices, there are some things you should know about them.
Simple tips that can help you ensure that you are buying the right spices for your cooking:
Check packaging
When shopping for spices, look for transparent packaging. This way, you can see the quality and texture. Rigid containers also add a layer of protection and convenience.
Embrace whole spices
Purchase whole spices and grind them yourself to retain maximum potency and ensure a fuller flavour. Whole spices also stay fresher for longer than ground spices.
Analyse spice colours
Spices shouldn’t be dull in colour and the colour of a single spice should be consistent throughout. If you are buying dried chilli powder, like paprika, the colour should be vibrant.
For white peppercorns, all the peppercorns should be milky white. Dried herbs should be green. Use your best judgement and avoid spices that look comparatively old, muted or dull.
Buy small amounts of spices at a time
Spices stale quickly, so don’t buy them in bulk. Remember, if you are buying good quality spices, you won’t need to use a lot them as they will be much more potent than standard grocery store fare.
Shop from speciality shops when you can
Even the best-intentioned grocery stores might lose track of how long spices have been sitting on the shelf – not only in the aisle but in their storerooms behind the scenes.
For this reason, if it’s important to you to maximise the spices you purchase, you might want to get them from a speciality kitchen shop or the market, where sellers are more likely to be able to confirm that what they are selling is fresh.
Plus, you will be supporting a small business while you are at it.
Proper storage is key
Ensure longevity by keeping your spices in a cool, dark place. Moisture can easily ruin a spice; so avoid using wet utensils or shaking the container over a steaming pan.
Glass jars are preferable to plastic since they are not porous. Look for containers with well-fitting lids.