This Popular Place To Store Your Spices Is Probably Ruining Them

Did You Know | Food

This Popular Place To Store Your Spices Is Probably Ruining Them

Spices can make any meal extraordinary.

A dash of cumin, a sprinkle of cinnamon, a sprig of rosemary...all of them have the power to take a simple dish to the next level.

But have you ever noticed that over time, your spices start to lose their effectiveness? It starts to take more of a certain spice to get that amazing flavor you remember.

It's probably because you've been storing your spices all wrong in your kitchen. But don't worry...you're not alone!

According to Julia Collin Davison, an executive food book editor and on-screen test cook, there are certain spots in your kitchen that can ruin your spices and make them lose their flavor over time.

For fresh herbs, they need to be stored in the fridge, "preferably with some moisture." Wrapping your fresh herbs in damp paper towels inside plastic bags can keep them fresh for a couple weeks. Davison also says you can snip off the ends of the herbs and put them in a small glass with a little water in the bottom.

As for dry spices, the biggest mistake people make is storing them above the stove, says Davison. "It's just a place that will ruin them," she says. Over-the-stove spice racks might LOOK great, but dry spices need to stay dry. The humidity from being stored above the stove will end up spoiling those spices and taking away their flavor.

"The key is when you open the jar and you put your nose close the opening, and you can't smell it? Those things are dead," says Davison, "There's no point putting it in your cooking."

Store dry spices in a dry, room temperature spot that isn't near the stove.

Are you guilty of storing your spices wrong? I know I am!

Meagan has an intense love for Netflix, napping, and carbs.