Oh the shame

[rupert the dog]

I'm not sure I should be telling you this: my wife has just taken from our spice drawer a jar of Bart Star Anise, with a best before end date of (deep breath) Jun 2003. No further comment.

[Mobile Chicane]

Whole spices kept in a sealed container in a dark, cool cupboard ought to be ok.

[paolow]

On a recent check my mum had a spice jar - paprika or similar that cost 7.5p
Probably a little past its best............

[Boo152]

We are just about finishing off various spices bought whilst on holiday in Goa in 1998!

And the flavours are still more intense than commercial varieties we've bought recently in the uk!

[Gandahar]

My dear Auntie Gladys died a few years back. She had been brought up in the war years and then married a rich man who did seatbelts. But old times die hard. When they cleaned out the very large freezer they found things that Doug Mclure fought in the classic film " The Land that time forgot" including Rachel Welch's furry bikini.

It was really that bad. Rather sadly they found a note from Titus Oates saying "Just went out for a pee. left a note for Capt Scott and the boys saying I might be gone for some time. But then I found this stockpile of food. Hurragh for Blighty and Queen Victoria!"

Then there was this scribble, " Bladdy stuff out of sell be date, Aunty Gladys rotter."



true story

PS Some of her stuff in the freezer was from the 1980's ...

[Davey S2]

My mum still has the very Heath Robinson spice rack I made in school about 28 years ago. The spices in it haven't been used for probably the same amount of time.

[Dr G]

In the 80s/very early 90s my dad told me the couple of bottles of beer in the larder were there in case his brother came round and wanted a drink (dad is teetotal).

They're still there.

How long they were there before I asked I don't know...

[RDMcG]

Spice racks are the modern equivalent of fondue sets. Spices age, and most of us have them,tidy and tasteless. I try as far as possible to buy what I need just when I need it.

[897sma]

I actually want to buy a spice rack as I'm fed up with digging about in the cupboard for the one that I want. I use them most days and the one I want is usually the last one I pick up

[Davey S2]

897sma said:

I actually want to buy a spice rack as I'm fed up with digging about in the cupboard for the one that I want. I use them most days and the one I want is usually the last one I pick up

Nice posh Cole & Mason ones in John Lewis as well as their own brand one which looks good.

[Output Flange]

897sma said:

I actually want to buy a spice rack as I'm fed up with digging about in the cupboard for the one that I want. I use them most days and the one I want is usually the last one I pick up

So sometimes you find the one you want, then carry on picking other ones up that you don't want?

[Some Gump]

Amateurs. Spice racks are far too 80's. we have a spice drawer, between the cutlery drawer and the big spoon drawer. Every time we have visitors, they're simply in awe:
"Wow, how many spices have YOU got?" They ask in wonder
"About a drawers worth, pet." <smug face>

Try it. A spice drawer is just as wky as an aga, but without the big bills...

[rupert the dog]

Some Gump said:

Amateurs. Spice racks are far too 80's. we have a spice drawer, between the cutlery drawer and the big spoon drawer. Every time we have visitors, they're simply in awe:
"Wow, how many spices have YOU got?" They ask in wonder
"About a drawers worth, pet." <smug face>

Try it. A spice drawer is just as wky as an aga, but without the big bills...

[Jer_1974]

My mum bought me this about 20 years ago. Its very handy and its been in every kitchen I own.

[Some Gump]

Jer_1974 said:

My mum bought me this about 20 years ago. Its very handy and its been in every kitchen I own.

20 years? Tha all bran must be well stale by now. Still, keeps you regular.

[Murph7355]

Some Gump said:

20 years? Tha all bran must be well stale by now. Still, keeps you regular.

How would you be able to tell though?

[CarTimeNow]

pretty sure Lakeland still sell sthg similar Jer.

oldest spices we found in a tidy up of grandma's pantry were some cinnamon sticks wrapped in paper. we were able to date them as she had wrapped them in the receipt, 1964. if you'd seen what we found in that kitchen...