Why do spices in your cabinet get hard?? And what’s the best method to soften them back?
In: Other
Moisture. You need to store your spices in a sealed container in a cool, dark, dry place. The bottles they come in are almost always inadequate – notice how they come to you from the store sealed. That’s to keep moisture out during distribution. I recommend you transfer to glass with a gasket. You can even use those tiny jam jars they sell in bulk, the lids make an adequate seal.
I would not recommend storing spices in a refrigerator; although refrigerators dehumidify the air, there are too many variables that can mitigate that, lots of vegetables, meats, poorly sealed containers, open food, etc…
I would recommend buying small containers of spices. If you’re not using them before they clump to hell, you’re not using them fast enough.
I recommend buying whole spices and grinding them yourself. Whole spices will retain freshness for much longer than ground spices – we’re talking months or years (depending on the spice and how good your storage is) vs. weeks. You have no idea when the spices you buy at the grocery store were pre-ground, you’ve no idea how old they are. We’re talking picking up either a mortar and pestle or a spice grinder (and don’t worry that the plastic gets stained, just wipe the thing out before your next use). Fresh ground spices will change your life.
Latest Answers