Spices for Food Storage

When you think of food storage, often the first items to come to mind are freeze-dried fruits and vegetables, flour, oats, rice, canned foods, etc. but, spices are an important item to have on hand, too! Without spices, meals using items from your food storage can be extremely bland- and we don’t want that! Salt and pepper are obvious staples, but we regularly reach into our spice cupboards for garlic, cinnamon, and taco seasoning too. Although easily overlooked, spices are an essential element of a well-rounded food supply so it makes sense to buy in bulk and store those you use the most.

Our bulk spices mean big savings! Most of our spices are sold in 1 lb. bags which equate to significantly less cost per ounce compared to what you would spend on small spice bottles in the grocery store. Plus, our spice supplier packages all of our spices fresh when they’re ordered, so you get potent, fragrant spices that haven’t been sitting on a shelf for weeks or months.

Basic Spices to Keep on Hand

Shop all bulk spices here.

How to store spices for long term

Over time, spices will lose their potency and not flavor your food as intended. For spices used on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis, simply store spices in a cool, dark cupboard, away from direct heat or sunlight. Keep tightly closed when not in use. Our clear spice jars are great for uniform storage.

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. But, if you’re wanting to store them for even longer, there are a couple ways to do this.

1. Keep the spices in their original bag. Since these are air tight, they will last several years as mentioned above. Once you’re ready to use, transfer to a different air tight storage method- spice jars, mason jars, etc.
2. Use a FoodSaver to vacuum seal your spices into mason jars. They will hold up better and longer than storing in the original bag.

How to Vacuum Seal Spices

1. Add spice to jar. If it’s super fine, we recommend placing a piece of paper towel or coffee filter on top to prevent issues with the sealer.
2. Then, place the metal lid on top of the jar without the ring.
3. Conntect the mason jar attachment to the FoodSaver hose, then secure on the mason jar.
4. Click the locking lever, then hit Canister. When it’s done, it will turn off on its own.
5. Check to make sure it sealed properly, and store in your food storage until ready to use.

Adapted from here and here.

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