300879 Sun Sep 25 15:18:42 -0700 2005 5 27 General Chowhounding Topics 0 1674883 I am moving in a few days and am going through my cuppoards. I found some bulk Indian spices like fenugreek, black cardamom, ginger powder (unopened), black salt (unopened), asafotedia and cloves from an Indian cooking jag I had that started a couple of years ago. The spices looked okay and were still fragrant, but does it get to a point--like two years--where you should just throw the stuff away and start over if it has not been consumed? I throw any dried "leafy" stuff out after a year, but what about other spices? Also, I have some really, really old booze (I tend to drink more beer & wine).....some fraise des bois, coffee liqueur, nocello and Clement Creole Shrubb (rum & orange liqueur) that have got to be about fifteen years old. Any good? Or is it destined for the trash heap? Thanks for your help. -Lisa Sun Sep 25 15:18:42 -0700 2005 0 L 1 1674887 the booze is probably still good, but if you're not ever going to use it . . . well, I'd only keep it if the bottle was exceptionally cool . . . I'm so much happier seeing my discards thrown to the great recycling pit that is the new york city street. If you're in a city, you can post to craigslist that the spices are available, and if someone emails you leave them outside your door at an appointed time. Or just throw them away. Sun Sep 25 17:56:58 -0700 2005 1674883 0 pitu 1 1674888 I would think the black salt would keep pretty much forever. Sun Sep 25 19:16:53 -0700 2005 1674883 0 wally 1 1674937 In the future, only buy perishible herbs and spices in very small quantities; the apparent savings of buying in bulk is only true if you are a restaurant using these things at high volume, otherwise it's really a waste of money. It's so contrary to our consuming habits that it's worth committing that rule to memory: more is less. Mon Sep 26 10:47:20 -0700 2005 1674883 0 Karl S. 1 1674956 With old booze, the alchohol will very slowly and gradually evaporate out. The flavoring, in my experience, tends to be pretty stable. First thing I thought, when I saw your list there, was "Ice cream!" That said, I've seen 20-30-40+ year-old bottles of liquor go for unreasonable prices at estate sales. Mon Sep 26 13:23:31 -0700 2005 1674883 0 Shep 2 1674997 As I was tasting them yesterday, I started thinking the same thing! Thanks for the info, it has been very helpful. Mon Sep 26 21:53:51 -0700 2005 1674956 0 L