The desire to organize seems to hit me every year in the month of February. Perhaps it’s because I spend more time indoors during the cold months (though that is a bit of a misnomer for this particular snowless winter with its 50 degree weather). Last weekend, I defrosted the basement freezer. The only surprise there was all the room I had once the frost melted.
This weekend, I tackled the long neglected spice cupboard. I tossed a bunch of expired herb and spice mixes. When was the last time I made spinach dip for pete’s sake? We don’t do dip. Not even during the holidays. I think I bought them for my fantasy life where I entertain – a lot – and serve dip.
Then there was the fish seasoning I bought in an open air market on the island of St. Martin. You know how the person who isn’t crazy about fish to begin with is usually the one who ends up finding bones in the ‘boneless fillet’? In my house, that would be Old Roady. So I rarely serve fish. That wonderful blend of spices, now several years old, ended up in the trash – another victim of my fantasy life where Omega 3 is an integral part of our diet.
I was pleased with myself for all the purging and cleaning until I read Sara Noel’s Frugal Living column in my local paper and this statement sent me running back to my cupboard: McCormick’s website states that if their spices are in a tin can, they are at least 15 years old.
Okay, so mine is Durkee brand. Can I fool myself into thinking it’s NOT 15 years old?
I tried to decode the expiration date using Durkee’s FAQ page, but the number and letter sequence doesn’t make sense. Add that lack of information to the price tag still glued to the bottom – $1.67 – and I’m thinking I could have tossed this can of paprika 14 years ago and never missed it.
Now I’m in a quandary – throw out the can or keep it. I found the same one pictured on ebay labeled ‘vintage’. It’s a collectible. A few more years and it will be positively antique. This red tin can would look lovely in my fantasy Country Living kitchen.
Anita K Greene 
That little pop of color will take up minimal space for the enjoyment it will provide! I say empty the contents and “enjoy the can”!
I’ve stuck it up on the shelf above the kitchen table and can actually see it amid the bills and insurance papers Husband has ‘filed’ there. 🙂
Good idea Jan! If it’s still aromatic, do some potpourri…. or add it into some white craft paint for a speckled/tinted look. You know what a dumpster-diver I am… 🙂 Waste not, want not. 🙂
I’ve washed it. That’s a start, right? 🙂
Oh my gosh, Anita … that is too funny – if it weren’t totally the case at our house. We have two drawers of LITERALLY every spice known to man. No telling how old they are. Of course, MLB always says, “Spices don’t go bad.” Not sure if that’s true or not, but as little as we cook, we many never find out. hehehe
You may have some collectibles in those drawers!