Spices are plant parts which act as most important ingredients in enhancing the taste of a dish. The aroma and flavor present in the spices is due to the essential oils present in the cells of these plant parts. These oils are volatile. Hence, spices should be stored in a very proper manner so that their aroma is not lost. As most of the spices are rarely available, most of the people buy spices in large quantities and store them for longer time. To ensure the quality of spices remains intact even after long duration, certain steps have to be followed while storing spices. They are:
Spices have to be stored in an air tight container in cool and dark place, as humidity and heat will make the spices loose their essence quickly.
Spices are found to remain fresh even after, 3 to 5 years; hence proper packing should be done for storing spices. Some of the spices which are not native of the place are bought online. Hence, when you but spices online, make sure that the packaging is done in such a way to keep the freshness intact.
Most of the spices should be stored in ground form rather than powdered form. This is because when spices are stored in powdered form in a container, the flavor and aroma is lost easily on frequent opening of container.
It is recommended for some spices to roast, dry and then preserve.
The spices should not be stored directly in refrigerators as it is very humid inside, which may result in development of fungus and bacteria in the container of spices. They have to be stored in air tight containers, which do not allow humidity inside.
Apart from the above steps, the freshness of the spices should be checked regularly. Proper storage should be ensured, so that the spices do not lose their strength.