Keep your spices fresh for longer: 7 simple habits for Indian kitchens

You open the spice box and the pepper smells of nothing. The cardamom has gone pale. The money you paid is gone, and today's food will taste flat. Good spices are only half the story. How you store them at home matters just as much.

1. Buy whole, grind small

Whole spices keep their smell much longer than powders. Grind only what you need for a week or two.

2. Use airtight glass or steel jars

Air takes away aroma. Move spices from open packets into jars with tight lids as soon as they arrive.

3. Keep them away from the stove

Heat and steam from cooking make spices lose aroma fast. A shelf away from the gas stove is better than a rack right above it.

4. Keep out light and moisture

Store jars in a closed cupboard. Never put a wet spoon into a spice jar. Even a few drops of water can spoil a whole jar.

5. Use a small daily jar and a big store jar

Fill a small jar for daily use from a bigger jar. The big jar stays closed most of the time, so the main stock stays fresh.

6. Write the date on the jar

A small label with the month you opened it helps you use older stock first. No more guessing.

7. Wake them up before use

Dry-roast whole spices on low heat for 30 to 60 seconds before grinding. It brings the smell back up and improves the taste of the dish.

A quick check every month

Once a month, smell each jar. If a spice smells weak, use it up quickly in a big dish and plan a fresh refill. Fresh spices mean you need less of them, so good storage also saves money.

AMODHAM packs whole spices in sealed packs and sends them fresh, so they start their life in your kitchen at their best. These 7 habits keep them that way.