Do spices really degrade in light?
The herb & spice section of my cupboard is crazy crowded, and putting a spice rack on my wall would really help out on the spice-finding front. But I've always heard that it's best to store your herbs & spices in a dark place, so I've been hesitant to take them from the dark cupboard and put them on a shelf on the wall, where they'll be more exposed.
Does anyone here know how much herbs and spices really degrade in light? And whether the type of light makes a big difference (energy-saving fluorescent vs. sun)? And whether there are some spices that can handle it better?
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6 Comments:
Whole spices will handle light better than ground and spices in opaque containers should probably be fine. Would you be able to put in an extra shelf in your cupboard? If it's dedicated to spices, the shelves don't have to be as tall. One weekend project approach I like is Alton Brown's: line the interior cabinet doors with strips of velcro or magnet, and affix complementary velcro/magnet to spice containers you reuse. This way your most commonly used spices are instantly accessible.
MFalk at 12:33PM on 10/22/09
@MFalk: Wow, lots of good suggestions--thanks! I actually remember seeing that Alton Brown project, but it kind of slipped my mind I guess. I think I'd rather go with a shelf+railing, to more easily promote/demote spices, but the idea of using the door as shelf space is perfect--the whole problem is that everything's packed three or four layers deep in there, so I have to pull everything out to find the fenugreek.
skizziks at 2:19PM on 10/22/09
I've heard that spices degrade from exposure to warm temperatures, so they shouldn't go over the stove. Not sure if there is any truth to that. I have mine near my stove for ease of use anyway
yayfood at 3:03PM on 10/22/09
Spices degrade with light. Direct sunlight will bleed the color quickly in paprika and chili peppers turning it grey. Flourescent lighting is even worse, and can turn the color in a day at the surface. It is light from the UV spectrum, so Amber bottles are best if you are on the counter top, or opaque tins. If you use a lot of spices and store it in jars that get used quickly you are ok, but if it lasts 6 months to a year before you use it up forget it. Heat and humidity also degrade the spices. the volatile oils that give the spices their flavor all evaporate around 100 Degrees F, which is why you can taste them. so storing them above the stove will shorten the life immensely. I have a nice Stainless steel wall mounted rack where the jars slide in through holes so only the lid shows. It keeps them where I can reach them, as well as keeps the spices in the dark.
Meat guy at 3:52PM on 10/22/09
The chemical compounds that give spices their characteristics (aroma, color, pungency, etc) do get altered mainly by oxidation. Oxidation is facilitated by light and heat.
Aromatic compounds normally contain a chemical structure called--literally-- "aromatic ring", which can be broken by oxidation. after that they lose the original aroma.
UV is much worse than fluorescent light (@Meat guy, were you talking about those purple lights used to sterilize stuff? that's UV lamp; fluorescent lamp used for homes don't emit UV- otherwise you'd get sunburned indoors), so avoiding sunlight is important. And yes, each spices have different chemical compounds and some are hardier than others.
hmw0029 at 4:19PM on 10/22/09
Not Black lights but Cheap fluorescent bulbs, not the highly treated daylight color fluorescent are the ones i am talking about. if you walk into the room and everything seems to have a green tint, you've got them. These are usually in commercial applications, grocery stores and such. We use these where I work occasionally to test shelf life on some spices and blends (especially for pepperoni seasonings). If you've ever worked a deli counter, you can watch the color fade on ham and pepperoni due to the fluorescent bulbs in the case. There is some wavelength that does a job on the natural pigments in spices and cured meats tied into the fluorescent lighting.
Meat guy at 4:58PM on 10/22/09