Our £240 million-worth of unused herbs and spices
A new survey suggests there are millions of pounds worth of unused herbs and spices in British cupboards. But does it really matter?
How many jars of herbs and spices do you have sitting around at home that you rarely, if ever, use? A new survey from Kenwood is suggesting that the value of the spices sitting around on our shelves is worth up to around £240 million.
It also says that half of the herbs and spices we buy lurk in our kitchens untouched.
Does that actually mean they need clearing out though?
What don’t we use quickly?
Apparently, basil, chilli and oregano are the top three most used spices in Britain. Languishing at the bottom are marjoram, star anise and ras el hanout. However, we probably use the latter two far more regularly than we realise.
Star anise is a principal component in Chinese five-spice powder, a popular addition to homemade stir-fries and sweet-and-sour dishes as it eliminates the need to have all five spices separately in your cupboard.
Meanwhile, ras el hanout is a ground spice mix that originates from North Africa and is used in dishes like tagines. It can include many different spices, but is usually comprised of things like saffron, ground chilli, coriander, cumin, peppercorns and turmeric. So really, it sounds a lot more unfamiliar than it is.
Other little-used herbs are Kaffir lime leaves, galangal and lemongrass. On the other hand, ginger, coriander and paprika are very popular among British home cooks.
What's the issue here?
In my opinion, unless the herbs or spices in question are fresh, I don’t think that leaving them unused for a long time is necessarily a waste. So long as they’re stored correctly and moisture doesn’t penetrate the containers, most keep their flavour and stay good for a period of years. Obviously, at some point they need to get used but, in a lot of cases, there's no rush.
This is particularly true for spices that can only be used sparingly. If I used the habanero powder that's in my cupboard on a regular basis, I’d be breathing fire, and it’s a fairly big pot. Despite it being nearly a year old now, it’s still as potent and flavourful as it was to begin with.
The same goes for several others. I actually have five different types of chilli right now. There’s big pots of smoked chipotle, habanero, and cayenne pepper, plus there’s some dried bird's eye in a packet and a few fresh finger chillies in the fridge. No prizes for guessing my favourite spice.
There are also plenty of herbs that are out of date, but they’re not my ‘go-to’ options. So when I use them, I just tip in a little more than suggested in a given recipe.
For instance, my thyme doesn’t get a whole lot of love, but when I do use it, adding a pinch or two extra is fine. And 99% of the time the flavour still comes through and it tastes fine. A lot of spices are also very seasonal. It’s right at the bottom of the list of ‘least used’ spices, but star anise sales must skyrocket just before Christmas as people prepare their own mulled wine.
What’s in your cupboards?
In my own cupboard at home, as I’ve hinted, are quite a few spices that don't get much attention. Lingering at the back are a pack of whole star anise (I often use five-spice blend instead), garam masala (underused) and a steak seasoning blend (useless, so I should probably chuck this out). They’re all open, and all three are at least a year old.
There’s also a few packs of ground cinnamon as well as some old sticks, loads of cumin seeds in various containers and some minced garlic, as I only use that when I’m feeling extremely lazy.
What herbs and spices are at the back of your cupboards? Do you ever throw them out, or just carry on? Does it affect the flavour? Let us know your thoughts in the Comments below.
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