I wasted $60 on a bulk spices order that went bad in 3 months

I bought a big variety pack of spices online thinking I'd save money cooking at home. But most of them lost their flavor after about 3 months sitting in my cabinet. Now I'm stuck with jars of paprika that taste like dust. Has anyone else had better luck buying small amounts from the bulk bins at the grocery store instead?

3 comments

3 Comments

xena_kim3d ago

Totally feel your pain on this. I bought a giant bag of smoked paprika from an online bulk place and it was amazing for like two months then just turned into sad red dirt. Switching to buying just a few tablespoons from the bulk bins at my local co-op has been way better, even if it costs a little more upfront. I only grab what I'll use in a month or two and my spices actually taste like something now.

rose_grant783d ago

sad red dirt" is exactly it. I had a bag of cumin that did the same thing. I bought it because I was making chili like crazy and thought I'd save money. Then I got busy and forgot about it for six months. Tasted like nothing. I tossed it and now I just buy the little jars from the grocery store, even though they cost way more per ounce. At least I know I'll use it before it turns into dust.

jessica_miller3d ago

Sad red dirt" really is the perfect way to put it. It makes me think about how we do this with so many things in life, not just spices. We buy the giant bulk size thinking we're being smart, but we end up wasting half of it because we just don't use it fast enough. It's like that with the big tubs of sour cream or those massive bags of flour. We think we're saving money but really we're just paying for stuff that's gonna sit there and go bad. So yeah, buying the smaller amounts that you'll actually finish in time just makes more sense, even if it feels like you're paying more per ounce.