Equipment
How to Store Moroccan Spices
Spices are the engine of Moroccan cooking, and they're perishable — they lose their aroma steadily once ground and exposed to air, light and heat. Storing them well, and buying them in the right form, keeps your cumin, saffron, paprika and ras el hanout vivid, so your food tastes as it should rather than dull and dusty.
At a glance
- Store airtight, in the dark, away from heat — never above the stove
- Keep them dry: no wet spoons, don't shake over steaming pots
- Buy whole and grind fresh — whole spices keep flavour far longer than ground
- Buy ground spices in small amounts; they fade within about 6–12 months
Guide
The enemies of spices are air, light, heat and moisture. Store them in airtight containers — screw-top jars or tins with tight lids — away from light in a cupboard or drawer, and crucially not above or beside the stove, where heat drives off their volatile oils fastest (the spice rack over the hob is the worst place, however convenient). Keep them dry: never dip a wet spoon into a spice jar, and don't shake spices directly over a steaming pot, as the rising moisture gets into the jar.
Buying form matters as much as storage. Whole spices — cumin seeds, coriander, peppercorns, cinnamon sticks, nutmeg — keep their flavour far longer than pre-ground, because grinding exposes vastly more surface area to air. Buy whole where you can and grind small amounts as you go, and buy ground spices in modest quantities you'll use within a few months. Whole spices can stay good for a year or more; ground spices noticeably fade within about six months to a year.
A few specifics: saffron keeps well airtight and dark for a couple of years; delicate blends like ras el hanout are best bought fresh and used within a few months while aromatic. Label jars with the date so you know their age, and trust your nose — if a spice smells faint and dusty rather than punchy, it's past its best and worth replacing, because tired spices are the quiet reason a dish tastes flat. In hot, humid climates, some cooks even keep whole spices in the freezer.
Practical tips
- 1
Move spices off any rack above the hob — heat is their fastest enemy.
- 2
Never dip a wet spoon or shake a jar over a steaming pot; moisture ruins spices.
- 3
Buy whole cumin, coriander and peppercorns and grind as you go.
- 4
Label jars with the date so you can tell when a spice is past its prime.
- 5
Trust your nose — faint, dusty-smelling spice is spent and makes food taste flat.
Frequently asked questions
How should I store Moroccan spices?
Airtight, in the dark, and away from heat and moisture — a cupboard or drawer, never the rack above the stove. Keep them dry, and label jars with the date so you know their age.
Do whole or ground spices last longer?
Whole spices last far longer — often a year or more — because grinding exposes much more surface to air. Ground spices fade within about six months to a year, so buy them in small amounts.
How do I know if a spice has gone off?
Spices don't spoil dangerously, but they lose potency. If it smells faint and dusty rather than punchy and aromatic, it's past its best and worth replacing — tired spices make food taste flat.
Try the recipes
Put the tip into practice with these free step-by-step recipes: