Idea: Empty Your Spice Rack

You know you have it. Somewhere in your kitchen, taking up lots of space, is a stack of old-ass spice jars. Oregano that smells vaguely of mint, paprika that smells like sawdust, and a can on some sort of celebrity spice mix that sits nearly full. My solution, dump it.

Now, these herbs and spices are still technically 'good,' by which I mean they are safe to eat. Dried herbs don't go bad, they just wither away. You know the shirt you have, the one you love, the one your girlfriend desperately tries to make you throw out? That's the rosemary sitting at the back of the second shelf. Trust me, you might think it's good, but it isn't. Toss it. Now.

Dried herbs have a potent shelf life of about six months. After that, they begin their slow fade. By the one year mark, they are a shell of what they used to be. What's the point of using a shell? If you're working with high quality fresh ingredients, it makes no sense to season it with something past it's prime.

So here's what you do. Take everything out. That's probably a good idea regardless, because, if you're like me, you probably need to do a little dusting there anyway. Next, take any jars you know are old- the ones with faded labels and dust- and chuck them straightaway. If you have any herbs you know you bought recently, they can stay. As for the rest, use your senses. Does it look faded? Smell like what it's meant to smell like? Anything that seems old, let it go. It's OK. You'll get more.

Next time you go to the store, buy what you need in the smallest possible package, unless you know you use a lot of something. A lot of better grocers are starting to sell miniature sized supplies. This is good.

You'll feel better for doing this. The spice rack is an often overlooked section of the kitchen. Give it a little attention, and your belly will thank you for it.