Went to COSTCO and as I had run out of bay leaves, and the price was
good, picked up a containor of McCormicks . Now I have more bay then I
can use in three years.

Best way to store? How long do you think it would last once the
containor is opened? - Mike

On Sun, 23 Nov 2014 08:28:53 -0500, wrote:

>Went to COSTCO and as I had run out of bay leaves, and the price was
>good, picked up a containor of McCormicks . Now I have more bay then I
>can use in three years.
>
>Best way to store? How long do you think it would last once the
>containor is opened? - Mike

Freeze it. I store a lot of my jarred, dried herbs in the freezer.

With bay, I just decided to grown it fresh so I always have some on
hand. If you live in a cold climate, it'll do nicely in a pot that
comes indoors in the winter.

Boron

In article >,
says...
>
> Went to COSTCO and as I had run out of bay leaves, and the price was
> good, picked up a containor of McCormicks . Now I have more bay then I
> can use in three years.
>
> Best way to store? How long do you think it would last once the
> containor is opened? - Mike

I've just been making up jars of home grown bayleaves for a charity
fundraiser.
I store mine, dried, in the dark in a lidded tin in the pantry and
they easily last 2 years.

Janet UK

On 11/23/2014 7:28 AM, wrote:
> Went to COSTCO and as I had run out of bay leaves, and the price was
> good, picked up a containor of McCormicks . Now I have more bay then I
> can use in three years.
>
> Best way to store? How long do you think it would last once the
> containor is opened? - Mike
>

I keep a jar of bay leaves from Sam's Club for years. They are dried and
they hold their flavor.

Not everyone can grow fresh bay trees.

--
From somewhere very deep in the heart of Texas

On Sun, 23 Nov 2014 12:09:57 -0600, Janet Wilder >
wrote:

> On 11/23/2014 7:28 AM, wrote:
> > Went to COSTCO and as I had run out of bay leaves, and the price was
> > good, picked up a containor of McCormicks . Now I have more bay then I
> > can use in three years.
> >
> > Best way to store? How long do you think it would last once the
> > containor is opened? - Mike
> >
>
> I keep a jar of bay leaves from Sam's Club for years. They are dried and
> they hold their flavor.
>
> Not everyone can grow fresh bay trees.

I don't like bay enough to grow it. I buy bay leaves and they go into
a baggie in the cupboard. AFAIC, they're always fine and if they lose
any pungency, the loss is lost on me. Most of my herbs and spices go
into the refrigerator to preserve their freshness, but not bay.


--
Avoid cutting yourself when slicing vegetables by getting someone else to hold them.

mhorowit wrote:
>
>Went to COSTCO and as I had run out of bay leaves, and the price was
>good, picked up a containor of McCormicks . Now I have more bay then I
>can use in three years.
>
>Best way to store? How lo

What size container? About ten years ago I bought a full pound of bay
leaves from Penzey, little did I realize how many bay leaves are in a
pound, gotta be thousands, the bag was the size of a pillow. I gave a
lot away, the rest went into my freezer except for a small jar in my
pantry. Ten years later I still have a lot left, and I use bay leaves
for many dishes. Wrapped well whole spices will keep many years in
your freezer.

On Sunday, November 23, 2014 8:28:53 AM UTC-5, Mike wrote:
> Went to COSTCO and as I had run out of bay leaves, and the price was
> good, picked up a containor of McCormicks . Now I have more bay then I
> can use in three years.
>
> Best way to store? How long do you think it would last once the
> containor is opened? - Mike

Three years? Ha - I think I've been on the same small bag of Penzey bay leaves for probably a decade. I wouldn't worry - but if you think they've lost their oomph, just use two or more.

On Sun, 23 Nov 2014 13:33:02 -0800 (PST), Kalmia
> wrote:

> I wouldn't worry - but if you think they've lost their oomph, just use two or more.

Exactly!

--

Never trust a dog to watch your food.

On Sun, 23 Nov 2014 08:28:53 -0500, wrote:

> Best way to store? How long do you think it would last once the
> containor is opened? - Mike


From the McCormick FAQ:

What is the shelf life of McCormick® Products?


The shelf life listed below is approximate and only applicable if stored
properly. It is best to follow the "Best By" dates on the products.

If your product does not have a "Best By" date it is beyond our
recommended shelf life.

General Shelf Life
€¢ Ground Spices - 2 to 4 years
€¢ Whole Spices - 4 years
€¢ Leafy Herbs - 1 to 3 years
€¢ Bottled Seasoning Blends - 1 to 2 years
€¢ Extracts & Food Colors - 4 years
€¢ Recipe Mixes (gravy, taco, etc.) - 2 years
€¢ Marinades and Sauces - 12 to 24 months
€¢ Seafood Box Mixes - 18 to 24 months

Proper Storage Tips
€¢ Store herbs and spices in a tightly capped container.
€¢ Keep spices and herbs away from heat, moisture and direct sunlight.
Avoid storing over the stove, dishwasher, sink or near a window.
€¢ Store members of the red pepper family, including paprika and chili
powder, in the refrigerator to retain their color and freshness.
€¢ McCormick does not recommend freezing as freezing does not extend the
shelf life of dried herbs and spices. Repeatedly removing the bottles
from the freezer may cause condensation to form and accelerate the loss
of flavor and aroma.


--

-Jeff B.


"Excuse me.
I don't mean to impose,
but I am the Ocean."

~ The Salton Sea

On 11/24/2014 10:48 PM, Yeff wrote:
> On Sun, 23 Nov 2014 08:28:53 -0500, wrote:
>
>> Best way to store? How long do you think it would last once the
>> containor is opened? - Mike
>
>
> From the McCormick FAQ:
>
> What is the shelf life of McCormick® Products?
>
>
> The shelf life listed below is approximate and only applicable if stored
> properly. It is best to follow the "Best By" dates on the products.
>
> If your product does not have a "Best By" date it is beyond our
> recommended shelf life.
>
(snippage)

Pure propaganda from a company that wants you to buy more of their dried
herbs and spices.

Jill

"jmcquown" > wrote in message
...
> On 11/24/2014 10:48 PM, Yeff wrote:
>> On Sun, 23 Nov 2014 08:28:53 -0500, wrote:
>>
>>> Best way to store? How long do you think it would last once the
>>> containor is opened? - Mike
>>
>>
>> From the McCormick FAQ:
>>
>> What is the shelf life of McCormick® Products?
>>
>>
>> The shelf life listed below is approximate and only applicable if stored
>> properly. It is best to follow the "Best By" dates on the products.
>>
>> If your product does not have a "Best By" date it is beyond our
>> recommended shelf life.
>>
> (snippage)
>
> Pure propaganda from a company that wants you to buy more of their dried
> herbs and spices.

I think they are right on this. I grew up eating and using old spices and
herbs. Now unless it is something I use a ton of, I buy it in the smallest
quantity possible.

On Mon, 24 Nov 2014 23:13:32 -0500, jmcquown >
wrote:

> On 11/24/2014 10:48 PM, Yeff wrote:
> > On Sun, 23 Nov 2014 08:28:53 -0500, wrote:
> >
> >> Best way to store? How long do you think it would last once the
> >> containor is opened? - Mike
> >
> >
> > From the McCormick FAQ:
> >
> > What is the shelf life of McCormick® Products?
> >
> >
> > The shelf life listed below is approximate and only applicable if stored
> > properly. It is best to follow the "Best By" dates on the products.
> >
> > If your product does not have a "Best By" date it is beyond our
> > recommended shelf life.
> >
> (snippage)
>
> Pure propaganda from a company that wants you to buy more of their dried
> herbs and spices.
>
I thought the time frames were pretty good and longer than I expected.
They aren't saying "throw it out after this date", they're just saying
"strongest flavor", and I'll agree with that.


--

Never trust a dog to watch your food.

On 11/25/2014 7:22 AM, sf wrote:
> On Mon, 24 Nov 2014 23:13:32 -0500, jmcquown >
> wrote:
>
>> On 11/24/2014 10:48 PM, Yeff wrote:
>>> On Sun, 23 Nov 2014 08:28:53 -0500, wrote:
>>>
>>>> Best way to store? How long do you think it would last once the
>>>> containor is opened? - Mike
>>>
>>>
>>> From the McCormick FAQ:
>>>
>>> What is the shelf life of McCormick® Products?
>>>
>>>
>>> The shelf life listed below is approximate and only applicable if stored
>>> properly. It is best to follow the "Best By" dates on the products.
>>>
>>> If your product does not have a "Best By" date it is beyond our
>>> recommended shelf life.
>>>
>> (snippage)
>>
>> Pure propaganda from a company that wants you to buy more of their dried
>> herbs and spices.
>>
> I thought the time frames were pretty good and longer than I expected.
> They aren't saying "throw it out after this date", they're just saying
> "strongest flavor", and I'll agree with that.
>
>
True enough but as someone else mentioned, when it comes to bay leaves
if they lose some potency just use more.

Jill

On Tue, 25 Nov 2014 07:32:23 -0500, jmcquown >
wrote:

> True enough but as someone else mentioned, when it comes to bay leaves
> if they lose some potency just use more.

I was going to mention that, but I figured you'd remember.

--

Never trust a dog to watch your food.

Yeff wrote:
wrote:
>
>> Best way to store? How long do you think it would last once the
>> containor is opened? - Mike
>
>
>From the McCormick FAQ:

Without supplying the URL your post is bogus... you need to let folks
read for themselves directly from the site, not read your edited
gibberish.

When properly stored whole spices will keep indefinitely. Ground
spices when kept at room temperature keep well for about a year, when
frozen can keep ten years and longer. Dried herbs will keep about six
months at room temperature but will keep many years frozen. Freezing
causes no harm from condensation because the frozen spices are ones
bulk supply and only opened occasionally and very briefly to fill ones
small in-use container. A pound of peppercorns properly wrapped will
keep many, many times longer frozen than a steak.

if it still has aroma, or smells ok, I will use it
[it's better than no herb/spice]

some the one dollar stores have bay leaves, as well as other herbs & spices

marc

On Tue, 25 Nov 2014 10:38:03 -0500, Brooklyn1 wrote:

>>From the McCormick FAQ:
>
> Without supplying the URL your post is bogus... you need to let folks
> read for themselves directly from the site, not read your edited
> gibberish.

Yeah, about that. **** off.

--

-Jeff B.


"Excuse me.
I don't mean to impose,
but I am the Ocean."

~ The Salton Sea

On Tue, 25 Nov 2014 08:04:37 -0800 (PST), wrote:

>
> some the one dollar stores have bay leaves, as well as other herbs & spices

Look for the blister packs hanging section of the grocery store where
you buy the chiles and corn husks for enchilada sauce and tamales. I
trust them to be fresher than what you'd buy at a dollar store.

--

Never trust a dog to watch your food.

On Tue, 25 Nov 2014 11:42:27 -0500, Yeff > wrote:

> On Tue, 25 Nov 2014 10:38:03 -0500, Brooklyn1 wrote:
>
> >>From the McCormick FAQ:
> >
> > Without supplying the URL your post is bogus... you need to let folks
> > read for themselves directly from the site, not read your edited
> > gibberish.
>
> Yeah, about that. **** off.

It was hard for me to find too. Finally found the URL when I copied
the title and pasted it into google. He should try it sometime.

--

Never trust a dog to watch your food.

"sf" > wrote in message
...
> On Tue, 25 Nov 2014 08:04:37 -0800 (PST), wrote:
>
>>
>> some the one dollar stores have bay leaves, as well as other herbs &
>> spices
>
> Look for the blister packs hanging section of the grocery store where
> you buy the chiles and corn husks for enchilada sauce and tamales. I
> trust them to be fresher than what you'd buy at a dollar store.

My dollar store goes through spices like crazy. They have a limited
selection but they've always been fresh.

> GUEST wrote:
> Went to COSTCO and as I had run out of bay leaves, and the price
was
> good, picked up a containor of McCormicks . Now I have more bay
then I
> can use in three years.
>
> Best way to store? How long do you think it would last once the
> containor is opened? - Mike

THANKS!