Has anyone ever bought dried oregano that smelled or tasted off?

The first time I noticed this, I wasn't sure what it was. I bought the
Italian seasoning from Costco. It had a musty odor to it and it didn't
taste good to us. I think it was a Mccormick seasoning but it was different
than what I usually buy. I think it said "Northern Italian" or something.

I just assumed that we didn't like it and I threw it out.

And now I have some Archer Farms oregano. I notice that the aroma of it
when I open the bottle is very strong/sharp. I can't really tell if it is a
different aroma than usual. I will have to buy another brand and compare
them. And there isn't the must smell. But it seems to have an off flavor.
I thought at first that it was just stronger than usual. So I used less of
it. But that didn't help. Gives an off flavor to my dish. I will buy
another brand tomorrow and see if that is better.

Oregano is one of the herbs/spices that I have been using for years. And I
used to put a ton of it in my red pasta sauce. I am not brand loyal either.
If I need it, I will buy it wherever I am and will usually get whatever the
cheapest stuff is. That could be the 99 cent stuff at the drugstore, but
usually it's McCormick or Schilling.

Sqwertz wrote:
>
> Anybody want to place bets on how many posts will end up in this
> thread when it's all said and done?
>
> -sw

You forgot to add a youtube link to your post, Steve.

G.

Julie Bove wrote:
> Has anyone ever bought dried oregano that smelled or tasted off?
>
> The first time I noticed this, I wasn't sure what it was. I bought
> the Italian seasoning from Costco. It had a musty odor to it and it
> didn't taste good to us. I think it was a Mccormick seasoning but it
> was different than what I usually buy. I think it said "Northern
> Italian" or something.
> I just assumed that we didn't like it and I threw it out.
>
> And now I have some Archer Farms oregano. I notice that the aroma of
> it when I open the bottle is very strong/sharp. I can't really tell
> if it is a different aroma than usual. I will have to buy another
> brand and compare them. And there isn't the must smell. But it
> seems to have an off flavor. I thought at first that it was just
> stronger than usual. So I used less of it. But that didn't help.
> Gives an off flavor to my dish. I will buy another brand tomorrow
> and see if that is better.
> Oregano is one of the herbs/spices that I have been using for years.
> And I used to put a ton of it in my red pasta sauce. I am not brand
> loyal either. If I need it, I will buy it wherever I am and will
> usually get whatever the cheapest stuff is. That could be the 99
> cent stuff at the drugstore, but usually it's McCormick or Schilling.

Sounds like you're using inconsistent sources for an important
ingredient and getting inconsistent results - perhaps settling on a
brand you like will solve that problem for you. Even if you find
several high quality sources, their differing tastes could result in
dishes you don't like - it's easy to consistently source this so why not
do just that? Oregano that's too _good_ - fresher, stronger flavor -
could ruin a dish, too.

We like Trader Joe's for powdered herbs/spices. They don't have a big
selection of herbs and spices but I'm pretty sure they do have oregano.
We now get our cinnamon, black pepper (in a grinder), garlic powder, and
a few others there.

-S-

"Julie Bove" > wrote in message
...
> Has anyone ever bought dried oregano that smelled or tasted off?
>
> The first time I noticed this, I wasn't sure what it was. I bought the
> Italian seasoning from Costco. It had a musty odor to it and it didn't
> taste good to us. I think it was a Mccormick seasoning but it was
> different than what I usually buy. I think it said "Northern Italian" or
> something.
>
> I just assumed that we didn't like it and I threw it out.
>
> And now I have some Archer Farms oregano. I notice that the aroma of it
> when I open the bottle is very strong/sharp. I can't really tell if it is
> a different aroma than usual. I will have to buy another brand and
> compare them. And there isn't the must smell. But it seems to have an
> off flavor. I thought at first that it was just stronger than usual. So I
> used less of it. But that didn't help. Gives an off flavor to my dish.
> I will buy another brand tomorrow and see if that is better.
>
> Oregano is one of the herbs/spices that I have been using for years. And
> I used to put a ton of it in my red pasta sauce. I am not brand loyal
> either. If I need it, I will buy it wherever I am and will usually get
> whatever the cheapest stuff is. That could be the 99 cent stuff at the
> drugstore, but usually it's McCormick or Schilling.

There are two types of oregano, Mexican and Mediterrranean. Here
is a link to Penzey's explanation of the differences, which are large:
http://www.penzeys.com/cgi-bin/penze...ysoregano.html
Sounds as if you are accustomed to Mediterranean and just got
a couple of batches of Mexican.

pavane

On 10/8/12 3:19 AM, Sqwertz wrote:
> Anybody want to place bets on how many posts will end up in this
> thread when it's all said and done?
>
> -sw
>

With the consensus that Julie Bove is a whack job with too much time on
her hands and too few brain cells?

On 08/10/2012 9:54 AM, Goomba wrote:
> On 10/8/12 3:19 AM, Sqwertz wrote:
>> Anybody want to place bets on how many posts will end up in this
>> thread when it's all said and done?
>>
>> -sw
>>
>
> With the consensus that Julie Bove is a whack job with too much time on
> her hands and too few brain cells?


True.


FWIW.... I buy my herbs in the Bulk Barn. I pay only a fraction the
price that I would if I bought it by the bottle in the grocery store.
For instance, a few years ago when I needed ground ginger, it was $3.99
fr a bottle in the grocery store. I kept my old bottle and filled it
with the stuff I got in bulk for less than 20 cents. One gorcery store
sells herbs in bulk. I enough marjoram to fill the old bottle and it was
so light it did not register on checkout scale so the cashier didn't
charge me for it.

If the herbs ans spices get old and lose their flavour I throw them out
and get new. It is much cheaper than buy them by the bottle.

"Steve Freides" > wrote in message
...
> Julie Bove wrote:
>> Has anyone ever bought dried oregano that smelled or tasted off?
>>
>> The first time I noticed this, I wasn't sure what it was. I bought
>> the Italian seasoning from Costco. It had a musty odor to it and it
>> didn't taste good to us. I think it was a Mccormick seasoning but it
>> was different than what I usually buy. I think it said "Northern
>> Italian" or something.
>> I just assumed that we didn't like it and I threw it out.
>>
>> And now I have some Archer Farms oregano. I notice that the aroma of
>> it when I open the bottle is very strong/sharp. I can't really tell
>> if it is a different aroma than usual. I will have to buy another
>> brand and compare them. And there isn't the must smell. But it
>> seems to have an off flavor. I thought at first that it was just
>> stronger than usual. So I used less of it. But that didn't help. Gives
>> an off flavor to my dish. I will buy another brand tomorrow
>> and see if that is better.
>> Oregano is one of the herbs/spices that I have been using for years. And
>> I used to put a ton of it in my red pasta sauce. I am not brand
>> loyal either. If I need it, I will buy it wherever I am and will
>> usually get whatever the cheapest stuff is. That could be the 99
>> cent stuff at the drugstore, but usually it's McCormick or Schilling.
>
> Sounds like you're using inconsistent sources for an important ingredient
> and getting inconsistent results - perhaps settling on a brand you like
> will solve that problem for you. Even if you find several high quality
> sources, their differing tastes could result in dishes you don't like -
> it's easy to consistently source this so why not do just that? Oregano
> that's too _good_ - fresher, stronger flavor - could ruin a dish, too.
>
> We like Trader Joe's for powdered herbs/spices. They don't have a big
> selection of herbs and spices but I'm pretty sure they do have oregano. We
> now get our cinnamon, black pepper (in a grinder), garlic powder, and a
> few others there.
>
> -S-

That could be. Thing is, I take oil of oregano daily and have applied it
externally. I don't know if dried oregano would have the same scent but
this certainly does not. Maybe I should always buy the same one. I don't
get to TJ's too often. It's not close to where I live and I hate waiting in
the long lines there.

"pavane" > wrote in message
...
>
> "Julie Bove" > wrote in message
> ...
>> Has anyone ever bought dried oregano that smelled or tasted off?
>>
>> The first time I noticed this, I wasn't sure what it was. I bought the
>> Italian seasoning from Costco. It had a musty odor to it and it didn't
>> taste good to us. I think it was a Mccormick seasoning but it was
>> different than what I usually buy. I think it said "Northern Italian" or
>> something.
>>
>> I just assumed that we didn't like it and I threw it out.
>>
>> And now I have some Archer Farms oregano. I notice that the aroma of it
>> when I open the bottle is very strong/sharp. I can't really tell if it
>> is a different aroma than usual. I will have to buy another brand and
>> compare them. And there isn't the must smell. But it seems to have an
>> off flavor. I thought at first that it was just stronger than usual. So
>> I used less of it. But that didn't help. Gives an off flavor to my
>> dish. I will buy another brand tomorrow and see if that is better.
>>
>> Oregano is one of the herbs/spices that I have been using for years. And
>> I used to put a ton of it in my red pasta sauce. I am not brand loyal
>> either. If I need it, I will buy it wherever I am and will usually get
>> whatever the cheapest stuff is. That could be the 99 cent stuff at the
>> drugstore, but usually it's McCormick or Schilling.
>
> There are two types of oregano, Mexican and Mediterrranean. Here
> is a link to Penzey's explanation of the differences, which are large:
> http://www.penzeys.com/cgi-bin/penze...ysoregano.html
> Sounds as if you are accustomed to Mediterranean and just got
> a couple of batches of Mexican.
>
> pavane

Thanks! After reading more about it last night, I was thinking that may be
what I got. The bottle just says that it was grown in Turkey.

"Dave Smith" > wrote in message
news
> On 08/10/2012 9:54 AM, Goomba wrote:
>> On 10/8/12 3:19 AM, Sqwertz wrote:
>>> Anybody want to place bets on how many posts will end up in this
>>> thread when it's all said and done?
>>>
>>> -sw
>>>
>>
>> With the consensus that Julie Bove is a whack job with too much time on
>> her hands and too few brain cells?
>
>
> True.
>
>
> FWIW.... I buy my herbs in the Bulk Barn. I pay only a fraction the price
> that I would if I bought it by the bottle in the grocery store. For
> instance, a few years ago when I needed ground ginger, it was $3.99 fr a
> bottle in the grocery store. I kept my old bottle and filled it with the
> stuff I got in bulk for less than 20 cents. One gorcery store sells herbs
> in bulk. I enough marjoram to fill the old bottle and it was so light it
> did not register on checkout scale so the cashier didn't charge me for it.
>
> If the herbs ans spices get old and lose their flavour I throw them out
> and get new. It is much cheaper than buy them by the bottle.

There are places here that sell bulk but I am always leery to buy. I would
have no qualms currently with buying from Whole Foods although I am not sure
if they have bulk spices. But they are a new store so chances are that
their product would be fresh. But at the other stores I have tried buying
nuts, seeds, beans and popcorn and they weren't always fresh. So I would be
afraid that the spices wouldn't be fresh either.

Julie Bove wrote:
>
> I take oil of oregano daily and have applied it externally.

Now you're just getting kinky, Julie.

G.

Julie Bove wrote:
>
> "pavane" > wrote:
> > There are two types of oregano, Mexican and Mediterrranean. Here
> > is a link to Penzey's explanation of the differences, which are large:
> > http://www.penzeys.com/cgi-bin/penze...ysoregano.html
> > Sounds as if you are accustomed to Mediterranean and just got
> > a couple of batches of Mexican.
> >
> > pavane
>
> Thanks! After reading more about it last night, I was thinking that may be
> what I got. The bottle just says that it was grown in Turkey.

So.....Ham, this Thanksgiving?

G.

"Gary" > wrote in message ...
> Julie Bove wrote:
>>
>> I take oil of oregano daily and have applied it externally.
>
> Now you're just getting kinky, Julie.

Actually, I once had a Dr. smell my foot. I told him not to be alarmed at
the color of my toenail because I had put the oil of oregano there, thinking
that I had a toenail fungus. After the fact I believe that wasn't what it
was at all but psoriasis of the nail. The two can look very similar. At
least that's all gone now! The Dr. said it did smell good. Ha! That was
probably the freakiest thing that happened at the Dr.

Julie Bove wrote:
>
> "Gary" > wrote in message ...
> > Julie Bove wrote:
> >>
> >> I take oil of oregano daily and have applied it externally.
> >
> > Now you're just getting kinky, Julie.
>
> Actually, I once had a Dr. smell my foot. I told him not to be alarmed at
> the color of my toenail because I had put the oil of oregano there, thinking
> that I had a toenail fungus. After the fact I believe that wasn't what it
> was at all but psoriasis of the nail. The two can look very similar. At
> least that's all gone now! The Dr. said it did smell good. Ha! That was
> probably the freakiest thing that happened at the Dr.

UNSUBSCRIBE!

On 08/10/2012 10:12 AM, Julie Bove wrote:
bulk. I enough marjoram to fill the old bottle and it was so light it
>> did not register on checkout scale so the cashier didn't charge me for it.
>>
>> If the herbs ans spices get old and lose their flavour I throw them out
>> and get new. It is much cheaper than buy them by the bottle.
>
> There are places here that sell bulk but I am always leery to buy. I would
> have no qualms currently with buying from Whole Foods although I am not sure
> if they have bulk spices. But they are a new store so chances are that
> their product would be fresh. But at the other stores I have tried buying
> nuts, seeds, beans and popcorn and they weren't always fresh. So I would be
> afraid that the spices wouldn't be fresh either.
>
>
\



I would bet that in most kitchens there are herbs and spices that have
been there for years. I know that there are in mine. There are some
things that I use frequently, like oregano, black pepper, marjoram,
curry powder. Then there is stuff like allspice and cloves that have
been in there for decades. For most people the freshness in pretty
much a non issue. You will have a hard time convincing me that a less
than fresh spice in a bulk store is going to be any worse for wear when
you finally use it five years later. And FWIW.. oregano is usually used
dried, rarely fresh.

On Sun, 7 Oct 2012 21:24:54 -0700, "Julie Bove"
> wrote:

>Has anyone ever bought dried oregano that smelled or tasted off?
>
>The first time I noticed this, I wasn't sure what it was. I bought the
>Italian seasoning from Costco. It had a musty odor to it and it didn't
>taste good to us. I think it was a Mccormick seasoning but it was different
>than what I usually buy. I think it said "Northern Italian" or something.
>
>I just assumed that we didn't like it and I threw it out.
>
>And now I have some Archer Farms oregano. I notice that the aroma of it
>when I open the bottle is very strong/sharp. I can't really tell if it is a
>different aroma than usual. I will have to buy another brand and compare
>them. And there isn't the must smell. But it seems to have an off flavor.
>I thought at first that it was just stronger than usual. So I used less of
>it. But that didn't help. Gives an off flavor to my dish. I will buy
>another brand tomorrow and see if that is better.
>
>Oregano is one of the herbs/spices that I have been using for years. And I
>used to put a ton of it in my red pasta sauce. I am not brand loyal either.
>If I need it, I will buy it wherever I am and will usually get whatever the
>cheapest stuff is. That could be the 99 cent stuff at the drugstore, but
>usually it's McCormick or Schilling.
>

This company sells 13 different kinds of oregano, all somewhat
different. I am growing 3 right now.

http://pantrygardenherbs.com/?page_id=1012
--
Susan N.

"Moral indignation is in most cases two percent moral,
48 percent indignation, and 50 percent envy."
Vittorio De Sica, Italian movie director (1901-1974)

On Mon, 08 Oct 2012 10:41:54 -0400, Dave Smith
> wrote:
snip
>I would bet that in most kitchens there are herbs and spices that have
>been there for years.
Nope. Everything is dated. One-year turn around for most, 2 year
maximum. Exceptions are whole cloves, whole cinnamon and whole nutmeg
-- those I will keep longer.

snip
You will have a hard time convincing me that a less
>than fresh spice in a bulk store is going to be any worse for wear when
>you finally use it five years later. And FWIW.. oregano is usually used
>dried, rarely fresh.
>
>
Have you ever watched the turnover in the bulk section? In my Winco,
there are 2 times of the day that you will darn near be run over by
staff refilling all the bulk stuff -- including herbs and spices. At
other times it is difficult to elbow space enough at the bins to get
what you want. Maybe in your stores, but not in mine.
Janet US

"Janet Bostwick" > wrote in message
...
> On Mon, 08 Oct 2012 10:41:54 -0400, Dave Smith
> > wrote:
> snip
>>I would bet that in most kitchens there are herbs and spices that have
>>been there for years.
> Nope. Everything is dated. One-year turn around for most, 2 year
> maximum. Exceptions are whole cloves, whole cinnamon and whole nutmeg
> -- those I will keep longer.
>
> snip
> You will have a hard time convincing me that a less
>>than fresh spice in a bulk store is going to be any worse for wear when
>>you finally use it five years later. And FWIW.. oregano is usually used
>>dried, rarely fresh.
>>
>>
> Have you ever watched the turnover in the bulk section? In my Winco,
> there are 2 times of the day that you will darn near be run over by
> staff refilling all the bulk stuff -- including herbs and spices. At
> other times it is difficult to elbow space enough at the bins to get
> what you want. Maybe in your stores, but not in mine.
> Janet US

I don't know about the spices but so far what I have bought in bulk there
has been very fresh. This has not been the case in other stores.

On 08/10/2012 1:31 PM, Janet Bostwick wrote:
snip
> You will have a hard time convincing me that a less
>> than fresh spice in a bulk store is going to be any worse for wear when
>> you finally use it five years later. And FWIW.. oregano is usually used
>> dried, rarely fresh.
>>
>>
> Have you ever watched the turnover in the bulk section? In my Winco,
> there are 2 times of the day that you will darn near be run over by
> staff refilling all the bulk stuff -- including herbs and spices. At
> other times it is difficult to elbow space enough at the bins to get
> what you want. Maybe in your stores, but not in mine.

I don't think the stuff in bulk stores is stale. That has been
suggested here before.... left out in sunlight for long periods yada
yada. I don't usually get bulk stuff at the grocery store. I go to the
Bulk Barn, which sells almost everything bulk... in two ways.... You
can get just about anything in bulk; cereals, grains, flours, sugars,
dried fruits, snack foods, coffee, tea, spices herbs, cake sprinkles,
peanut butter, dog biscuits...... They also carry some packaged products.

They are constantly refilling the bins.



Curious thing about Bulk Barn customers. There are a lot of great deals
on baking supplies and many other things. A fair percentage of the
customers are buying food products. A lot of them are just buying
candy.... bags and bags and bags of candy.

On Monday, October 8, 2012 3:19:19 AM UTC-4, Sqwertz wrote:
> Anybody want to place bets on how many posts will end up in this
>
> thread when it's all said and done?
>
>
>
> -sw

Yeah - here we go again. She stays up nights dreaming these up. Very enlightening stuff.

Julie Bove wrote:
> "Steve Freides" > wrote in message
> ...
>> Julie Bove wrote:
>>> Has anyone ever bought dried oregano that smelled or tasted off?
>>>
>>> The first time I noticed this, I wasn't sure what it was. I bought
>>> the Italian seasoning from Costco. It had a musty odor to it and it
>>> didn't taste good to us. I think it was a Mccormick seasoning but
>>> it was different than what I usually buy. I think it said "Northern
>>> Italian" or something.
>>> I just assumed that we didn't like it and I threw it out.
>>>
>>> And now I have some Archer Farms oregano. I notice that the aroma
>>> of it when I open the bottle is very strong/sharp. I can't really
>>> tell if it is a different aroma than usual. I will have to buy
>>> another
>>> brand and compare them. And there isn't the must smell. But it
>>> seems to have an off flavor. I thought at first that it was just
>>> stronger than usual. So I used less of it. But that didn't help.
>>> Gives an off flavor to my dish. I will buy another brand tomorrow
>>> and see if that is better.
>>> Oregano is one of the herbs/spices that I have been using for
>>> years. And I used to put a ton of it in my red pasta sauce. I am
>>> not brand loyal either. If I need it, I will buy it wherever I am
>>> and will
>>> usually get whatever the cheapest stuff is. That could be the 99
>>> cent stuff at the drugstore, but usually it's McCormick or
>>> Schilling.
>>
>> Sounds like you're using inconsistent sources for an important
>> ingredient and getting inconsistent results - perhaps settling on a
>> brand you like will solve that problem for you. Even if you find
>> several high quality sources, their differing tastes could result in
>> dishes you don't like - it's easy to consistently source this so why
>> not do just that? Oregano that's too _good_ - fresher, stronger
>> flavor - could ruin a dish, too. We like Trader Joe's for powdered
>> herbs/spices. They don't have a
>> big selection of herbs and spices but I'm pretty sure they do have
>> oregano. We now get our cinnamon, black pepper (in a grinder),
>> garlic powder, and a few others there.
>>
>> -S-
>
> That could be. Thing is, I take oil of oregano daily and have
> applied it externally. I don't know if dried oregano would have the
> same scent but this certainly does not. Maybe I should always buy
> the same one. I don't get to TJ's too often. It's not close to
> where I live and I hate waiting in the long lines there.

No disrespect intended but you've changed the subject - buy dried
oregano from the same, good source and not from anywhere else and your
original problem should be solved. Oil of oregano is a different thing
entirely.

-S-

On Oct 8, 1:42*pm, Dave Smith > wrote:
> On 08/10/2012 1:31 PM, Janet Bostwick wrote:
> snip
>
> > * You will have a hard time convincing me that a less
> >> than fresh spice in a bulk store is going to be any worse for wear when
> >> you finally use it five years later. And FWIW.. oregano is usually used
> >> dried, rarely fresh.
>
> > Have you ever watched the turnover in the bulk section? *In my Winco,
> > there are 2 times of the day that you will darn near be run over by
> > staff refilling all the bulk stuff -- including herbs and spices. *At
> > other times it is difficult to elbow space enough at the bins to get
> > what you want. *Maybe in your stores, but not in mine.
>
> * I don't think the stuff in bulk stores is stale. That has been
> suggested here before.... left out in sunlight for long periods yada
> yada. I don't usually get bulk stuff at the grocery store. I go to the
> Bulk Barn, which sells almost everything bulk... in two ways.... *You
> can get just about anything in bulk; cereals, grains, flours, sugars,
> dried fruits, snack foods, coffee, tea, spices herbs, cake sprinkles,
> peanut butter, dog biscuits...... *They also carry some packaged products.
>
> They are constantly refilling the bins.
>
> Curious thing about Bulk Barn customers. There are a lot of great deals
> on baking supplies and many other things. A fair percentage of the
> customers are buying food products. A lot of them are just buying
> candy.... bags and bags and bags of candy.

Wish there was a place like that around here, but our local Fred Meyer
has quite a bit of bulk stuff.

On 08/10/2012 6:45 PM, merryb wrote:

>> Curious thing about Bulk Barn customers. There are a lot of great deals
>> on baking supplies and many other things. A fair percentage of the
>> customers are buying food products. A lot of them are just buying
>> candy.... bags and bags and bags of candy.
>
> Wish there was a place like that around here, but our local Fred Meyer
> has quite a bit of bulk stuff.

Frankly, I am surprised that there is not. Canadian retailers tend to
follow the American lead. Perhaps American shoppers have more brand
loyalty <?>. Maybe they are more paranoid about product tampering <?>.

Dave Smith wrote in rec.food.cooking:

> On 08/10/2012 10:12 AM, Julie Bove wrote:
> bulk. I enough marjoram to fill the old bottle and it was so light it
> > > did not register on checkout scale so the cashier didn't charge
> > > me for it.
> > >
> > > If the herbs ans spices get old and lose their flavour I throw
> > > them out and get new. It is much cheaper than buy them by the
> > > bottle.
> >
> > There are places here that sell bulk but I am always leery to buy.
> > I would have no qualms currently with buying from Whole Foods
> > although I am not sure if they have bulk spices. But they are a
> > new store so chances are that their product would be fresh. But at
> > the other stores I have tried buying nuts, seeds, beans and popcorn
> > and they weren't always fresh. So I would be afraid that the
> > spices wouldn't be fresh either.
> >
> >
> \
>
>
>
> I would bet that in most kitchens there are herbs and spices that
> have been there for years. I know that there are in mine. There are
> some things that I use frequently, like oregano, black pepper,
> marjoram, curry powder. Then there is stuff like allspice and cloves
> that have been in there for decades. For most people the freshness
> in pretty much a non issue. You will have a hard time convincing me
> that a less than fresh spice in a bulk store is going to be any worse
> for wear when you finally use it five years later. And FWIW.. oregano
> is usually used dried, rarely fresh.

Grin, I know I have some aged spices in my kitchen and it doesnt bother
me any. Sure some go to flavorless dust but most do not if kept in a
dark dry spot.



--

"Steve Freides" > wrote in message
...
> Julie Bove wrote:
>> "Steve Freides" > wrote in message
>> ...
>>> Julie Bove wrote:
>>>> Has anyone ever bought dried oregano that smelled or tasted off?
>>>>
>>>> The first time I noticed this, I wasn't sure what it was. I bought
>>>> the Italian seasoning from Costco. It had a musty odor to it and it
>>>> didn't taste good to us. I think it was a Mccormick seasoning but
>>>> it was different than what I usually buy. I think it said "Northern
>>>> Italian" or something.
>>>> I just assumed that we didn't like it and I threw it out.
>>>>
>>>> And now I have some Archer Farms oregano. I notice that the aroma
>>>> of it when I open the bottle is very strong/sharp. I can't really
>>>> tell if it is a different aroma than usual. I will have to buy another
>>>> brand and compare them. And there isn't the must smell. But it
>>>> seems to have an off flavor. I thought at first that it was just
>>>> stronger than usual. So I used less of it. But that didn't help.
>>>> Gives an off flavor to my dish. I will buy another brand tomorrow
>>>> and see if that is better.
>>>> Oregano is one of the herbs/spices that I have been using for
>>>> years. And I used to put a ton of it in my red pasta sauce. I am
>>>> not brand loyal either. If I need it, I will buy it wherever I am and
>>>> will
>>>> usually get whatever the cheapest stuff is. That could be the 99
>>>> cent stuff at the drugstore, but usually it's McCormick or
>>>> Schilling.
>>>
>>> Sounds like you're using inconsistent sources for an important
>>> ingredient and getting inconsistent results - perhaps settling on a
>>> brand you like will solve that problem for you. Even if you find
>>> several high quality sources, their differing tastes could result in
>>> dishes you don't like - it's easy to consistently source this so why
>>> not do just that? Oregano that's too _good_ - fresher, stronger
>>> flavor - could ruin a dish, too. We like Trader Joe's for powdered
>>> herbs/spices. They don't have a
>>> big selection of herbs and spices but I'm pretty sure they do have
>>> oregano. We now get our cinnamon, black pepper (in a grinder),
>>> garlic powder, and a few others there.
>>>
>>> -S-
>>
>> That could be. Thing is, I take oil of oregano daily and have
>> applied it externally. I don't know if dried oregano would have the
>> same scent but this certainly does not. Maybe I should always buy
>> the same one. I don't get to TJ's too often. It's not close to
>> where I live and I hate waiting in the long lines there.
>
> No disrespect intended but you've changed the subject - buy dried oregano
> from the same, good source and not from anywhere else and your original
> problem should be solved. Oil of oregano is a different thing entirely.
>
> -S-

Yes, it is different. But now that I have bought new dried stuff, I really
think there was some sort of problem with the old stuff. They looked pretty
much the same but the aroma was much different. The old stuff had almost a
minty aroma. Daughter said she didn't like the flavor either.

I tasted some of the new stuff (yes in the dried form) and it did taste as I
know oregano to taste. I added some of that along with more parsley, some
rosemary, onion powder, a bit of garlic and some red pepper flakes to the
unstuffed peppers. The taste is as it should be.

So either I got a different variety of oregano or they put the wrong stuff
in my bottle. The new stuff is cheap. The Rite Aid brand. They had their
seasonings on sale for $1 each plus you save another $1 if you buy 3 and you
get some sort of points which probably doesn't apply to me. I don't buy
enough from them currently to benefit from the points.

"Julie Bove" > wrote in message
...
>
> "Steve Freides" > wrote in message
> ...
>> Julie Bove wrote:
>>> Has anyone ever bought dried oregano that smelled or tasted off?
>>>
>>> The first time I noticed this, I wasn't sure what it was. I bought
>>> the Italian seasoning from Costco. It had a musty odor to it and it
>>> didn't taste good to us. I think it was a Mccormick seasoning but it
>>> was different than what I usually buy. I think it said "Northern
>>> Italian" or something.
>>> I just assumed that we didn't like it and I threw it out.
>>>
>>> And now I have some Archer Farms oregano. I notice that the aroma of
>>> it when I open the bottle is very strong/sharp. I can't really tell
>>> if it is a different aroma than usual. I will have to buy another
>>> brand and compare them. And there isn't the must smell. But it
>>> seems to have an off flavor. I thought at first that it was just
>>> stronger than usual. So I used less of it. But that didn't help. Gives
>>> an off flavor to my dish. I will buy another brand tomorrow
>>> and see if that is better.
>>> Oregano is one of the herbs/spices that I have been using for years. And
>>> I used to put a ton of it in my red pasta sauce. I am not brand
>>> loyal either. If I need it, I will buy it wherever I am and will
>>> usually get whatever the cheapest stuff is. That could be the 99
>>> cent stuff at the drugstore, but usually it's McCormick or Schilling.
>>
>> Sounds like you're using inconsistent sources for an important ingredient
>> and getting inconsistent results - perhaps settling on a brand you like
>> will solve that problem for you. Even if you find several high quality
>> sources, their differing tastes could result in dishes you don't like -
>> it's easy to consistently source this so why not do just that? Oregano
>> that's too _good_ - fresher, stronger flavor - could ruin a dish, too.
>>
>> We like Trader Joe's for powdered herbs/spices. They don't have a big
>> selection of herbs and spices but I'm pretty sure they do have oregano.
>> We now get our cinnamon, black pepper (in a grinder), garlic powder, and
>> a few others there.
>>
>> -S-
>
> That could be. Thing is, I take oil of oregano daily and have applied it
> externally.

Another quack nostrum!

merryb wrote:
> On Oct 8, 1:42 pm, Dave Smith > wrote:
>> On 08/10/2012 1:31 PM, Janet Bostwick wrote:
>> snip
>>
>>> You will have a hard time convincing me that a less
>>>> than fresh spice in a bulk store is going to be any worse for wear
>>>> when you finally use it five years later. And FWIW.. oregano is
>>>> usually used dried, rarely fresh.
>>
>>> Have you ever watched the turnover in the bulk section? In my Winco,
>>> there are 2 times of the day that you will darn near be run over by
>>> staff refilling all the bulk stuff -- including herbs and spices. At
>>> other times it is difficult to elbow space enough at the bins to get
>>> what you want. Maybe in your stores, but not in mine.
>>
>> I don't think the stuff in bulk stores is stale. That has been
>> suggested here before.... left out in sunlight for long periods yada
>> yada. I don't usually get bulk stuff at the grocery store. I go to
>> the Bulk Barn, which sells almost everything bulk... in two ways....
>> You
>> can get just about anything in bulk; cereals, grains, flours, sugars,
>> dried fruits, snack foods, coffee, tea, spices herbs, cake sprinkles,
>> peanut butter, dog biscuits...... They also carry some packaged
>> products.
>>
>> They are constantly refilling the bins.
>>
>> Curious thing about Bulk Barn customers. There are a lot of great
>> deals on baking supplies and many other things. A fair percentage of
>> the customers are buying food products. A lot of them are just buying
>> candy.... bags and bags and bags of candy.
>
> Wish there was a place like that around here, but our local Fred Meyer
> has quite a bit of bulk stuff.

They do but I don't find their prices to be all that great. Years ago I
used to buy some tricolored pasta from their bulk bins and I also bought
chammomile when I used it as a hair rinse. In those days the health food
section was separate and I think they carried a lot more bulk stuff than
they do now.

Manna Mills out in Moutlake Terrace has a lot of bulk stuff but I have found
it not to be so fresh.

Winco does have a really large selection though.

Dave Smith wrote:
> On 08/10/2012 6:45 PM, merryb wrote:
>
>>> Curious thing about Bulk Barn customers. There are a lot of great
>>> deals on baking supplies and many other things. A fair percentage
>>> of the customers are buying food products. A lot of them are just
>>> buying candy.... bags and bags and bags of candy.
>>
>> Wish there was a place like that around here, but our local Fred
>> Meyer has quite a bit of bulk stuff.
>
> Frankly, I am surprised that there is not. Canadian retailers tend to
> follow the American lead. Perhaps American shoppers have more brand
> loyalty <?>. Maybe they are more paranoid about product tampering <?>.

I think bulk foods were far more common when I was young. In those days you
mostly bought from barrels and used a scoop. You do still see that here but
I will not buy those things unless they are things that are individually
wrapped. I have just seen too many kids playing with the food or eating a
bite and putting it back in. I still remember seeing the little girl with
the pineapple ring when I was a kid. I can picture her dirty hair, face and
dress. Ick.

Most of the stuff now is sold in a plastic bin, up higher with a chute to
deposit it into the bag. Sometimes you don't time it right and you get a
ton when you wanted just a little. I have not bought bulk spices but I did
buy some Arrowroot powder like that because I only needed a little. That
sort of stuff is often displayed in jars.

Sqwertz wrote:
> On Mon, 08 Oct 2012 11:31:15 -0600, Janet Bostwick wrote:
>
>> Have you ever watched the turnover in the bulk section? In my Winco,
>> there are 2 times of the day that you will darn near be run over by
>> staff refilling all the bulk stuff -- including herbs and spices. At
>> other times it is difficult to elbow space enough at the bins to get
>> what you want. Maybe in your stores, but not in mine.
>
> The turnover in my grocer's bulk spice section (HEB's Central Market)
> is quite high as well. I don't notice as much traffic in Hole Foods
> bulk spice section, though. The SMART shoppers shop Central Market,
> now Hole Foods.

I like our Central Market here although I don't think it is related to
yours. But I am wary of their freshness. Twice I have bought rancid nuts
and seeds from their bulk area. And I watched the same expired tortillas
sit there for weeks stretching into months. I complained three times about
those and they finally removed them from stock.

People tend not to do a big shopping trip in our Central Market. I think
they mostly go for a few items that are on sale or specialty items that they
can't get elsewhere. When we shop there we usually only get one bag of
stuff if not just one or two items. When I was doing a lot of gluten free
baking, I might have 2 or 3 bags. But that was rare.

They do a lot of business I think because they are the only store around
here with a salad bar, cold food bar, really good olive and Italian food bar
and a good assortment of other prepared foods. People who work in the area
often stop there for lunch or dinner on the way home.

cshenk wrote:
>
> Grin, I know I have some aged spices in my kitchen and it doesnt
> bother me any. Sure some go to flavorless dust but most do not if
> kept in a dark dry spot.

I grew up eating ancient spices. The only things my mom used on a regular
basis were chili powder, celery seed (my dad put that on mac and cheese),
parsley and minced onion. Perhaps next in line would be cinnamon. But
little to none of anything else. I remember my shock when I finally
insisted on getting new ground gunger and mustard because the containers
were so dusty and decrepit looking and the contents flavorless. I was so
used to adding a ton of extra just trying to get some flavor. When I put in
the amount that the recipe called for, it tasted to strong for me! My MIL
had equally decripit spices. That was one of the first things I did when I
took over the cooking at their house. Replace the spices!

These days they usually have an expiration date on them and I go by that.
But prior I would just replace them all every 5 years. I have cut way back
on the variety of things that I buy. I found I was buying something for a
recipe and then never using it again. Or being mixes of stuff that I never
used. Like the Greek seasoning when I was on a Greek salad kick.

Sqwertz wrote:
> On Mon, 8 Oct 2012 18:19:28 -0700, Julie Bove wrote:
>
>> I think bulk foods were far more common when I was young. In those
>> days you mostly bought from barrels and used a scoop. You do still
>> see that here but I will not buy those things unless they are things
>> that are individually wrapped. I have just seen too many kids
>> playing with the food or eating a bite and putting it back in.
>
> I think you're hallucinating again. Maybe you saw this once 30 years
> ago.
>
>> I still remember seeing the little girl with
>> the pineapple ring when I was a kid. I can picture her dirty hair,
>> face and dress. Ick.
>
> Oh, OK. 50 years ago. And it's traumatized you for life.

Nope. Have seen it recently at Winco. Even though there are signs that say
"No sampling", the kids run wild in there and they still do it.

"Sqwertz" > wrote in message
...
> On Mon, 8 Oct 2012 18:50:25 -0700, Julie Bove wrote:
>
>> Sqwertz wrote:
>>> On Mon, 8 Oct 2012 18:19:28 -0700, Julie Bove wrote:
>>>
>>>> I think bulk foods were far more common when I was young. In those
>>>> days you mostly bought from barrels and used a scoop. You do still
>>>> see that here but I will not buy those things unless they are things
>>>> that are individually wrapped. I have just seen too many kids
>>>> playing with the food or eating a bite and putting it back in.
>>>
>>> I think you're hallucinating again. Maybe you saw this once 30 years
>>> ago.
>>>
>>>> I still remember seeing the little girl with
>>>> the pineapple ring when I was a kid. I can picture her dirty hair,
>>>> face and dress. Ick.
>>>
>>> Oh, OK. 50 years ago. And it's traumatized you for life.
>>
>> Nope. Have seen it recently at Winco. Even though there are signs that
>> say
>> "No sampling", the kids run wild in there and they still do it.
>
> Maybe in post-apocalyptic Los Angeles, but I just don't see it
> happening as often as you imply.
>
> These same kids wouldn't happen to be chasing after you with shopping
> carts and looking real evil-like at you, would they?
>
> -sw

I think we had one here that went by the name of "Chuckie".

"Sqwertz" > wrote in message
...
> On Mon, 8 Oct 2012 18:50:25 -0700, Julie Bove wrote:
>
>> Sqwertz wrote:
>>> On Mon, 8 Oct 2012 18:19:28 -0700, Julie Bove wrote:
>>>
>>>> I think bulk foods were far more common when I was young. In those
>>>> days you mostly bought from barrels and used a scoop. You do still
>>>> see that here but I will not buy those things unless they are things
>>>> that are individually wrapped. I have just seen too many kids
>>>> playing with the food or eating a bite and putting it back in.
>>>
>>> I think you're hallucinating again. Maybe you saw this once 30 years
>>> ago.
>>>
>>>> I still remember seeing the little girl with
>>>> the pineapple ring when I was a kid. I can picture her dirty hair,
>>>> face and dress. Ick.
>>>
>>> Oh, OK. 50 years ago. And it's traumatized you for life.
>>
>> Nope. Have seen it recently at Winco. Even though there are signs that
>> say
>> "No sampling", the kids run wild in there and they still do it.
>
> Maybe in post-apocalyptic Los Angeles, but I just don't see it
> happening as often as you imply.
>
> These same kids wouldn't happen to be chasing after you with shopping
> carts and looking real evil-like at you, would they?

Nope.

"Sqwertz" > wrote in message
...
> On Mon, 8 Oct 2012 21:29:53 -0700, Julie Bove wrote:
>
>> "Sqwertz" > wrote in message
>> ...
>>
>>> These same kids wouldn't happen to be chasing after you with shopping
>>> carts and looking real evil-like at you, would they?
>>
>> Nope.
>
> Midgets maybe?

Nope. Sowwy.

On Mon, 8 Oct 2012 23:40:42 -0500, Sqwertz >
wrote:

>On Mon, 8 Oct 2012 21:29:53 -0700, Julie Bove wrote:
>
>> "Sqwertz" > wrote in message
>> ...
>>
>>> These same kids wouldn't happen to be chasing after you with shopping
>>> carts and looking real evil-like at you, would they?
>>
>> Nope.
>
>Midgets maybe?

Dwarfs! LOL