The Spice is Right

As you get ready to make your pumpkin bread, pumpkin cheesecake and pumpkin pie, it's probably best to check all the expiration dates on your spices. Three years is about all the potency will last (check out the chart from McCormick).

Most of the newer bottles have the dates on the packaging, but many of the older ones do not. A good tip is to go to McCormick's Web site, where they have a neat tool to help you check your spices based on a number printed on the bottom of the bottle. (That way you can toss the nutmeg from 1998...)

Happy baking!