How long will powdered turmeric last?
I have found a transparent plastic bag of 300g of powdered turmeric in the back of a cupboard, bought in Mauritius in 2011, with a best before date of December 2013.
The bag is still airtight, and the powder inside is still behaving like a dry powder. Nothing suggests that the turmeric inside has gone wrong.
Will it be ok? Will it last once opened?
Best Answer
Does it still smell of turmeric… or more like cardboard? Many herbs & spices don't 'go off' so much as eventually taste & smell of almost nothing.
Test.
Heat a couple of tablespoons of oil, drop half a teaspoon of turmeric into it. Stir briefly. Don't burn it.
Can you smell it properly?
Pour out & let it cool.
Once cooled try dipping some plain white bread into it & tasting.
Does it still taste of anything?
My guess would be it's now little more than yellow powder. Great as a dye, not so much as a spice.
I'd think its saving grace, if there still is one after all this time, is that you bought it close to source. Supermarket spices can be as dead when you first open them as good ones at 2 years.
2 years is really about as far as I'd ever try to stretch though. 10 is more than pushing it.
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Does powdered turmeric expire?
Properly stored, ground turmeric will generally stay at best quality for about 3 to 4 years. To maximize the shelf life of ground turmeric purchased in bulk, and to better retain flavor and potency, store in containers with tight-fitting lids.How long can turmeric powder be stored?
Storage. Store ground turmeric in a sealed container in a cool, dark place. Turmeric will begin to lose its potency after about six months, and even sooner if exposed to light and/or heat. You can store fresh turmeric in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to two weeks.How do you preserve turmeric powder?
Store the finished turmeric powder in a glass air-tight container, such as in a mason jar with tight-fitting lid. Keep the container in a dry, cool place \u2013 such as the pantry. When properly dried and stored, your homemade turmeric powder should last for over a year.How do you know when turmeric is bad?
The smell test: Good turmeric powder will have a distinct, but mild, earthy aroma and turmeric users will immediately recognize a gingery and orangey scent in it. Bad turmeric will not emit such an aroma. Rather it might have some indistinct smell that doesn't quite give the flavour of turmeric.Turmeric for Inflammation: How Much is Enough?
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