Well, probably noted on your links, but here's the quick of it. Herbs are leaves. They go off pretty quick. You may get a year, a couple years where they're good, if stored well. Blue bottles are supposed to keep them freshest, amber bottles are good too, but opaque in any color is better, and glass is my choice over plastic - cool, dry places of course.

Then there are spices which are basically other plant parts, usually seeds, but sometimes stems. (Think pepper, cinnamon). They can last for several years, again if stored right.

Then there are those extracts - same as for spices, lasts several years. But they never last that long here since I use them all up, lol.

So the way we stored these things used to be all wrong - on the counter, in clear jars in the kitchen. Sort of like putting meds in the steamy bathroom, making them degrade faster.

Most of this stuff will have use by dates you can go by, or like Mrs D says, if you don't like the looks of it, toss it. Each one really does its own thing, so there's no blanket statement you could make about them.


Some just lose color and a little flavor, and won't hurt you a bit. Like parsley or bay leaves - I'll use them a year or two past their dates. Cinnamon sticks bought today will outlast ALL of us, lol.

Minced garlic in olive oil, kept in fridge, has never gone bad on me - so if you have a clove, don't let it dry out, preserve it that way.

Peppercorns, good for years, pepper seeds, I toss when they get iffy.