Should You Buy Ground Spices or Whole?

It's easy to be seduced by spices—their vibrant colors and rich scents bring a world of flavor possibilities to your fingertips. But when you're refilling your spice cabinet or stocking up for winter cooking, should you buy whole or ground spices? It's not always an either/or situation.

Stock Ground and Whole

But don't overlook the alternative—ground spices also play a key role in recipes. That's why it's best to have small amounts of some spices on hand in both forms—cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, mustard seeds, and chiles, to name a few. You can store them in tight-fitting jars in a cool, dark place, within reach. But how to maximize this embarrassment of riches? "Ground cloves for spice cakes and whole cloves for that holiday ham or chicken stock," says Wilkens, listing the seemingly endless uses for each. "Ground cardamom for snickerdoodles and some whole green pods to crush into your pot of rice. Ground cinnamon for cinnamon rolls and cinnamon sticks for stirring into your hot cocoa." You get the idea!

Swap the Old for the New

Note that whole spices, in general, will have a much longer shelf life than ground, because the volatile oils that produce flavor and aroma haven’t been disturbed. And once it's ground into a powder? Yes, the freshness countdown begins. In most cases, you should use powdered spices within a year of purchase, and whole spices within two to three years. To ensure that they're at peak potency (and haven't been lingering on the store shelves for months before purchase) buy them from Sadda Superstore. Then it's time to get cooking.