How to Store Bulk Spices for Maximum Freshness and Flavour
You may not realise it, but proper storage is as important as finding the right supplier for your high-quality herbs and spices. Storage can have a significant impact on the strength of flavour and aroma, the colour and the overall performance of the product.
When managing large volumes of product across hospitality, retail or manufacturing, storage becomes even more vital. You want to protect your investment and reduce waste as much as possible, but how? Read on to find out about practical, scalable storage solutions for bulk and wholesale environments.
Why Does Storage Matter?
Storage is critically important because spices and herbs are natural products, meaning that they continue to change after they have been harvested. Storing them poorly can accelerate loss of flavour and reduce flavour potency, which could spell disaster when you rely on consistency for your recipes and products. Proper storage helps to maintain the naturally volatile oils in your spices, the colour and visual appeal, and the functional appearance in both cooking and blending.
There could be significant financial implications of proper storage, too. It can reduce product spoilage and waste, increasing your cost efficiency from bulk purchases. Vitally, it can boost customer experience: strong flavours and consistent product performance will bring great reviews and build the reputation of your business.
The Enemies of Freshness for Herbs and Spices
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Light |
Exposure to light can cause herbs and spices to lose their colour, degrading their flavour to boot. Keep your herbs and spices away from clear containers and direct sunlight to avoid this kind of deterioration. |
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Heat |
High temperatures can encourage the breakdown of essential oils, reducing the flavour profile. Therefore, storing your herbs and spices near ovens, stoves or machinery is a big no-no to preserve their freshness. |
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Air |
Leaving your herbs and spices exposed to the open air allows oxidation to take place, decreasing the aroma and flavour of the product. Bulk environments often suffer the consequences of poorly-sealed containers. |
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Moisture |
Moisture is one of the greatest enemies to keeping your herbs and spices fresh. It causes clumping and increases the risk of mould growth. Humid climates can pose a particular problem to bulk storage. |
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Time |
Even the best-stored products can lose their potency over time. Stock rotation is key, as is careful planning for usage and requirements. |
Storage Locations - Choosing the Best Environment
All storage locations have some key principles to follow in order to maintain spice freshness:
- Environments which are cool, dry and dark will protect the flavour, aroma and colour of the product.
- Keeping the conditions stable is more important than keeping an absolute temperature.
- Environmental fluctuations must be minimised to reduce product degradation.
In any commercial space, zoning is a good idea to separate dry storage fully from any preparation or cooking areas. Dedicated shelving for storage will protect your herbs and spices rather than leaving them in mixed storage areas. Keep any spices away from other products with strong odours that could compromise the integrity of aromas.
Commercial Kitchens
In a commercial kitchen, enclosed cupboards or dedicated dry stores are the best option. Do not store herbs and spices on open shelving near the cooking lines - the convenience will be overturned by the degradation in quality. Smaller containers can be replenished regularly from bulk storage in order for products to be used in the kitchen.
Manufacturing and Spice-Blending Facilities
Controlled warehouse conditions are a great option for spice storage, supporting the long term maintenance of quality. Clearly defined zoning in such an environment can help to keep batch integrity and allow for easy product tracing.
Retail and Distribution
Environmental stability should take precedence over convenience when the priority is a high quality bulk product. Your display stock should be regularly rotated in order to maintain its quality - do not forget about this when focusing on your bulk storage solutions!
Bulk Storage for Wholesale Customers
Airtight and food-grade containers are the gold standard for bulk spice storage. You must be well-versed in labelling practices to ensure peak freshness and quality at all times. Labels should include the product name, the batch number, the date a product arrived and the date it was opened. Operating a First In, First Out (FIFO) system will help to maintain maximum quality of bulk stored spices.
Your storage practices must align with Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) to demonstrate food safety compliance within your business. Part of this means following supplier guidance and choosing storage that is well-designed to handle bulk products. Avoid contaminating bulk-stored spices with wet utensils, and minimise the exposure to open air during service or production to minimise exposure to unstable temperatures or moisture.
Conclusion - Extending Freshness With Mindful Storage
Thoughtful storage of your bulk-purchased herbs and spices is an important part of your business investment. It protects the flavour and quality of the product which is vital for your business whether you sell the spices on in mixes and blends, or whether you use them in food service products.
Storage is an essential component of managing spices within your business, so you should systematically review your practices to optimise your existing systems and perhaps explore new ones to better serve your purpose. Proper storage can be tied closely to sustainability by reducing waste and protecting the high-quality of the product you have chosen.
Teavision is a business partner you can trust, supporting quality and equality in the global spice market. Speak to us today about anything from sourcing to storage, to ensure you have all the information you need to make the best decisions for your business.
- Lucas Ruzicka
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