Hi Everyone,
This isn't nessicarily cake related but I found this helpful hint card at a local grocery store and thought it might come in handy for you all too. It's from McCormick spices but an overall guideline for all spices.
McCorminck spices that are in rectangluar tins, except for black pepper are at least 15 years old!! If you see "Baltimore, MD" on the label, the spice is at least 15 yrs old. If you're like me, you've got plenty of spices that have been sitting there for a LONG darn time. 
Here's the guideline :
-ground spices: nutmeg, cinnamon - 3yrs
-whole spices: cloves, peppercorn- 4 yrs
-herbs: parsley, sage- 1-3 yrs
-most seeds: anise, celery, fennel- 4 yrs
-poppy and sesame seeds: 2 yrs
-extracts- almond, lemon: 4 yrs
(except vanilla which has an unlimited shelf life)
-seasoning blends/mixes: taco seasoning, season-all- 1-2 yrs
Hope this helps!
KimAZ
I wish I had that card!!! lol Then I could prove to my MIL that spices do lose their potency &/or go bad!! HA! 
She has almost half a shelf of spices, etc. in her cupboard that are in those McCormick tins-all faded and discolored...and she still uses them!!!! lol Then wonders why her dishes come out bland..."I followed the recipe, but it still needs more flavor..." is what she always says......lol lol 
I wish I had that card!!! lol Then I could prove to my MIL that spices do lose their potency &/or go bad!!
If you look around on the internet I'm sure you can find a list for it as well. Maybe at the McCormick website. Or at a website like BHG.com.
Another note about your spices and seasonings. They shouldn't be stored over your stove, because of the heat from it.
KimAZ ~ Thanks for the tips! That's good info to know.
Another note about your spices and seasonings. They shouldn't be stored over your stove, because of the heat from it.
I had actually never thought about the heat being a problem (although now that you mention it, it's quite obvious ). I moved mine though because I got tired of having to wipe the grease residue off the containers.
I was just thinking about this a few weeks ago. I was using a spice that I have had a long time (the store has long been out of business) and I tried to find an expiration date but couldn't. My pied turned out fine but I did use more than it called for figuring the spice probably lost some potency. It was probably made before they ever started requiring that. Seems I find more spices and such that I didn't know each time we PCS, LOL!! Now I have the excuse to replace things, THANKS!
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