Does brand matter with herbs and spices?

[GB]

I clean mine by throwing a few small pieces of bread in and grinding that up then wiping with a paper towel.

[Andy M.]

Originally Posted by GB

I clean mine by throwing a few small pieces of bread in and grinding that up then wiping with a paper towel.

I've also heard of grinding rice to clean it.

[CookLikeJulia]

I agree with that technique, I use also rice to clean it. :)

[babetoo]

for my needs i think penzeys is the best. i like that i can buy small amounts. the ones at my grocery store are way over priced. i did try a mexican garlic powder, it is really really powdery. hard to sprinkle on food if not down right impossible. since the salt free diet , i am using tons of paprika and penzys is definitely less expensive that grocery store. but you are right i buy more spices.

[recipedirect]

Originally Posted by GrillingFool

I have been pleased with the spices in plastic bags found in the hispanic section of many grocery stores now. The cumin is always rich and fragrant, and the ginger I just bought
was the most aromatic and flavorful I've ever found.
AND... it was 99 cents, vs $3.98 for McCormick brand.

I'm with you on that. The spices in the Hispanic section are much cheaper. I have found them to be good quality.

[mcnerd]

Originally Posted by babetoo

for my needs i think penzeys is the best. i like that i can buy small amounts.

I too love ordering from Penzeys, especially when they provide a free jar or two with every order. I've expanded my horizons of spices because of them.

[kadesma]

I've bought both from Penzy's and The Spice House. The Spice House gets things to you right now and they are good quality and not all that expensive. I plan to continue to use both.
kades

[Claire]

I think we're all in agreement: It isn't easy to know. The best indicator to me is the turnover in the store you are buying from. I've bought spices (most notably cinnamon and cumin) in stores that were out-of-the-way, were name brands, and were dead, simply because they'd been sitting on the shelf for way, way too long. I, personally, have never had bad luck with Penzeys, but also have a local spice guy who I've had good luck with (I think he buys in bulk and packages it himself). But if you live in an area where the spice/herb you like is very popular, the chances of getting a good quality from even an inexpensive brand is probably better than if you buy it in the town you live in where something out of the ordinary for your location is likely to have been sitting on the grocery shelf for a year or two.