Spices and Rubs

Some of the common thinking is that spices will last only about 6 months. Spices do not really go bad, tho they will lose their strength. The key is to store them in airtight containers and keep them in cool dry places. I found an article that stated that whole spices can last up to 4 years. ground will last 2-3 years and leafy herbs can last as long at full flavor for as long as 1-3 years. One thing you don't want to do is put a bottle of spices in the freezer as condensation will occur when you pull it out for use and this will cause problems in your spices.
I think a good rule of thumb is to buy that which you think you will use within one year of time

Probably the worst things for spices are moisture, heat, and light. Gils is right that most spices lose their flair after 6 months, but you can extend that, for more than a year in some cases.

We have a section on how to store dry rubs at our site http://www.carolinesrub.com/articles/spice/storing-dry-...and-spice-blends.asp and in all reality this info applies to spices in general.

Hope that sheds some light on this...