Spices give life to food. It's impossible to imagine a world devoid of spices, as there will be no colours or flavours in the food. Spice collection is a very interesting hobby that many people like. Using different types of spices can give a very flavourful taste as well as an enticing aroma to the food. But just like other foods, spices are also perishable and come with a defined shelf life.
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Using spices after their shelf life has been concluded gives a very foul taste to the food and doesn't add any nutritional value. It's critical to keep cleaning the spice rack sporadically to make sure that one gets rid of any unwanted and expired spices. Unlike a lot of other condiments, expired spices are not kitchen waste and can be used for a lot of other non-edible creative purposes.
Here are the top ways to use expired spices.
Also Read: 5 Food Products With No Expiry Date
* Natural Candles
A lot of spices give a beautiful aroma to the food. The best way to capitalise on this aroma is by using spices like saffron, cinnamon and ginger when making candles. This is an economical way of making expensive and luxurious candles at home without burning one's pocket. One has to simply take the spices of choice along with other ingredients that they would like to add.
This has to be mixed with melted soy wax and coconut oil. All of these ingredients must be slowly put into a double boiler. Then, with the help of tweezers, this mixture has to be poured into a heat-resistant glass to give it a beautiful outer appearance.
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* Keeping Insects Away
A lot of spices can act as insect repellents, as certain insects do not like the fragrance of spices. To make insect repellents from spices, one can easily use the rejected spice lot. To make these insect repellents, one has to simply take a small sachet and fill it with spices inside the sachet. The sachets must be kept in a place where there is a high insect infestation. To keep away mosquitoes and stink bugs, one can use garlic. Chilli pepper can be used to keep away spider mites, lace bugs, and leafhoppers.
* Mice Repellent
Just like insects, mouse infestations can also be treated with the help of expired spices. Most human beings love the fragrance of cinnamon and peppermint but mice don't fall into the same category. Mice are highly resistant to the fragrance of these two spices. To stay away from mouse infestations, one can liberally sprinkle peppermint and cinnamon in different parts of the house. It can also be kept at various entrances so that mice from different parts of the locality don't enter the house.
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* Natural Dyes
Another efficacious way of using expired spices is to make natural dyes out of them. Spices like saffron, turmeric, and paprika have very bold colours and are frequently used in the dyeing industry. One can easily make skin-friendly and natural dyes at home by using these spices. To make natural dyes at home, one has to take each of the spices and wrap them in a cheesecloth pouch. Then these pouches have to be put in the water inside the pot.
The pot has to be simmered for at least an hour. Now, inside the coloured water, one must add a cup of vinegar and place whatever fabric has to be coloured. The whole mixture must be simmered for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, the fabric must be taken out with the help of a big spoon, and it should be dried properly.
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* Soap Bar
Making soap bars with the help of spices is also quite easy and a conspicuous way of making the perfect use of expired spices. There are a lot of spices that naturally have skin-brightening and exfoliating properties. Some spices that can be used to make soups include cinnamon, saffron, ginger, anise, and turmeric. The spices can be mixed with a lot of other beneficial herbs, such as basil and rosemary, for the best results. Spice soap bars can be prepared at home within a few minutes by following a proper soap tutorial step-by-step.
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* Fridge Deodorant
It is quite normal for the refrigerator to accumulate a foul smell over time. Cleaning the refrigerator may help in removing the odour, but it cannot completely eradicate it from the refrigerator. Using deodorants is not at all a good idea, as all of these fragrance products have a higher level of chemicals that can be absorbed by the food stored inside the refrigerator.
So a natural way of eradicating bad smells from the fridge is by using spices as deodorants. To make a DIY deodorant from expired spices, one has to take some spices and baking soda and then the mixture has to be put inside a jar. The jar must be covered with the help of a fabric scrap held with a rubber band. This jar can be put inside the fridge. It will absorb all the unwanted smells from the fridge and keep it fresh.