Savory Spice Swap: To Everything, There Is a Seasoning

There’s nothing quite like a trip to a Savory Spice store, with its 400-plus seasoning options and that complex, tantalizing blend of aromas tickling your olfactories, to make you realize how badly you’ve neglected your own spice rack. Face it: those ancient vials of oregano shavings and garlic dust just won’t cut the mustard any more.

“If your spices have faded in color, have a weak aroma when you open the jar, or don’t ‘pop’ when you taste them, it’s probably time to swap them out,” says Kelly Smith, director of product marketing for the Denver-based stores, which just snagged another Best of Denver award for "Best Way to Spice Things Up at Home." Although spices don’t actually spoil, they do lose their potency, with ground spices lasting about a year, whole spices three years or more, and herbs, such as dried basil, viable for just six months to a year.

“Most spices found in grocery stores are already one to two years old by the time you buy them,” says Smith. “By the time they reach your kitchen, the essential oils that give spices their flavor and aroma may have significantly degraded.”

The best way to swap out seasonings past their prime? All Colorado Savory Spice stores will be celebrating the coming grilling season with their Spring Spice Swap Event: Bring in your old, lifeless spices or empty jars (of any brand) for recycling, and get 20 percent off medium-sized jars of fresh, premium seasonings. A knowledgeable staff member can help you find the perfect spice or blend from Savory’s impressive inventory, and yes, the stores offer plenty of samples to test as well as Try Me sizes for purchase. For quick dinners, there are also Easy Meal Starters, the essential spice base for building dishes such as bourbon chicken, black garlic ramen and taco soup.

The first Savory Spice store, located on Platte Street, was founded in 2004 by home cooking enthusiasts Janet and Mike Johnston; the company has since grown to nearly thirty locations. The company website features a detailed bio of each product: how it’s made, how to use it and a flavor profile. The site also offers nearly a thousand recipes, sorted by theme, such as holidays or seasons, dietary restrictions, type of cuisine and cooking method. It also has curated gift sets, or you can design your own.

Smith’s current favorites include Nantucket Herb & Citrus Rub for chicken and veggies; it contains bright lemon peel, lemon verbena, orange peel, garlic and a grey sea salt. Cantanzaro Herbs is similar to a classic Italian herb blend, but has lemon peel and garlic for extra flavor. And Park Hill Maple & Spice, suitable for salmon, is another big seller.

According to Smith, consumers are turning to more exotic spices, such as saffron or Italian Black Truffle Sea Salt, to add a taste of luxury to everyday meals. Smoky flavors are also hot right now (Smith recommends Whiskey Barrel Smoked Black Pepper and Black Label Reserve Smoked Salt & Pepper), as are umami flavors and international blends (Crushed Aleppo Chiles, or Makrut Lime Sea Salt, which seems destined for the rim of a margarita glass). Salted caramel and bourbon-sugar flavors are popular, too. But even these heavyweights have to step aside for Savory’s Garlic Dill Pickle Popcorn Seasoning, soon to be rebranded as Big Dill Pickle Seasoning.

“Dill pickle everything is having a moment,” Smith says. “It’s not just for popcorn, it’s a flavor explosion on everything.”

The Spring Spice Swap runs April 22-27 at all Colorado locations, including the four in metro Denver. For more information, visit savoryspiceshop.com.