Chili powder is a great way to add a bit of zest and heat to any dish, and it’s perfectly keto-friendly, so I use a lot of it.
However unless homemade, it tends to come in large quantities, and storing it for long periods of time can sometimes be difficult. This is true for both traditional Tex Mex herbs and spice chili powder seasoning, as well as chili powder made from 100% hot pepper powder.
In this article I’ll breakdown how long chili powder is meant to last before spoiling, and offer some tips on how to properly storage to get the most bang for your buck.
What Is Chili Powder Made Of?
In America, ‘chili powder’ usually refers to the Tex-Mex-style, which is a blend of spices that are often used for making dishes like chili con carne, or for flavoring meals with rice, beans, or meat. It can also be a powdered form of pressed hot chili peppers.
Once in powder form, both of these kinds tend to behave the same in terms of storage requirements and shelf life.
Chili powder is characterized as a red blend of different powdered spices. While it typically will have some cayenne pepper (full of capsaicin heat), it also contains spices like cumin, garlic powder, oregano, paprika, and sometimes even cinnamon, which are all flavors of traditional chili con carne. The ideal ratio when making chili powder for chili con carne is usually one part cayenne to seven parts other spices, all varying on the exact type of blend.
The heat level for any particular brand or recipe of chili powder can vary, but is usually always far lower than that of ground chili peppers. Some blends also will contain salt as well as spices, which can help to make the shelf life last longer. Salt also can help the powder when used as a rub on grilled or barbecued meat.
How Long Does Chili Powder Last?
The exact answer really depends on the storing methods that are used when keeping chili powder for long periods of time. There are a few different varying results:How Long Does Chili Powder Last at Room Temperature?
At room temperature, chili powder can last between 3 to 4 years when properly stored. After this time, it is still safe to eat chili powder, but it will lose its nutritional and flavorful qualities.
Because chili powder is mostly made out of dry spices, it doesn’t really go bad in the same way that a spice blend that is more moist like a salsa or a chili paste might expire.
The dry feature and the antimicrobial properties of the powder work together to prevent and slow down the growth of bacteria within the powder. This makes it harder for the chili powder to grow mold or become rancid, even after years of storage.
Moisture is still a problem depending on how you store it. If you live in a more humid climate, you may want to store it in a safe and dry place, because as a powder, it can easily become moist if there is enough water in the air.
The other primary cause of spoilage in chili powder is often added sugar. Most chili powder blends that you’d find in the supermarket are fortunately sugar-free (and therefore Keto-friendly!), but some do occasionally come with sugar. That is why you should always check the nutrition facts before purchasing any packages foods.
How to Properly Store Chili Powder
As I mentioned I earlier in this article, the exact way that you store chili powder is the biggest contributing factor in determining how long it keeps fresh.
Similarly to most types of dry spices, you should actively try to keep chili powder away from both natural and artificial light.
Chili powder maintains its freshness longest when it is stored in the dark. This is because light disrupts the delicate oils within the ground up herbs and spices that give chili powder most of its flavor.
Heat can have the a similar effect that light has on chili powder, so it’s advised to keep it in a room temperature, or ideally cool location.
Depending on the container that it came in, or if your chili powder is home made, Tupperware or any sort of common household food containers should be perfectly effective for storage.
It is important to know that even though the shelf life of dry, cool, and dark-placed chili powder is long, it’s potency and spiciness can’t live forever. Even under the safest storage conditions, you may still notice some decreases in heat and flavor after a few years of storage.
Lastly, where you get your chili powder from plays a large role in how long it lasts. If you purchase fresh whole ingredients and grind them together yourself, you’ll get the powder to last much longer than a prepackaged brand of chili powder.
How to Tell if Chili Powder Has Gone Bad
If you notice that water has made its way into your chili powder package or storage container, it may already be compromised and will go bad soon.
Mold and bacterial problems that are caused by moisture can make you sick, and can definitely affect the shelf life of chili powder.
If you see the formation of clumping or growth of mold in the powder, then it has already gone bad.
Aside from moisture damage, a more typical way that chili powder goes bad is when it starts to lose al of its spiciness and flavor.
When this starts to take place, you do not immediately need to throw it away, but you might need to use more of it quickly in order to make sure that you get the right taste out of it.
If you keep chili powder in your spice cabinet for more than one year, a good way to check it’s quality is by smelling and tasting a small amount of the powder before you add it to a dish.
A smell and taste test allows you to determine how much flavor it has lost, and allows you to get a gauge of how spicy it will make your dish.
If you ever make a dish that’s too spicy, check out some of these tips on how to neutralize spicy food.