Of course, the shelf life of cinnamon is shorter if it is not stored properly. However, in terms of how long cinnamon lasts, it does not matter too much if it is opened or not as long as it has been properly re-sealed. But remember, like a lot of other spices, it usually has a best before date or a sell by date and not a use by date or expiration date. Because of this distinction, you may safely use it to compliment your favorite foods even after the printed date has lapsed.

How to tell if Cinnamon is bad, rotten or spoiled?

Practicing proper hygiene and food safety techniques will help prevent foodborne illness.

Although not a perfect test, your nose is usually the most reliable instrument to tell if it has gone bad. If cinnamon has gone bad, the pleasant aroma will be gone and with it much of the taste. Using this cinnamon will not harm you, but it will not have much flavor. If you choose to use your cinnamon after the eat by date, you can just use a larger quantity to get more flavor.

There are, of course, certain health risks associated with spoiled foods so always remember to practice food safety and enjoy your foods before their shelf life has expired!

How to store Cinnamon to extend its shelf life?

Dry spices are best stored in their original containers in a cool dark area like a pantry where they will remain dry, away from sources of heat. Cinnamon does degrade over time and degrades faster depending on the surface area - thus whole sticks last much longer than ground. An economic option is to buy whole cinnamon sticks and grate only what you need in order to greatly extend the shelf life.

Freezing is not recommended for dry spices.

Some benefits of proper food storage include eating healthier, cutting food costs and helping the environment by avoiding waste.

Interesting facts about Cinnamon:

How long is Cinnamon good for when prepared in a dish?

How long does cinnamon last? That depends. How long does milk last? In general, foods lasts only as long as the quickest expiring ingredient in the recipe.

What are our shelf life resources?

In determining how long Cinnamon lasts, our content incorporates research from multiple resources, including the United States Department of Agriculture and the United States Food & Drug Administration. In addition, we scoured the web for informative articles and reports related to food safety, food storage and the shelf life of Cinnamon.

*An important note about expiration dates...

Although the Cinnamon shelf life information on Eat By Date is generally reliable, please remember that individual cases will vary and that our advice should only be taken as an opinion and not a replacement for your health care professional. Please eat responsibly!