Of course dried herbs and spices that are fresh are far better than old ones, which can become a bit underwhelming.  There are many theories on how to keep your herbs and spices fresh.  

One is to keep them in the freezer.  NOT!  Just like coffee, changes in temperature are far worse than the wrong temperature.  Taking your herbs, spices or coffee in and out of the freezer is not a good thing.

I use a lot of dried herbs and spices so freshness isn’t really an issue with me, however, here are a few points for the average consumer to consider.

Most dried herbs and spices are available in both whole and ground form.  In general, it is better to buy them whole and grind them as you need them.  One exception to this is cinnamon.  I use both ground and whole cinnamon and I buy my powdered or ground already ground.  I have never been able to grind a piece of the bark fine enough to use in a recipe that calls for the powdered version.  All my other dried herbs and spices, I buy in the whole form and grind as needed. 

The best thing I have found for grinding dry herbs and spices is a small, electric coffee grinder.  I have a small one that is dedicated to this use only.  After all, who wants their coffee to taste like sage or oregano?

I have a small brush I use to thoroughly clean the grinder after each use.  If you’re making a delicate egg custard with a bit of nutmeg you most likely don’t want it to also taste of sage or rosemary.

Keep your herbs and spices away from light and where the temperature will remain constant.  Once the package you purchased them in is opened, you should repackage them in opaque containers with tight fitting lids.  A good place to store them is on a low shelf in your pantry where the temperature will remain relatively constant.  If you happen to have a wine cellar, presto!  Perfect!