Seasonings and spices will lose color over time, some faster than others. In general, when your bottled spices and herbs are not the vibrant color you see in a new jar, it is time to replace it. As they lose their color they are also losing their flavor. Just add more you say? Well, maybe, but how much more? Depending on your cooking skill level, you could “wing” it and guess, but too much can go wrong and then you are not only throwing out the old spice but also the meal you just tried to “use up” the old spice in.

In the Acme home, we buy our spices in the bulk section so we can buy as little or as much as we can use in a couple months. We also store our spices in a drawer where we can control exposure to light, another enemy of seasonings.

To answer your initial question, your BBQ Rub #103 looks so pale. Unfortunately, that does happen, most often because it has been exposed to too much light. So that you do not have to throw this out we have a few suggestions.

• If you find you are not using it as much as you thought, we suggest you put ¼ to ½ cup of the seasoning in a small, labeled jar and keep that with your spices. Then put the remaining amount in the Acme vessel in a cupboard that is not used very often.
• You might be thinking that the Rub is only for when you are using your grill or smoker? We have customers that put the BBQ Rub #103 on their roasts as their only seasoning when using an Instant Pot, or slow cooker, or oven. Others use the seasoning in their ground beef for pan fried burgers, meatloaf, and tacos. The Rub has salt and pepper in it plus the other flavors, so start with Acme BBQ Rub #103, then taste and maybe you will need a little more chili powder, or garlic, or more BBQ Rub #103?
• If you have a jar of pale Acme BBQ Rub #103, do not throw it out yet. You can continue to use it for the salt and pepper that are in it. You will find that it seasons your food well, just missing a few elements of flavor that you can adjust slightly so that you do not have to throw it out.