If you keep spices and dried herbs in a cool, dark place, they keep longer. Bay seems to stay pretty potent for several years when I keep it in a sealed glass jar in the pantry, as do whole spices like cloves, peppercorns, etc. Dried herbs like thyme and such seem to hang in there for 6-8 months.
― Jaq, Wednesday, 18 April 2007 13:05 (seventeen years ago) link