The life of all our spices, extracts, flavorings, food colors, seasoning envelopes and baking bags can best be preserved by storing them in ideal conditions. These include dark, dry, and cool locations with limited exposure to light, moisture, and heat. Extended light exposure will cause your green herbs to fade to a tan color and your red spices to darken to a brown color. Avoid shaking spices out of the jar directly over a steaming pot – moisture and heat can cause clumping. We suggest shaking the spices into your palm before adding to food that is being cooked, as this keeps your spice jar away from heat and moisture. Also avoid storing spices over the stove, sink, or other heat and/or steam producing kitchen appliances.

We use a Julian date for our production codes. If the code has four numbers followed by a letter, then the first number is the year and the next three are the day of the year. The letter stands for which plant it was produced in. A code of 6212R means it was produced on July 31, 2006 in our Richmond plant. If the code has five numbers followed by a letter, then the first two numbers are the year and the next three are the day of the year. The letter stands for which plant it was produced in. A code of 10027R means it was produced on January 27, 2010 in our Richmond plant. Date codes can be located on the back of the jar printed on the clear plastic, not the paper label.

The recommended shelf life for our products is:

- Spices and seasonings: 3 years
- Extracts (except Vanilla Extract) and food colorings: 4 years
- Vanilla Extract: indefinite

Spices and seasonings never go bad, they simply decrease in potency over time. There are no health concerns associated with using spices and seasonings past their optimal shelf life date.

Keep in mind that you use seasonings to impart flavor to your recipes. Many spices should have very distinct aroma when opened. The proper flavor will not be in your completed dish if the aroma is not present (this is particularly true of “baking” spices such as cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves and allspice). Spices lose their flavor and aroma with time. If you are unsure of available flavor in your dried spices (Dill Weed, Italian Seasoning, Onion Powder, etc.), it is recommended that you hydrate in a teaspoon of warm water for 5 minutes, then taste or smell the product to check for flavor and freshness. Also, you can place some spice between your thumb and index finger and rub gently to see if it releases the fragrance that you are seeking. Fresh spices will have the proper color, taste, and smell.

Always check for these characteristics before adding to your favorite family recipes. Without the proper color, taste and smell in the spice, your recipe will not taste the way you expect.

Sauer Brands, Inc. is committed to responsible business practices and exploring ways we can make our business more sustainable, including:

- corrugated and white paper products wherever possible;

- recycling plastic wrap wherever possible to minimize the amount of waste sent to landfills;

- actively conserving energy by shutting off computers and other appliances when not in use, and turning off lights when rooms are not occupied;

- reducing the use of plastic in containers wherever possible and looking towards using fewer petroleum-based raw materials while maintaining the integrity of the products we make;

- reducing our carbon footprint by using shipping and receiving options that incorporate full loads whenever possible to limit the use of fuel per load;

- regularly evaluating sanitation procedures to implement proper cleaning practices to minimize chemical residues sent to municipal water systems;

constantly looking at examples of green practices as a model for our business to make less of an impact on the environment.

Most all of Sauer’s products, with a few exceptions, have been certified kosher by the Orthodox Union. All Sauer’s products certified as kosher include the kosher “circle U” symbol on the label. Please contact us if you have questions about a particular product.

Add one teaspoon of vinegar to half cup of boiling water. Drop enough food color into mixture to obtain desired shade. Immerse egg and remove when brightly colored.

Sauer’s Spicy BBQ Sauce is no longer available to consumers – it was discontinued in 2017.

Of course! We will continue to produce the high caliber of spices, seasonings, extracts, and more that you’ve come to expect from Sauer’s. There are no plans to change product formulations or discontinue any products.

Of course it can. Kettle popped is always fun, but if you're popping in the microwave or with an air popper, we hav a few tips so you can get the best results.

Microwave Popcorn:

Generously sprinkle one capful on freshly popped popcorn. Reclose the popcorn bag and shake well.

Air-Popped Popcorn:

Spray freshly popped popcorn with Kernel Season's Spritzer or another butter/oil spray to help the seasoning stick. Generously sprinkle with one capful of seasoning and shake well.

It doesn’t have to be hot, but the steam from the popcorn can help the seasoning stick.

Sure, that’s a great idea. We have heard of people sprinkling our Kettle Corn seasoning on their cereal and our Nacho Cheddar seasoning on French fries and tater tots. You are only limited by your imagination.

Absolutely, that’s a big part of Kernel Season’s fun. There are over 35,000 possible combinations. (We haven’t tried them all. We’re just good at math.)

Yes, ALL of Kernel Season’s products are certified Kosher by the Chicago Rabbinical Council (CRC).

Unfortunately, we can’t. While we are always grateful to hear from loyal customers about their experiences with our products, as a rule, we do not accept unsolicited ideas regarding our products or our business from customers. Our policy is in no way meant to be a rejection of the ideas of our customers or others who have so wisely chosen to enjoy Kernel Season’s. Rather, we have this policy in place to avoid potential misunderstandings. So, we humbly ask that you refrain from submitting any unsolicited ideas or other works to Kernel Season’s or its employees. We are happy to have you as part of the Kernel Season’s family and appreciate your understanding. For updates on new flavors and product offerings, please refer to our website, Facebook and

As a matter of fact we do. At Kernel Season’s we believe in doing the right thing and inspiring family fun. If you believe your mission aligns with ours, we are happy to consider any donation requests from your non-profit 501(c)(3) organization. Please email donations@kernelseasons.com to receive our full policy and an application.

We know you can’t wait. We ship from Chicago via FedEx Ground to anywhere in the continental United States. Our goal is to process and ship the order within 5-7 business days. Shipping can take 4-7 business days based on your distance from Chicago.

Roger, that. In fact, we are happy to serve the folks who so bravely serve our country and usually include a little something extra along with all orders sent to an APO/FPO address.

 Sorry, we don’t sell internationally through our website, but we partnered with a company called American Trading International (or ATI) to distribute our seasoning in the following areas:

Guatemala

Russia

Netherlands

Thailand

Chile

Venezuela

Ecuador

Sweden

Israel

Philippines

The United Kingdom

Germany

Mexico

Hong Kong

Philippines

New Zealand