Storing Dry Herbs to Retain Vitality

So now that we have done a few fun things and you’ve decided you want to keep doing more we should talk a little about storing your dried herbs so they retain their potency as long as possible.

Dried herbs loose a little bit of their efficacy with age. Don’t we all? There isn’t much we can do about that, but I can tell you that the way that you store them can help them grow old gracefully. Start collecting glass jars of all size and shape. As long as they have a tight fitting lid, they can and most likely will, be used. Jam jars, spaghetti sauce jars, mason jars. You name it, if it’s glass it will work. Clean them up really well and make sure they are completely dry before you put the lid on. If you’re having trouble getting the adhesive from the previous label off, try using a little cooking oil and rubbing it with your finger tips or an old dish scrubbie. Some folks use metal jars with screw top lids. If that’s what you have and want to use them, then by all means please do. The biggest reason I so strongly feel that glass is a better choice is because they are so very readily available as well as some of my teachings being very adamant about only using stainless steel and sterling silver metals to prepare herbs in. Aluminum and copper can change the chemical make up and actually do more harm than good and in my mind, if I shouldn’t prep my herbs in metals, why would I store them that way?

Air is another one we want to reduce exposure to. We can’t get all the air out of a jar, but we can use a jar that fits the amount of herb. This is why you want to keep all those different sized jars. One ounce of dried marshmallow root is going to take up a lot less space than one ounce of dried chamomile. Do your best here. It wont negate the potency of the herb if it is stored in a bigger jar than what it needs for a month or two, and to be perfectly honest there is absolutely no need to go crazy with brand new storage containers unless that is what you truly want to do. There is something very aesthetically pleasing about the various sizes and shapes of jars that are up-cycled though, and you would be doing a little more to help the environment.

Heat is a big downer to dried herbs. My Mother used to store her herbs and spices over the stove so of course I learned that from her to quickly un-learn it as soon as I started getting involved with herbs on a more intimate level. On top of the fridge isn’t such a great idea either with the amount of heat that it can generate. Try to find a cupboard that isn’t going to have a lot of temperature fluctuations and set yourself up there.

Light is good for plants, right? Not so much for the dried version. This is why I suggested a cupboard. Aside from that you could store them in amber bottles, but those get costly and are pretty hard to find in varying sizes. For a good while I had all of my herbs in plastic totes tucked away in the living room. I just didn’t have the cupboard space for over 100 jars.

Moisture is another big one. Be very, very sure that your herbs are completely dry if you are drying your own. Mold is a real thing and it will ruin a jar of good herb quickly. This is another reason we want tight fitting lids, the moisture in the air is something we want staying on the other side of that glass jar.

Now that you know how to store them and why we do it that way, lets make sure you know what you’re looking at when you reach into your new herb pantry. Labels! Start your label with the common name, then the botanical name. The reason for the botanical name too is pretty important to make sure you can differentiate. For example, You will have a marigold in your herb cabinet eventually if not already that is medicinal used internally as well as topically, Calendula officinalis. But the flower gardening world has a marigold in their arsenal too. The difference is pretty severe. Their marigold shouldn’t be ingested at all, though it does have a pretty good use as an insecticide when made into a tea and sprayed onto plants. The herbalist’s marigold is used to help heal tissues in the mouth, throat and digestive tract as well as a plethora of topical uses. Now we should add the date that you either dried the herb, or put it in one of your clever jars. This helps us determine the age of the herb. Unless you are harvesting or wildcrafting the herb itself you’ll have no way to know when it was dried, and that’s ok. They normally last 1 to 3 years and you are going to want to remember when you acquired it.

One last thing before you set off on your new herbal adventure. The best way to make sure your herbs are still full of vitality. Dried herbs just after they have been dried look just like they did before hand. The colors are vibrant as if it were still growing. They also have about the same potency in smell. So maybe make it a habit to take a look at those two things every time you open a jar of herbs. You will undoubtedly know when it’s about time to replace your peppermint when it looks like it’s color is fading, and if it smells faint.

Now go! Have fun creating your new herb space! Don’t forget your botanical names and I’ll see you next time.