Gryffon, Dragon & Wolf: Storing Herbs

Storing Herbs
In order to preserve an investment in herbs and plant materials, it is important to be aware of a few things. Most obviously, plant materials were once living things filled with water and home to a variety of insects and fuzzy things. Also important is that the dried matter breathes constantly, and if you allow it to breathe unpleasant odors or scents, the materials may take on some of these characteristics themselves.
Glass airtight containers are best for long term storage of herbs. Metal lids equipped with some sort of plastic or rubber seal will further assist at keeping moisture out of the jars, as well as help inhibit the growth of molds and such. Of course, if you can afford to vacuum seal herbs in foil/metallic bags, they will last indefinitely assuming that they were properly dried and sealed in the first place.
Darker jars will help keep the light from degrading the color and quality of the herbs; though these are rare in any substantial size. A dark bookshelf or pantry is a good substitute.
It is unfortunate that mold and mildew prosper in the dark, so be sure to check in on your stock from time to time. Even the most well-treated supply could succumb to these nasty things. If this does happen, take care in disposing of the materials. You don't want to breathe the spores of the mold if at all possible; and you don't want to try to sort the rotten part from what appears to be still good. It's just an appearance; once mold makes its way into a bundle of herbs, it's impossible to see the other minute particles and spores that could be lurking.
If you must store things in plastic, zip lock baggies work better than baggies with twist ties, for the obvious reason that less air will enter the bag. Keep aware though that the plastic will work its way into the herbs in an insidious fashion, ruining the scent.
Moisture is anathema to the dried plant, as it will hasten the process of decomposition. Remember what that compost pile did to those orange rinds? Allow too much moisture into the jars and the next time you open them, you may find yourself with a keen science project.
Whenever possible, we carry wholly organic herbs. So there is always a chance that some items might have bug bits in them; it's best not to stick a jar on a shelf and ignore it forever. Once or twice, jars neglected like this, have proven to transform into colonies of interesting creatures.
If you have any questions or comments about our company, please feel free to drop us a note. We look forward to hearing from you!

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