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Articles

Availability of Herbs
Buying Dried Herbs
Growing of Herbs
Storing and drying Herbs
Vegetable Kingdom

Home :: Articles :: Buying Dried Herbs

Buying Dried Herbs

Number of medicinal herbs is quite large, hence it is not possible to grow, dry and store them in a kitchen-garden. In order to obviate this problem, only frequently used herbs should be grown in a house-garden and preserved. But, for rest of the varieties, one has to depend on shops selling dried herbs. Certain herbs are extremely costly and, thus, should be bought when required or only a minimal quantity stored at home, simply to meet exigencies. Herbs which are used quite often and also available freely all the year round in dried form should be bought for a week or so. It is no use blocking money and space when availability of herbs is quite easy.

Following guidelines may be kept in mind while buying dried herbs from a shop -

1. Herbal selling shop must be reliable and charge only reasonable rates.

2. Herbs can also be obtained from outside vendors who can mail them or send through courier or any other mode of despatch. If herbs are to be imported and it takes time to receive them, it is better to send your indent, well in advance, so that the parcel reaches you prior to your stock-in-hand exhausts. Always take the cushion time in mind.

3. When herbs reach you, check up for finest quality thereof, otherwise you may be a loser. If it meets your Criteria, then only store them in pottery jars or dark glass containers.

4. Though there is no expiry date, speaking generally, for the herbs, but herbs faded out in colours and waning strong smells are not worth buying. Always ensure that herbs do not lose their aroma and colour.

5. Quite often, though not always, wrong labels are pasted on the containers. You can easily make out whether the herbs supplied have all the known characteristics (for instance peculiar and known seed pods in the skull cap), smells, aroma, appearance, etc.

6. Herbs, which have not be harvested and looked after properly, are liable to become contaminated which must not be purchased.

7. You must ensure that there are no dry grass roots, other plant material which ought to have been segregated, nor are their signs of moth, insect infestation, mouse dropping or any amount of any foreign matter.

8. When the aforesaid criteria are met, the procured herbs should be preserved in jars which are free from moisture, dust, other impurities, and stored away from direct sunlight, but stored in an any place.