MEDICINAL HERBS

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Storage: This is probably the most important part of the whole procedure. Failure to store your herbs correctly means that all the time and effort spent collecting and drying has been wasted.

Choose carefully the room in which you will store your herbs. It should not be damp, cold, or drafty. Do not store in or near a kitchen, as cooking odors have been known to permeate the most "impermeable" of containers! I learned my lesson the hard way: I once opened a "sealed" container of Lemon Verbena — which normally has an extremely pleasant aroma — only to be greeted by the smell of stale cooking oil. That afternoon my herbs were moved to a cupboard away from the kitchen.

It also goes without saying that dried herbs should never be stored within reach of young children. Remember: They are potential medicines.

Your choice of container is equally important. Some types are totally unsuitable for the storage of dried herbs. Metal containers tend to impart a bitter, metallic flavor and odor to the plants and should never be used. Likewise, clear glass jars allow sunlight to filter through, and prolonged exposure to sunlight will inevitably lead to a loss of potency. Wooden containers can be used occasionally, but these are also prone to absorbing moisture.

Suitable containers can be ceramic, earthenware, brown glass, or plastic. Whichever type you use, make sure that they are intact and airtight. (Some herbalists find that a small amount of powdered chalk wrapped in tissue paper and placed in the container aids against dampness.)

Labeling: Failure to label jars correctly has been the downfall of many a would-be herbalist, because the consequences can, bluntly speaking, be fatal. Every container should display a firmly secured label bearing the following information:

The Date: After several years of storage, the potency of dried herbs may deteriorate severely. Make sure that you know the date on which the herbs were picked and dried. This will enable you to determine when your stock needs renewing.

The Name: Always write the Latin, botanical name of the herb on the label. Write the common name also for quick reference, but remember that these "nicknames" can be confusing.

The Method of Drying: As this affects the potency of the herb, it is vital that you contain this information on your label. A small sign such as + may be used to denote those herbs which have been oven dried, while a sign such as 0 can be used to identify frame dried herbs.

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