There are rules for storing dry plants that have been tested for centuries and described in instructions for pharmacies. In short: keep the area dry and the storage container tightly closed. Tea of any variety is dried leaves, so the requirements for long-term storage will be the same . Every housewife would like herbal teas to retain their aroma and not become an eyesore.
Important! Herbs and teas should not be stored in plastic containers. Although it is considered environmentally friendly, the herbs still “suffocate”. It is enough to open any plastic container and smell it to be convinced of this. Without air access, some types of bacteria multiply. The musty smell is the result of their activity. Containers for storing dry herbs must be breathable.
Suitable for long-term storage of herbs and tea:
- linen bags in cardboard boxes;
- wooden shelves and boxes;
- glass jars;
- tin boxes with lids.
Wooden stands and boxes
The supplier is a wooden cylindrical box with a tight lid. Supplies and decorative boxes are sold at craft fairs. A linden container without varnish inside or birch bark containers is the best container for dry herbs! But check the quality of the glue when purchasing. Another disadvantage of suppliers is that they are quite large. You can put several bags of herbs in them for brewing tea.
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Chemicals in plants
Plants have medicinal properties due to the presence of various chemical substances (active principles): alkaloids, glycosides, saponins, flavonoids, vitamins, minerals, organic acids, bitterness, sugars, tannins, essential oils and others.
The chemical composition depends on the type of plant, climatic conditions, place of growth, time of collection, proper drying, storage and preparation.
Different parts of plants contain different amounts of active principles. This means that different parts of the plant have different effects on the body.
In addition, the plant accumulates different amounts of active principles at different times of the year. During flowering and at the beginning of fruiting , most of the active principles are contained in the leaves and stems. Fruits contain the most active principles during the period of full ripeness. Roots and rhizomes - late autumn or early spring.
Depending on the active principle, plants may have the following properties:
- tonic
- exciting
- soothing
- painkiller
- expectorant
- laxative
- fixing
- diuretic
- wound healing
- anti-inflammatory
- hemostatic
- antimicrobial
- and others
In order to extract the active principles from the plant faster and better, the plant is crushed before cooking. For example, the maximum size of chopped stems should not exceed 0.5 mm, roots, no more than 3 mm.
Tin boxes with lids
It was in these boxes that great-grandmothers' tea was stored. Some families treasure tea boxes with the old-fashioned “Ъ”. No glue is used to secure the bottom and walls of the box, enough air enters the gap under the lid, the boxes “breathe” but do not become damp.
In Home stores you can find sets with beautiful paintings. In the kitchen it’s nice to display an arrangement of boxes of different sizes. They are easier to care for than pot-bellied jars.
Basic storage rules
Improperly stored herbal materials may become damp or dry, and their active ingredients will begin to decompose. Raw materials can be spoiled by pests, absorb dust, foreign odors, or, even worse, toxic substances. Valuable biologically active components are destroyed under the influence of sunlight. How to prevent this?
- The room where medicinal plants are stored should be clean, dry and cool (up to +18 ⁰C). The raw materials themselves should be protected from sunlight, but air should be provided so that the herbs “breathe”.
- If this is not a pre-compiled collection, the herbs are sorted separately from each other. Particular attention should be paid to plants with a high concentration of essential oils, as well as toxic and poisonous ones. They are advised to be stored in a sealed container.
- In the old days, herbs were stored in bunches - this way they better preserved their beneficial substances. If this is not possible, separate containers must be provided for roots, fruits and flowers with leaves. Each part of the plant has its own shelf life, and its purpose may be different.
- In addition to the name, the container should indicate the date of collection. This makes it easier to sort out expired raw materials.
Each plant has its own bag or container
Linen bags in cardboard boxes
This method will preserve the herbs perfectly. Natural flax has bactericidal properties. The box will protect the bag from house dust. But it is not very convenient to untie and tie the bag. Therefore, it is better to store medicinal preparations that are needed only in special cases.
Tip: Don't throw away your tea boxes. Manufacturers took care of the quality of glue and cardboard. If you decide to put labels on the boxes, don't use tape or synthetic glue! Use natural homemade paste made from flour or starch.
Where to put your herb collection
True connoisseurs of herbs and tea mixtures try not to store their supplies in the kitchens. The humidity level in the kitchen changes with every boiled kettle, and the gas stove is a source of soot. Even under covers, dry plants greedily absorb moisture along with kitchen odors.
A place with a constant draft is suitable for storing fragrant treasures. A cool place is better than a warm one. An unpainted cabinet made of natural wood will add its own note to the bouquet of smells. Behind glass doors, bags, boxes and jars create a country style composition. Bunches of dried flowers will fit into it.
Over the years, inside such a cabinet the smells mix, enrich each other, and are absorbed into the wood of the shelves. When the door comes off, the indescribable aroma of herbs, meadows, and nature spreads throughout the house... The family hurries to gather around a kettle of herbal tea.
STORING TEA - WHAT TO STORE IN - PACKAGING, BAGS, JARS, TEAPOTS, TEA CONTAINERS (1 video)
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Home storage of herbs and tea (12 photos)
Beneficial properties of herbal tea
Herbal tea can be consumed at any time of the day. In the morning it has an invigorating effect, in the afternoon, in hot weather, it will refresh, and in the evening, herbal tea will help you calm down and relax.
There are several types of herbal teas - medicinal, tea with a tonic effect and tea with a calming effect. Plants included in tonic herbal teas stimulate the central nervous system, relieve fatigue, and increase mental and physical performance. Such collections may contain lemongrass, rose hips, clover flowers and leaves, lavender, strawberry and black currant leaves, and mint. A cup of this tea, drunk in the morning immediately after waking up, will give you energy, improve digestion, and even provide you with vitamins.
Recipes for soothing infusions often contain herbs such as chamomile, fireweed, raspberry leaf, motherwort, peppermint, St. John's wort, hawthorn, primrose, lemon balm and cherry.
During the period of spring vitamin deficiency, you can save yourself with tea made from raspberries, barberries, carrots, blackberries, rose hips, black currants, nettles, rowan berries, sea buckthorn and black currants. Please note that in summer, herbal teas should not be prepared from old herbs.
Herbal teas have many medicinal properties. They can be stimulating, analgesic or relaxing.
Chamomile, for example, helps get rid of headaches. St. John's wort has a beneficial effect on the human liver, and yarrow has calming properties. Black tea with thyme will help cure a severe cold.
Currant berries are useful for gastritis, tonsillitis and vision problems. But not only berries are useful, but also shoots and young leaves. Tea made from currant leaves and mint helps regulate metabolism and also improves liver and kidney function. When you have a cold, it is recommended to add a few sprigs of raspberries to this tea.
Almost all herbal teas are safe for people of any age and with any health condition. However, to achieve the desired effect, you need to drink herbal teas regularly. It should be noted that herbal teas do not contain caffeine, which is harmful for people suffering from disorders of the nervous and cardiovascular systems and for children under two years of age.
