How to Store Jasmine

Jasmine has long been used in teas, as flavoring for food, as potpourri and in aromatherapy. There are many different varieties of jasmine, but they all have a wonderful scent and impart a great flavor. Storing jasmine is an easy way to save that flavor for a long time.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. Harvest your jasmine in mid-morning. Jasmine is a night-blooming flower, so the flowers will be tightly closed after early morning. Harvest the flower and the stem, keeping as much stem as you can. Do not bruise the flowers; this will degrade the scent of the jasmine.

2. Bundle the jasmine blooms and stems together and tie them with twine. Tie the bundle a little above the base of the stems, not near the flowers.

3. Hang the bundles indoors. Use a piece of twine strung between two points and clothespins to fasten the jasmine bundles to the twine. Hang the bundles somewhere cool and dry and do not disturb them once they've been hung.

4. Dry your bundles for several weeks, allowing all of the moisture to escape from the plants. When they are brown and a little brittle, they're dry enough to be taken down and stored away. Wrap them in brown paper and put them someplace dark and cool. This will help save the scent of these lovely flowers.

5. Enjoy your jasmine in potpourri. Put the petals in vinegar or olive oil to add unique flavor, or make sachets to freshen your clothing.