How to Store Herbs in Tins
Herbs have many uses in society today. Probably one of the most prominent uses is to season our food. Popular herbs used to season food are parsley, oregano, cilantro, and garlic. If you are a bit of a naturalist and like to dry and store your own herbs, it is important that you perform the process correctly and keep the dried herbs in the proper environment to avoid having the herbs expire before you can use them in your food or for medicinal purposes. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Clothesline
- Clothespins
- Scissors
- Tin canisters
- Labels
- Marker
- Small plastic bags
Instructions
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1
Hang the fresh herbs upside down on a clothesline with clothespins until the leaves of the herbs are completely dry. Take them down and set them on top of a plastic bag that has been spread flat.
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2
Label your tin canisters with the names of the herbs. If you do not label your tins, you may get your herbs confused when you try to use them. A lot of herbs look the same when they are cut up.
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3
Place plastic bags into the tin canisters as liners for the herbs. Sometimes dried herbs will absorb materials around them and if you do not use a liner in a metal tin canister, it can give the herbs a metallic taste.
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4
Cut up the herbs, one herb at a time, and place it in the appropriate tin. Fold the plastic bag on top of the herb and make sure the tin canister is sealed tightly when you place the lid on.
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5
Keep the tin canisters out of direct sunlight if they are transparent or translucent and you wish to keep them out on the counter. Otherwise, store in a dark cabinet or pantry.
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Tips & Warnings
If you do not have a clothesline to dry your herbs, they can be placed flat on a surface that gets direct sunlight for at least two hours a day. If you do not have lids for your tin canisters, cover the mouth of the canister with cellophane and hold it tight with a rubber band.
If you do not dry your herbs completely, they will mold and become toxic if you attempt to use them.
