The art of quality dried herbs

There’s a world of difference between a vibrant, freshly dried herb and one that’s been sitting on a shelf for years, losing its color, scent, and spirit. Whether you’re blending tea, crafting salves, or creating your own herbal remedies, the quality of your herbs determines not just the potency, but the magic, of what you make. We always want to work with beautifully dried herbs; we should be able to see and feel the life force within them.

This is more than a guide to assessing the quality of dried herbs. It's a call to reawaken the primal senses within us that are wired to connect with the natural world. Through smell, sight, taste, and touch, we are reminded of our integral connection to the plant world. We become present as we experience and connect with plants, and remember, they are our allies. It is our birthright to connect and relate to them. Using our senses to connect with plants builds our relationships with them. We get to know them as individual beings, with their own traits and personalities.  

This is a call to get to know your local biome and the surrounding nature. It’s often said that the best medicine grows right outside your door. This is also a call to more conscious consumption. Voting with our dollar matters. If we can purchase the freshest herbs, closest to our homes, we will be supporting and building our own communities and our ability to access these herbal medicines. Supporting regenerative farming practices and local herb farms builds our own sustainable future.  

Beautifully Dried Rose

Grow It, Know It

The most powerful herbs are the ones you know personally, the ones you’ve tended, harvested, and dried with your own hands. Growing your own herbs gives you a front-row seat to their life cycle and allows you to harvest at the exact moment of peak vitality. Learning to dry and store them properly ensures that their color, aroma, and healing essence stay intact long after the growing season ends.

For small, personal gardens, you don’t need much to get started. Learn when each herb is at its prime time to harvest. Some are before blooming, some after. With many herbs, you’ll be able to get multiple harvests a season. Harvest on a dry day; most herbs like to be harvested in the morning after the dew dries, before the heat of the day sets in. You can bundle and hang your herbs, use screens, or a dehydrator to dry them. Make sure they are in a well-ventilated area (a fan is great) and out of direct sunlight. I prefer to leave most aerial parts on the stem to dry. When the stem snaps, it's dry.

Make sure your plants aren’t soft, pliable, or moist when you put them away. This can lead to mold, and you’ll have to compost your plants. When storing herbs, glass is best. I really recommend not storing in plastic (I feel like I'm suffocating the life out of these beautiful beings). Paper bags, when sealed properly and stored in sealed bins, are a really great way to store bulk herbs.

Also, not everyone has the land, time, or climate for their own gardens. The next best thing is to connect with your local herb farmer or community herbalist. These are the people who know their plants intimately, who harvest with care and dry with intention. Visit their farms if you can, talk to them, ask about their methods, and see what they offer. You might even find bulk herbs or custom blends that are fresher and more alive than anything you could order online. This is also important to consider when choosing an herbalist, apothecary, or herbal brand. Where are their herbs coming from? Do they grow them? Are they using the best quality herbs available to make your potions and remedies?

Sourcing with Intention

If you order or buy herbs in a store, look for farms that align with natural and sustainable growing practices and are as close to you geographically as possible. Herbs grown and harvested within your own bioregion carry a special resonance; they’ve absorbed the same sunlight, rain, and soil energy that you live among. There are a good number of small and ethical herb farms in the US. Check and see which ones are close to you!

Many large herb suppliers in the U.S. source from overseas, often from Eastern Europe or Asia, and while that isn’t inherently bad, long transit times and warehouse storage can dull the vitality of the plant material. You want herbs that have been recently harvested and carefully dried, not ones that have traveled halfway around the world before reaching your shelf.

Calendula

How to Judge Herb Quality

When shopping in a co-op, apothecary, or specialty store where herbs are displayed in jars, use your senses as your guide.

Look: Bright, vivid color is a sign of freshness. Greens should still look green, petals should still carry their hues. Dull, brownish herbs have likely lost their potency.

Smell: Aromatic herbs should still smell alive. If your herbs smell like hay or have no scent at all, they’re past their prime. That being said, not all herbs are aromatic. So you’ll have to trust your eyes.

Touch: The texture should be crisp and dry, not damp or soft. Moist herbs can develop mold, especially if stored improperly after drying. If you ever see a grayish film or detect a musty odor, don’t use them.

Know the Lifespan:

• Aerial parts (leaves, flowers, stems) typically last about a year, sometimes more or less, depending on storage. Some herbs, like lemon balm, have very volatile oils and are best used within 6 months of drying.

• Roots and barks can stay potent for up to three years.

• Seeds and berries vary; some, like milky oats or hawthorn, are best fresh each season.

Storing with Care

Even the best herbs can degrade if stored poorly. Keep your herbs in airtight glass jars away from sunlight, moisture, and heat. A cool, dark cabinet or pantry is perfect. Use your stored herbs!! Don’t let them wither away on the shelf. This imparts an important note of having reverence for the medicine and the plant communities we work with. Take just what you need. Label them with the name and harvest date ,not just for organization, but as a ritual of connection and gratitude. I have left many jars unlabeled over the years, thinking I would remember what's inside. ALWAYS label them :)

Why It Matters

Every herb you work with carries not only its chemical constituents but also its energetic and spiritual essence. When herbs are old, mistreated, or stored carelessly, that subtle energy fades. Using high-quality herbs ensures your teas taste better, your tinctures are more effective, and your creations carry the true vitality of the plant.

It’s not just about quality, it’s about the relationship. Smelling freshly dried rose petals in the winter has the power to transport us back to the days of early summer; it opens our hearts.

When you choose herbs with awareness, you’re deepening your connection to the plant world, honoring the growers who cultivate with care, and aligning yourself with the living medicine of the earth.

At Ancient Herbals, we grow, harvest, and dry every herb with intention so that each blend carries the true spirit of the plant. Fresh, vibrant, and alive. From seed to bottle, my intention is to create a doorway into nature through our products by encapsulating their potent properties in their most vibrant form. Offering you a close connection between your self-care and the soil that sustains us.  Plants are filled with so much magic, mystery, and medicine…. A gateway to symbiosis and thriving with our Mother Earth. And this medicine is for everyone. Plants for the people.

From left to right: Native Sage, Bergamot, Mugwort