Herbs and tea

Q&A
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Hi all, i hope everyone is well. If you have dried herbs in jars to use for spell purposes, do those herbs go out of date. And the same with loose leaf tea, some has a best before date but i was told its still safe to drink 2 years down the line, the tea will just loosse its flavour potency. Is that right? Thank you and have a magical day. Xx

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Yep, most dried herbs will be good for about 2 years. Same with tea.

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Hmm… :thinking: I’ve never really thought about it! I would think that as long as the herb itself hasn’t spoiled (and has been dry the entire time), then it should be fine to keep using in spellwork. I would say the same for tea, but as you mentioned, they do lose their flavor potency over time.

I wasn’t sure what the right answer was here, so a Google search led me to the American Institute for Cancer Research (weird source for this, I know…lol) and I found this from one of their nutrition advisors.

Spices and dried herbs do not spoil, but eventually they do lose some of their flavor. Stored as recommended, you can usually count on seeds and whole spices (such as cumin and dill seeds, whole cloves, cinnamon sticks and peppercorns) staying fresh for three or four years. Ground spices (including cinnamon and ground pepper) stay flavorful for one to three years. Hold onto dried green herbs (such as basil and oregano) for six months to three years, watching for fading color and flavor to guide you.

Karen Collins, MS, RDN, CDN, FAND – How long do jars of spices and dried herbs last? - American Institute for Cancer Research %

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To add to that, I’ve drunk some 3-4-year-old tea out of a refusal to let things go to waste. It tasted about the same and I’m still alive. But I’m not going to recommend it just to be safe. :joy:

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Oh my Gods :joy: I do the same thing - can’t let things go to waste if there’s a minimal risk that it’ll make me sick! :rofl:

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It makes me feel happy to meet another waste hater. I feel like a rarity sometimes. :joy: :people_hugging:

It feels to me like disrespect to the food, the people who were able to provide the ingredients, and the bounty of nature. So I’m also totally one of those “eat every single grain of rice in the bowl” kind of people.

I know two people who are totally baffled by it, even when I also explain that when you’ve been too poor to eat some days as I have in the past, you learn to appreciate food. (Neither have ever wanted for anything.) But me and one of them still have a lot of respect for each other, albeit for other reasons, so it just doesn’t matter. :black_heart:

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I have the same understanding as the link posted by @MeganB regarding dried & ground herbs/spices as well as tea. I also do the same as @starborn & @MeganB for the same reasons. I have this thing about using things & not letting them go to waste. :face_with_hand_over_mouth: as long as it doesn’t pose a significant risk to my health or will completely spoil then I will use it as I can. I

f I do notice any significant changes in color, texture, smell, or some kind of growth (IE: mold which has been due to the item not being dried properly or stored properly & moisture or humidity getting to it) then I absolutely will dispose of it. :blush:

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@starborn – see, you’re not alone! Even @Susurrus is exactly the same. There’s more of us like that than you think :blush:

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