A variety of containers and storage jars to use for the preservation of your culinary ingredients.

Whether you have amassed a collection of herbs and spices from your own garden, or you have started to buy staple pantry ingredients in bulk, you will need a way to store these items to ensure they have a long shelf life. A variety of jars, bottles and containers can be put into service depending upon your specific needs.

“But those herbs which perfume the air most delightfully, not passed by all the rest, but, being trodden upon and crushed, are three; that is, burnet, wild-thyme and watermints. Therefore, you are to set whole alleys of them to have the pleasure when you walk or tread.”

-Francis Bacon, Essays, Civil and Moral, 1601

Types of Storage Containers

• - opaque glass
• - clear glass
• - glass canning jars
• - metal
• - recycled bottles
• - ceramic
• - plastic
• - wood

Opaque Glass

The best containers for storing herbs and spices are brown, cobalt or other dark colored glass jars with screw on lids. Since you can’t see the contents of these jars make sure you add a label to the front of the container.

Your labels can be hand made or printed out on a typewriter or computer. A variety of blank labels with self-adhesive backing can be found at any business supply or stationery store. On the labels you use be sure to list the common name and Latin name of the herb, the date you collected or harvested the herb and the location where it was collected (i.e. from your own garden, a friend's garden, purchased at a farmer’s market or purchased from a grocery store).

Clear Glass

You may prefer the look of clear glass containers with screw on lids for storing all of your herbs. The clear containers allow you to immediately see what is stored in each container and they become an interesting decorative element in your kitchen. Since this type of container is not light proof they should be stored in a dark area away from any heat sources. Do not store your herbs and spices near your stove, oven, toaster or on top of your refrigerator as the heat generated from these sources will cause them to go stale rather quickly.

Clear glass containers also allow you to see if there is any moisture present. If you see signs of condensation on the inside of your container it means that the herbs have not been sufficiently dried. If caught at an early stage you can place these herbs onto a baking tray and place them in your oven set on its lowest setting for a few minutes or until the herbs feel crisp but not burnt. If you haven’t caught this problem in time your herbs will begin to go moldy and must be thrown out and the container thoroughly washed and dried out to remove any traces of the mold and moisture.

Canning Jars

Another excellent container to use for storing larger amounts of herbs are pint size and quart size glass canning jars. You may be able to find used canning jars at your local thrift stores. New seals and rings for the canning jars can be found at many grocery stores.

Metal Tins

Small metal tins may also be used to store your herbs and spices. Make sure to label the tins as you can’t see what each tin contains when the lids are closed. You may find that metal tins can impart a metallic scent or taste to dried herb leaves but they work okay for storing seeds and roots.

Ceramic Containers

You can also use glazed ceramic containers for storing your herbs and spices. Unglazed ceramic containers will cause the volatile essential oils present in the herbs to evaporate in a very short time.

Plastic Containers

The use of plastic containers is not recommended for the long term storage of dried materials as the herbs seem to absorb some of the odor of the plastic making them rather unpleasant to use. You can use plastic containers or resealable plastic bags for the short term storage of fresh herbs in your refrigerator or freezer.

Wood Containers

Wood containers are not recommended for the storage of your herbs and spices. Wood is a permeable container and since it is not airtight it will quickly cause your materials to dry out and become stale. Wood containers also have a tendency to absorb the odor of any aromatic substances that are placed within them.

Resources

Online sources for a variety of bottles and containers include SKS Bottle, Specialty Bottle and Burch Bottle.

See the article How to Dry Fresh Herbs for a variety of methods for drying your fresh herbs. The article Where to Buy Fresh Herbs discusses a variety of options for purchasing herbs. How to Freeze Herbs Using Ice Cube Trays shows a method that can be used for the long-term storage of fresh herbs.