Dried Herbs Clean?
Answered by: Conrad Richter
Question from: No Name Given
Posted on: May 15, 1999
The spearmint that you sell, has it been cleaned after being picked for human consumption since it can be used in making tea and cooking? If it has been cleaned, how?
Dried herbs such as leaves are not normally cleaned before drying. To wash the fresh leaves would invite problems during the drying process. The excess water would nearly always increase the risk of moulds developing on the leaves.
Typically, quality dried leaves such as spearmint leaves would be cleaned by cutting and sifting. Fine particulate matter such as dirt and sand would be separated from the herb using a sift.
Some herb processors use chemical treatments or gamma irradiation to sterilize herbs. None of Richters dried herbs are subjected to such treatments.
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