Shop with Care!

If you want to get all of the health and beauty benefits of dried herbs and spices, do yourself a favor: Avoid the little jars at the supermarket. Not only are the contents far from their peak of freshness (and highly overpriced), but in most cases, they’ve been irradiated to destroy and bacteria, viruses, and other microorganisms that might be present. Unfortunately, that process also destroys vitamins, minerals, proteins, and other nutrients. What’s more, it can actually create damaging free radicals.

In short, you’ll be defeating the whole purpose of using herbs and spices in the first place! So always buy them in bulk from health-food stores, herb shops, or reputable websites that specialize in organic herbs and spices. Besides getting the active ingredients you want, you’ll save a small fortune!

Then, once you get them home, don’t make the mistake of storing them anywhere near your stove. After a month or so, those herbs — which should taste fresh and delicious — will have hardly a smidgen of flavor left. Always store dried herbs in air-tight glass or metal containers in a cool, dark place. Left in a warm, well-lit spot, their flavor and aroma will go downhill fast.