Getting high-quality herbs is not easy. Many small factors must be considered at every step, from the moment the plant is harvested to the moment it becomes an herbal tea. Some of you asked me to explain what to expect in the dried herbs you buy, which part of the plant is included, and how the whole process works. I am happy to share this with you. Transparency is part of the heart of small-scale farming, and here I describe how your herbs are handled from harvest to labelling.
Harvest
The work begins with the harvest, either on the farm or in the wild, and always by hand. We only harvest on sunny, dry days, usually in the morning after the dew has lifted. If it has rained the day before, the plants dry naturally in the field, and once they are dry, we harvest. If plants are dusty or covered in pollen, we water them gently in the morning to wash them and wait until they dry again before cutting them. There won't be any additional washing in the process to avoid mold during the drying. When the plant is dry and ready, we begin harvesting.
All herbs are harvested by hand. Some with tools like knives, sickles, or even an electric pruning saw (for example mint, lemon balm, nettle or motherwort). But many plants need a softer touch. Flowers are picked one by one to keep their full quality. Milky oats must be collected by hand at a very precise moment. Sage and tulsi cannot be cut with a machine, as it would damage them, so they are harvested with sickles. Once the plant is cut, they are ready to be dried.
Drying
After harvest, the herbs go into the drying room and are spread out on large racks. Some herbs need to be pre-cut into smaller pieces to ensure an even dry, motherwort and catmint are good examples. Others dry as they are, leaves still on the stems. The room is equipped with ventilation, a dehumidifier and a heater. The most important element is not the temperature: it is the humidity. Fresh herbs often push the humidity up to 70%. Over the next two or three days, it slowly drops. Around 50% is ideal, and when it finally reaches around 35–39%, I know the herbs are ready. Each drying round holds around 15–20 kg of fresh herbs, meaning we remove around 10–15 kg of water as they transform from fresh to dry.
Garbling
Once the herbs are dry, the next step is garbling, the careful sorting that decides the final quality of the product. In industrial herb production, everything is chopped together: leaves, flowers, stems. This creates a product that is less aromatic and sometimes weaker. Here, herbs are sorted by hand. Thick stems are removed because they bring nothing to the tea. Small stems that naturally pass through the sieves will stay with the desired parts, as removing every stem would require machines and would not increase the quality.
Flowers are easier. The whole flower is kept, not just petals, as some companies do. Calendula and echinacea are good examples. Their green parts or flower heart hold many important compounds, so everything is included.
Packaging
When the herbs reach their perfect dried form, we package everything by hand. Most herbs are available in 30 g and 100 g bags, and larger quantities can be prepared on request. I also create herbal blends, and this year two special blends were made for cafés in Uppsala: the Ulleråker Gård blend and the Café Padda blend.
Labelling
The last step is the labels. We write by hand the plant name, and net weight. Because herbal teas are considered food products, additional information must appeared: best-before date, producer information, origin, and a batch number. Only when everything is ready do the herbs go on the website or on the farm shelves for Saturday pick-up.
Conclusion
To bring even more transparency, I have added a section "innehåller" where you will see which part of the plant the dried herb contains. Since garden is human size, and all the process is done by hand, the stock of herbs always remains limited. This is the nature of small-scale, quality, local herbalism. If you haven’t tasted the herbs yet, the stock is not fully empty and you can explore what is available here. Your support keeps this work alive and I am grateful for every cup of tea you brew.
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