How to Use Mylar Bags for Storing Herbs and Medicinal Plants

One of the best methods of maintaining the flavor, aroma, and potency of dried herbs and medicinal plants over time is to use Mylar bags correctly. The trick is to use well-dried material, and a dark, cool, airtight place within the bag.

Benefit of Mylar Bags for Storing Herbs:

Mylar is a tough, non-toxic, and food quality film which holds a fantastic barrier to oxygen, light, and moisture that easily destroys the delicate herbs. Mylar bags are great at preserving important oils, active compounds, and aroma than simple plastic or paper bags, when they are sealed correctly.

For  herbs and medicinal plants, this translates to prolonged shelf life, increased stability in potency and reduced chances of mold development or loss of taste. Mylar is also puncture resistant and can be kept in a bin or a box without easily tearing.

Step 1: Dry Herbs Thoroughly

Always keep fresh herbs or semi-dried herbs in Mylar bags, otherwise you will find them moulding and rotting. Before you even think about packing, herbs should be dry to the touch, and leaves should crumble and not bend.

Bunches can be air-dried, dried in a dehydrator at low settings or dried in the oven with the door ajar and then allowed to cool. When dry, trim off any clearly damaged or discolored material leaving only healthy and clean plant material to go into storage.

Step 2: Select the Mylar Bags

Small to medium Mylar bags tend to be the most effective with herbs and medicinal plants since they help reduce air exposure and allow easier organization. Look for:

• BPA-free, Food grade mylar bags for botanical products.

• Light-blocking (metallized) film, instead of clear or transparent bags.

• Good puncture resistance and barrier strength 5-7 mil thick.

Reusable zipper Mylar are useful when you use the same herbs regularly, but simple, heat-seal-only pouches are what you need when you store herbs that you're not going to open in the near future.

Step 3: Choose Oxygen Absorbers 

Oxygen absorbers can greatly increase shelf life of culinary and many medical plants, oxidizing them more slowly and preventing insect infestation. You would fit the size of the absorber (in ccs) to the volume of the bag; a typical example is a 300cc absorber to a bag about the size of a gallon.

Nevertheless, certain aromatic goods (such as some cannabis or specialty herbs) should not be kept with oxygen absorbers in order to preserve their typical smell and volatile elements. In such instances, you need not worry about extensive drying, proper sealing, and in some instances a small desiccant pack in place.

Step 4: Fill and Pack the Bags

Trample up large leaves or flowers softly so as not to make them into powder. You must not overfill; you should have sufficient space to flatten the bag and form a smooth area to seal at the top.

Put the herbs in the bag, and insert your oxygen absorber or desiccant (assuming you have one) and tap or shake to stir it up so the contents settle out and the air bubbles can escape. Smaller bags are used to reduce the volume of air to be extracted and rotation is easier.

Step 5: Remove Air and Heat-Seal

You want to press out as much air as you can by hand by just smoothing the bottom to the top of the bag before sealing. A longer storage time can also be achieved by using a vacuum system which is compatible with Mylar or a straw method to remove even more air though you must take care not to break the seal area.

Then:

• Melt the top edge with a heat sealer, clothes iron or hair straightener and set it to a medium-high heat level.

• Seal one continuous line all the way across the width, and you may have a second seal at the bottom end of the first, as an added precaution.

•  Inspect visually whether there is any gap, wrinkles, or unsealed corners and reseal where necessary.

• After sealing, the bag is meant to be tight around the herbs as the oxygen absorber works and draws down any remaining oxygen.

Step 6: Label and Organize

Both home herbalists and small herbal businesses require good labeling. On each bag, clearly write:

• Name of herb or part of plant (and part: leaf, flower, root, etc.)

• Packaging date and harvest date.

• Place or lot, whether you follow where you raised or bought it.

• Special instructions: organic, wild-crafted or using direction.

• Sort bags in bins or boxes by type (culinary, tea blends, tincture herbs, smoking blends, etc.) so that you can find what you are looking for fast.

Step 7: Place in Perfect Conditions

Even herbs in perfectly sealed Mylar bags require the appropriate environment to preserve herbs with time. For best results:

• Store them in a cool, dark, dry location, without direct sunlight, and source of heat.

• Never use a wet cellar, or a hot attic, or a place where the temperature varies a good deal.

• Keep bags in hard containers or boxes to avoid being punctured or infested by pests.

When kept in well-sealed Mylar, dried herbs can be much more effective in terms of flavor and potency than those kept in typical jars or plastic bags.

Medicinal Plants Special Tips

Active ingredients in medicinal herbs are delicate, don't require light, heat or oxygen to break down and thus it is worth the effort to exercise extra precautions. Here are a few practical tips:

• Keep valuable or uncommon medicinals inside smaller bags to avoid having to open up a big pouch.

• Have a working bag, used daily, and another, undamaged bag, which you can store away.

• In extremely aromatic or resinous plants, use sturdier bags and do not pack to retain structure and constituents.

When you manufacture or market herbal products, branded, custom-printed Mylar bags can also present your products professionally, and with great security. This will retain shelf attraction as well as the quality your clients anticipate.

When you dry thoroughly, select the right Mylar bags, control oxygen and moisture, seal properly and store in the appropriate conditions, you can freeze your herbs and medicinal plants even months or even years fresher, more intense and far more effective. However, to achieve all these purposes all you need is to select a good manufacturer. Customize your mylar bags today with Pack Role incredible packaging and printing services.