Description
Best Botanicals Whole Star Anise has a licorice-like, slightly sweet, and aromatic taste. Anise has been historically used to help relieve congestion due to allergies, flu, and cold symptoms and help with flatulence. Many herbalists note that the herb is also soporific, antispasmodic, and used as an antiseptic.
Anise has a sweet fragrance and has been used in fruit, and its essential oil is due to trans-anethole. Anise is in the family of carrots, caraway, cumin, dill, fennel, and cilantro, all used to flavor licorice candy.
Origin(s): China.
Latin Name(s): Illicium verum.
Also known as: Staranise, Star anise seed, Star aniseed & Chinese star anise.
Plant Part(s) Used: Fruit.
Appearance: Brown.
Aroma: Aromatic.
Taste: Licorice-like, slightly sweet & aromatic.
GMO Status: Non-GMO.
Allergen: None.
Additives: Free of any additives or preservatives.
Applications / Preparations: Can be used in infusions, capsules, extracts, mulled wine, herbal syrups, liqueurs, tinctures, desserts, soups, stews & homemade mouthwashes.
Storage: Store in a sealed container in a cool, dry place.
Shelf Life: It is very difficult to pinpoint an exact expiration date for most single herbs as they do not expire; they lose potency or strength over time but will still have value. Unlike synthetic materials or drugs, herbs can contain many constituents that contribute to their medicinal effects. Even when we know what the active constituents are, there are often many of them in a single herb, each with different degradation rates. Some herbs lose their effect more easily. Other herbs that possess more stable compounds, such as alkaloids or steroids, will last much longer.
A huge part of the degradation rate of herbs also depends on the storage conditions of the herb, & even on the quality of the herb before storage – how it was grown, harvested, dried & processed. If the product is left in hot places or open to sunlight, it will degrade much quicker than if it was stored in a cool, dry place & sealed tightly.
A good rule of thumb is that herbs should be stored no longer than 2-3 years, but many herbs will have great strength much longer than that. To determine if an herb is still good, you can check its appearance & aroma. Herbs that are no longer acceptable will have lost much of its vibrant color & will instead appear dull & faded. The bigger key, though is to smell the raw materials to see if the potent aroma is still present.
Warning: None known.
Brand: Best Botanicals
Whole Star Anise 16 oz.
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