Possible and quite likely - stores don't often have a fast turnaround
05/05/04 01:51 PM
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Heather
Reged: 12/09/02
Posts: 7799
Loc: Seattle, WA
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and if herbs and spices sit, their volatile oils evaporate (especially if they're sitting in unsealed containers, like boxes of tea bags or open bulk bins). Once the volatile oils are gone the herbs won't smell or taste fresh, nor will they brew into strong tea, nor will they help your symptoms nearly as much.
You always want to look for whole (not ground, powdered, whatever) herbs/spices, as fresh as possible, and use them fairly quickly so they're not sitting on your kitchen shelf for months either.
If you can't find fresh fennel seed locally, try the Fennel Tummy Tea which is packed and sealed only when I order a new batch, so it's always as fresh and strong as possible.
This makes a huge difference with peppermint tea as well - as you found, the taste is MUCH better when the herbs are fresh and not stale. 
- H
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Heather is the Administrator of the IBS Message Boards. She is the author of Eating for IBS and The First Year: IBS, and the CEO of Heather's Tummy Care. Join her IBS Newsletter. Meet Heather on Facebook!
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