7 Tips for Packaging Herb Liqueurs

By Paris Wolfe, Blogmaster, The Herb Society of America

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas … in my kitchen. As I harvest the goods, I’ve been making Christmas gifts for family and friends. Some of my favorites are liqueurs. They’re deceptively simple and make elegant presentations.

Crème di violette and lemon herb liqueurs are two of my favorite. This year, I am trying something new – a crème di lavender liqueur. I’m making an infusion using ½ cup lavender and 12 ounce of vodka. After three days, I’ll strain and spike with simple syrup until the sweetness is balanced. I’m still debating the addition of food coloring for presentation.

To make simple syrup, bring one cup water and one cup sugar to a boil and dissolve sugar. Then, turn off the burner. Cool before use. Keeps in refrigerator for a few weeks.

Packaging the final product is as important as producing it. Do I want vintage decanters to present larger quantities to close friends? Cruets with cork stoppers for liqueurs in smaller quantities? Or maybe Mason jars with chalk labels? Perhaps I should buy brand new bottles from Amazon?

The problem with my creativity is my ideas run rampant and I struggle to choose. I want packaging in harmony with product. Here’s what I’ve learned over the years … some of it practical, some artistic.

1. Select glass bottles to avoid off tastes from plastic.
2. Source smaller bottles – 5 to 8 ounces – to stretch product and tease friends with a sample or two.
3. Choose colored bottles if the product is an odd color and you’re not using food coloring. For example, I packaged my crème di menthe in green.
4. Seal with screw tops or swing tops (not corks) to prevent spillage. Or be careful with cork.
5. Finish with a heat-shrink plastic capsule for elegant presentation. These come in many colors, but I choose black.
6. Use white markers, not chalk, on chalkboard labels, so they won’t smear.
7. Write product name and date on label at the very least.

While I’m ordering my first batch of “Woozy” bottles from Amazon and picking up chalkboard labels/hangtags at Joann.com, I will be watching the “dot” section at the entrance to my local Target. Throughout the year they’ve sold a number of bottles and labels that made lovely presentations.  And, if my budget feels more generous, I may check out the Bormioli Rocco Swing Bottles at Sur La Table.

Cheers!

Packaging Herbal Tea: Presentation Matters

By Paris Wolfe, Blogmaster, The Herb Society of America 

 

When I dried this year’s mint and lemon herbs for handcrafted herbal tea, I considered how to package and store my blend. I know tea should be kept in a non-plastic, airtight container. And, that the container should be stored in a dark, cool, dry place free from strong odors.  So, I eliminated the possibility of paper bags or cardboard boxes.

I also know that presentation is important in generating an emotional response.  And, as these teas would be gifts, I wanted something warm and homey.

Canning jars were a no brainer; they’re nearly a culinary hug. What started as a container for grandma’s homemade strawberry-rhubarb jelly or grandpa’s apple pie moonshine, has become repurposed for wildflowers at a country wedding, water at a BBQ restaurant or candles along a garden path. Mason jars are ubiquitous symbols of connection.

I will use 4- and 8-ounce jars to package herbal teas for gifting.

My creative skills don’t stop there. I’ll need lids and labels. Traditional two-part, metal
canning lids don’t work in this situation. That’s why I was happy to find Timber Tops Bamboo Storage Lids from Masontops. They’re reusable, leak-proof and made from fast-growing, highly renewable bamboo. Better yet, they add flair.

The next item in my supply box is twine. I’ve found it in natural, black, blue and pink at the dollar section in Target stores as well as other craft suppliers and online. Check out your local hardware store or amazon.com if you can’t find it easily.

Finally, I need labels to identify the tea blend and year it was grown. Again, over the past months I’ve found a variety of tags in the Target dollar section… wood, burlap, and metal. These can also be found at craft and office stores. Even the canning jar company Ball sells wood hanging tags.

My favorite tags, which go well with the stylish bamboo look, have blackboard paint. I print information on them with a white chalk marker and hang them around the neck of the jar.  Viola, class in glass.

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