Dried herbs and more by The Maine Ingredient LLC

Backstory:
Like many of us, I try to eat local and organic whenever I can. I am grateful to live in a place where I can usually find meat, dairy, eggs, vegetables, and fresh herbs that are local and organic. But whenever I got to the dried herbs/spices there was nothing local. It was all imported from at least across the country, if not from around the world. These containers smelled like nothing, had no color, and didn't add much flavor to anything.

One year, I had a huge crop of garlic and decided to make some home made garlic powder. We used some, and I gave the rest to family and friends. It was the best smelling and tasting garlic powder I had ever tasted. Everyone else thought so too. And while it was hard work, I had a blast making it. Then my life took a drastic turn, and I found myself in a situation where I had nowhere to grow things anymore. I still wanted to do something with local and organic food, but it took me a while to get from "I can't..." to "what can I...". When I did finally come around, I knew that dried herbs and spices was the perfect fit. My knowledge at the time was limited, so I started researching how to dry things. I learned a lot here at Permies.com and took it even a step further with a class from Meeting House Farm (a medicinal herb growing collaborative). Not long after, The Maine Ingredient LLC was born.



It certainly helped that there is a certified organic farm just up the road that sells wholesale herbs to restaurants. I bought some and started drying them in a small drying room I had created. I found I could create incredible dried herbs that actually had color, would make the whole room smell like that herb, and would still last a very long time. In this picture you can see the color difference between some thyme I dried and some store-bought.  


About:
The Maine Ingredient LLC specializes in Maine grown, organic ingredients, with a focus on dried herbs and spices.

Local:
The Maine Ingredient is proud to be a local business. Our products are sourced from certified organic farms in Maine, then dried in Maine, and then packaged into USA made, glass bottles, right here in Maine.

Color and Flavor:
Most commercial options dry their product too hot and too fast. The Maine Ingredient uses the same techniques that are used in the medicinal herbalist industry. By using these time-tested techniques, I can produce products that actually have color and flavor, unlike most store bought dried herbs.

Less Plastic:
While some of our products come in contact with plastic during processing, none are ever stored in plastic once we have them.

Whole Leaf:
We store the products as the largest piece we can for as long as we can. This usually means a whole leaf. Whenever you break apart a dried product, it loses flavor and scent more quickly. By keeping it as large pieces as long as possible, it helps to preserve the product for longer.

Products:
We currently sell the following products...

Maple Sugar - Has a subtle flavor that is perfect for cinnamon rolls, muffins, bread, cookies, coffee, tea, and anywhere you would use refined sugar. Also has more nutrients and has a lighter impact on the land than refined sugar.


Dried Sage - Has an aromatic flavor that is great for breakfast sausage, pork, chicken, compound butter, stews, and more.


Dried Rosemary - Has a pungent flavor that is perfect for beef, chicken, pork, lamb, stews, casseroles and more.


Dried Basil - Has a hint of sweetness with that classic basil flavor and is great for soups, sauces, pasta, tea and more.


Dried Thyme - Has a fragrant flavor and is great for beef, chicken, stocks, meatloaf, vegetables and more.


If you need help drying your own, feel free to reach out with questions. If you have someone closer to you, who is drying herbs/spices in a proper manner, then buy from them. If you are not able to dry your own right now and don't have someone else closer... check us out. https://themaineingredient.com

I give this spice provider 10 out of 10 acorns.



The Maine Ingredient is doing it right. Fresh processed FRAGRANT herbs in attractive sustainable packaging right to your front door. I've tried a couple of spices from Matt and I am frankly blown away. The smell and taste is superior to the spices I keep in my cabinet from the supermarket. The jars have a nice weight to them and I intend on reusing them in the future as they are just that nice.

I would recommend this spice provider to everyone.

We were lucky enough to be testers and to be able to try out some of Matt's herbs.
They are outstanding! They are bright in color, have a superb smell and taste, and they are no comparison to the dull, stale herbs that come from the local store.
The glass bottles are heavy and very attractive.
His logo is eye-catching and unique.
If you want fresh, tasty herbs, look no further than the Maine Ingredient; you will be glad you did!

I would also give Maine Ingredient LLC's herbs 10 out of 10 acorns - highly recommend! As an herbalist, I've tried the rosemary and thyme, as tisanes (medicinal herbal tea). Both are richly aromatic and brightly colored, making for lovely, healing drinks for sore throats, colds, and the flu, (among other things), and a satisfying 'cuppa'.

The packaging is a lovely, solid glass, perfect for reuse, and was well packed for shipping, arriving safely and soundly. I well be ordering again!

Curiosity got the better of me, and I searched for and found Matt's website https://themaineingredient.com/
I was hoping to find a customer feedback page to leave a favorable review.
Check it out, perhaps go shopping!

Congratulations Matt on your launch of a new business!
It looks like all of your work and research has paid off.

Great looking herbs, packaging and photography!