Seed bank and nursery
An essential piece in the development of the flavours and aromas of the plants that we grow, is the Seed Bank and the Vegetative Reproduction Centre, where with our own nursery, working through a selection since 2007 and for more than 12 years, we have been able to obtain the natural and exclusive genetics of our cultivated plants, giving Ecoherbes cultivars, unique, high and beneficial organoleptic properties.
Cultivation
«Certified organic artisanal cultivation, in the Ecoherbes Park Botanical Garden.»
The microclimate of the Ecoherbes Estate, south of Tarragona, just 900 meters from the shore of the Mediterranean Sea provides a unique and special climate throughout the year for the cultivation of aromatic plants, providing them with unique aromas and flavours of an exceptional nature.
The cultivation fields are an emulation of nature itself, small winding fields surrounded by nature, with calcareous and stony soil, a situation especially suitable for obtaining the greatest amount of essential oils in the different parts of the plants.
In this nature-imitating crop, in organic farming, the correct management of nutrients and irrigation water intake is very important, and these are parameters that from our technical department are controlled perfectly, always with the aim of obtaining a raw material with sublime qualities.
Harvest
«Manual collection.»
Leaves and whole flowers, at the right time with the greatest aromas, flavours and properties. Collection is performed manually with scissors, which are sometimes ceramic in order to prevent the onset of oxidation. Thus, we first obtain a selection of plant material by choosing the stems of leaves and flowers that will be part of the product, one by one. The proximity of the fields to the workroom centre allows for a time of less than 15 minutes from the beginning of the collection until the product enters the workroom, an essential aspect regarding the quality of the collection.
Drying
In the workshop, the leaves and flowers are removed from the collected stems, manually, leaf by leaf and with the subtlety necessary so as to not crack or bend the fibres that make up each leaf and flower. This is the second selection of material quality, where any part of the material that does not meet the strictest parameters relating to integrity, aesthetics, shape or colour is separated.
The material already selected in the workshop, is deposited in trays of natural wood with grating, so it can be perfectly ventilated and deposited in shelves of the dryer. The drying process is carried out in a totally natural spruce dryer, elevated off the ground level by ‘granary’ type columns, totally dark inside, which, by the flow of natural air circulation, obtains drying within an interval of 5 to 12 days, depending on the species, the temperature and the humidity.
Formulation, the final art
The herbal infusions are formulated by hand in the workshop, filling the filters or GL mono-dose rations, with completely whole leaves and flowers and with the exact doses of each product. Regarding the Ecoherbes sachets, the cotton thread is sewn with a needle, to join the bag with the label that makes up the elegant Easy Drip, the patented and exclusive Ecoherbes draining system. In this final development, the third material quality selection is made.
The compositions of our herbal infusions and teas are “signature formulas”, designed under the prism and benefits of phytotherapy, echoing the pleasure of high level gastronomy.