A quiet jar of thyme

Thyme in a torn sachet stands by the window — light and hob steam turn it to hay. In a week the pinch already has no wood smell left. I tip the dry sprigs and leaves into a small jar, shut it tight, and set it on a dark cupboard shelf — cool there, and without sun.

A quiet jar of thyme. Oregano on a dark shelf is another herb; chilli flakes are another fire; fennel seeds are another jar; dried herbs instead of a bunch in the soup are another gesture. Here thyme after opening: under a lid, in the dark — so the next pinch still smells of wood and field.

If the smell is already flat — I bin it, I don’t tip it into a sauce “for colour”. I add it near the end, I don’t boil it long. I’m not praising a new sachet from the shop shelf — only the one already open in our kitchen.

I don’t need thyme that dusts by the glass. I need a jar that still pulls of wood. In your kitchen does thyme sit in the dark under a lid — or by the window with an open edge?