On opening the resealable pouch, the seeds inside looked clean, plump and fresh. No bits, just big seeds. These are organically produced in Greece, with the European green leaf organic logo on the front of the pack. The expiry date on the pack I received still had over 4 years left, which shows just how fresh the product is. There are no instructions on the pack, and no indication as to how much product to use for a herbal tea. As I was using a teapot that was large enough for 4 mugs, I added 2 tablespoons of seeds to my teapot infuser. After letting it go cold while leaving the seeds still infusing, I served it over ice, I noticed there wasn’t much flavour or much colour. The flavour there was tasted like the smell of damp cardboard. This was the first time I had ever tried milk thistle tea, but I didn’t let it put me off. I’ve since learned that you need to crush the seeds first in order to release their beneficial compounds. If only making 1 mug, you should only need to use 1-2 teaspoons of crushed seeds. Steep in the boiling water for 10-15 minutes, then strain to remove the gritty bits. You can brew this alongside any other tea of your choice at the same time. This allows you to still get the health benefits of the milk thistle, but with a flavour you know you’ll enjoy. This is what I do now, and I’m very happy with the results. A herbal drink is not the only way to use these seeds, they are very versatile, and can be ground up to be added to smoothies or lightly toasted in a dry pan, coarsely ground, then sprinkled over any foods, such as soups or salads, etc, or baked into bread. A bit like how to might use pumpkin seeds. I did try chewing on a couple of raw seeds to see what they taste like. They are quite hard on the teeth if you don’t grind them first, but not at all unpleasant or bitter. Just a bit nutty and earthy. It’s worth looking up the health benefits of incorporating milk thistle into your diet to see if this is something you’d like to try too. I would definitely recommend this brand, as the quality of product feels worth the cost.