Making Herbal Remedies


Making Herbal Teas

Fresh herbs make the best herbal remedies. Whenever possible, prepare medicinal herbs fresh. Out of season, use fresh dried herbs. And, never use herbs more than a year old.

Infusions

The fresh stems, leaves, and flowers of medicinal herbs are prepared by pouring boiling water over the herbs and then steeping for several minutes

To make an Infusion:

  1. Take one half to 1 and one half teaspoons of the dried herb, place in cup.

  2. Pour 1 cup of boiling water over the herb. Cover and allow to brew for 10-15 minutes. May be drunk hot (usually best for medicinal herbs) or cold. A bit of honey, raw sugar,or anise may be added.

If you wish to make larger quantities at one time, be sure to refrigerate after brewing, herbal infusions are usually so rich that bacteria can multiply and thrive very quickly. Even a refrigerated infusion shouldn't be kept more than 2 days.

Decoctions

When you're dealing with roots, bark, seeds or hard dense pieces of herbs a decoction is usually the better choice. Pieces should be small.

To make a decoction:

  1. Put 1 tsp of dried herb for each cup (or 3 teaspoons fresh) in an enamel or glass saucepan (do not use aluminum).

  2. Add 1 cup of water for each teaspoon of dried herb (amounts are approximate)

  3. Bring mixture to a boil. Simmer for 10-15 minutes, covered to avoid losing volatile oils. Strain into cup, drink and sweeten as you would an infusion. Again, refrigerate any you aren’t going to drink right away.

Making Herbal Tinctures

Most times, alcohol makes a stronger tincture than water, glycerin or vinegar. Alcohol tincture is what we’re are going to talk about here.

To make a simple alcohol tincture:

  1. Use approximately 4 ounces finely chopped or ground dried herb into a bottle or jar (if using fresh material use twice as much).

  2. Pour one pint of at least 60 proof vodka over the herbs. Close the jar tightly.

  3. Keep the jar in a warm location, shake twice a day for two weeks.

  4. Strain. Place the left over herbal residue into a muslin cloth or bag (several layers of cheesecloth works also) and wring out the remaining liquid.

  5. Pour your tincture into a dark bottle and keep tightly closed. Store in a cool place.

Making Herbal Oils

Herbal oils are made by extracting the herbal constituents and volatile oils from the herbs for a later use. Any vegetable oil will do, yet olive, almond, canola, and sesame oils are the best. Herbal oils can be added to recipes, used for cooking, or massaged into sore body parts. Herbal oils can be infused by two methods; cold infusion and hot infusion.

Cold Infused Oil

  1. To begin, tightly fill a large sealable jar with selected herb flowers or leaves.

  2. Cover herbs with selected oil and screw on lid.

  3. Place jar on a sunny windowsill for approximately one month, shaking daily.

  4. Strain the mixture into a container, and transfer into a dark bottle.

  5. Place in a cool, dark place.

Hot Infused Oil

  1. To begin, place a ratio of 2 cups oil to 1 cup of dried herbs/ 2 cups fresh herbs, in a glass bowl over a pot of simmering water.

  2. Slowly heat on low for approximately 3 hours, and strain into a bowl.

  3. Transfer liquid into dark bottles, cap, and place in a cool, dark place.

Making Herbal Ointments

When the properties of medicinal herbs are associated with essential oils, an oil extract is used to concentrate the herbs properties.

Ointments and oils sooth and nourish the skin, delivering the medicinal properties of the herbs in the oil.

To make a simple ointment:

8 ounce lard by weight
2 ounce beeswax
2 ounces fresh herbs (1 ounce dried herbs)

  1. Simmer 2 ounces of fresh herbs, or 1 ounce of finely chopped dried herbs, in 8 ounces of pure lard, or vegetable fat and 2 ounces of beeswax for 10-15 minutes.

  2. Strain through a fine sieve or cloth. (For a double strength ointment, add another measure of herbs to the strained ointment, and re-simmer.

  3. Pour into a jar and let cool before storing.

Adding a little benzoin to help preserve the ointment, and the benzoin will help sooth chapped skin.

Preparing Herbal Poultices

For making poultices, you can use fresh or dried herbs. Fresh herbs can be bruised and applied directly to the skin, or if the skin is particularly sensitive, the poultice can be placed between layers of gauze.

When using dried herbs they must be moistened first. Make a paste by adding hot water or apple cider vinegar to the dried plant material. Keep the poultice warm. You may want to cover the skin with a thin layer of oil as this protects the skin and may make removing the poultice easier.

In a compress, an infusion or decoction is made first and a piece of clean cloth or gauze is soaked in the resultant liquid. The cloth or gauze is applied to the affected area as hot as can be tolerated. You can cover the compress with plastic wrap, to keep it hot longer, and change it when it cools off.

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