While it may seem "trendy" to some, Herbal Medicine has been around for thousands of years. In fact, many of the familiar pharmaceutical medications we use today were originally created from "natural" ingredients. Drugs like opium from poppies, aspirin from willow bark, digitalis from foxglove and quinine from cinchona bark
...although there is scientific and medical research that support the use of herbal, medicinal and holistic remedies...please consult with your doctor before any alternative remedies are used.
How To Make Herbal Infusions
An herbal infusion is not the same as a tea. Herbal teas are made like ordinary tea, with 1-2 teaspoons of herb per cup, brewed for a few minutes. An infusion is made with ½ - 1 oz dried herb to 2 pints of water, brewed for several hours or overnight. Its best to infuse one kind of herb on its own, rather than mixing different herbs.
A container with a tight lid is better for retaining the essences than a teapot. Jars with a screw top lid can be used, if you warm the jar first. Place about a cupful of herb into a two pint jar, fill to the top with boiling water, seal tightly. Leave to brew for a minimum of 4 hours for leaf infusions, 2 hours for flowers.
Strain off the liquid, press out the last drops, pour into a jar or bottle. Keep refrigerated and use within a day and a half. If there is any left over, use it to feed your plants, or your hair. The discarded herbs make good compost for your herb garden
How To Make Herbal Decoctions
This method is used for hard herbs such as hard seeds, roots, rhizomes, bark, wood and berries. It produces a water extract that may be drunk on its own, made into syrups, gargles and compresses, or added to baths, oils and creams. Ingredients:
1 oz dried herb
1 pint water
Method: 1.Crush or bruise the herbs in a pestle and mortar.
2.Place in a bowl and cover with boiling water.
3.Cover with a lid and leave to stand overnight.
4.Place both the herbs and the water in an enamel pan. Top up the liquid to 1 pint to replace water that has soaked in.
5.Bring to the boil slowly then reduce the heat to a low simmer.
6.Keep covered with a lid and simmer gently for 20 minutes.
7.Strain through a muslin cloth in a strainer, coffee filter paper or jelly bag, pressing out all the liquid. Discard the herbs and use for garden compost.
This decoction will keep for 2-3 days and can be taken undiluted.
Reduced Decoctions To make a reduced decoction, heat gently until it begins to steam. Keep covered with a lid. Turn down the heat very low and continue to steam for about 1 ½ hours until the liquid has reduced to ¼ pint. This will keep for 4-5 days in a cool place.
Decoctions can be reduced still further to a thick extract - about 1 tablespoon, which will keep for months. Preserved Decoctions There are three methods which will preserve decoctions indefinitely:
1. Add 1 lb honey or sugar to 7 fl oz of decoction.
Take 1 teaspoonful 3 times a day.
2. Add spirits such as brandy or vodka at 1 part spirit to 2 parts decoction.
Take 2 fl oz or ¼ cup 2 times a day.
3. Pour a thin layer of vegetable oil on the surface of the decoction and seal. This will keep for about a year. To use, either draw off the oil or pour the decoction from under it. Take ½ - 1 teaspoon 3 times a day.
How To Make Herbal Tinctures
Tinctures are produced by extracting and preserving the medicinal constituents of the herb in alcohol.
For each pint or 2 ½ cups alcoholic liquid (including water) use 1 oz dried herb or 2 oz fresh herb. Ingredients:
1 oz dried herbs
14 fl oz or 1 ¾ cup vodka or brandy
6 fl oz or 12 tablespoons water.Method:
1. Chop or bruise the herb and mix the spirit and water together.
2. Place the herbs in a large jar and add the spirit and water.
3. Label and date the jar and leave to stand in a cool, dark place for 2 weeks only. Shake the jar vigorously every day.
4. After two weeks strain through a muslin cloth in a strainer, jelly bag or coffee filter paper, pressing out every drop.
5. Pour the liquid into sterilized glass bottles, preferably dark in color.
(Bottles can be boiled, sterilized in a pressure cooker or soaked in a bottle sterilizing liquid).
6. Label the bottles with the name of the tincture, the date, dosage and use.
A standard dose is 1 teaspoonful 3 times a day, double this for acute conditions. If you are unable to take alcohol, put the dose in 2 fl oz or ¼ cup water and leave uncovered for a few hours while the alcohol evaporates.
For gargles, washes and compresses, dilute 1 teaspoon of Tincture to 1 cup of water. Tinctures keep indefinitely.
DIY Herb Preparations
A list of Herbs and their Medicinal qualities:
...although there is scientific and medical research that support the use of herbal, medicinal and holistic remedies...please consult with your doctor before any alternative remedies are used.
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