Herbal Preparations

Part 2 of the Herb Series

Teas and Vinegars 

To get the most from your herbal tea you'll want to know a few things. If your tea is made from leaves, fruits, seeds and/or flowers an infusion is the best way to go to really draw out the most benefits. First you can either use a tea bag that you fill yourself, a french press, or a regular teapot and strainer. Typically you will use a teaspoon of dried or a tablespoon fresh of herbs to cup of water depending on your herbs and taste buds. Boil fresh water. Pour the boiled water over your herbs and cover immediately. Allow to steep about 20 minutes. This can vary. Some herbs, such as chamomile may take only 10 minutes. Some herbs can be left in all day. If you do not wish to "cook" your herbs in this way you can make sun tea by putting the herbs in a clear glass jar with the water and placing in the sun. Be sure you have a lid of course. This may be served hot or iced. Remember that the longer you let it steep, the stronger it will be.

You may want to use your roots, nuts, or barks for your tea. This is accomplished by decoction (with the exception of valerian. Valerian should be infused with one of the above methods.) Put your plant material in cold water and place over a low heat. Slowly bring to a boil and simmer gently for 15 to 20 minutes with a tight fitting lid. 

If you are making a preparation that contains both leaves and roots you could simmer your roots and then add your leaves when you take it off the heat. If your preparation is already blended you would simmer some and then add some more after taking it off the heat.

Another great way to use herbs is in an herbal vinegar. The vinegar can then be used in salad dressing, cooking, or even as a hair rinse depending on the herbs you use. You may use fresh or dried herbs. If using fresh herbs you will want to be sure to let them gently wilt in a shaded warm spot during the day to let some of the water evaporate. Either way you will then chop your herb and put them into a clean glass jar. You will want to put enough herbs in to fill the jar Then pour your vinegar over the herbs being sure you cover the herbs completely. Place your jar in a warm, dark place for 2- 6 weeks. The longer you leave them the stronger the finished product. Shake your herbs daily. After the 2-6 weeks strain the herbs out using a fine mesh cheese cloth or cotton muslin cloth. Be sure to squeeze all of the liquid out. Store in a glass container that is labeled with the date and herbs used.

Any time you put herbs into any container you want to be sure to label and date the container. This is really important. Even if you just have a jar of lavender flowers you want to go ahead and label the jar. If you have a pre-blended tea mixture label it with every herb in order of volume. You will forget how you blended the herbs and may want to make more. Just label EVERYTHING! Trust me. I've figured I would remember what was in what jar when I was in a hurry and later I wished I hadn't hurried.

Herbs, Herbs, and more Herbs

I have recently had the pleasure of being asked to give a presentation on herbs. To that end I wrote up a few things there were of interest to this particular audience. To make the information readily available I've decided to post the information here in installments. The first installment is the most frequently asked question I get. How does one harvest and store herbs. My preference is usually to dry the herbs as it is the easiest. Below is what I wrote up to present. I was trying to keep it short and to the point. There will be much more information to come including information on specific herbs. These are basically my notes  

Drying and Storing Herbs

Collect herbs when they are at their best. Roots should be full of life. The roots should not be full of bugs or woody. Leaves should look vibrantly tender and fresh with no discoloration. Leaves should not be harvested when the plant is in bloom. Flowers should be plucked when they are just about to bud into full beauty.

Herbs are best gathered according to season and time of day. Early morning and early evening are generally best. Gather herbs that are free from moisture which will prolong the drying time.

Roots: 

Roots are generally harvested in the Fall. In a wet season wait until things have dried out a bit. Wet roots are soggy and hard to dry. They are also less concentrated in their saps and juices. Old roots become woody and tough and are undesirable. Do not soak roots to clean them. Use a vegetable scrubbing brush and a little water. To dry roots slice them into small pieces first. You may dry them in full sun, by a wood stove, or in a food dryer or dehydrator. They usually take 2-3 weeks to dry. Do not store them until you are absolutely sure they are completely dry or they will be ruined. They should crack, not bend.

Drying leaves and flowers: 

Dry in a warm shaded area out of direct sunlight. 85-95 degrees is best. Good ventilation is a must. A fan may be helpful. There should be very little moisture in the air. Attics and upstairs rooms are often better for drying. Your herbs may be bundled by species and hung upside down in your warm, dry room. Be sure to check your bundles of herbs and when completely dry store them in a clean dry glass jar in a dark place. It should take between 4 days to a week for your herbs to be completely dry depending on the humidity. The leaves should crackle. A dehydrator is an acceptable method to dry leaves and flowers too.

In the Fall 2011 issue of The Herb Quarterly another drying method has been presented on page 25. This is to loosely pack your herbs in a brown paper bag, close with a clothespin and put the bag in your parked car. On very hot days the trunk is the best place to put them; otherwise put it on the dashboard. Shake the bag to check dryness and, according to the article, they should be dry within a day or two. Another method of car drying would be in single layers in baskets. This is recommended for comfrey and basil as they tend to blacken otherwise. I would not recommend drying valerian this way unless you want your car to smell so bad it wards off thieves and everyone else. Pick up a copy of The Herb Quarterly for more information on this and lots more dealing with herbs. It is a great resource!