Herbal Preparations, Part 1

In this chapter, I will discuss how to turn plants into herbal medicine. I will start with how to make an "herbal infusion." That is an impressive term, isn't it? It really just means tea. Like most every field of study, herbalism has its own jargon. I try not to use jargon, because it creates a barrier to entry. My goal is to make herbal medicine available to normal people, so I try to speak in plain terms, or to define the more esoteric terms as I go. If a clinical herbalist says to a client, "I recommend an herbal infusion of yarrow to act as a diaphoretic," that sounds very impressive. The grateful client will gladly pay the bill of someone who sounds so learned in secret and mysterious knowledge. All that really means though, is a hot tea of yarrow to induce sweating and help "break a fever." Since I am a teacher and not a clinical herbalist, I'll stick with that.

Herbal Infusions

As I said, an herbal infusion is simply a tea. How it is made though, does matter. The two things one should never do in making an herbal tea of the leaves and/or flowers of an herb is to boil the herb, or to let it sit open while it steeps. When we use the tops of herbs, the volatile oils they contain are among their most important constituents. If you boil the herb, or let it steep uncovered... or pour it into your cup and either sip or blow on it to cool it down enough to drink, those oils evaporate and your herbal medicine is substantially weakened.

The correct way to make an herbal tea is to bring the water to a boil, then either toss your herbs into the pot and put a lid on it or put our herbs in a tea pot with a lid and pour boiling water over them. Allow the herbs to steep at least 15 minutes, or until cool enough to drink. If the tea is still steaming when you pour it into your cup, place a saucer or other cover over it. There are actually special herbal tea cups that are marketed; they look like adult sized "sippy cups".... I don't use them!

How much of the herb or combination of herbs you use depends on how much tea you are making. Generally, we use dried "cut and sifted" herbs in making teas, but you can use a fresh herb if it is in season. Drying herbs merely a means of preserving them so you have what you need on hand. Many herbals will recommend something like 1-2 ounces of dried herbs to around a pint of water. That is basically 2-4 tablespoons of the dried herbs. It all really depends on how strong you want the tea. I never measure. I grab a few pinches of the herb or each of the herbs I want to use - about enough to fill the palm of my hand - and just toss them in. It is usually best to have a few sips of the tea every hour, but for a sore throat or to break a fever a cup at a time often works better. In a case of diarrhea, for instance, a few sips taken regularly would be more effective.

Some people also make "cold infusions", which are basically like sun tea. If you were in a situation with no electricity or means of cooking, this would be a viable option. I have a little, alcohol burning stove that is always in my backpack for emergencies, so it isn't really something I do. But, if for some reason you could not have a campfire... like if you are dumb enough to still live in California.... Put the dried herbs in a jar with some water and either set it in the sun or let the herbs steep for a couple of days. Cold infusions do not work well for fresh herbs, because the herbs will begin to rot or ferment. Sometimes, we can use fermentation in our herbal preps, but this is not one.

Decoctions

The third type of infusion is called a decoction. This is simply an herbal tea made with the roots, bark, stems or any woody part of the plant. Unlike the tops of herbs, we are not concerned with volatile oils. We simply need to boil or simmer the herb long enough to extract its medicinal properties. You start by adding your herb/s to a pot of cold, clean water. The measurements are basically the same for the herbs as for tea, but you may want to use more water since it will boil for a while and evaporate. The longer it boils, the more concentrated the medicinal properties of the herb become in the water. It is usually a good idea to allow the herb/s to soak for a while in the water before you turn the burner on. Bring the water to the boil, then turn the temperature down to a simmer. Allow it to simmer for at least 20 minutes, or until the amount of water is reduced to about half. If you reduce the water down to 1/4th the original volume, that is called a double decoction. Either way, don't make more than you can use within a couple of days, or the decoction may begin to ferment or spoil.

Washes and Soaks

Infusions don't have to only be teas. Some very useful herbs should not be taken internally at all. Regardless, herbal washes and soaks are made the same way as infusions. Washes can be very useful for skin conditions, rashes, burns, sunburns, etc., when used cold. You simply bathe the area with the cold tea or decoction. Soaks are excellent to help disinfect and heal deep cuts and puncture wounds, for bruises, strains and sprains and for painful joints. A soak is generally used warm and can be anything from a full bath to a small basin of water in which to soak a smaller body part.

Oil Infusions

Infusions may also be made with oil. As oils are absorbed through the sin, a good, food grade oil is usually best. Coconut oil is very versatile, and olive oil is always nice, but you do not have to use expensive oils. Any kind of oil that you are comfortable cooking with or using in a salad dressing will be fine. The old mountain folks I learned from used lard or bear grease! If you use a fat that will harden or thicken at room temperature, such as coconut oil or an animal fat, you must use a hot infusion method and keep in mind that fats can go rancid. Don't keep such infusions for too long or store them in conditions which may encourage rancidity. Obviously, it is much easier to simply use an oil. But even with a fairly shelf stable oil, be careful to only use fully dried herbs. Fresh herbs can rot. In such a low acid environment, even botulism could be an issue. Generally, oils are used externally and need only common sense to be made and stored safely.

Cold oil infusions are made by simply putting an amount of dried, crushed herbs into a jar and adding oil until the jar is full. Be sure to allow the herbs to settle and keep adding oil until all air has bubbled out. Allow the herbs to infuse in the oil for up to two months. Then, strain out your herbs. If you leave them in longer, it could cause the oil (olive oil for instance) to become rancid. After straining, the infusion should last up to two years - let you nose be the judge.

Hot infusions are made gently warming the oil before adding the herbs. Most herbalists use a crock pot. Some even use heating pads, place the oil on a hot water heater, covered with a towel to hold in heat or use sunlight to warm their oil infusions. Using the sun or placing the oil by a cooking fire was the way it used to be done before electric heat. The key is to keep your oil just warm enough (not hot enough to cook) for about two days to a week. Then, you strain out your herbs and the oil should have the same shelf life as a cold infused oil. Herbalist and teacher Dr. Patrick Jones gives excellent advice, "Deep fried herbs are not good!" Always remember in making infused oils, to keep the oil temperature well below cooking temperature.

Salves, Lotions and Balms

Oil infusions have many uses. Some, like an infusion of Arnica or Saint John's Wort are excellent for first aid or sore muscles, rubbed into injured or sore areas. Arnica should not be taken internally, but many other herbal oil infusions may be made into salves, lotions and lip balms. If you used coconut oil, you already have an oil infusion that can be used as a salve, lotion or a balm as coconut oil solidifies at room temperature. For this reason, I prefer to use coconut oil when possible. Otherwise, the difference between a salve, a balm and a lotion is how much bees wax you use. It really is that simple. Use natural bees wax, melt it at a low temp and begin blending in your infused oil. If you use a little bit of oil, the wax will harden to a Chapstick -like consistency. A little more oil, and you have a softer lip balm. A bit more oil and you have a salve that easily melts and rubs into the skin. If you use more oil and a blender to whip everything to a light, smooth consistency (stick blenders work best) you have a lotion. The best way to find the texture you like is to experiment. I do not find specific ratios helpful for "kitchen medicine". When you get it just right for your needs and preferences, write down how much oil and wax you used for future reference. Water and alcohol-based infusions can also be blended into wax... to a point. Water and oil don't mix, and this yields a "grainy" texture. Oil infusions are much nicer.

Now, we will get into making tinctures with alcohol, starting with liniments.

Liniments

Liniments are simple and very easy to make. A Liniment is simply an herbal extract using alcohol that is intended for EXTERNAL USE ONLY. This is an important point, because while you can make liniments with ethanol alcohol that you could drink, to do so would be a waste of money. Most often, liniments are made with isopropyl rubbing alcohol. The herbs you use are those that are good for rubbing on sore muscles and joints, sprains and bruises. Liniments should not be applied to open wounds or broken skin. To make a liniment, simply put your dried herbs (usually an ounce or so) and add at least enough rubbing alcohol to cover them, but adding twice as much alcohol by volume to the herbs is best. Allow the herbs to steep in the alcohol. How long you let them steep depends on the herbs you are using. Generally speaking, 4 weeks is plenty for most leaves and flowers. Roots and stems often take longer, some even up to six months to fully infuse. The scent and color of the alcohol will tell you when it has extracted enough from the herbs. If you are using leaves or flowers, once they look "worn out", or like you had made a tea from them, they are ready to be strained out.

Tinctures

Tinctures are probably the most common way that clinical herbalists dispense herbs. A tincture is simply an alcohol extraction using ethanol - unusually vodka or brandy. The liquor needs to be at least 40% alcohol, or 80 proof. In the mountains where I grew up, most folks used moonshine, but any store bought vodka that is of decent enough quality not to wreck your stomach or give you a terrible hangover headache from just a drink or two will work just fine for most herbs. 40% alcohol is sufficient to make an extract of most herbs in which you use dried leaves, flowers and roots. You will need a higher proof alcohol for fresh herbs and some roots. The reason is that the alcohol dehydrates fresh herbs, pulling the water out of them until a stasis of alcohol and water is met. This causes the liquor to become diluted by the herbs and the total alcohol content is no longer able to preserve the herbs - they may begin to rot.

With dried herbs, simply follow my directions above for making a liniment, but using a drinkable alcohol. Tinctures may also be made using vinegar or glycerin. However, such tinctures are not as strong and have shorter shelf life. I never use them. Alcohol based tinctures are administered in doses that range from by the drop to maybe a teaspoon full. People who wish to avoid alcohol can put the tincture in a cup of hot water and allow the alcohol to steam off. However, this will only get rid of most of the alcohol. If you are a recovered alcoholic who cannot tolerate even a drop of alcohol, you may want to stick with teas or explore vinegar tinctures.

There are very few herbs that cannot be used in a dried form. Lemon Balm, for instance is a wonderfully relaxing, stress, pain and anxiety relieving herb, that sometimes induces sleep. Most people though, never experience the true potency of fresh Lemon Balm, only having it in its dried form, perhaps in a tea. In the dried form, it is much like its cousin, Catnip. Lemon Balm, harvested fresh, in the morning, while it is full of volatile oils is much more potent if processed immediately. Pour a high proof vodka or neutral spirit (usually Everclear) into a blender, turn the blender on, toss in your lemon balm and put the lid on tightly immediately. Once the herb is completely ground up and liquified into the alcohol, allow the infusion to cool, with the lid still sealed. Then transfer to a jar, screw the lid on tightly and allow the herb to steep and infuse for about a month in a cool, dark place. That will make the difference between a tea or tincture that is mildly calming and one that can literally knock you down.... which can be a good thing if you are in extreme pain, panic or have insomnia.

Percolation

I am not going to really get into detail on percolations, because they are so very rarely used in home medicine, that it would not be practical. Percolations were developed by doctors, chemists and pharmacists back when most medicine was plant based. It uses an inverted glass cone, with a cap on the small end that allows a specific drip rate as alcohol percolates through the herbs. This technique requires specific, high proof alcohol that is usually available only through chemical supply companies. It also requires a lot of math. A specific quantity of the herb is allowed to steep for a specific time in a specific proof alcohol. Then, the saturated herb is packed into the cone. After that, an alcohol of a specific proof is added to the herb, as it is allowed to drip at a specific rate. This allowed pharmacists to be confident in the exact degree of potency of the herb extracted in a specific quantity of an alcohol infusion. Such accuracy was very important when a doctor would prescribe an herb like Digitalis/Foxglove, or Gelsemium, which could be deadly if a drop too much was used. If you want specifics on how to make percolations, the information is available on the late herbalist, Michael Moore's Southwest School of Botanical Medicine website. By the way, I learned the fresh Lemon Balm tincture from Moore's classes, as well.

Capsules, Pills/Pastilles and Lozenges

Capsules are probably the most common way herbs are bought by consumers. They are so simple to make that once you have purchased the supplies, you will wonder why some companies charge so much. The reason is that they are tedious to make at home. Most people simply don't have the patience to grind dried herbs finely and then stuff the powder into gelatin capsules. Empty capsules can be purchased at most any drug store. There are also little trays of forms that make filling them go faster. If you were to need a lot of herbal capsules, you would probably want to invest in a machine to fill them. You will also need a digital scale to measure out the right amount of the powdered herb to fill the capsule.

Traditionally, herbalists have skipped all this and simply mixed their powdered herb into honey, molasses or another sticky, gummy substance. Saps and resins have also been used. Once the desired amount of herb has been mixed with enough of the sticky stuff to form a solid ball, it is left to dry a bit, then given a dry coating. In generations past, our ancestors would frequently buy little tins of such herbal pills or pastilles from apothecaries.

While cough drops or lozenges can be made the same way for home use, you can make your own that rival or exceed the commercial product. Many herbs are good for coughs, sore throats and hoarseness. All you need is a formula you like, some sugar, water, a candy thermometer, a pot and an understand of how sugar behaves at various temperatures. The art of candy making is a bit beyond the scope of this book. But, after sugar melts it will harden when cooled to specific textures depending on the degree it reaches while cooking. Sugar melted down in an herbal tea can be transformed into hard lozenges or candies. Some herbs, like Horehound, Peppermint and Licorice, have a long history of being taken in candy form.

Syrup

Syrups are a similar concept. You simply combine a tea or decoction, a mix of tinctures, or even elderberry juice with a thick, sweet liquid. This can be honey and water cooked down, simple syrup (equal parts sugar and water) or a glycerin base. You can add a bit of alcohol. We have all had Over The Counter (OTC) cough syrup or cold remedies. Syrups are NOT rocket science. Add what you like and make your own formula. Cherry bark is particularly effective to suppress coughs and expectorate mucus congestion. Sugar acts as a preservative, but these are not for long term storage.

This article is an excerpt from

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Disclaimer

The information on this site is not intended to diagnose or treat any disease or condition. Nothing on this site has been evaluated or approved by the FDA. I am not a doctor. The US government does not recognize the practice of herbal medicine and their is no governing body regulating herbalists. Therefore, I'm just a guy who studies herbs. I am not offering any advice. I won't even claim that anything I write is accurate or true! I can tell you what herbs have "traditionally been used for." I can tell you my own experience and if I believe an herb helped me. I cannot, nor would I tell you to do the same. If you use any herb I, or anyone else, mentions you are treating yourself. You take full responsibility for your health. Humans are individuals and no two are identical. What works for me may not work for you. You may have an allergy, sensitivity or underlying condition that no one else shares and you don't even know about. Be careful with your health. By continuing to read my blog you agree to be responsible for yourself, do your own research, make your own choices and not to blame me for anything, ever.