Page 35 - Lost Book Remedies

The Lost Book of Herbal Remedies

Many people know flower identification; but when the If you are harvesting leaves you will usually cut off
plants are not in flower, they can’t identify them. Con- small branches, making it easier to dry them. For
sidering how short the flowering season is for most flowers, wait until they develop fully and harvest them
plants, that severely limits the amount of time for har- as soon as possible after they have fully opened. If you
vest. are harvesting only the seeds, you’ll need to wait until
the seeds mature and the seed pod dries on the stem
Before even thinking about harvesting herbs, it is nec-
essary to understand how the herb will be used; spe- before harvesting. We give harvesting instructions for
cifically, what part of the plant will be used for medic- almost every herb in this book.
inal purposes. Never assume that the whole plant car- If you are cutting part of a stem, such as harvesting
ries the same chemical compounds. Often, only the stinging nettle, be sure to leave at least a few inches of
leaves or the flower will provide what you need; but in leafy stem, with at least two sets of leaves on it, so that
some cases, it will be the bark of a tree or a piece of the plant doesn’t die. Always cut right above the point
root that you will need to harvest. where the leaves are. With many plants, like basil, you
can cut the plant down to a third its original size with-
It is best to harvest herbs early in the day, after the
dew has gone, but before the hot sun can dry out the out killing it. Always reseed, replant, and tend the wild
essential oils. Whenever possible, avoid harvesting when possible. Harvest ethically and with great care.
the whole plant, unless it is a plant that needs to be
collected whole.

How to Dry Herbs

Traditionally, herbs are air-dried without the use of
any additional heat source. Bundle them together by
tying the stems with string or a rubber band and hang
in a warm, dry place. It is usually easiest to hang them
upside-down by the bundled stems to dry.

Drying racks may be used for individuals who are dry-
ing a lot of herbs or doing so regularly. But you can
accomplish the same thing by hanging them from a
coat hanger, a nail in the wall or on a curtain rod over
the window. I often spread flowers or leaves on a
cookie sheet or pizza pan and let them dry. allowing the entire batch to dry evenly. To avoid sing-
ing or burning the herbs you are drying, you’ll need to
If you are collecting the seeds, tie a paper bag over the use the lowest possible temperature. I have used this
bundled stems and hang them. The bag will catch the method successfully many times. If using a dehydra-
seeds as the seed pods dry and they fall out. tor, it is very important to keep a close eye on your

Drying in this manner can take as long as three weeks herbs so that you don’t leave them to dry too long.
(though is often accomplished much faster) depend- Once dried, remove the leaves from the stems. In the
ing on the plant and its moisture content. case of smaller leaves, you can strip them from the
If you are drying something that dries extremely stem by lightly pinching the stem between your thumb
slowly, like rosemary, it is easier to strip the leaves off and forefinger and running it down the stem, from top
of the stems and spread them on a drying rack, as the to bottom.
coating of the leaves will hold in the moisture. They However, in the case of larger leaves with thicker
need to be fully dry before storing. stems, you will need to cut or pinch them off individ-
It is possible to dry herbs with a dehydrator if you have ually, cutting the stems as near the leaf as possible.
one of the better ones that has temperature control. Store your dried herbs in sealed glass jars until you are
Ideally, it should have a fan to circulate the warm air, ready to use them.

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