Page 37 - Lost Book Remedies

The Lost Book of Herbal Remedies

may also extract ingredients that are not desirable, Leave the cold infusion for at least 48 hours to fully ex-
such as those that give the infusion a bitter flavor. In tract the beneficial compounds from the herbs.
that case, a cold infusion may be better. Mucilaginous
herbs tend to extract better cold, leaving the mucilage
intact. Some common herbs we do cold infusions with
are lemon balm, marshmallow, slippery elm, and com-
frey.
Sun tea is probably the most common “cold” infusion
made. Leave the herbs loose (and strain later) or put
the crushed leaves in a cheesecloth or muslin bag (you
can find these sold as reusable tea bags) and tie it to
the top of your jar or cup. For tea, most people simply
use 1 to 2 teaspoons of dried herb to 8 ounces (250ml)
of water. Moisten dried herbs before putting them in
the cold infusion – this is not necessary for fresh herbs.

Teas

Herbal tea is a very common way that herbs are used Teas can be made from either fresh or dried herbs, pro-
for medicinal purposes. As mentioned above, an herbal ducing different results. Each particular herb will react
tea is a “hot infusion,” which works extremely well to differently whether it is dry or fresh, so you will want
extract the beneficial components from many herbs. to know what is recommended for that herb or for that
Hot infusions can be made in a matter of minutes, un- herbal mixture.
like cold infusions, which take longer.

Decoctions

A decoction is a concentrated form of a hot infusion or three days, keep it in a tightly sealed container or freeze
tea. This can be an extremely useful method for herbs them (ice cube trays work well). You may also add two
that don’t give up their beneficial chemicals easily or tablespoons of alcohol (like vodka, rum, or brandy) per
for woody parts or roots. It is also a great way of creat- cup (8oz) for better preservation.
ing a more concentrated form of an herbal supplement, 1. Crush, chop or grind the herbs, as appropriate,
and for use with children, animals, or anyone else who
it is unlikely to drink enough of a hot infusion to do into small pieces and place them in the cold wa-
them any good. ter in your cooking pot.
2. Allow the herbs to cold soak for a few hours.
To make a decoction, start with cold distilled or puri- 3. Cover the pot and bring to a slow boil. Once the
fied water. Cold water is important, to help ensure you water is boiling, reduce the heat to a simmer.
extract the maximum amount of beneficial nutrients 4. Keep simmering until the volume of liquid has
from the herbs. It is best to make your decoction in an been reduced to ½ of what you started with
earthenware, glass, or glazed ceramic cooking pot, so (about 15-20 minutes).
that you don’t end up with the metal pots reacting to
the astringent herbs, affecting the final flavor. 5. Strain (cheesecloth works well). Once cooled,
squeeze the herbs left behind, to ensure that
Use a ratio of 1 oz.(28g) of dried herbs per 16 ounces you have removed all the liquid from them.
(500ml) of water. Decoctions are normally made in a 6. Pour the decoction into a jar with a lid for stor-
quantity that can be used within a couple of days, as age. Use within 48 hours or freeze.
they don’t keep well in the refrigerator for more than
three days. If you do need to keep one for more than

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