Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
This is because you must not store the oils long. After you have strained the oil, store it in the
fridge for just a few weeks and use it liberally.
Incidentally, garlic oil made this same way and cooled to room/body temperature is great for sooth-
ing earaches.
Herbal Infusions, Decoctions, and Tinctures
The ability to make your own home herbal preparations will not only provide another way to use
and preserve what you've grown, but will also save you money. If you've ever purchased an herbal
remedy you know they can be very pricy. Making your own echinacea extract or calendula salve
can increase your overall wellness while saving you money by not having to purchase expensive
herbal extracts. And of course, you'll be confident about the quality of the herbs and plants being
used because they are your herbs and plants.
One of the easiest herbal home remedies to make is an herbal
infusion,
which is almost like a really
strong tea. An infusion is especially useful for softer herb parts like flowers and tender leaves. Place
2 cups of chopped fresh herbs into a cleaned and sterilized quart jar (the finer chopped the herb,
the better the results will be) while you bring a saucepan of water to a boil on the stove. When the
water is boiling, pour it over the herbs in the jar until the jar is full. Put the lid on loosely and let
the herbs steep for 8 to 12 hours. Strain the liquid through a filter or cloth to extract the infused
water and bottle it up. The leftover herbs can be tossed in the compost bin.
These water-based preparations are much stronger than a simple tea, but are potent, healthful
drinks. They will not last as long as an alcohol-based preparation, so make them as you need them.
Usually an average adult would only drink 1 to 3 cups of herbal infusion each day, but there are
other uses for the herbal infused water. You can use some infusions as hair rinses, in bath and body
products, as substitutes for plain water in soap making or lotion blends, and more.
One infusion I use on a regular basis is a rosemary infusion. I bring the jar with the rosemary-
infused water into the bathroom and use a cup as a hair rinse in the shower. It's stimulating to
your mind, though, as well as adding shine to your hair, so only use it in morning showers and not
before bed.
A
decoction
is a much stronger brew because the herbs are placed into the boiling water and the
liquid is allowed to simmer down until it's much more concentrated. The total liquid volume is
ultimately decreased by one fourth. I rarely use decoctions unless the taste of the herb is so strong
or unfavorable to me that I wouldn't want to drink it as a tea or infusion. Water-based decoctions
won't last long, so these are other herbal preparations that you should make as you need them.
Tinctures
are traditionally alcohol-based, although some formulations for children are sold as
glycerin-based tinctures. These are more properly known as glycerites even though the preparation
