How To Prepare Herbs
There are many ways to prepare and consume your herbs. Fresh herbs can be eaten by themselves without any processing but dried herbs, in most cases, will at least need to be infused or capsulized. While some processes are very simple and are designed for those who want to consume their herbs quickly, others call for a longer preperation process that will yield more powerful medicine. Below are a few easy methods to prepare your herbs that will yield different strengths of therapeutic value.
Teas / Herbal Infusions
Tea, also known as herbal infusions, may be the simplest way to consume your herbs but still yield a therapeutically active preparation. The heat of the water used to infuse your herbs will release it’s therapeutic properties
Tinctures
Tinctures are a very popular method of preserving and administering herbs. This is due to the liquids being easy to dispense, measure, blend, and dose
Decoctions
Decoctions are suited for the tougher plant parts; the roots, rhizomes, bark, fruits, nuts, and seeds. These pieces have much tougher cell walls and therefore require prolonged high heat to break down those walls and release the active constituents.
HERBAL COMPRESSES
Plants in external preparations have been used for healing for thousands of years. They can be used to treat wounds, relieve pain, inflammation, and promote relaxation. The hot, warm, or cold herbal compress is a very simple but effective external preparation which can bring great relief if the right herbs are used and the compress is made and applied correctly.