For those just beginning their herbal journey, it can be difficult to know where to start. There are so many kinds of herbalism to practice, niches to explore, and teachers to learn from. In my herbal journey, getting hands-on experience with herbs was THE most important part of it all. I could read about herbs all day long, but until I smelled, tasted, and felt the effects of the herbs, the information just didn't "stick" as well. That's one of the reasons I'm so passionate about sharing the basics of crafting herbal preparations.
A few weeks ago, I taught a Herbal Preparations 101 Class and it is what inspired me to share this cliff note version of that hour and a half class.This article is to introduce you to the most common types of remedies and share resources and recipes that further dive into each kind of preparation.
Without further adeiu, let's start crafting!
Water is often referred to as the universal solvent. It is especially great at extracting vitamins, minerals, volatile oils, tannins, flavonoids, alkaloids, and mucilage.
The way you make tisanes depends on the plant and plant part you are working with.
Syrups are great for compliance! They taste good and even those who may be more resistant to herbs will often enjoy a syrup. Syrups are also thick and can have a soothing sensation on the throat, so they are great for things like a sore throat.
Shelf-life can vary for syrups, but a general syrup made with equal parts of herbal infusion and sugar will last about a month in the refrigerator. You can use other sweeteners like honey or maple syrup, but it will affect the flavor and possibly the shelf life.
Learn how to make herbal syrups here!
Herbal honey is another high-compliance herbal preparation. Honey alone has a host of health-supporting qualities both internally and topically. It is suitable for extracting aromatic properties out of plants, but isn’t a very strong solvent for most constituents. I think of it more as a pleasurable herbal preparation with some subtle wellness properties. Herb-infused honeys can last years, when stored properly.
Learn how to make herb-infused honey here!
This tasty herbal preparation is about the easiest thing you can make. Electuaries are just powdered herbs mixed with honey to form a paste. The honey isn’t being used as a solvent so much as a binder and flavor additive to the whole form of the herb. There are some schools of thought that believe that it's best to ingest the whole plant instead of trying to extract parts out of it. Electuaries are great for that! Like herbal honeys, electuaries can last a long time when stored properly.
Learn how to make herbal electuaries here!
Alcohol-based extracts are called tinctures, and are used to extract specific kinds of constituents out of plants. Tinctures absorb into the body more quickly than other herbal preparations, making them a very popular and effective type of supplement. While most commonly used internally, tinctures can also be used topically for skin irritations or scrapes. Tinctures last the longest of any herbal preparations and are best used within 3-5 years.
Learn how to make herbal tinctures here!
Glycerites are made by infusing herbs into vegetable glycerine. They are gentler and not as potent as alcohol-based tinctures, but make an excellent alternative for children and adults who don’t drink alcohol. Glycerine is particularly good at extracting constituents from fresh herbs. Be sure to muddle the mixture thoroughly! For glycerites made with dried herbs, you must add water to rehydrate the herbs and loosen up the botanical matter. We generally recommend using 75% glycerin and 25% water for preservation.
Learn how to make herbal glycerites!
Vinegars are especially good at extracting minerals out of herbs, so I like it for things like nettles, alfalfa, horsetail, etc. It is also a good alcohol-free alternative to tinctures. Vinegars can also be “dressed up” and made into flavorful oxymels, shrubs, and drinking vinegars with some other additions.
Learn how to infuse herbal vinegars here!
Oils are a wonderful way to work with herbs topically or in culinary applications. They are great for plants such as calendula, rose, rosemary, lavender, St. John’s wort, comfrey, or arnica. Oils are great for moisturizing the skin, and can help to support minor cuts and scrapes as well as tired muscles, bumps and bruises. They are wonderful to have in one's natural wellness cabinet.
Learn how to make herbal oils (3 ways)
Sometimes oils aren’t convenient to use, and they also don’t offer the staying power that is sometimes desired. That’s where salves come in! Salves combine herb-infused oils and a wax (typically beeswax) to form an ointment. These ointments are typically used to support skin irritations, cuts, bruises, bumps, and more.
Learn how to make herbal salves here!
An effective and delicious ways to enjoy the benefits of herbs is gummies! That is evidenced by walking down your vitamin aisle these days. They are wonderful for compliance, especially for children. Most gummies contain gelatin, which makes them not suitable for vegans and followers of some religious faiths. However, they can be made without gelatin!
We have a great recipe for vegan gummies!
Herbal steams are a great way to support the respiratory system. Herbal steams can help to break up what I call “stuck muck” so we can move past some of the seasonal ick we get from time to time.
Try this bee balm steam for respiratory support!
Eating and drinking your herbs and spices is one the easiest and most accessible ways of working with herbs.
Eat and drink your herbs!
My advice for choosing the herbal preparation is to “make the thing you’re most likely to take.” Compliance is THE most important part; herbal remedies sitting in a jar are just décor if you don’t take them. If you can’t tolerate the taste of a tincture or are an on-the-go person that isn’t likely to make tea, it’s better to work with remedies that set you up for success. Know thy self!
That said, it is important to note that there are certain methods that produce more potent herbal products. Certain menstruums (also known as solvents or mediums) extract certain plants (or more accurately plant constituents) better than others. Having a fundamental understanding of phytochemistry is at the core of this and is an entire area of study. You don't have to be a phytochemist to make herbal remedies, but it is ideal to understand the general concepts of solubility. At the end of the day, however, choose what you will take!
One of the most important things you can have is a resource library. You don’t have to know every herb and what it does by memory. Building a library of books and online resources can be really helpful along your journey. I like to keep physical and digital resources organized so I can refer to them on the road while traveling, or dive deep in a book when at home. Books also give me access to information without the need for electricity, which sometimes isnt' available on the homestead when there is bad weather.
Here are some of my favorites
I hope this article serves as a reference guide for you along your path. Remember that we have evolved with plants for many generations. We know them and they know us. The more you rekindle your relationship with plants, the more you will learn about your human nature and reconnect with the knowledge of your ancestors.
Take a nourishing breath, one step forward, and have faith that you will find your way. Happy trails!
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