essential oils
Article

How To Make And Use Herb Preparations
By Peter Lenkefi, Fri Dec 9th

Making your own herbal concoctions for medicinal purposes is really not that difficult. And since the best herbal preparations are those made when the plants are fresh, the better off you are to grow your own herbs and make your own preparations.

But even the best plants can be ruined if you use the wrong kind of process in preparing your remedies. Your choice depends onthe parts of the plant to be used, the form in which the remedywill be taken, and the desired result.

Remember that herbal remedies are not one-shot wonder cures.Their effectiveness is based largely on a gradual cure.

The following ways of preparing your fresh herbs are those mostcommonly used in herbal medicine. Always use an enamel ornon-metallic pot.

Infusion - this is a beverage made like tea, combining boiledwater with the plants and steeping it to extract the activeingredients. The normal amounts are about 1/2 to 1 ounce of theplant to one pint of boiled water. You should let the mixturesteep for five to ten minutes, covered, and strain the infusioninto a cup.

Cold Extract - preparing herbs with cold water preserves themost volatile ingredients, while extracting only minor amountsof mineral salts and bitter principles. Add about double theamount of plant material used for an infusion to cold water andlet sit for about 8 to 12 hours, strain and drink.

Decoction - this method or preparation allows you to extractprimarily the mineral salts and bitter principles rather thanvitamins and volatile ingredients. Boil about half an ounces ofplant parts per cup of water for up to 4 minutes. Steep themixture with the cover on the pot for a few minutes.

Juice - chop and press fresh plant parts to make juice, then adda bit of water and press again. This is excellent for gettingvitamins and minerals from the plant. Drink the juice right awayfor the best results.

Syrup - make a basic syrup to which you will add medicinalingredients by boiling 3 pounds of raw, brown sugar in a pint ofwater until it reaches the right consistency.

Powder - grind your dried plant parts until you have a powder.the powder can be taken with water, milk, soup, or swallowed ingelatin capsules.

Ointment - quick method: combine well one part of your powderedremedy with four parts hot petroleum jelly or lard. For purists:Add the decoction of the desired herb to olive oil and simmeruntil the water has completely evaporated. Add beeswax as neededto get a firm consistency. A little gum benzoin or a drop oftincture of benzoin per ounce of fat will help preserve theointment.

Essence - dissolve 1 ounce of the herb's essential oil in a pintof alcohol; this method preserves the volatile of manyplants which are not water-soluble.

Poultice - to make a poultice, you just crush the medicinalparts of the plant to a pulpy mass and heat. Mix with a hot,sticky substance such as moist flour or corn meal. Apply thepasty mixture directly to the skin. Wrap a hot towel around andmoisten the towel periodically. A poultice will draw impuritiesfrom the body.

Herb Bath - herbal baths include the use of various herbaladditives to enhance the natural healing power of the water.They are baths to which plant decoctions or infusions have beenadded. There are full and partial herbal baths. For a full bathsome of the medicinal plant parts should be sewn into a clothbag and then boiled in a quart of water; the strained mixture isthen added to the bath. Sometimes you can put the bag right intothe tub for a more thorough extraction of the herbal properties.

About the author:Grab more free recipes at http://recipe-directory.net