CHAPTER 8
Making Herbal Medicine
IT’S ONE THING TO LEARN ABOUT HERBAL MEDICINE and another to feel confident enough to make herbal medicine. Because you are just beginning, I suggest always starting small. Anything can be made in smaller proportions; simply reduce the ingredients by half or even a quarter. The learning curve on tea blending is probably the steepest. Just like cooking, you are dealing with a plethora of flavors and potential palates, and learning how to navigate them takes time. But the rest of the herbal medicine applications can be made with surprising ease.
Always keep a medicine-making journal or logbook. Record herb amounts used, all ingredients, and their proportions. Be sure to include dates as well. If you are making a tincture or herbal oil, you’ll want to know when it was made and when to strain it. Having an idea of how old something is can be helpful as well. If something doesn’t turn out right, be sure to make notes so you can troubleshoot the next time.
TINCTURES
Tincture making has been recorded for almost five thousand years. Alcohol was most likely first introduced in China with the fermentation of rice, honey, and fruit; and the ancient Egyptians had concrete knowledge of how to preserve food, including plants. There is also evidence that cordials were present at that time; they can be considered the first record of “tinctures.” Cordials are made from herbs, and often fruit, left to soak in alcohol and strained at a later date. By modern definition, a cordial is an alcoholic drink that contains a minimum of 2.5 percent sugar by weight. Typically, this sugar is derived from a combination of fermentation and fruit.
In short, a tincture is a plant medicine for which the plant material is saturated in alcohol long enough to allow the cellular structures to break down and the alcohol to extract the medicinal constituents. You can use vodka, wine, brandy, and 99 proof varieties. Because knowledge of specific solvent ranges is necessary if you are using something besides vodka, vodka is used most often. If alcohol is not an option, I would suggest using teas or capsules for oral dosing. There is a small pool of herbs that can be extracted in vegetable glycerin or apple cider vinegar, but their drawing power is minimal compared to alcohol.
BASIC TINCTURE
2 tablespoons (9 g) fresh herbs or 2 teaspoons (3 g) dried herbs
1 ounce (28 ml) vodka
YIELD: 1 ounce (28 ml)
Place herbs in a 1-ounce (28 ml) jar with firm-fitting lid; add vodka. Close the lid tightly and shake for 20 seconds. Store in a cool, dark place for 14 to 21 days, shaking each day. Strain and store in a 1-ounce (28 ml) amber dropper bottle in a cool, dry area, preferably away from direct sunlight.
Note: When blending tinctures, use a graduated cylinder to measure out the designated amount. Pour it directly into the blend’s dropper bottle. (Tinctures are dispensed by dropperfuls, so they are always best stored in an amber dropper bottle.) Close and gently shake. Most tinctures have a shelf life of up to ten years.
HERBAL CAPSULES
Herbal capsules are extremely convenient and easy to make. Making them yourself also gives you control over what goes into them. I love using herbs individually at times, as I think the body responds wonderfully when working one-on-one with plants. Making your own capsules allows for this creative choice to use the medicine how you wish. I also love making my own capsules, because then I don’t have to pay for all the excessive packaging that often drives up the cost of purchased products. I recommend using kosher-grade vegetable cellulose capsules when making your own herbal medicine. They are more readily broken down in the body and easier to digest overall. Not to mention you remove the animal aspect; standard gelatin capsules are a by-product of the meat and leather industries.
The capsule recipes in this book call for powdered herbs. This makes it much easier to blend herbs together and put into the empty vegetable capsules. You can purchase them in powdered form, or you can grind down dried herbs yourself if you have something like a Vitamix to get somewhat of a fine powder. Most capsule recipes make approximately 100 to 200 capsules. Roughly 1 ounce (28 g) of powdered herb makes 100 capsules. Capsules come in various sizes, with the most common being a size 0 or a 00.
There are two ways to make capsules. You can purchase a capsule machine, like Cap-M-Quik, or produce them home-style. Capsule machines cost about twenty dollars and typically make 100 capsules at a time; they really are worth the investment. Read the manufacturer’s instructions for specifics, but in general you insert the capsule bottoms into the filling tray and pour the herbal powder onto the tray. Then you use the provided powder spreader and move the powder around until the capsules are full. You then lower the top tray and put the tops on. It’s easy. Just as easy, although a bit more time-consuming, is making capsules home-style. Put your capsules in one bowl and your herbal powder in another. Then, open a capsule and simply scoop the top and the bottom toward each other in the powder to fill it. Cap it together and continue. Your hands will get dirty, and you need be sure to keep all moisture away from the process. After a bit of practice, you’ll get proficient and fast.
HERBAL OILS
There is nothing prettier then herbal oils sitting in the sunshine. Their colors become dramatic over time as the plant material diffuses its medicine into the carrier oil. St. John’s wort is a great plant to work with the first time you make fresh herbal oil; the red color it turns is extremely rewarding. I also enjoy working with fresh poplar buds toward the end of winter—they mark the hopeful return of spring, and their fragrance is intoxicating. Remember that herbal oils are not the same as essential oils. Essential oils are procured through a distillation process; herbal oils are made through a maceration process with the addition of heat.
There are two approaches to making herbal oils. One is through solar infusion, which utilizes the heat from the sun during a maceration period. The other utilizes artificial heat to draw out the medicinal constituents. Artificial heat sources include the oven, a slow cooker, or a double boiler. Typically, fresh material is processed using the solar method and dried material using artificial heat.
SOLAR INFUSION METHOD
1/2 cup (36 g) fresh herb material
4 ounces (120 ml) olive oil
YIELD: 4 ounces (120 ml)
Place herbs and olive oil in a 4-ounce (120 ml) mason jar; tighten the lid. Give the jar a good shake and set in the sun, ensuring a consistent temperature above 75°F (24°C). (Note: Check the weather! If you don’t live where there will be consistent work temperatures overnight, use the oven method instead.) Let it sit for 2 to 3 weeks, shaking daily. If you notice precipitates at the bottom of the jar, this is water being pulled from the plant material. Open the jar and use a baster to suck the material out of the jar. Alternatively, suck out the precipitates and then put the entire contents of the jar into a saucepan. Bring to an almost boil before turning off the stove and returning the mixture to the jar to complete the solar infusion process.
ARTIFICIAL HEATING METHOD
1/4 cup (18 g) dried herb material (Try calendula to start; it makes a great base herb oil.)
4 ounces (120 ml) olive oil
YIELD: 4 ounces (120 ml)
Place all ingredients in a small glass baking pan. Set oven to 170°F (77°C) degrees or the lowest setting on your oven. (Note: If your oven’s lowest temperature setting is 200°F (93°C) degrees, bake the herbs with the oven door slightly ajar.) Bake for 4 hours, stirring occasionally. Allow to cool and then strain into a 4-ounce (120 ml) amber bottle. Store in a cool, dark place for future use. To ensure longer shelf life, you can add essential oils as a preservative; 10 to 20 drops is plenty for a 4-ounce (120 ml) bottle.
SALVES
Salves are an extremely handy medicine to have around the house. I’m not sure at what point we as a society became so bad at self-care, but I believe that salves can be a starting point to return to that practice. Burn yourself while cooking? Dab some salve on it. Is a hangnail on your thumb causing it to throb? Dab some salve on it. Is a crack in your heel making it hard to walk? Dab some salve on it. The simple practice of acknowledging that something needs care can shift us—and perhaps grow into shifting our communities—to a more generalized state of self-care.
You can use a salve for almost anything. Generally, salves are used for cuts, burns, wounds, bites, stings, and the like; but get creative. Anything that can be used in herbal medicine can be turned into a salve. One of my favorites is a moon salve that I made for menstrual cramping. Taking a moment to rub a bit of salve onto the abdomen over a cramping uterus allows us to relax into the pain. I know that sounds off—you may have no interest in relaxing into the pain of your menstrual cramping. What I’m trying to say is that if you take a moment to acknowledge pain, it has the opportunity to shift. It is when we ignore pain, work through it, and act as though it isn’t happening that it often gets worse.
Although essential oils can be used to extend salves’ shelf lives, most oils and salves without essential oils will go rancid after six months.
BASIC SALVE
31/2 ounces (104 ml) herbal oil of your choice. What you decide is based on what the salve’s purpose will be. If you want a general all-purpose salve for cuts and burn, use calendula or lavender flower.
1/2 ounce (14 g) beeswax
YIELD: 4 ounces (120 ml)
Gently warm the herbal oil over low heat; stir in beeswax until melted. It’s best to stir continuously as the beeswax melts. Pour salve into a 4-ounce (120 ml) jar; allow it to cool completely before closing.
After pouring the salve into the jar, you may wish to add essential oils to extend your salve’s shelf life. For a 4-ounce (120 ml) jar, add 20 to 40 drops; lavender essential oil is a good choice for an all-purpose first-aid salve—it is antimicrobial, antibacterial, and healing for burns.
SYRUPS
A syrup is truly my favorite way to take herbal medicine. Although not all herbs translate into a syrup, many do. Herbs whose medicines are derived from alkaloids will need the alcohol in the tincture method to draw out their healing qualities, but herbs with water-soluble healing properties can be made into syrups.
Syrups are also a great way to introduce kids to herbs. Because syrups are either honey or sugar based, their sweetness is a natural attractant. Kids also seems to be naturally drawn to the flavor of herbs, particularly the sweet nature of healing berries and roots. Every fall, we collect fresh elderberries as a family and make a yearly batch of elderberry syrup. Including your children in this ritual connects them to the medicine they take.
Syrups, like salves, can be an herbal application for almost anything. Some examples of different syrups you can make include iron building, mineralizing, female balancing, liver supporting, immune support, and stress reducing.
BASIC SYRUP
1/2 cup (36 g) fresh or 1/4 cup (18 g) dried herbal material
4 ounces (120 ml) honey or 2 to 4 ounces (56 to 112 g) cane sugar
Apple cider vinegar (optional)
YIELD: 8 ounces (235 ml)
Add the herbs to 8 to 10 ounces (235 to 285 ml) of water in a saucepan. Cover the pan and simmer on low, with lid slightly ajar, until the water is reduced approximately by half. Strain well. Put the strained liquid back into the now-clean saucepan. Add honey or cane sugar. Place over low heat and stir until the honey or sugar is completely dissolved. I often continue stirring and gently warming for 5 additional minutes after the last remnants are dissolved. At this point, I typically add a splash of apple cider vinegar for further shelf life stability and flavor. This is not a requirement, as sugar/honey is a natural preservative. Store syrup in an 8-ounce (235 ml) bottle for future use. It can be kept in the refrigerator for 3 to 6 months or 2 to 3 months unrefrigerated.
POULTICES
A poultice is as natural an herbal remedy as you are ever going to find. It is a front-line application, with the placement of fresh or dried plant material directly onto the skin. A great example is the use of fresh comfrey leaves on a broken arm. Simply collect the fresh leaves and put them in a large bowl; add a splash of hot water. Use a pestle to gentle crush the leaves, but leave them whole. Wrap the arm over and over with the leaves. Leave the poultice on overnight if possible. Even if you have a cast, you can use this poultice above or below the cast to aid in the healing process; just make sure you don’t get water or plant material under the cast itself. Stuffing muslin or cotton into the cast gaps can prevent this.
I also use poultices for bed sores. Bed sores occur when someone is bed bound and the weight of his or her body causes lack of circulation in the area where the body is lying on the mattress. Bed sores can be excruciating and, left untreated, can quickly become infected. I mash up herbs such as goldenseal, calendula, chickweed, and myrrh with my mortar and pestle; add a touch of hot water, allow the poultice to cool slightly, and then pack the bed sore with it. This helps fight infection, promotes closure of the sore, and helps cool down inflammation.
YELLOW JACKET STING POULTICE
The following ingredients are readily available during late summer, when yellow jackets are in a frenzy preparing for winter and when the human world and their world often collide.
2 fresh plantain leaves
1 fresh chickweed stem
YIELD: 1 poultice
Put all 3 leaves in a bowl; add a touch of hot water. Mix and mash until leaves are really broken up. Add enough water so the leaves stick together and an herb cake can be formed. Apply this directly onto the sting site, doing your best to ensure the stinger is out. Not to worry if you are not sure, as the poultice will draw out the stinger if it is still present. Wrap the poultice with muslin or medical gauze to secure it in place. Refresh every 3 to 4 hours, but you should begin to feel relief immediately.
FOMENTATION
A fomentation is another topical application. It’s better used when the area you are treating is large or uneven, making the use of a poultice cumbersome. A fomentation is the steep infusion of herbs. I use 4 tablespoons (18 g) herbs to 16 ounces (475 ml) of water. Make it similarly to a tea, in that if your ingredients are leaves, an infusion is fine, but I tend to allow a fomentation to steep for 1 to 2 hours if time allows. If you are using roots, simmer for 10 to 12 minutes; then turn off the heat and allow the mixture to infuse for 1 hour, covered. After straining, soak a cotton cloth in the fomentation, wring it mostly out, and apply to the afflicted area. This is a great treatment for abdomen or cramping pain, as the combination of the warmth and the herbs often brings quick comfort to pain. I also use fomentations with my kids when they have colds, placing it on their chest or upper back. Sleep tends to result quickly.
SPRAINED ANKLE FOMENTATION
4 tablespoons (18 g) witch hazel leaf
YIELD: 1 treatment
Steep the witch hazel in 16 ounces (475 ml) of hot water, covered, for 1 to 2 hours.
Strain the leaves from the infusion and warm it over low heat. Soak a cotton cloth in the infusion and wrap the ankle. Elevate the ankle and rest.
SITZ BATHS AND TOPICAL WASHES
These are topical applications used to treat specific areas of the body. Sitz baths focus on the pelvic regions, including the vaginal and anal areas. They are great for healing vaginal tissues, treating hemorrhoids, and moving circulation in the pelvic bowl. Topical washes are much like fomentations, but instead of soaking a cloth in the infusion and applying it to the body, you soak the body part in the infusion itself. Obviously, not every body part can easily be soaked, hence the need for fomentations. But body parts such as the hands or feet can greatly benefit from direct submersion in an herbal infusion. Both applications allow for direct and consistent immersion. They are made as you would make a fomentation, using more herbs per water ratio— 4 tablespoons (18 g) per 16 ounces (475 ml) water—and allowing for a longer infusion, 1 to 2 hours or longer. Because these applications are rarely needed in an acute situation, you can allow them to infuse for a longer time, ideally 4 to 6 hours. If you have that much time, you can actually infuse your roots instead of simmering them, as the longer infusion time will allow for breakdown of roots and bark. This is helpful when you are using a combination of herbs that include leaves, flowers, roots, and bark. I recommend warming the infusion before soaking, but sometimes a cool application is best, such as with hot skin conditions. Put the infusion into the appropriate basin and soak.
TEA
What a great place to end this section. In fact, why not stop for a moment and go make a nice cup of tea before you read on! What is it about tea that naturally promotes relaxation? Perhaps it is the ritual, the scent of the steam as it rolls off the cup. It’s true; I’m obsessed with tea and addicted to the practice of it. My hope is that you soon will be too!
There are two reasons we drink tea. One is for pleasure; the other is for medicine. The blending of beverage teas takes practice, but there is no reason not to dive in. Learn which herbs you really like and begin blending two or three at a time. Learn their individual flavors and what happens when you blend them with other herbs. Learn what happens when you steep certain herbs too long or when you put in more of one herb versus another. This is the art and science of combining herbs and flavors. Take diligent notes and continue to perfect your home blends. Soon enough, your friends will be asking for your recipes!
The other reason we drink herbal teas is to heal or bring balance back into the body. Most of us are familiar with Traditional Medicinals tea, originally created by herbalist and one of my mentors, Rosemary Gladstar. Found in most grocery stores, Traditional Medicinals was one of the first companies to bring the idea of healing tea to the general public. Throat Coat and Smooth Move are almost household names today because of Rosemary’s work.
When first beginning to use herbs for medicinal use, it is best to familiarize yourself with one herb at a time. Try a nervine such as passionflower or skullcap to discover its flavor and its actions on your body. Then try adding one additional herb. In this case, try blending passionflower with chamomile and again investigate the same questions. You can read books about herbs all day long, but until you begin working and using them, you know very little.
Most of the teas in this book are formulated to make 4 ounces (120 ml) of tea. Drink 2 to 3 cups a day of medicinal tea when trying to create a physiological change in the body. This is typically continued for 6 to 12 weeks. Usually 2 to 4 pounds (1 to 2 kg) of tea will provide you with a 30-day supply of 3 daily cups of medicinal-strength tea. Four ounces of tea will make roughly 80 cups if you’re using only 1 to 2 teaspoons (1.5 to 3 g) per cup. To blend them, place all ingredients in a nice large mixing bowl. Use a big wooden spoon to gently blend all the herbs together until evenly mixed. Kept in an air-tight glass jar, away from heat and direct sunlight, teas can last up to a year.
You will want to make the medicinal herb teas in this book at medicinal strength unless otherwise indicated.
MEDICINAL STRENGTH TEA
4 to 5 tablespoons (18 to 22.5 g) herbs
YIELD: 1 treatment
Put the herbs in a 1-quart (1 L) jar or a saucepan and pour hot water over them. Boiling water is fine, but the ideal temperature is 190°F (88°C). Close the jar, or place a lid on the pan, and allow to steep overnight. In the morning, strain the herbs. This is your daily allotment of herbal tea to reach a desired medicinal dosage. You can divide this into 3 cups per day, or sip on it throughout the day. You can drink it hot or cold, unless you are focusing on warming a system or body part, in which case it is best hot. I also think tea drunk after meals or before bed is best hot.
A general guide to steeping:
• For teas with leaves and flowers—steep for 8 to 12 minutes, covered.
• For teas with roots and barks—simmer for 10 to 12 minutes, covered.
• For teas with leaves or flowers combined with roots or bark—simmer for 10 to 12 minutes; turn off the heat. Add an additional 1 to 2 teaspoon (1.5 to 3 g) of the herbal mixture, cover, and allow to steep an additional 10 minutes.