Herbal Teas, Infusions, Decoctions and Ointments

Natural herbal teas, infusions, decoctions and ointments have become a part of the lives of many health conscious people today. And they may have a point, since a lot of man-made medicines can cause many side effects that could end up being worst than the condition you are trying to treat.

If you are interested in any of the procedures I listed above, then continue reading and I will give you information on what each of those terms means and a brief description on the proper ways to make your herbal teas, infusions, decoctions and ointments.

I hope you enjoy the article and will discover something about these procedures that you would like to make part of your daily life. Remember to always use non-metal or ceramic pots when you make your own herbal remedies. Non-metal pots like glass, porcelain, ceramic and enamel won't damage the composition of your herbs, and their organic structure will remain intact.

Making Herbal Teas

Herbal teas can be made from everything from thyme, sage and rosemary... to cinnamon, fennel and ginger. They provide many health benefits from losing weight and relaxing... to flushing out your system and cleansing your blood. Most don't have caffeine in them (except green tea), and since the health benefits are so varied, you should find one that you like and make it part of your daily diet.

When it comes to making your herbal tea, you never want to boil your herbs in the pot with water. You want your herbs to steep. If you are steeping a cup of tea, use 1 teaspoon of dried herbs or 1 tablespoon of fresh herbs.

You can use a teapot with a strainer, or if you don't have a teapot, you can use a tea strainer and you're cup. Just put the herbs in the strainer, hold it over your cup and pour the hot water over the herbs. Cover your cup and let the strainer and herbs sit in the cup for 3 minutes for a mild tea, or 20 minutes for strong tea.

If you like your tea sweet, then use a natural sweetener like honey, molasses or maple syrup. You don't ever want to use sugar or artificial sweeteners in your herbal tea. This type of tea, without the sweetener, can be used for drinking or for rinsing your face

Making An Infusion

An infusion is still basically herbal tea. The difference is that it can be either hot or cold, and you leave the herbs in the water anywhere from 3 hours to overnight. The idea however, is to use the herb that provides medicinal help for whatever ails you, and leaving the herb in the water for the length of time specified, gives these medicinal properties a chance to infuse the water.

If you want to make a quart of infused tea, then add either an ounce of dried herbs or a handful of fresh herbs to a quart of boiling water. The best way to do this is to use a jar that can tolerate boiling water. Then you can add all of your ingredients into the jar, close it up tight and leave the jar for the amount of time specified above. You want to give the herbs enough time to infuse the water.

Once the infusion process is over, strain the herbs from your infusion, and pour your infusion into another jar that can be sealed tightly. Now you have a quart of infusion that you can store in the refrigerator to drink either hot or cold. If you need to sweetened it, again, use a natural sweetener.

Making A Decoction

Making a decoction is just a little more time consuming than making an infusion. A decoction consist of using the leaves, bark, root and seeds of the herb. The idea is to extract all the essential oils that is contained in these parts by crushing, mashing then boiling. The longer your decoction is boiled, the more concentrated it will be.

The first thing you need to do is gather the herbs you're going to use. When you have the ones you want, you can begin releasing the essential oils by crushing the herbs with a pestle. I recommend the pestle and mortar because you can find them made out of either porcelain or marble.

Take the crushed herbs and place them in a pot of water, cover it and bring it to a boil. Let the mixture boil for about 10 to 15 minutes. This will continue extracting the medicinal properties from the herbs. Once it has boiled, strain the decoction and you can either apply it externally or drink it.

Making An Ointment

Making an ointment uses oil but no water. It's suppose to protect the skin by creating a layer over the skin. Like an ointment for a diaper rash. Some ointments use petroleum jelly, paraffin wax or olive oil.

When you have the herbs you're going to use for your ointment, use either 2 ounces of dried or 4 ounces of fresh herbs. Mix them in 1 pint of olive oil, then simmer for at least 1 hour. If you want your ointment a little thicker, then add 1ounce of petroleum jelly or paraffin wax while the ointment is still simmering. After simmering, you can strain the ointment, let it cool and store in a container with a tight cap.

As usual, the information I am giving you should not take the place of real medical help. If you have a condition that requires serious help, then this information will not help you, and you should seek the help of your physician.

This completes Herbal Teas, Infusions, Decoctions and Ointments. I hope you enjoyed it and learned something new about herbs and teas.