Herbal preparations, step by step
Interactive lesson: tea, tincture, infused oil and salve — exact ratios, temperatures, timings and safety for the home workshop.
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The whole lesson as text
1. Equipment and measures
A home workshop doesn't need a laboratory, but it does need its own equipment.
- Scales and measuring jug — Kitchen scales accurate to 1 g, better 0.1 g, for herbs and beeswax. A measuring cylinder or jug for alcohol, oil and water.
- Sterile, dry jars — Wash the jars, then sterilise them by boiling for 10 minutes or 20 minutes in the oven at 120 °C (250 °F). Then dry them completely.
- Dark bottles — For finished tinctures, use amber or blue glass dropper bottles of 30–100 ml. For salves, small pots of 30–100 ml.
- A spoon is not a gram — A spoonful of chamomile and a spoonful of marshmallow root differ threefold in weight. Fresh herb instead of dried: three times as much by weight.
Why: Ratios are worked out by weight, so without scales a tincture ends up far too strong one time and alcoholic water the next. A drop of water in a jar of oil means mould.
- Keep the equipment for preparations apart from your kitchen equipment.
- Boil the straining cloth after use.
2. Tea three ways
Tea is not always "pour boiling water over it"; the method depends on the part of the plant.
- Infusion, covered — Leaves, flowers and tops: 1–2 g per 200 ml. Pour on water just off the boil and cover for 5–10 minutes. With mint and chamomile, the essential oil escapes with the steam.
- Decoction for roots — Roots, bark, fruit and seeds: 2–4 g per 250 ml of cold water. Bring up, simmer covered for 5–10 minutes and leave to stand for 10 minutes.
- Cold infusion — Marshmallow root and linseed: 2–5 g per 200 ml of cold water, 1–2 hours. Do not heat it above lukewarm.
- Honey and blends — Add honey once the tea has cooled below 40 °C (104 °F), and never for a child under one year old. A blend uses 3–5 herbs, measured by weight.
Why: Leaves and flowers give up their substances when steeped, roots and fruit only when simmered. Mucilaginous herbs give the most in cold water.
- Crush rosehips, simmer them for 10 minutes and strain through a fine cloth because of the hairs.
- Keep brewed tea 24 hours at most in the fridge, and a cold infusion up to 12 hours.
3. Tincture · Locked
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4. Infused oil · Locked
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5. Salve and balm · Locked
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6. Safety and shelf life · Locked
Buy the Teas, tinctures, infused oils and salves module and you get the PDF to download and print, plus lifetime access to this interactive lesson: all 6 chapters, 24 steps.