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Learn how to make an Infusion with herbs.
Also the difference between
Infusion, Decoction and Tincture.
An Infusion is basically an herb steeped in liquid. This is
where boiling or hot water is poured over an herb and allowed to sit,
covered, for about 10 minutes. Not all Infusions are made
with boiled liquid.
A Decoction is made by boiling tough herbs, seeds, stems, bark and
roots in a liquid. The herb is placed in the liquid, covered,
and brought to a boil (do not do this with delicate herb or you'll end
up with a mess).
A Tincture is where the herb is steeped in alcohol (like wine, brandy
or vodka - often Everclear) over a period of time - usually 3 months.
Now
that
I have basic descriptions out of the way, lets talk about Infusions.
Most information you'll see will talk about making this using
water (an
Infusion in water is also an Herbal
Tea) or oil (like in Flavored Cooking Oils). Those two
liquids are certainly the most common - but limiting yourself to only
water or oil really limits the possibilities of this craft.
For example; using sparkling water you could make your own
Ginger Ale (or other soft drinks with other herbs) - using honey you
could make your own Cough Syrups or Flavored Honey (as for use with
tea) - using vinegar you could make flavored vinegars (like for Salad
Dressing) - and using fruit or vegetable juices you could get vitamins
into picky adults (haha).
In general you would use about an ounce (28.35 grams) of
herb to a pint (2 cups or 0.4732 liters) of liquid. The
biggest problem is that this is not a hard, fast, unyielding rule of
measurement. For each project you undertake you will need to
take notes and experiment a bit - to get the right blend for 'your' happiness.
For example; when herbs are very high in flavor and / or
scent (like the mints) - you may decide to use a little less.
Why is Ginger Ale (ginger is a tough herb) mentioned in here?
You can't boil sparkling water without
it loosing it's sparkle. So, there is one recipe that calls for
steeping it in the cold sparkling water, and another that
calls for making a very strong decoction - first - and adding the
sparkling water. Learn
how to make Ginger Ale by clicking here.
Coming Soon to this page is a wonderful 'Nourishing Health Infusion' as
first shared by Susun Weed. If you can't wait, here's the link to enjoy
this pleasure now (be sure to watch the video).
FUNNY:
I had decided to try making my own flavored honey out of some
vanilla beans I had. I warmed my honey to just before boiling, added my
chopped vanilla beans, poured it into a container, set it on my
refrigerator - and forgot about it. A few months later I
heard an explosion of glass coming from my kitchen. There was
honey EVERYWHERE (smelled wonderful, by the way). I totally
forgot that you don't SEAL honey as it can ferment.
Let this
be a lesson - if you are going to use honey, cork it, don't seal it.
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All
information, shared on
this web site, is for enjoyment and study only and is NOT meant to
diagnose or treat any medical condition. Only your
health care professional is qualified to diagnose or treat medical
conditions. Do not risk your health! Just because
something is 'natural' does NOT make it safe. Do not, under
any
circumstance, ingest or use herbs in any form
without consulting your Doctor. If you do, you do so
at
your OWN RISK.
Web Site
Content (text, graphics, look and feel) are Copyright Protected © All
Rights Reserved 2009, Sandy Marie.
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