Results for Category: Preparation How-To
How To Use The “Folk Method” To Make Herbal Preparations
When it comes to making herbal preparations, one of the simplest ways to go about it is to use the folk method. The folk method is often used by beginner herbalists because it’s a simple and easy method to follow, but that doesn’t mean it’s for beginners only. Many experienced herbalists continue to prefer this…
Herbal Tea or Herbal Infusion: What’s the Difference?
It’s finally here: the time of year when there’s not much better than a cozy fire, a snuggly flannel, and a hot cup of herbal ...
How To Make An Oxymel
A classic but often overlooked herbal preparation, oxymels have been used for ages for a variety of respiratory and immune system ...
How to Make A Homemade Flower Essence
I never understood the potency of flower essences until I made one myself — carefully picking each beautiful, delicate flower from the plant, intentionally setting it in spring water, and placing the bowl under the sun in the center of my garden. It was a magical meditation as the golden rays of the sun penetrated…
What Every Herbalist Should Know About Herbal Preparation Shelf Life
Have you ever pulled an older herbal salve out of your bathroom cabinet and wondered if it was still effective? Or perhaps you’ve thought about making a large batch of herbal tea to store in the refrigerator and drink over the course of several days, later second guessing yourself because you weren’t sure how many…
How To Make Vegan Herbal Syrups
Herbal syrups are a common herbal preparation. Not only are they easy to make and tasty to use, but they require minimal ingredien...
Herbal Compresses and Fomentations: What They Are & How To Use Them
Pulled muscles and painful spasms, a bad run-in with the pavement, or a nasty cough all call for a little extra loving care—a ge...
Video: How To Make An Herbal Honey
An herbal honey is one of the tastiest herbal preparations one can make. They require little time to create, and they can be used in many different ways. Plus, they’re full of healthy benefits! An herbal honey can be made using fresh or dried herbs, but keep in mind that if you use fresh herbs,…
Video: How To Make Rolled Herb Pills
Rolled herb pills (also known as pastilles) are quick and easy to make. Not only that, but they’re one of the easiest (and tastiest) ways to take herbs! Rolled herb pills only require two things: finely powdered herbs and honey. These ingredients are combined, thoroughly mixed, and then rolled into small balls or pills which…
Video: How To Make A Calendula Salve
Calendula (Calendula officinalis) is an herbal staple that many herbalists include in their herbal toolkits. While this herb has a...
How To Make Fresh Dandelion Blossom Oil
I have many favorite things about spring—one of them being the fresh, sunny faces of dandelion blossoms popping up everywhere. D...
How To Grind Herbs In A Coffee Grinder
As a beginner to herbalism, you will most likely start by learning about common herbs, making basic herbal preparations, and learning how herbs can be used to support or bring balance to the body. However, as you continue on in your herbal journey, you will come across pieces of information that will change how you…
How To Make Herbal Homemade Wine and Mead
With the explosion of the DIY movement in recent years, more people seem to be returning to old-school food and drink traditions, many of them involving fermentation. The HuffPost’s hilarious list of “The 22 Most Hipster Foods On The Planet” includes a great many of these, from kombucha to pickles, craft beers to kimchee. But…
How To Make and Use Rose Infused Honey
Tranquility, love, and contentment are some of the emotions triggered when inhaling the beautiful aroma of the humble rose. For th...
How to Make Herbal Ear Drops
Earaches never seem to happen at a convenient time. They often sneak up on you in the middle of the night causing pain and misery....
How To Craft Your Own Herbal Smoking Blends
There’s something fascinating about the alchemy of herbs and smoke. Part of it is visual. We can see the plants undergoing a violent physical change as they are transformed into smoke and ash. It’s also something that we can experience as we breathe in. The smoke has a taste and a texture, and it resonates…
How to Make an Herbal Syrup
The cold days of autumn and winter bring to mind cozy socks, warm cups of tea, good books, and for many herbalists, pots of simmering herbal syrup. Perhaps one of the most delicious ways to take herbs, herbal syrups are wonderful to have on hand during the colder months of the year. Enjoy learning the…
How To Make A Mushroom Double-Extraction Tincture
Although the art and science of making plant preparations can seem to grow ever more complicated the longer an herbalist maintains...
How to Make an Herbal Decoction
That simple, tasty cup of tea is only one way of extracting the many virtues of herbs into water. Other ways include the making of...
How To Dry Fresh Herbs Using A Dehydrator
Summer is the season of abundance. The days are long, the plants are growing, flowers blooming, and the bees buzzing and dancing in the air. It can be easy to take this abundance for granted, but of course, the world turns, the seasons change, and once again winter will descend upon us. We are fortunate that…
How To Make Fresh Herbal Sun Tea
It’s an herbalist’s favorite time of year again. The earth has turned green and we have an abundance of plants all around us. What better way to become acquainted with your green allies than by sipping fresh herbal sun tea? Fresh plant teas produce a sparkling crisp drink that feels like sipping in the summer…
Herbal Vinegar Hair Rinses
Every season provides a new way to strain and damage your hair. The sand and salt water of the ocean in summer can leave you with ...
How to Make an Herb and Flower Drying Screen
Growing your own medicinal, culinary, or otherwise useful herbs and flowers is a rewarding experience. The act of planting the see...
5 Ways to Freeze Fresh Herbs
It is high summer, and gardens are overflowing with herbs, many of which are at their peak and ready to harvest. This is the season when many leaves and flowers are most potent, and drying these herbs in bunches or laid flat on screens is one easy way to preserve summer’s bounty for later. When…
How To Make A Poultice With Dried & Fresh Herbs
It’s easy to focus on the internal herbal preparations, like teas, extracts, and syrups, because we are so conditioned to “taking something” – whether that be supplements, OTC medications, or prescriptions – to manage our health. Topical herbalism, though, has many unique preparations that have benefited people for generations. In this post we’ll teach you…
Breathe Easier With a Decongesting Herbal Steam
When I get a cold, my least favorite thing is not being able to breathe well. I even get dreams when I am congested that I am drow...
Making Herbal Vinegars
Fall is a bountiful and busy time of year. Now that I have decanted my infused oils and most of my herbal tinctures, I take to th...
Promote Healthy Gut Flora With A Prebiotic Herbal Electuary
As a health conscious person, you are likely aware of the fact that digestive health is directly linked to overall health. This means that keeping our digestive systems healthy must be a priority in our lives if we want to be healthy and feel good. You may also know that a diet rich in probiotics is…
How To Make Herbal Glycerites: Tinctures Without Alcohol
Glycerites are sweet herbal tinctures which use vegetable glycerin to extract the active constituents and flavor from an herb. Herbal tinctures are typically made from alcohol, but glycerin is a good alternative for children, animals, and adults when palatability and alcohol sensitivities are primary considerations. While not as potent as alcohol-based tinctures, glycerites are still…
How To Make A Tincture
An herbal tincture is a long lasting and effective form of receiving an herb’s gift. It has a much longer shelf life than an inf...
