05 September 2007

Herbal Infusions

I've always wanted to try herbal infusions, but for some reason I just never got around to it. And now that I want to try making and drinking them there's not much around here to use. I was planning on using red clover but I guess our heat and dryness of the past month or so killed all of it. Even all of our plantain has been burned brown on the ground. Infusions are made with about a cup of dried herb per quart of boiling water. Pour the boiling water over the dried herb in a jar, seal, and let sit for at least 4 hours. Flavor if desired then drink several cups a day. After opening the infusion it should be refrigerated and drunk within a day and a half.

I don't have any oat straw, comfrey leaf or nettle so I can't try any of Susun Weed's favorites. I do, however, have access to a few mullein plants growing wild around the yard. According to an article from Weed's Weed Wanderings herbal ezine it makes a rich, earthy infusion. There are only a few mulleins around so I can't take too much. I may give it a miss for a while. The one thing I have plenty of is lemon balm, it survives everything. And as it tastes good it's great on its own and works well as flavoring for other infusions. According to Weed, infusions are great for overall health and their effects and benefits can best be recognized after a few weeks. Increased energy, nutritive minerals and improved appetite are some of the positive effects of herbal infusions. This is because the infusions provide the nutritional value that many people are missing from their not-so-great diets and eating habits. I'm going to pick some lemon balm today and start it drying so I can make the infusion tomorrow. Here's hoping it agrees with me!

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