In doing my research I have discovered that some people believe fresh leaves and bark are better for use as herbal remedies than dried. I don't think it really matters for most herbal use. Keep in mind, if you use fresh herbals, and wish to obtain the qualities of the herbal than you should use it within 48 hours of harvesting.
Not everyone has access to herbs in the wild, or even a garden in which it is grown. Frequent trips to wildcraft may not be practical. Wildcrafting can be time-consuming.
You should consider how much you need and do not gather excessive amounts of herbs. Be careful to not over-harvest what is available in the wild. A rule of thumb would be to take from 1 of 4 plants, if gathering leaves and buds. Don't pull up the plant by the roots, and leave some top growth for later harvesting.
My usual amount is a bundle about 3 inches in diameter. I rinse the material thoroughly before doing anything with the plant. I use kite string to tie it into a bundle and hang the plant by the stem. Drying time varies, depending on the plant, temperatures, and humidity. I have had plants take upwards of four months to completely dry.
Two ways to preserve herbs longer than just dry material are as a vinegar or as a tincture. Vinegars can last around six months. A glycerine tincture is about the same and should be refrigerated, whereas vinegars do not seem to need refrigeration.
Alcohol tinctures last much longer, and depending on the alcohol percent they can be stored from a year to many years. You can use wine, or brandy. The life of these two are shorter than Vodka. They should be stored in a cool, dry spot.
When tincturing you would use half as much dry herb than fresh. First, because of the need to reconstitute the herb, and secondly when dried the herb has concentrated constituents. I usually use a quart mason jar filling it about 1/3 with dry herb and covering with alcohol to about two inches below the rim.
Tincturing usually takes around 2-4 weeks. Again the duration depends upon temperature, humidity, and also the kind of herb being tinctured.
Roots and bark take the longest to dry. These should be air dried, and can take quite some time. Care should be taken to not overdue harvesting in order to not diminish the available supply.
You can tell what herbs will be needed for the following year by observation. As a rule of thumb, when certain plants grow abundantly and others do not, those herbs that are ample usually are the ones that will be needed.
More on preserving and using herbs next Monday.
Not everyone has access to herbs in the wild, or even a garden in which it is grown. Frequent trips to wildcraft may not be practical. Wildcrafting can be time-consuming.
You should consider how much you need and do not gather excessive amounts of herbs. Be careful to not over-harvest what is available in the wild. A rule of thumb would be to take from 1 of 4 plants, if gathering leaves and buds. Don't pull up the plant by the roots, and leave some top growth for later harvesting.
My usual amount is a bundle about 3 inches in diameter. I rinse the material thoroughly before doing anything with the plant. I use kite string to tie it into a bundle and hang the plant by the stem. Drying time varies, depending on the plant, temperatures, and humidity. I have had plants take upwards of four months to completely dry.
Two ways to preserve herbs longer than just dry material are as a vinegar or as a tincture. Vinegars can last around six months. A glycerine tincture is about the same and should be refrigerated, whereas vinegars do not seem to need refrigeration.
Alcohol tinctures last much longer, and depending on the alcohol percent they can be stored from a year to many years. You can use wine, or brandy. The life of these two are shorter than Vodka. They should be stored in a cool, dry spot.
When tincturing you would use half as much dry herb than fresh. First, because of the need to reconstitute the herb, and secondly when dried the herb has concentrated constituents. I usually use a quart mason jar filling it about 1/3 with dry herb and covering with alcohol to about two inches below the rim.
Tincturing usually takes around 2-4 weeks. Again the duration depends upon temperature, humidity, and also the kind of herb being tinctured.
Roots and bark take the longest to dry. These should be air dried, and can take quite some time. Care should be taken to not overdue harvesting in order to not diminish the available supply.
You can tell what herbs will be needed for the following year by observation. As a rule of thumb, when certain plants grow abundantly and others do not, those herbs that are ample usually are the ones that will be needed.
More on preserving and using herbs next Monday.
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