Man in the Moon Herbs

Today's post is in response to a comment/question made on my earlier post on echinacea. (Sorry, Dirty Fingernails : ) ) To prepare roots for further use first dig them up being careful not to damage or cut the sections. Remove what you will be using and replant the rest. Clean your roots with water to remove all visible dirt. Decocting is a method used for the tougher parts of the plant like roots and bark. Add one ounce of clean root to a nonreactive saucepan and add 2 1/2 cups of distilled water. Bring to a boil then simmer for 30 minutes. If more than 1/2 of the liquid evaporates, add more distilled water to make 1 1/4 cup. Cool, strain and bottle. Store in the refrigerator for use within a few days. Macerating is very similar to making a tincture and is used when you want longer shelf life for your product. First, thoroughly air dry your freshly washed roots. Pulverize the roots and pack into a glass jar with a tight fitting lid. Cover with cider vinegar or vodka and cover. Sh...

Tinctures are an excellent way to liberate, concentrate and preserve the healing properties of herbs. Until about 50 years ago they were listed in the United States Pharmacopoepia but are not readily available to the general public any longer. Fortunately, they are fairly easy to make yourself. Consult a good book on herbs to determine which herbs you would like to make a tincture from. One of my favorites is The Natural Pharmacy by Skye Lininger from Prima Publishing. It has great info on herbs including dosages, prope rties, side effects and how they might interact with prescription and over the counter drugs. I especially like the drug interaction information because while I use herbal remedies whenever possible, I still recognize the worth of Western medicine for certain ailments. The following is my recipe for Elderberry Tincture. It is one that I have on hand at all times because I find it so useful. A study in humans has determined that elderberries have an antiviral effect and ...