Infusions, decoctions and tinctures of medicinal herbs, methods of preparation, ratios and shelf life in the field. How to properly store medicinal herbs? How to store prepared herbal infusion

It is advisable to prepare infusions and decoctions of medicinal herbs daily, as they quickly deteriorate. In exceptional cases, they can be stored for no more than three days and always in a dark, cool place. Tinctures of medicinal plants made with alcohol or vodka are suitable for long-term storage.

Infusions, decoctions and tinctures of medicinal herbs, methods of preparation and ratios.

Preparation of infusions from medicinal herbs.

Infusions are a liquid mixture obtained by infusing crushed raw materials. To prepare infusions, the soft parts of medicinal plants are mainly used - flowers, leaves, stems. Infusions are prepared cold or hot.

Cold method of preparing infusions.

2. Pour cold or hot boiled water in the required ratio, most often 1:10 for internal use and 1:5 for external use.
3. Close the lid and leave for 4 hours to several days. After straining, the mixture is ready for use.

Hot method of preparing infusions.

1. Grind the required amount of raw material and place it in a container.
2. Pour boiling water in the required ratio, most often 1:10 for internal use and 1:5 for external use.
3. Cover with a lid and simmer over low heat for 10-15 minutes, making sure the mixture does not boil.
4. Leave for 2-4 hours, strain and add boiled water to the required volume, after which the mixture is ready for use.

Preparation of decoctions from medicinal plants.

Decoctions are liquid mixtures that have much in common with infusions, but are usually prepared from the denser, harder parts of plants—roots or bark.

1. Grind the required amount of raw material and place it in a container.
2. Pour in cold water in the required ratio, most often 1:10 for internal use and 1:5 for external use.
3. Boil for 20-30 minutes over low heat, stirring constantly.
4. Allow to cool and strain, while decoctions containing tannins, such as oak bark, should be filtered immediately after boiling, without waiting for them to cool.
5. Add boiled water to the required volume, after which the mixture is ready for use.

Tinctures are a liquid mixture suitable for long-term storage. Usually prepared on the basis of 40 or 70 degree alcohol or vodka. The resulting tincture should be transparent and usually has the taste and smell of the original raw material. Store alcohol tinctures in a dark, opaque container from several months to several years.

1. Grind the required amount of raw material and place it in a container.
2. Pour in alcohol or vodka in a ratio of 1:5 or 1:10.
3. Close the container tightly and leave in a dark place for 7-14 days.
4. Strain and use drops as directed.

Is it really that important? It turns out yes. Herbs that are expired, damp, or have lost their natural aroma, if they do not harm your health, will certainly not bring any benefit.

Basic storage rules

Improperly stored herbal materials may become damp or dry, and their active ingredients will begin to decompose. Raw materials can be spoiled by pests, absorb dust, foreign odors, or, even worse, toxic substances. Valuable biologically active components are destroyed under the influence of sunlight. How to prevent this?

The room where medicinal plants are stored should be clean, dry and cool (up to +18 ⁰C). The raw materials themselves should be protected from sunlight, but air should be provided so that the herbs “breathe”.

If this is not a pre-compiled collection, the herbs are sorted separately from each other. Particular attention should be paid to plants with a high concentration of essential oils, as well as toxic and poisonous ones. They are advised to be stored in a sealed container.

In the old days, herbs were stored in bunches - this way they better preserved their beneficial substances. If this is not possible, separate containers must be provided for roots, fruits and flowers with leaves. Each part of the plant has its own shelf life, and its purpose may be different.

In addition to the name, the container should indicate the date of collection. This makes it easier to sort out expired raw materials.

Storage space and containers

At home, for storing herbal products, you need to set aside a place in a cool and dry pantry. You can hang bunches or canvas bags of crushed raw materials in the attic, attic, or veranda. The main thing is to protect them from sunlight. It is necessary to allocate a separate cabinet for the herbal first aid kit and periodically inspect it.

What type of container is suitable for storing medicinal herbal raw materials?

It is recommended to store dried fruits, such as hawthorn berries, rose hips, blueberries, and powdered roots, in glass, tin, and ceramic jars with lids. In the same containers you can place aromatic herbs - mint, oregano, lemon balm, lavender flowers.

Sealed packaging is needed for poisonous and toxic herbs - hemlock, celandine, mistletoe, etc.

Bags made of thick natural fabric (linen, canvas, cotton) are ideal for crushed flowers and leaves, roots, and bark. The material provides air circulation and ventilation of raw materials.

You can use cardboard, wooden boxes, and wicker boxes for storage. It is advisable to line them inside with clean packaging or parchment paper.

Shelf life

Most herbalists and herbalists agree that plants have their maximum healing effect within a year after collection. Roots and fruits, in which the active ingredients are usually presented in concentrated form, retain their healing properties longer. The shelf life of pharmaceutical herbal raw materials varies and depends on the type of herbs and the stability of the biologically active components present in them.

Leaves, buds, buds can generally be used within 1-2 years after collection. Although chamomile flowers, calendula, and chaga mushroom are recommended to be renewed every season.

Roots, tubers, bark do not deteriorate for 2-3 years. There are also “long-livers”. Thus, the rhizomes of burnet, cinquefoil, licorice, orchis tubers, oak bark, and buckthorn retain medicinal properties for 5-6 years.

It is also not recommended to store fruits and seeds for more than 2-3 years.

If there are any expired supplies of medicinal herbs left, do not rush to throw them in the trash. Of course, you shouldn’t take them internally, but you can take a fragrant bath.

At home, it is easy to prepare medicinal herbal decoctions, infusions, teas, tinctures, masks, and rinses. First, the plant or its parts are dried and thoroughly crushed.

Grass, leaves and flowers are crushed to sizes not exceeding 5 mm, the smaller you get, the better.

They try to chop the roots, stems and bark to a plate size not exceeding 3 mm.

The seeds need to be ground in a coffee grinder.

If you need to use the water bath method, then you need to do the following.

Pour the specified amount of raw material into an enamel cup, add the required amount of water, cover with a lid, and place it in a large container with boiling water.

It is usually recommended to keep the infusion (from leaves, flowers, stems) in a water bath for 15 minutes, and the decoction (from roots, rhizomes, bark) for half an hour. Make sure it doesn't escape by periodically opening the lid and stirring. After the required heating time, remove the cup and leave to infuse.

If you need to cool the infusion, it will take 45 minutes; for decoctions, 10 minutes is enough. After cooling, the infusions and decoctions are filtered. If required by the recipe, then dilute with boiled water in the required proportions. A decoction of raw materials containing tannins (oak bark and rhizomes of many plants) is filtered immediately without cooling.

How long can ready-made decoctions and infusions of medicinal herbs be stored?

Ready-made decoctions and infusions are stored for 2-3 days in a dark and cool place, in a clean glass container with a closed lid.

How to prepare infusions from medicinal herbs?

Tinctures are also easy to prepare at home. Usually, for 1 part by weight of the plant, take 5 parts of alcohol-containing liquid, unless the recipe specifies otherwise.

Thoroughly grind the appropriately processed and dried raw materials. Place it in a glass container specially designated for this purpose, fill it with alcohol or vodka, close the lid tightly and place it in a cool, dark place. Leave for as long as the recipe requires. After this period, the tincture is filtered and the raw materials are squeezed out. It would be good to keep the prepared tincture for several days at a temperature no higher than 7 degrees. Then the tincture must be filtered again.

Here are a few recipes for products you can prepare at home:

Recipes for folk remedies to strengthen hair

Recipe No. 1

Take ingredients purchased at the pharmacy in equal proportions:
- a bottle of nettle extract;
- a bottle of hazel extract;
- a bottle of hop extract;
- a bottle of celandine extract.

Mix all the above ingredients and add:
- 10 g burdock oil;
- 10 g sea buckthorn oil;
- 10 g eucalyptus oil;
- 10 g rose oil.

Preparation and use of hair strengthening balm

Mix everything thoroughly. Lightly dry your well-washed hair with a towel. Rub a small amount of the resulting balm (focus on the length of your hair) into your head with circular massage movements, using your index, middle and ring fingers. Make movements in the direction from the temples to the crown.

Pour the remaining balm into a glass jar and store in the refrigerator. Before use, the jar with single contents can be slightly warmed under the pressure of hot water.

Recipe No. 2

Ingredients:
- 1 tbsp. a spoonful of stinging nettle leaves crushed into powder;
- 1 glass of boiling water;
- 1 tbsp. a spoonful of crushed dry black elderberry fruits;
- 1 tbsp. spoonful of forest mallow.

Preparation and use of hair rinse

Pour boiling water over the raw materials. Place in a dark place to infuse for an hour. Strain. Dilute with water and use as a rinse after shampooing.

Recipe No. 3

Ingredients:
- 1 teaspoon of dry powder or white clay paste;
- 1 teaspoon butter;
- 1 yolk;
- 1 teaspoon of honey;
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice;
- 1 teaspoon mustard powder.

Preparation and use of a mask to strengthen hair

Grind the clay with butter, yolk, honey, mustard. Sprinkle everything with lemon juice. Rub the resulting pulp into the roots of the hair, and distribute the remaining substrate along the entire length of the hair.

Put on a shower cap and tie a towel over it. Keep warming for 1-1.5 hours. Wash off the mask with shampoo.

09.11.2011, 00:39

Thank you!:)

09.11.2011, 00:49

Phoenix bird

09.11.2011, 00:53

We also treat with herbs, but we drink internally. The doctor ordered to brew it again every day, if there is any leftover in the evening, pour it out. I clarified. I cook less, I’ve already got my hands full in six months :)

09.11.2011, 01:02

No...of course you can.
No time...honestly

This thing is crazy (((

09.11.2011, 01:03

I don't drink tea)

09.11.2011, 01:15

No...of course you can.
No time...honestly
I just finished brewing...
Three pots at home...one is occupied
in the second - 1 infusion (pour, heat, brew for 1 hour, strain)
in the other - 2nd infusion (all the same... but leave for 2 hours)
then the 3rd infusion into the empty saucepan... etc...

It's a pity that you can't store it....(((
This thing is crazy (((

09.11.2011, 01:40

ABOUT! Great idea!!!
Who knows?????

09.11.2011, 14:43

09.11.2011, 15:39

ABOUT! Great idea!!!
Who knows?????

At the end you will get beautiful cubes for your face. like herbs for the "nose" - by

Phoenix bird

09.11.2011, 15:44

10.11.2011, 00:33

The fresher the herbal decoction, the better, believe the old witch :)

And so for six months already:065:

10.11.2011, 00:53

10.11.2011, 11:23

I have a lot of them....

I showed it to my Laura.

Now again.

Let's see

10.11.2011, 14:31

10.11.2011, 14:39

You know, the reaction of doctors is on the conscience of the doctors. And after a few years with herbs and infusions, and after the most terrible pyelonephritis, earned on a collective farm, I completely forgot where the kidneys were, but my mother from the fifth to the eighth grade practiced all these herbal saucepans... We have now almost cured my daughter’s “allergic " runny nose. I myself am a terrible allergy sufferer, but without hay fever. My husband’s allergies also never manifested themselves as rhinitis. Moreover, my daughter has the same asthmatic symptoms as me, the allergy profile is the same, and after sinusitis she did not have a runny nose for almost a year and a half. All doctors say it's allergic. They prescribe medications - it’s good, if there is any reaction at all... And here’s the paradox, we drip aloe - the runny nose goes away, in the same apartment, with the same dust. She, poor fellow, has already forgotten how to sleep all night without waking up... Herbs are in vain underestimated, medicine, whatever one may say, did not begin with the chemical industry...

Regular aloe (flower) juice?

10.11.2011, 14:47

Well, it depends on what you call ordinary :) I have six different types at home, trained from different vacations :) But we only take juice from ordinary agave. And my daughter herself pushed me into this business, when they read Ulitskaya (The story about the Sparrow of Antwerp, the Agave Vasya, the Cat Mikheev and the Centipede Marya Semyonovna with her family), after that they called our meter-long agave Kolya and Slavena said: “Kolya will heal us all too! “, that’s where it hit me :) But they shouldn’t do it at night, it starts to expel everything, at first they just blew their nose every two minutes... In the morning and after kindergarten, I took a couple of drops of fresh juice into each nostril. I squeeze it with a garlic press.

10.11.2011, 16:44

Herbs are underestimated in vain; medicine, whatever one may say, did not begin with the chemical industry...

:) Agree

Drip aloe - runny nose goes away

Where can I get it? Any will do?
just buy it at a florist?? tear off a leaf and it drips????

10.11.2011, 20:39

Girls, I’ll write as I drip. We cut off a small piece - about three centimeters - from a completely ordinary agave (aka common aloe, as far as my memory serves), wash it, dry it, and put it in a garlic crusher. This piece yields about a teaspoon of juice, enough for a day, but I don’t store it for longer. I instill it directly with fresh juice, I don’t dilute it or add anything, just two drops in each nostril. We drip in the morning after breakfast and after gardening, around 4 pm it turns out. Don't eat or eat before bedtime. And don’t throw your head back too much so that it doesn’t run down your throat, it’s bitter, still...

My mother advises me very much on Kalanchoe for the same purpose, but mine was stolen (we put it in the front door, it also grew a meter tall), and she just brought a new one in October, it’s very tiny. Well, my thing is to bring succulents from nature :) Both a souvenir and useful :)

11.11.2011, 00:53

Crazy, yes! An idea came to my mind, what if you infuse the infusion and put it in small containers or in an ice tray and then defrost it cube by cube. A? After all, food, berries and even breast milk are frozen and they almost do not lose their beneficial properties. Why can't we have grass?

1 When I was breastfeeding, I sometimes expressed milk in special bags from Medela, the instructions for them said that they can be stored in the freezer for up to 6 months, there are special stickers for them in the package, which you need to write in the dates so as not to forget, I bought them in DM on hay, but that was 3 years ago: support:

Http://s017.radikal.ru/i412/1111/31/be3f489dbd88.jpg (http://www.radikal.ru)
Medela: Pump & Save - Bags for collecting and storing breast milk.

Medela breast pumps allow you to express milk in special bags, which can then be stored in the refrigerator (3 to 5 days) or in the freezer (up to 6 months).

Kirillova-mother

11.11.2011, 02:03

Girls, I’ll ask here, because from 3-6 there are usually a lot of sores...:(which are treated and treated...

I am now treating the child’s “nose”: adenoids, snot with herbs.
I brew it as “prescribed”, but it turns out to be an infusion for a whole glass, and you have to drop half a pipette into your nose...
I pour a dose for a day or two into a separate container, the rest into a glass in the refrigerator. One glass is enough for a week, or even more...
But then I found on the internet that you can’t store the herb for that long (infusion, I mean). It seems to be losing its properties.

Damn...:001: and I have a “scheme” - three infusions, each of 3-4 herbs.
You'll go crazy brewing it every day. And the "waste" is too big :))

Who knows HOW MUCH AND HOW YOU CAN STORE BREWED HERB???:008:

Thank you!:)

The brewed herb can be stored for a day in a covered (not CLOSED) opaque glass container. Then it really loses its properties.

In general, according to the rules, infusions are stored for 1 day, I think it can be stored for 1.5 days. What’s stopping you from brewing in small doses? And why can't you brew it every day? After all, you don’t brew tea for the week; herbs can also be brewed regularly.

By the way, yes - you can brew in small doses - a quarter of a spoon per quarter of a glass, for example. The recipe does not show the “dose”, but the ratio.

Kirillova-mother

11.11.2011, 02:17

The idea is not bad for cosmetic purposes, but such an infusion is powerless as a medicine. Author, you should not store infusions for more than a day. I advise you to make the mixture in advance, the one for a glass, mix thoroughly, you can grind it in a mortar - it won’t hurt. And divide this mixture into 4-5 parts and brew with the appropriate amount of water. The fresher the herbal decoction, the better, believe the old witch :)

There is no need to grind it in a mortar, mix it with clean hands, the herbs love it.

Hemorrhagic, of course! I first have to fill it with purchased water, not from the tap (which I don’t forget to buy), leave for 1.5-2 hours, then boil over high heat, then on low under the lid: 010:. And then push it into child. And so for six months already: 065:

And there is no need to boil - the herbs need to be brewed with boiling water. If you brew in a cup - 20 minutes, in a thermos - 10. There are exceptions, for example, rose hips, which infuse for at least 8 hours. But this is precisely the exception. (These are recommendations from herbalists - those who deal with herbs professionally).

Kirillova-mother

11.11.2011, 02:22

Please tell me the recipe)))) only to those whom the doctor advised :)

We receive prescriptions individually, so I can only advise who to contact. After all, everyone’s body is different, and the composition of the collection will also be individual.

I have a lot of them....
I found it myself, something here on LV, something on the Internet...
I showed it to my Laura.
She smiled and said something like “if there is nothing to do, then suffer. You need to delete it” (this is the meaning... said, of course, in a more “correct” form)
She also said to watch for an allergic reaction.

I can say that last year I already started this “event”. I can say that an infusion with oak bark helped us. The child practically did not snore.
But... I still got sick again... then I changed the herb... the other one didn’t work so well and I stopped.
Now again.
But! We have just started...and we are talking about 6 months...

Let's see

We have been getting rid of colds since we were 4 years old (my daughter will soon be 11). At first they began to get sick less often, then even less often... then they stopped getting colds altogether (during the “school” year). Then they got rid of allergies. Then I cured my intracranial pressure - the consequences of a concussion at 3 years old. Stomach, nerves, overwork - all this was also periodically treated with herbs.

When procuring medicinal plants, it is necessary to be able to accurately identify the plant, correctly collect, dry and store it.

Flowers, inflorescences, leaves, grass, fruits and seeds, buds, bark, roots and rhizomes are used for medicinal purposes. Medicinal plants are collected only in good dry weather. Moreover, it is better to collect leaves, grass, flowers and inflorescences in the morning in sunny weather, after the dew has dried. Roots and rhizomes are collected in early spring (April, May) or autumn (September, October). Buds should be collected in early spring, tree bark in April, flowers when buds appear (chain, thyme, prickly tartar), at the beginning of flowering (chamomile, rose). It is recommended to harvest the fruits on dry, cool days.

How to collect medicinal plants correctly

Each type of medicinal raw material is collected in a separate container. The collected plants must be laid out, cleared of debris, and sorted out.

After collection, medicinal plants must be dried, and this process must be started as quickly as possible to avoid the destructive action of enzymes and molding of compressed wet plants.

How and where to dry collected medicinal plants

Drying is a very important component of the raw material procurement process; the quality of the harvested medicinal plants depends on the correctness of its implementation. In most cases, drying cannot be carried out under the influence of direct sunlight, since this destroys chlorophyll, essential oils, and glycosides. Plants should be dried by spreading the raw materials in a thin layer in the attic, on shelves, on spread paper or fabric in a well-ventilated place.

In the sun you can dry plants containing a large amount of tannins, as well as the roots, rhizomes and flowers of hawthorn, elderberry, white cherry, and ivy bud. Before drying, roots and rhizomes are washed (as quickly as possible) in a basket or net, and only the roots of some plants (for example, burdock) are only brushed from the soil and cut lengthwise before drying. The average drying time is 4-7 days at a temperature not exceeding 30-35 °C. Plants containing ascorbic acid are dried at a temperature not exceeding 80-90 °C, herbs containing glucosides (lily of the valley, gorica) are dried at 50-60 °C. Plants that are poisonous or have a strong odor should be dried separately.

How to properly store medicinal plants and herbs

Medicinal plants should be stored in labeled paper bags, boxes (pre-lined inside with paper), and glass jars with lids. Flowers, inflorescences, grass are stored for one year, fruits, roots, rhizomes and bark for two years or more. The storage area must be dry and cool.

How to prepare infusions and decoctions from medicinal plants

Medicinal plants are usually used in the form of decoctions and infusions, which are aqueous extracts from medicinal raw materials. To prepare decoctions and infusions, you should not use aluminum utensils; you should use enamel utensils.

Decoctions and infusions are prepared in various ways, for example, a plant in a certain dose is brewed like tea, and not boiled, but only infused in a warm place for 15-20 minutes, or the recipe recommends pre-soaking in cold water (usually about a day), in which it is then boiled. The decoctions are stored in a cool place for no more than a day.

In special cases, infusions are made when the crushed plant is infused in cold water for 6-8 hours, then the infusion is filtered and poured into a glass container.

A medicinal plant infused with alcohol is a tincture (in Latin, tincture - tinctura - tincture). Often, when preparing tinctures at home, alcohol is replaced with vodka, which is used twice as much as alcohol, if alcohol is specified in the recipe. Usually the medicinal plant is infused in a warm place for 7-10 days, and the tincture must be shaken occasionally. Before infusing the herb or root, they need to be crushed. The finished tincture is filtered and poured into a dark glass bottle.

The extract from the plant, if it is not prepared in a pharmacy, is popularly replaced with a simple decoction, but condensed in a hot oven (oven) to half, the decoction is evaporated in a closed container. This is how it is necessary to prepare the extract when using essential oil plants.

Powders are prepared by crushing plant material until it turns into flour. The powder should be stored in a well-closed container, and it is better to prepare it immediately before use.

Ointments are prepared on the basis of internal rendered fat (pork, badger, etc.) or fresh unsalted butter. The base is plant powder, extract, tincture or fresh juice. It is necessary to mix thoroughly for a long time until the previously heated base hardens. The preparation dose is often 1:4, that is, 1 part of the plant to 4 parts of the base (unless other proportions are indicated in the recipe).

No comments yet. Yours will be the first!

Dried medicinal raw materials are stored in conditions that prevent the ingress of moisture and the destruction of active ingredients.

plant substances. Medicinal raw materials should be stored in dry, clean, well-ventilated, pest-free areas. Storage areas must be protected from direct sunlight. The optimal temperature in the premises is from 10 to 18 ° C, and the humidity is about 13%. All raw materials must be divided into groups: general storage raw materials; essential oils; poisonous and potent plants. They must be stored separately from other plants; fruits and seeds.

Dried grass should be kept separate from the roots, and those, in turn, from the fruits. Flowers and leaves can be mixed. Scented plants containing essential oils and other volatile substances are stored separately from odorless medicinal raw materials. It is better to keep such raw materials in dark glass jars with tight-fitting lids. Tin, nickel-plated cans, clay and metal dishes or boxes, wooden containers in the form of boxes, the bottom of which is lined with natural cotton fabric, are suitable for this.

It is advisable to keep the grass in paper or cloth bags.

The shelf life of flowers, leaves, buds and herbs is from 1 to 2 years; fruits - from 2 to 3 years, roots, rhizomes and bark - no more than 3 years. With longer storage, medicinal raw materials lose their activity.

Preparation of medicinal forms from plants at home.

An infusion is an aqueous solution of biologically active substances, which is not boiled, but infused. Healing herbs are poured with boiling water and kept warm for at least 30 minutes. Typically, the infusion is prepared at a ratio of 1:10, i.e., 10 parts by volume of water are taken for 1 part by weight of plant material. The main disadvantage of the infusion is the impossibility of long-term (no more than 1-2 days) storage.

A decoction is an aqueous extract of plant materials obtained by boiling. Standard cooking recipe: 1 tbsp. a spoonful of crushed raw materials is poured into an enamel bowl, poured with a glass of boiling water, and kept over moderate heat for 5-40 minutes. The decoction can be stored in the refrigerator

keep for no more than 3 days. It is not advisable to boil the broth again.

Tincture (tincture) is a dosage form prepared from plant materials, which is filled with 70%, less often 40%, medical alcohol. The ratio is 1:5, which means: 20 g of herb is poured into 100 ml of alcohol. The tinctures are stored at room temperature in a dark place in a well-sealed container.

Juices are obtained by passing plant materials through a press, meat grinder or juicer. Natural juice should be consumed immediately after preparation.

Powder is well-dried medicinal raw material, thoroughly crushed in a metal, porcelain or wooden bowl to the state of flour.

The cakes are obtained after squeezing the juice from plant materials.

Herbal oil (solution) - crushed medicinal raw materials are poured with vegetable oil and kept in a dark place, stirring occasionally. After 1-2 weeks, the oil solution is filtered.

The season for harvesting medicinal herbs is in full swing. In this article I will talk about what you can do with them: how to make herbal jam, why drink herbal milk and how to quickly and easily prepare healing herbal cream.

1. Herbal teas.
This is the easiest way to enjoy the taste and aroma of herbs. To make a delicious herbal tea, take 2 tablespoons of a mixture of dried herbs (or fresh herbs and fresh berries), put in a porcelain teapot, pour boiling water, cover with a lid and wrap with a towel so that the essential oils do not evaporate through the spout of the teapot . Let the tea brew for 20-30 minutes. Drink without diluting with water.
This method is suitable for leaves, petals and flowers. If you are preparing tea with dried berries or pieces of roots, you need to prepare it as an herbal decoction.

2. Herbal decoctions.
To prepare a weak herbal decoction, take 1 tablespoon of dried herbs, berries or roots, pour 2 glasses of cold water and put on fire. Bring to a boil and leave over low heat for 7-10 minutes (the water will partially evaporate). Strain the finished broth (there is no need to infuse it anymore). To prepare a stronger decoction, leave it on low heat until half the water has evaporated. Decoctions are prepared mainly for medicinal purposes. Since they are quite strong and contain a large amount of biologically active substances, it is not recommended to drink them constantly, like tea.
There is another, easier way to prepare a herbal decoction. To do this, put the herbs in a thermos, add boiling water and leave for 3-4 hours. Then strain and drink.

3. Herbal ointments and creams.
Herbs impart their beneficial properties well to oils, so I prepare herbal ointments and creams based on butter. Herbal ointments are mainly used to care for damaged skin (for example, after sunburn) or to soften and nourish tired skin. You can also prepare ointments that have antiseptic properties. The properties of the ointment depend on what herbs you take. For example, an ointment based on dried rose and rose petals will be useful for tired, sun-dried skin. An ointment based on sage, calendula or plantain will cleanse problematic skin. An ointment with mint and propolis will nourish the skin with vitamins and fight rosacea.

Here is the simplest recipe that you can use as a base, changing the oils and adding new healthy ingredients.
You will need:
100 grams of butter
3 tablespoons dried herbs
geranium essential oil
Grind the herbs in a coffee grinder as finely as possible. Place the butter in a small saucepan and place over low heat. When it almost boils, remove from heat and let it cool completely. Then put the herbs in it, heat it again, but do not bring it to a boil. Remove from heat, strain through several layers of cheesecloth, pour into a clean jar with a lid and then add a few drops of geranium essential oil. Store the ointment in the refrigerator, remove with a glass spatula and warm in your hands before use.

4. Herbal oils.
Herbal oils are used for facial, body or scalp massage, nail care, instead of daily face cream.
There is a cold and “warm” method of preparing oils.
To prepare butter using the cold method,
Take 7 tablespoons of any dried herbs (eg chamomile, calendula, mint, clover), add a glass of food grade vegetable oil (unrefined sunflower, grape seed oil, almond oil, jojoba oil), stir with a wooden spoon to remove air bubbles , close the lid tightly and place in a dark place for 40 days. Then strain the oil.
The hot method cooks the oil faster. Infuse the herbs with oil in the same way as with the cold method. Close the jars with butter with lids and place in the multicooker bowl, fill with water and set to “yogurt” mode (at low temperature, for 8-10 hours).

5. Herbal powders for cleansing the skin.
Ground herbs are the most gentle yet effective way to remove dead skin cells and cleanse your skin. I haven’t used soaps or foams to cleanse my skin for a long time, but only use herbal powders. To prepare this powder, grind the dried herbs in a coffee grinder. For 3-4 tablespoons of herbs, add 1 tablespoon of ground oatmeal or milk powder. Store in a dry jar with a lid. Before use, take a little powder and dilute with water to a paste consistency. Gently rub into skin, rinse with water.

6. Herbal milk.
In Ayurveda, milk is considered a healthy product if you drink it correctly. In the evening, you can prepare your own milk using herbs in order to sleep peacefully and soundly. Boil 1 tablespoon of dried mint leaves in milk, strain, add honey and drink 1 hour before bedtime. Like butter, milk and honey are “conductors” of the beneficial components of herbs and help them be absorbed in the body.

7. Herbal jams.
In general, herbal jams are prepared from a mixture of finely ground dried herbs with honey (or melted butter). But I prepare jams a little differently - I add ground dried fruits and lemon juice to them. This jam is much nicer and tastier. I take 500 grams of various dried fruits (dates, raisins, dried apricots, figs), grind them in a meat grinder, add the juice of half a lemon, 1 tablespoon of honey, 7 tablespoons of dried and chopped herbs. I store this mixture in the refrigerator. It is better to consume it before breakfast, 2-3 teaspoons.

Rules for storing herbal preparations:
1. Use all decoctions and infusions of herbs prepared in water immediately or store in the refrigerator for no more than 10 hours. Before use, do not reheat them, but dilute them with a small amount of boiling water.
2. Preparations based on butter or ghee can be stored at room temperature or in the refrigerator. But in the cold they harden, so before use, take the amount of ointment or cream you need with a glass spatula or a special spatula and warm it in your hands.
3. Store liquid herbal oils in the refrigerator. If they are prepared using dried herbs, they can be stored for 3-4 months. Store oils prepared with fresh herbs for no more than 4 weeks.
4. The dishes in which you prepare the preparations must be very clean, and the jars in which you will store them must first be treated with alcohol or sterilized.

Read about how to enhance the effect of medicinal herbs.

Firstly, When we acquire Baikal, we can still expect that there will be
the community of microorganisms is one that is somehow guaranteed. But when
We do a lot of dilutions ourselves, there is no guarantee that there
necessary, not harmful, organisms have been preserved. My daughter is a biologist and knows that control at home
impossible.
Secondly, quite an expensive pleasure, especially when the dacha is 40 acres.

Therefore, the advice is to prepare it yourself:

Method No. 1

Method No. 2

Necessary:
bucket of manure or droppings
bucket of leaf humus from the forest
bucket of wood ash
3-liter jar of mash (pour 100 grams of yeast with warm water, add sugar or old jam, let it ferment for a week)
black crackers,
sour milk, kefir, whey, whatever
a shovel of earth from your garden.

Put herbs in a barrel, throw in old yeast, old bread (yeast
bacteria), add sugared jam. milk rinses. sour cream.
kefir (lactic acid bacteria), sprinkle hay dust (bacillus hay,
which is a devourer of harmful pathogens
microorganisms). You can add min. fertilizers, humates, throw a handful
earth (it contains all the necessary microorganisms, by the way, not alien
for your site, and relatives, on a nutrient medium they will also
multiplied). To soften the disgusting odor, add ash (and
additional fertilizer).

Everything sits in a large bathtub or barrel with water for 10 days, then a ladle into a bucket of water, fertilize everything.
What's the point: uh this is how we grow beneficial microorganisms, including our own, soil from our own garden
What effect: plant only half as much.

Dilute 1 liter of infusion into a bucket.

Use as foliar
fertilizing and root. The effect is very wonderful. All microorganisms
which will be in these solutions are included as a base in “Baikal”.

EXPLANATIONS:
It is not worth feeding plants 2 times a week. Once a week or 10 days is enough. For quick results, foliar treatments are carried out. We have been using this homemade “Baikal” for about 15 years. All the gardeners we know also now use this recipe and everyone is very happy and grateful. My daughter is a microbiologist and is savvy enough to recommend this recipe. She can, if necessary, control microorganisms under a microscope. No one guarantees that the Baikal purchased from companies will not introduce microorganisms foreign to your area into your garden.

Adding to "Baikal"
(A few comments)

First: never insist on LIVING, freshly cut, freshly pulled out plants. By doing so, we multiply organisms that can eat and damage living cells. Dry any grass - that’s hay dust for you.

The best option for soil seed is the top layer - 1-2 kg per barrel, the top layer of soil with old leaves and twigs (the blackened leaf is that same hay bacillus - a cellulose destroyer) from a planting away from the ground on which they worked with chemicals.

The best infusion option is to pump air through the infusion in this container from an aquarium compressor (or another similar option for aerating the infusion). There is no need to allow the stench. THIS IS A PROCESS OF ROTATION, NOT FERMENTATION.

OLD MISSING JAM, REMAINS OF WINE (ALTHOUGH IT'S A SORRY - IT'S SOURED - FOR ITS SHAB), PHYTOSPORIN - IT'S ALL IN THE BUSINESS.

Read about how to enhance the effect of medicinal herbs.