It's all well and fine to talk about growing and harvesting herbs for their medicinal benefits but not very useful information if you don't know how to use them. The thought of making them into something like a tea, tincture or syrup can be overwhelming if you don't understand the difference in all the strange words.
First, you can use fresh or dried herbs. Fresh is naturally best but dried is also used because its the best way to preserve herbs. Some herbs don't grow year round and you have to harvest them at their peak and preserve them for later use. So dried is fine even if you don't grow them and have to buy most of your herbs. If using dried herbs you will use less since three parts fresh is equal to one part dried. Simply put, if you use three teaspoonfuls of fresh then you would only need one teaspoonful of dried herbs.
The easiest way to use herbs are as a tea. A tea can be made one of two ways. Either you make a decoction or an infusion. There is very little difference in the two preparations. For a decoction you bring your water to a boil and then add the herbs. Then you boil it for 15 to 20 minutes. Afterwards let the decoction steep for 5 minutes. You can use a tea ball, a reusable tea bag or strain the loose herbs through a cloth. Often a decoction made this way is done for roots and woody parts of herbs. The more delicate leaves can be made into an infusion. Put your herbs into a vessel and pour the boiling water over them. Put a cover on them and let them steep for five minutes. You can use a teapot or a small saucepan with a lid to steep herbs. It is also a good use for one of those French press coffee makers.
Teas can be sweetened with honey if you are going to be drinking it. Depending on their purpose they can be drunk hot, cold or iced. Some teas are also used as a gargle or wash or used topically instead of drinking them. Others can be added to a hot bath or a foot soak depending on which herb you are using and why. The tea can be kept for a day or two in the refrigerator.
Another way to prepare herbs is to make a tincture or extract. A tincture is usually made with alcohol. The alcohol extracts the herb's oils and preserves them for later use in a concentrated form. You would only use a small amount of the tincture at a time just like when you take a teaspoon of cough syrup. You can stir the tincture into a hot tea and allow it to steep to evaporate the alcohol from it.
To make a tincture, I always use a mason jar. Sterilize the jar and lid then add your herbs. Cover them with alcohol, usually vodka or Everclear and put the lid on and place in a warm area for two weeks. You can use one part herb material to three parts alcohol. Fresh herbs don't usually need shaking but dried herbs tend to settle to the bottom of the jar and need to be shaken twice a day. After two weeks strain the herbs out making sure to remove all the liquid. Discard the spent herbs and bottle the extract for use. A dark, tightly capped bottle is best. The extract should last indefinitely due to the alcohol.
You can also make an extract with food grade glycerine. It is more of a syrup and is easier for some people to take. It is a good choice for diabetics as the glycerine is not processed as a sugar. Taking too much of this kind of extract can be like a laxative so only take about an ounce at a time. Some herbs are not extracted well in glycerine like the ones that are high in resins or gums. Fresh herbs work better in glycerine than dried herbs.
To make a glycerine extract add your herbs to your jar and then cover them with the glycerine. Cap the jar and place in a Sunny window for two weeks shaking daily. After two weeks strain the herbs from the glycerine and bottle. Let the herbs rest another day or so and when they settle to the bottom of the jar you can usually strain more glycerine which can be bottled. The glycerine extract should last a year or two without spoiling. It will not usually be as potent as an alcohol tincture and so it may be necessary to use more to get the same benefit.
One other way to use your herbs is as a syrup. Basically what you are doing is adding a sweetener to an herbal tea ( decoction or infusion). You can use the sweetener of your choice but I usually use honey. A ratio of 1:1 or a bit less is fine. Syrups are used for herbs that don't taste great or to soothe your throat. They can be stirred into hot water and taken like a tea. The honey helps preserve the syrup but it is best to keep it in the refrigerator. A syrup can also be canned in a water bath canner to make it shelf stable. It's no different then canning a simple syrup except you have the addition of the herbal infusion.
As always you need to do your own research. There are so many herbs that it would be difficult to go into the use and best preparation of each one. There are herb books that can be purchased which give more detail on the processes. It is also imperative that you consider your own individual health issues. Never take herbs without doing research especially if you are pregnant or taking some prescription drugs. Perhaps if there is time and interest I can explain specifically about individual herbs in future posts as well as salves, ointments, compresses and oils. For now this is just a general overview of ways to prepare herbs. Use it for information purposes only. I am not trying to give medical advice here or in any other post.
Southern Wood Elf