Herbal Apothecary 101: Herbal Infusion

By Susan Belsinger and Tina Marie Wilcox
June/July 2009
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Health made simple: A few herbs and you in your kitchen, preparing medicines with simple techniques as ancient as time.
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Makes about 1 quart

Sometimes we prepare an herb infusion with a single herb or flower. However, we also use a combination of two or three herbs to make a blend. To prepare 1 cup, quarter the recipe.

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• Generous 2 cups packed fresh herb leaves and flowers
• 1 quart water

1. Rinse herbs if they are dirty and pat or spin them dry. Bring water barely to a boil in a nonreactive saucepan and then remove from heat. Add herb leaves and cover.

2. For a hot beverage, steep for about 5 minutes, taste it for desired strength and serve, or let steep for a few minutes more. It can be steeped for up to 30 minutes, but keep in mind that the longer the herb is infused, the more starches and tannins will be extracted from the herb into the solution, which can cloud the infusion and give it a bitter taste.

Susan Belsinger and Tina Marie Wilcox use herbs every day in and around their homes and greenhouses. Some of this article’s information and recipes are from their book The Creative Herbal Home (Herbspirit, 2007). 

Click here for the original article, Herbal Apothecary 101.


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