Food, Herbals

How To Make Your Own Herbal Infusions & Why You Should

I grew up drinking herbal infusions. My mother had an obsession with Susan Weed and Rosemary Gladstar, and rightfully so. Both are wise women and herbalists whom I grew to admire greatly. Their work is considered ‘classic’ now and both have worked for years to bring the world of herbs mainstream and more accessible to the general public. They taught me what the difference is between steeped herbal teas and infusions and why they’re such an important part of your health.

An infusion is much stronger and more concentrated than a tea. I like to drink them instead of juice and to break up my water requirement, especially during the winter when the weather is so cold. They’re incredible sources of protein, essential fatty acids, vitamins, minerals and micronutrients. In addition, they each have particular medicinal qualities, actions and uses. They also provide energy and nourishment without extra calories. I used to drink 1 quart jar of nettle tea when I was growing up on a daily basis. I used to use it to rinse my hair as well. I’ve heard of people using leftover infusions as plant food, watering their house plants with it.

Depending on my schedule, I like to make infusions in the morning and then drink them in the late afternoon. Another option is to make them before you go to bed. Unlike tea, you use a much larger amount of dried herbs in relation to water. For a quart sized mason jar, you would use 1 ounce by weight (around 1 cup of dried herbs) and fill the jar up with boiling water. Next, place a lid on top and let it sit. After 4-12 hours you simply strain the liquid and drink! If you have leftovers, be sure to store them in the fridge as the liquid to be consumed within 36 hours or else the proteins in the liquid start to go ‘off’.

I like to use nettle, red clover, oatstraw, raspberry leaf, burdock and dandelion root infusions. Comfrey is good as well and I like to use rose hips in the summer/fall months. Why these herbs in particular?

Oatstraw – rebuilds nerves, longevity tonic, stable blood sugar, osteoporosis, eczema

Nettle – hair, skin, nails, energy, adrenal restorative, hormonal normalizer, immune, lungs, osteoporosis, vein and circulatory tonic, digestion

Red Clover – nerves, lungs, lymph, fertility, hot flashes

Burdock – lymph system, blood purifier, skin healing benefits, diuretic

Dandelion root – diuretic, liver detoxing, promotes digestion, eases bloating, aching joints, skin health, liver congestion, weight loss

Infusions are incredibly nourishing for women, men, pregnant and lactating women, allergies, infertility, colitis, cancer, immune system problems, nemopausal women, Krone’s disease, sinus problems, diabetes, hormonal issues, anxiety, adrenal burnout, etc, etc. The vitamins and minerals are more beneficial than a multi-vitamin in many cases, because they’re directly absorbed into your blood, with no required digestion.

Here’s a fun video with Susun Weed explaining why this liquid gold is so fab.

Essentially, infusions have large amounts of nutritional value that cannot be obtained from teas or tinctures. Just be sure to use freshly dried herbs that are organic. You can either make your own for the season, drying them in your dehydrator, or you can purchase them online. Amazon.com sells two of my favourite brands for quite inexpensive. Frontier and Starwest Botanicals.

February 3, 2018/52 Comments/by Nadia Carriere