ravensgrove
11-17-2011, 02:38 AM
I haven’t seen anyone as of yet discussing medicinal gardening. I keep a medicinal garden and herb garden here. I am fortunate to live near University of Washington which has an extensive 2 acre medicinal garden and have learned a lot from their guided tours. I highly suggest checking with your local agriculture extension and seeing if they have a medicinal garden. There are a plethora of lists online for medicinal herbs, so I won’t bore you with a long winded list, and as aforementioned in the section sticky...I TOO am not a Dr. and have never played one on tv. Pay particular attention to medicinal plants native to your area. Whatever indigenous tribes you have in your area, look to them as resources. Many tribes now keep websites with all sorts of cultural information.
Once you have your grown herbs you can basically do four things with them: make a topical paste, create a tincture which is taken orally, make an infusion or decoction/extraction in oil/water which is most commonly applied topically but in some instances is administered orally or via suppository, or you can make salves.
How do you do THAT?
Topical paste is self explanatory, you’re going to crush the herbs with a mortar and pestle or food processor and get them wet with as little water as possible.
Tincture’s are made by taking whole herbs and placing them in alcohol, where they ferment, once fermentation is achieved generally 3 to 6 months, the herbs are removed, the tincture is strained and then poured back into a clean holding vessel. It is best to use clear unadulterated alcohol, Vodka suffices. Try to use the darkest bottle you can find and place in a temperature/humidity stable area out of direct sunlight.
An infusion is made by placing an herb in a virgin carrier oil, most commonly olive oil and allowing the oil to naturally leach the chemical components from the herbs. An extraction/decoction is made when you gently simmer an herb in water, thus pulling the chemical components from the plant.
Salves/Balms are made by applying infusions or extractions/decoction to a soluble carrier. Here, I make salves and balms with 10 parts pigs lard to 1 part lanolin and 1 part beeswax. All are heated to liquid state, the infusion/extraction added and then poured into tins which cool. We make everything from bug rub for us and the livestock/dogs to furniture polish in this simple salve/balm.
As with all things, I am always thinking long term in my post shtf planning. I always find anything which revolves solely around stockpiling supplies insufficient, as eventually they will run out. Its important to learn how to prepare medicinals.
Once you have your grown herbs you can basically do four things with them: make a topical paste, create a tincture which is taken orally, make an infusion or decoction/extraction in oil/water which is most commonly applied topically but in some instances is administered orally or via suppository, or you can make salves.
How do you do THAT?
Topical paste is self explanatory, you’re going to crush the herbs with a mortar and pestle or food processor and get them wet with as little water as possible.
Tincture’s are made by taking whole herbs and placing them in alcohol, where they ferment, once fermentation is achieved generally 3 to 6 months, the herbs are removed, the tincture is strained and then poured back into a clean holding vessel. It is best to use clear unadulterated alcohol, Vodka suffices. Try to use the darkest bottle you can find and place in a temperature/humidity stable area out of direct sunlight.
An infusion is made by placing an herb in a virgin carrier oil, most commonly olive oil and allowing the oil to naturally leach the chemical components from the herbs. An extraction/decoction is made when you gently simmer an herb in water, thus pulling the chemical components from the plant.
Salves/Balms are made by applying infusions or extractions/decoction to a soluble carrier. Here, I make salves and balms with 10 parts pigs lard to 1 part lanolin and 1 part beeswax. All are heated to liquid state, the infusion/extraction added and then poured into tins which cool. We make everything from bug rub for us and the livestock/dogs to furniture polish in this simple salve/balm.
As with all things, I am always thinking long term in my post shtf planning. I always find anything which revolves solely around stockpiling supplies insufficient, as eventually they will run out. Its important to learn how to prepare medicinals.