I Will Be Out of the Office for the Month of September

This September I'll be lucky enough to spend some time in the beautiful region of Wales, England, so I'll be out of the office for the whole month of September. Pictured above is Snowdon, Britain's highest mountain south of the Scottish Highlands. I don't know that I'll be taking on that particular challenge, but I will be spending some of my time hiking through the beautiful countryside.

Please note:

• Phone messages will be returned and new appointments will be booked for when I return
• Email will be checked twice a week

I'll back in the office Tuesday, October 12th rested, recharged and ready to see you all again.

Picture provided by Wikipedia.

Making Teas From and Drying Your Fresh-Picked Herbs

Picking herbs in your backyard is wonderful, but what do you do with those herbs once you get them home?

Drying Herbs

Drying herbs is the easiest way to preserve their medicinal value for months or even years. Dried herbs should be put in air-tight, dark containers as light and air can degrade their quality. Also remember to label your herbs because after drying they can be more difficult to identify.

Air-Drying Herbs

Air-drying herbs is both simple and easy to do. For long-stemmed herbs, tie into small bunches of about 5-6 stems per bunch and hang upside down in a warm, dark, dry place. To dry seeds, place a paper bag over the inverted herbs and while the herbs dry the seeds will fall into the bag. Flowers and leaves may be dried independently by placing them in a thin layer inside a basket to allow for good airflow.

Herbs can take from a few days to weeks to dry depending on the size and density of the herb. For heavy roots, drying can take more than a year.

Oven-Drying Herbs

While air-drying is the most traditional, it’s also the most time-consuming way to dry herbs. To speed the process, herbs can be placed in a thin layer on a sheet pan and dried in an oven on its lowest temperature setting. Herbs should be checked frequently to ensure they are only dried and don’t begin to cook or burn.

Herbs are ready when they crumble when rubbed between your fingers.

Teas

Teas are the easiest way to use herbs as they can be made from fresh or dry herbs. For dried herbs it’s as simple as putting one tablespoon of dried herbs into one cup of boiling water. Let this simmer for 5 – 15 minutes and you’re ready to drink. If you’re using fresh herbs you will need to use at least twice the amount and likely the final tea will still be weaker. For a strong tea with fresh herbs use 2/3 a cup of herbs to one cup of water.

Unless stems are needed for medicinal value, stems can be removed before making tea for a less-bitter final product. Tea can be sweetened with honey and drunk hot or cold. Cooled tea can be applied directly to skin for topical uses and keeps in the fridge for up to five days.

Three cups of tea per day is a general guide but see your local herbalist for specific amounts for you.

Remember, herbs are medications so see a health practitioner before beginning any treatment.

Herb-Picking In Your Backyard

I've walked the backwoods of the Pacific Northwest since my childhood, and I've come to know and love them well. One of the things I've always appreciated is the easy availability of herbs in my own backyard. Here are some of my favorites available now.

Red Clover Blossoms

Red clovers blossoms are a favorite of kids and herbalists alike. While not native to North America, red clover has been naturalized here for decades and can be found all over the Pacific Northwest. Children can be seen picking out the deep pink trumpets and sucking at the sweet nectar inside, but as an herbalist, I most commonly find it helpful for those with skin problems or women suffering with premenstral syndrome (PMS).

Red Clover Uses

Red clover contains estrogen-like compounds (isoflavones) and can be used to reduce PMS symptoms and reduce menopausal symptoms. It also contains calcium, magnesium and isoflavones which can relax the nervous system to help rid skin conditions and increase fertility.

Cleavers

Cleavers is native to North America and is also known as Clivers, Goosegrass, Stickyleaf, Catchweed and Stickyweed. It can grow up to two meters tall with white to greenish flowers two-three millimeters across. The long stems of the pant sprawl over the ground and grow up other plants. There are many small hooks that cover the plant making it cling to you as you pass by.

Uses of Cleavers

The whole plant is rich in vitamin C and can be used to treat skin conditions, high blood pressure and cyctitis. It is a diuretic and can help repair skin wounds and sunburns. Because of the outer hooks, it is not pleasant to eat raw but the fruits can be dried and roasted for a coffee-like drink and the leaves can be boiled like leafy vegetables.

Horsetail

Horsetail belongs to a family of plants that date back millions of years and is named, of course, because it looks like a horse's tail. Thanks to the abrasive silicates on its stem, it has been used to scour metal items and is still used in Japan, after being boiled and dried, to polish woodcrafts.

Horsetail Uses

The above-ground parts of the plant are used fresh or dried. It contains alkaloids, bitters, flavonoids and its silicates encourage the absorption of calcium in the body. It is a diuretic and used to treat kidney stones, anemia, gastrointestinal conditions, urinary tract infections and brittle nails.

Self-Heal

More commonly known as Prunella, self-heal is a member of the mint family and can be found in moist wetland or grass. It spreads quickly, almost as a ground cover, making it easy to find, or grow, in your own backyard. It has a square stem common to mints and is best collected in mid-summer.

Uses of Self-Heal

In the Pacific Northwest, natives have been using this plant for many years for the treatment of boils, cuts and inflammation. Self-heal is an antioxidant, immune stimulant, viral replication inhibitor, and anti-inflammatory. It can also be used to sooth a sore throat in a tea or by gargling an infusion. Its mildly bitter leaves can also be used as salad greens.

St. John's Wort

St John's Wort commonly grows in the wild and gets its name from its being traditionally picked on St. John's Day, June 24. St. John's Wort is easily recognized by five-petal flowers and leaves that have transparent dots when held up to the light. While in some cases St. John's Wort is considered a toxic weed in livestock fields, it is most commonly known as an antidepressant for people.

Uses of St. John's Wort

St. John's Wort is commonly prescribed in Germany as an antidepressant and its use to fight depression as an over-the-counter medication is common in North America as well. St. John's Wort can also be used to treat PMS, bladder conditions, viral infections, external wounds and bruises.

More Information

Learn to make teas or dry your freshly-picked herbs,

For more information on herb-picking check out:

• The Complete New Herbal: A Practical Guide to Herbal Living by Richard Mabey
• The The New Holistic Herbal by David Hoffmann
  

Remember, herbs are medications so see a health practitioner before beginning any treatment.

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