Rituals: Herbal Infusion

I've shared a few of my favorite herbal infusions below.

NETTLE INFUSION

There are some herbs that do better in a cold-water infusion, as some of their healing properties can be lost with heat.

A few herbs that benefit from a cold infusion are marshmallow root, slippery elm, nettle, lemon balm and comfrey root. My most favorite mineral-rich, highly nutritive tonic tea infusion is Nettle.

Some of Nettle’s properties and benefits:

-Extremely rich in chlorophyll, vitamins and minerals – especially high in iron (with vitamin C helping with the iron absorption), calcium, magnesium, B vitamins, vitamin A

-Highly nourishing, rejuvenating, remineralizing and alkalizing

-Highly beneficial for anyone suffering from iron deficiency or anemia

-Nettle gives energy and vitality – ideal if you suffer from chronic fatigue, have low energy or have a weakened immune system

-Nettle strengthens the urinary, digestive, respiratory, and reproductive systems

-Very effective to prevent and treat allergies, asthma and hay fever symptoms (congestion, runny nose, itchy eyes, sneezing) – taking nettle early in the Spring before seasonal allergies start to appear can be a really smart thing to do!

-When consumed over a long period of time, nettle helps to detoxify the system by gently cleansing the body of metabolic waste (perfect after the winter months where we may have eaten heavier meals or may have been less active)

-Anti-inflammatory, it can help prevent and treat eczema, arthritis, joint pain and gout
Promotes hair and nail growth...it's also beneficial for the hair and scalp

It’s important to understand the difference between an herbal tea and an herbal infusion. An infusion is very similar to tea, only it uses a larger concentration of herb and it is steeped for a longer period of time (ideally overnight or at least 4-6 hours) and has much stronger medicinal benefits.

What you get from a nettle infusion is a dark green, almost brown liquid that is super concentrated with the plant’s vitamins and minerals – pure nourishment & joy for your cells!

Nettle Infusion Dosage

I suggest drinking about 1 cup of nettle infusion every day. The recipe below makes enough for about 5-7 days, so I make a new batch every week. You have to allow herbal infusions time to work; I’d recommend drinking it for at least 4-6 weeks to start noticing its effects.

Notes: Nettle is in my opinion one of the best-tasting herbs; it has an earthy, slightly sweet taste. I love drinking it on its own (hot or cold), but if the taste is too strong for you, you can add a slice of lemon or a few mint leaves, mix it with your favourite tea, or even add it to your smoothies.

Makes 1 large Mason jar of infusion

Prep Time 5 minutes

Ingredients

4-6 tablespoons of dried nettle leaf
1 quart spring or filtered water (the size of a large Mason jar: about 4 cups)

INSTRUCTIONS

Fill mason jar with water then place nettle leaves (in cheesecloth) in the jar. Close the lid and let sit overnight in the refrigerator (or at least 4-6 hours).
The next morning, strain through a fine-mesh sieve, discard the leaves (place in the compost), and keep the precious liquid. Store in the fridge and drink about a cup of the smooth tasting mineral-rich infusion every day.

As mentioned, there are some herbs that are better prepared as a cold infusion, but some are better prepared with boiling water then cooled and stored in the fridge to steep overnight or 4-6 hours...This is something I recommend researching before making other types of infusions.

I recommend sourcing dried herbs from Mountain Rose Herbs. They are organic and very high quality.

Oxymel:

A mixture of honey & vinegar, “acid &honey” used as medicine. An herbal extraction of vinegar and raw honey.

An herbal elixir used for insomnia, coughs, congestion, sore throat, sore ears, sore back, gout, even rubbed on veggies to ease digestion.

Can be used as a base for a cocktail too.

The health effects depend on the herbs you infuse.

For example:

Ginger & garlic to fight off a cold

Rosemary for digestion & circulation

Chamomile for soothing nerves

Nettles for a mineral-rich tonic

ROSE AND TULSI OXYMEL

Heart opening, mellow and gently lifting. Oxymels are so wonderful added to fizzy water for a refreshing drink, or taken neat off the spoon.

EQUIPMENT

1 litre (34 fl oz/4 cups) sterilised dry jar and lid

Baking paper

INGREDIENTS

1.5 cup dried tulsi leaf

1 cup rose petals or rose buds

Unpasteurised raw apple cider vinegar

Raw local honey

METHOD

Combine your dried herbal ingredients in the sterilized jar.

Pour over the vinegar until the jar looks half full. *warming the vinegar will help jumpstart the infusion, but do not boil.

Top off the remaining space with raw honey.

Place a piece of baking paper over the top of your preparation, then secure with the lid.

Label with the plant ingredients used, date made.

Place your jar in front of a sunny window to infuse, shaking it daily.

Let it sit for 2-6 weeks, strain through a mesh strainer.

Be sure to press the herbs to extract the liquids, you can do this with a spoon.

Pop in a clean, airtight jar and keep in the fridge...for up to a year.