What on earth are herbal extracts?

There are certain health promoting compounds that can be found in the plants around us, whether they be wild or cultivated. Herbal extraction is the process of drawing out the therapeutic components of a chosen herb or plant. In many cases, the beneficial compounds we want are tucked away within fibrous material of the plant that is challenging for our digestive systems to fully break down. You can use herbal extracts to help solve this problem by increasing bio-availability.

Each extraction can be singular (one plant or herb and concentrated compound) or there can be a combination of herbs together for a larger desired effect, but most of the time you will see these in a liquid based form ready to be ingested.

With this type of Herbal Extract, you do not need to steep it, or do anything extra. Just add it to natural honey (which you should by from  local sourced beekeepers.)

Electuaries – Part XI

An herbal electuary is made by mixing herbal powders with honey They’ve been used since the Middle Ages to make herbal remedies more portable while extending their shelf life. That’s because grinding herbs into a powder made them less bulky and easier to travel with, but it also increases the rate at which they lose potency. However, mixing the herbs with honey seals in their herbal goodness for longer, extending the amount of time they have therapeutic value.

Making an electuary is super easy – you just place some ground herbs in a bowl and stir in some honey until you have a thick paste. You can add more honey if you prefer a thinner electuary, or roll them into pills if you prefer them that way.

An excellent way to get the Electuary into your system is to spread it on your favorite type of toasted bread or bagel. Or you can mix it into your favorite herbal tea for that extra ‘oomph’ that you need to get.

Here’s a few recipes we like to have on hand for that tasty, healthy snack:

Adaptogenic Herbs Blend – To get a healthy dose of the Adaptogens your body likes to have

Instead of Coffee Blend – A way to have the waking up factors of coffee without the adverse affects of it

Brain Power Blend – A way to help you keep sharp throughout the day

Respiratory Tonic Blend – If you are stuffy or have a chest cold, this can do the trick

In this series you will be able to see and gain recipes for your home apothecary remedies that will become the mainstay in your household. Here’s what you can see and learn more of:

Come and join us in bringing back the knowledge known by our ancestors and practiced for the health and benefit of those that came before us!