At home, it is easy to prepare medicinal herbal decoctions, infusions, teas, tinctures, masks, and rinses. First, the plant or its parts are dried and thoroughly crushed.

Grass, leaves and flowers are crushed to sizes not exceeding 5 mm, the smaller you get, the better.

They try to chop the roots, stems and bark to a plate size not exceeding 3 mm.

The seeds need to be ground in a coffee grinder.

If you need to use the water bath technique, then you need to do the following.

Pour the specified amount of raw material into an enamel cup, add the required amount of water, cover with a lid, and place it in a large container with boiling water.

It is usually recommended to keep the infusion (from leaves, flowers, stems) in a water bath for 15 minutes, and the decoction (from roots, rhizomes, bark) for half an hour. Make sure it doesn't escape by periodically opening the lid and stirring. After the required heating time, remove the cup and leave to infuse.

If you need to cool the infusion, it will take 45 minutes; for decoctions, 10 minutes is enough. After cooling, the infusions and decoctions are filtered. If required by the recipe, then dilute with boiled water in the required proportions. A decoction of raw materials containing tannins (oak bark and rhizomes of many plants) is filtered immediately without cooling.

How long can ready-made decoctions and infusions of medicinal herbs be stored?

Ready-made decoctions and infusions are stored for 2-3 days in a dark and cool place, in a clean glass container with a closed lid.

How to prepare infusions from medicinal herbs?

Tinctures are also easy to prepare at home. Usually, for 1 part by weight of the plant, take 5 parts of alcohol-containing liquid, unless the recipe specifies otherwise.

Thoroughly grind the appropriately processed and dried raw materials. Place it in a glass container specially designated for this purpose, fill it with alcohol or vodka, close the lid tightly and place it in a cool, dark place. Leave for as long as the recipe requires. After this period, the tincture is filtered and the raw materials are squeezed out. It would be good to keep the prepared tincture for several days at a temperature no higher than 7 degrees. Then the tincture must be filtered again.

Here are a few recipes for products you can prepare at home:

Recipes for folk remedies to strengthen hair

Recipe No. 1

Take ingredients purchased at the pharmacy in equal proportions:
- a bottle of nettle extract;
- a bottle of hazel extract;
- a bottle of hop extract;
- a bottle of celandine extract.

Mix all the above ingredients and add:
- 10 g burdock oil;
- 10 g sea buckthorn oil;
- 10 g eucalyptus oil;
- 10 g rose oil.

Preparation and use of hair strengthening balm

Mix everything thoroughly. Lightly dry your well-washed hair with a towel. Not a large number of Rub the resulting balm (focus on the length of your hair) into your head with circular massage movements, using your index, middle and ring fingers. Make movements in the direction from the temples to the crown.

Pour the remaining balm into a glass jar and store in the refrigerator. Before use, the jar with single contents can be slightly warmed under the pressure of hot water.

Recipe No. 2

Ingredients:
- 1 tbsp. a spoonful of stinging nettle leaves crushed into powder;
- 1 glass of boiling water;
- 1 tbsp. a spoonful of crushed dry black elderberry fruits;
- 1 tbsp. spoonful of forest mallow.

Preparation and use of hair rinse

Pour boiling water over the raw materials. Place in a dark place to infuse for an hour. Strain. Dilute with water and use as a rinse after shampooing.

Recipe No. 3

Ingredients:
- 1 teaspoon of dry powder or white clay paste;
- 1 teaspoon butter;
- 1 yolk;
- 1 teaspoon of honey;
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice;
- 1 teaspoon mustard powder.

Preparation and use of a mask to strengthen hair

Grind the clay with butter, yolk, honey, mustard. Sprinkle everything with lemon juice. Rub the resulting pulp into the roots of the hair, and distribute the remaining substrate along the entire length of the hair.

Put on a shower cap and tie a towel over it. Keep warming for 1-1.5 hours. Wash off the mask with shampoo.

When procuring medicinal plants, it is necessary to be able to accurately identify the plant, correctly collect, dry and store it.

Flowers, inflorescences, leaves, grass, fruits and seeds, buds, bark, roots and rhizomes are used for medicinal purposes. Medicinal plants are collected only in good dry weather. Moreover, it is better to collect leaves, grass, flowers and inflorescences in the morning in sunny weather, after the dew has dried. Roots and rhizomes are collected in early spring(April, May) or autumn (September, October). Buds should be collected in early spring, tree bark in April, flowers when buds appear (chain, thyme, prickly tartar), at the beginning of flowering (chamomile, rose). It is recommended to harvest the fruits on dry, cool days.

How to collect medicinal plants correctly

Each type of medicinal raw material is collected in a separate container. The collected plants must be laid out, cleared of debris, and sorted out.

After collection, medicinal plants must be dried, and this process must be started as quickly as possible to avoid the destructive action of enzymes and molding of compressed wet plants.

How and where to dry collected medicinal plants

Drying is a very important component of the raw material procurement process; the quality of the harvested medicinal plants depends on the correctness of its implementation. In most cases, drying cannot be carried out under the influence of direct sun rays, since this destroys chlorophyll, essential oils, and glycosides. Plants should be dried by spreading the raw materials in a thin layer in the attic, on shelves, on spread paper or fabric in a well-ventilated place.

In the sun you can dry plants containing a large amount of tannins, as well as the roots, rhizomes and flowers of hawthorn, elderberry, white cherry, and ivy bud. Before drying, roots and rhizomes are washed (as quickly as possible) in a basket or net, and only the roots of some plants (for example, burdock) are only brushed from the soil and cut lengthwise before drying. The average drying time is 4-7 days at a temperature not exceeding 30-35 °C. Plants containing ascorbic acid, dried at a temperature not exceeding 80-90 ° C, herbs containing glucosides (lily of the valley, goritsa) are dried at 50-60 ° C. Poisonous plants and those with a strong odor should be dried separately.

How to properly store medicinal plants and herbs

Medicinal plants should be stored in labeled paper bags, boxes (pre-lined inside with paper), and glass jars with lids. Flowers, inflorescences, grass are stored for one year, fruits, roots, rhizomes and bark for two years or more. The storage area must be dry and cool.

How to prepare infusions and decoctions from medicinal plants

Medicinal plants are usually used in the form of decoctions and infusions, which are aqueous extracts from medicinal raw materials. To prepare decoctions and infusions, you should not use aluminum utensils; you should use enamel utensils.

Decoctions and infusions are prepared in different ways, for example, a plant in a certain dose is brewed like tea, and not boiled, but only infused in a warm place for 15-20 minutes, or the recipe recommends pre-soaking in cold water(usually about a day), in which it is then boiled. The decoctions are stored in a cool place for no more than a day.

In special cases, infusions are made when the crushed plant is infused in cold water for 6-8 hours, then the infusion is filtered and poured into a glass container.

A medicinal plant infused with alcohol is a tincture (in Latin, tincture - tinctura - tincture). Often when home cooking In tinctures, alcohol is replaced with vodka, which is taken twice as much as alcohol, if alcohol is specified in the recipe. Usually the medicinal plant is infused in a warm place for 7-10 days, and the tincture must be shaken occasionally. Before infusing the herb or root, they need to be crushed. The finished tincture is filtered and poured into a dark glass bottle.

The extract from the plant, if it is not prepared in a pharmacy, is popularly replaced with a simple decoction, but condensed in a hot oven (oven) to half, the decoction is evaporated in a closed container. This is how it is necessary to prepare the extract when using essential oil plants.

Powders are prepared by crushing plant material until it turns into flour. The powder should be stored in a well-closed container, and it is better to prepare it immediately before use.

Ointments are prepared on the basis of internal rendered fat (pork, badger, etc.) or fresh unsalted butter. The base is plant powder, extract, tincture or fresh juice. Must be mixed thoroughly long time until the previously heated base hardens. The preparation dose is often 1:4, that is, 1 part of the plant to 4 parts of the base (unless other proportions are indicated in the recipe).

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Instructions

Each type of herb should be stored separately. This rule is especially relevant if we're talking about o with a strong odor, containing a high percentage essential oils and other volatile substances. These include, for example, mint, oregano, thyme, valerian. It is better to store such herbs and flowers (as well as roots and fruits) in glass jars. If you place them in cardboard boxes or linen bags that are placed next to other herbs, the strong smell will be transmitted to all plants.

Herbs should be stored in cardboard boxes, wooden boxes, baskets, linen bags or paper bags. That is, in a container that allows air to pass through. Store plants that have a strong odor in glass or jars with a tight-fitting lid and always in a dark place, or wrap the jar in dark paper. Open the lid periodically for ventilation. If conditions permit (no direct sunlight, dry air, good ventilation), you can store herbs in bunches suspended on a rope or on a nail. Cellophane bags, coffee and tea bags, plastic containers are not suitable for storage medicinal herbs, because they are too dense, you can simply “suffocate” in them.

Herbs should be stored in a dry, clean, well-ventilated place. Direct sunlight and high humidity are harmful to them. Check your supplies as often as possible - sort through, inspect, smell. If herbs, roots or fruits become moldy, throw them away without regret; they will no longer be useful. Some roots (dandelion, burdock, rhubarb) and bark are quickly attacked by insects, so canvas bags that should be hung in a draft are best suited for storing them. The ideal option is to store the roots on the balcony or in the basement, in a box with dry and clean river sand.

Label the plants. On the box or bag with a felt-tip pen, write the name of the herb (flowers, fruits, roots), year and month of collection. Herbs do not lose their healing properties for two years, fruits for three years, roots and bark for up to five years. However, there are exceptions. Thus, hawthorn fruits are characterized by longer storage - up to 8 years, bird cherry - up to 6 years, horsetail is stored for 4 years, bearberry leaves - 5 years, and licorice roots - up to 10 years.

Experienced herbalists know when which plant gains maximum strength and how to harvest it correctly, preserving its living energy. Is it really that important? It turns out yes. Herbs that are expired, damp, or have lost their natural aroma, if they do not harm your health, will certainly not bring any benefit. We suggest we talk about how to store them correctly.

About the benefits of medicinal plants

Despite the fact that pharmacies are full of synthetic drugs, people are increasingly resorting to herbal medicine. On the one hand, this is a return to the forgotten origins of healing, on the other hand, it is the result of numerous clinical studies that scientifically confirm the healing potential of plants.

Having 10-15 herbs on hand, you can prepare effective infusions for all occasions: for colds and high blood pressure, vitamin and soothing, to strengthen the heart and clean blood vessels.

The benefits of phytoproducts can hardly be overestimated.

• With its help, it is quite possible to improve your entire health. gastrointestinal tract, clean the blood, intestines, kidneys, liver.
• In therapeutic doses, infusions are used for the prevention of chronic diseases, taken in courses and without fear of side effects.
• The primordial medicinal principle of plant raw materials enters the body without changes, and who knows how to combine useful components better than Mother Nature?
• While tablets often “cure one thing and cripple another,” herbs, on the contrary, in addition to affecting the underlying disease, heal the complex.
• In parallel with treatment, they enrich the body with vitamins, microelements, and biologically active compounds. They have a beneficial effect on the intestinal microflora, and this is our immunity.

Even if you are not going to complete your herbal first aid kit on purpose, in every home there is still a place for chamomile tea, aromatic mint, a jar of rose hips, calendula, and linden blossom. Learn how to properly store this natural wealth.

Basic storage rules

Improperly stored herbal materials may become damp or dry, and their active ingredients will begin to decompose. Raw materials can be spoiled by pests, absorb dust, foreign odors, or, even worse, toxic substances. Valuable biologically active components are destroyed under the influence of sunlight. How to prevent this?

1. The room where medicinal plants are stored should be clean, dry and cool (up to +18 ⁰C). The raw materials themselves should be protected from sunlight, but air should be provided so that the herbs “breathe”.
2. If this is not a pre-compiled collection, the herbs are sorted separately from each other. Special attention should be given to plants with a high concentration of essential oils, as well as toxic and poisonous ones. They are advised to be stored in a sealed container.
3. In the old days, herbs were stored in bunches - this way they better preserved their beneficial substances. If this is not possible, separate containers must be provided for roots, fruits and flowers with leaves. Each part of the plant has its own shelf life, and its purpose may be different.
4. In addition to the name, the container should indicate the date of collection. This makes it easier to sort out expired raw materials.

Storage space and containers

At home, for storing herbal products, you need to set aside a place in a cool and dry pantry. You can hang bunches or canvas bags of crushed raw materials in the attic, attic, or veranda. The main thing is to protect them from sunlight. It is necessary to allocate a separate cabinet for the herbal first aid kit and periodically inspect it.

What type of container is suitable for storing medicinal herbal raw materials?

It is recommended to store dried fruits, such as hawthorn berries, rose hips, blueberries, and powdered roots, in glass, tin, and ceramic jars with lids. In the same containers you can place aromatic herbs - mint, oregano, lemon balm, lavender flowers.

Sealed packaging is needed for poisonous and toxic herbs - hemlock, celandine, mistletoe, etc.

Bags made of thick natural fabric(linen, canvas, cotton) are ideal for crushed flowers and leaves, roots, bark. The material provides air circulation and ventilation of raw materials.

You can use cardboard, wooden boxes, and wicker boxes for storage. It is advisable to line them inside with clean packaging or parchment paper.

It is strictly not recommended to store phytoproducts in plastic bags or plastic containers. In them, the raw materials suffocate, become damp, and then become moldy or turn black.

Shelf life

Most herbalists and herbalists agree that plants have their maximum healing effect within a year after collection. They last longer healing properties roots, fruits, in which the active ingredients are presented, as a rule, in concentrated form. The shelf life of pharmaceutical herbal raw materials varies and depends on the type of herbs and the stability of the biologically active components present in them.

• Leaves, buds, buds can generally be used within 1-2 years after collection. Although chamomile flowers, calendula, and chaga mushroom are recommended to be renewed every season.
• Roots, tubers, bark do not deteriorate for 2-3 years. There are also “long-livers”. Thus, the rhizomes of burnet, cinquefoil, licorice, orchis tubers, oak bark, and buckthorn preserve medicinal properties for 5-6 years.
• It is also not recommended to store fruits and seeds for more than 2-3 years.

If there are any expired supplies of medicinal herbs left, do not rush to throw them in the trash. Of course, you shouldn’t take them internally, but you can take a fragrant bath.

Advantages of professional packaging

Storage problems fade into the background if you purchase pharmaceutical herbs and herbal teas from a trusted manufacturer, such as the SOIK company.

The products are packaged in accordance with GOST - in dense, securely glued cardboard boxes, flexible vacuum bags with a zip-lock fastener. The product indicates the date of collection of raw materials and shelf life, so it is easy to determine whether the herb or tea is suitable for consumption or not.

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It is advisable to prepare infusions and decoctions of medicinal herbs daily, as they quickly deteriorate. In exceptional cases, they can be stored for no more than three days and always in a dark, cool place. Tinctures from medicinal plants made with alcohol or vodka are suitable for long-term storage.

Infusions, decoctions and tinctures of medicinal herbs, methods of preparation and ratios.

Preparation of infusions from medicinal herbs.

Infusions are a liquid mixture obtained by infusing crushed raw materials. To prepare infusions, the soft parts of medicinal plants are mainly used - flowers, leaves, stems. Infusions are prepared cold or hot.

Cold method of preparing infusions.

2. Pour cold or hot boiled water in the required ratio, most often 1:10 for internal use and 1:5 for external use.
3. Close the lid and leave for 4 hours to several days. After straining, the mixture is ready for use.

Hot method of preparing infusions.

1. Required quantity Grind the raw materials and place in a container.
2. Pour boiling water in the required ratio, most often 1:10 for internal use and 1:5 for external use.
3. Cover with a lid and simmer over low heat for 10-15 minutes, making sure that the mixture does not boil.
4. Leave for 2-4 hours, strain and add boiled water to the required volume, after which the mixture is ready for use.

Preparation of decoctions from medicinal plants.

Decoctions are liquid mixtures that have much in common with infusions, but are usually prepared from the denser, harder parts of plants—roots or bark.

1. Grind the required amount of raw material and place it in a container.
2. Fill cold water in the required ratio, most often 1:10 for internal use and 1:5 for external use.
3. Boil for 20-30 minutes over low heat, stirring constantly.
4. Allow to cool and strain, while decoctions containing tannins, such as oak bark, should be filtered immediately after boiling, without waiting for them to cool.
5. Add boiled water to the required volume, after which the mixture is ready for use.

Tinctures are a liquid mixture suitable for long-term storage. Usually prepared on the basis of 40 or 70 degree alcohol or vodka. The resulting tincture should be transparent and usually has the taste and smell of the original raw material. Store alcohol tinctures in a dark, opaque container from several months to several years.

1. Grind the required amount of raw material and place it in a container.
2. Pour in alcohol or vodka in a ratio of 1:5 or 1:10.
3. Close the container tightly and leave in a dark place for 7-14 days.
4. Strain and use drops as directed.