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Making Herbal Teas, Tinctures, and Salves with Bevin Cohen

SSEHeritageFarm・27 minutes read

Bevin Cohen discusses making herbal teas, tinctures, and salves at home, emphasizing starting with a single herb for understanding, using proper tools for brewing, and extracting herbal properties using alcohol. The importance of quality oils for fat-soluble herbal extractions is highlighted, along with the benefits of focusing on local, sustainable practices and using local herbal allies for medicinal purposes.

Insights

  • Starting with herbal tea, Bevin Cohen emphasizes the significance of beginning with a single herb to fully grasp its properties, recommending tools like stainless steel tea balls and specific steeping times for optimal results.
  • Bevin Cohen delves into the process of making tinctures and herbal oils, stressing the importance of using quality ingredients like alcohol for tinctures and oils for fat-soluble extractions, while also highlighting the versatility of herbal applications for both internal and external use.

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Recent questions

  • How can I make herbal tea at home?

    Start with a single herb for understanding.

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Summary

00:00

Homemade Herbal Teas, Tinctures, and Salves

  • Bevin Cohen, owner of Smallhouse Farm in Michigan and author of books on herbalism, discusses making herbal teas, tinctures, and salves at home.
  • Starting with herbal tea, Cohen emphasizes the importance of starting with a single herb to understand its properties fully.
  • For herbal tea, select brewing tools like stainless steel tea balls or reusable tea bags, using about half to a full tablespoon of herb per cup.
  • Water infusion for herbal tea involves steeping for 3-5 minutes for a beverage or refrigerating for 12-24 hours for a more potent brew.
  • Decoction is used for dense plant parts like twigs or bark, involving boiling the plant material in water.
  • Water infusion can also be used topically as a wash or compress for various skin applications.
  • Moving on to tinctures, Cohen explains the process of using alcohol as the menstruum for extracting herbal properties.
  • Tinctures require a container, herb, and alcohol, with a recommended potency of 40-50% alcohol for extraction.
  • After 4-6 weeks of extraction, tinctures are filtered, bottled, and labeled with herb name, alcohol used, potency, and date.
  • Lastly, Cohen discusses using oil for fat-soluble herbal extractions, like making calendula oil, emphasizing the importance of quality oils for skin applications.

15:06

"Harvested Jewel Weed Oil: Extraction and Uses"

  • Jewel weed oil was harvested on 8/13/2019 and is ready for use after six weeks of extraction.
  • To strain the oil, a jar and a strainer are needed, ensuring removal of plant material.
  • Squeezing the plant material can extract more oil, enhancing the potency of the product.
  • Jewel weed oil can be used topically or turned into solid products like salves or lotions by adding beeswax.
  • A ratio of 1.25 ounces of beeswax to 16 ounces of oil determines the solidity of the final product.
  • A double boiler is used to melt the beeswax and blend it with the oil, ensuring safety due to the heat.
  • The ratio of wax to oil can be adjusted based on personal preference and the desired product size.
  • Various herbs like dandelion, stinging nettles, blackberry, and red clover are discussed for their medicinal benefits.
  • Local plants like witch hazel, elderberry, chicory, and white pine are highlighted for their healing properties.
  • The importance of local herbal allies and the benefits of focusing on local, sustainable practices are emphasized.

29:59

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