Herbal teas are healthy and inexpensive, and are particularly suitable for treating minor everyday ailments, such as colds, digestive disorders and mild respiratory diseases. But also for metabolism stimulation and general disease prevention.
Preparation of herbal teas
Care is needed in the preparation of herbal tea, so that the tea can act properly. A distinction is made between infusion, extract (extract) and decoctions:
- In the infusion, the desired tea herbs are poured over quite classically with boiling water, covered and sieved after 5-15 minutes (in the jargon also called “straining”).
- When decoction, the herbs are first covered with cold water and only then boiled (3-15 min.), then strained.
- An extract is not boiled at all. The herbs are left to infuse in cold water for up to 8 hours; then they are strained.
Note: Medicinal herbal teas are considered medicinal products under the Medicines Act. Longer than 4 weeks, they should therefore not be taken without medical advice.
Collect and store herbs
Collecting and preparing herbs yourself in nature is fun. However, the hobby collector should also know a little bit, so that there is no confusion. The leaves of coltsfoot and butterbur, for example, look confusingly similar. If you can’t tell the difference between wild garlic leaves and those of the poisonous meadow saffron, it can even have deadly consequences.
Here are a few tips for gathering herbs:
- If you want to collect herbs, you should know the conservation regulations and not collect protected plants, for example, arnica.
- To protect their own health, it is better to leave plants along busy roads and also avoid fertilized meadows.
- To spare the collected plants and preserve their effective components, it is best to carry them home in a basket (not in a plastic bag).
- At home, the herbs are washed and dried on hurdles or suspended in a linen bag. This must not be done in excessive heat or under direct sunlight, otherwise the valuable plant active substances are degraded.
- The dried herbs are crushed and stored in dark glass jars. It is best to label them. Because plants with sensitive active ingredients should not be stored for more than 1 year.
