Hot Herbal Infusion

INGREDIENTS

  • Clean jar with lid

  • Herbs, seeds, roots, bark or mushrooms

brew time approx. 2-8 hours

* organic, homegrown, local or wild if available *

INSTRUCTIONS

1) Gather herbs, seeds, roots, bark or mushrooms. Wash and cut if necessary.

2) Fill at least a quarter of the jar with the fixings, then fill remaining space in jar with hot water that has reached a boil.

4) Allow the infusion to macerate for 2-8 hours depending on your desired strength and materials used.

  • More dense materials like roots and barks need a longer infusion time

  • Herbs and seeds need less time

  • The longer the infusion, the stronger/more medicinal the brew

5) Strain if you desire (or don’t) before drinking. By the time it is done brewing, the infusion will be room temperature. You can sip on it throughout the day or drink it at once for a more medicinal effect.

ENJOY!

Notes from Sami

Hot herbal infusions are great way to capture the medicinal properties of herbs. The heat plus longer infusion time is also needed when trying to capture the essence of more dense materials like roots and barks. Try to break down the materials as much as possible to allow for more surface area to be penetrated by the hot water - this will make for a stronger, more effective brew. Allow medicinal brews to macerate for longer time.

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Take time to notice your senses while preparing and drinking your infusion. Pay attention to colors, textures, smells, tastes, sounds and other sensory inputs. Notice how this affects your mind.

I like to use herbs like oatstraw, milky oat, astragalus, nettle, red raspberry leaf, linden, dandelion root, ginger, cinnamon, digestive seeds, etc. for hot infusions and usually avoid more aromatic herbs, but there are always exceptions.