NEED: Glass jar with lid, or stainless steel pot with lid, herbs, water and strainer.

PREPARE: There are at least two methods of preparing decoctions, either way, they are very concentrated.

1. Boil 1 quart of water, pour over 2 oz of herbs, steep 2-8 hours, covered. Strain, cover and boil infusion down to 1 pint.

2. Boil 2 oz herbs and 1 quart water, covered, until there is only 1 pint water left. Strain.

USE: Very strong, these are excellent for acute conditions and are taken by the teaspoon or tablespoon, or even half-cup, as opposed to a whole cup or more.

STORAGE: Store in an air-tight contianer in a cool, dark, dry place. They will keep in the fridge for up to a week.

USE: To make teas, to cook with, to make oils, tinctures, poultices, infusions, decoctions, salves, etc...

STORAGE: As pretty as it it to have bunches of herbs hanging from the ceiling, their medicinal value won't last long. It's best to place them in air-tight glass jars (mason or canning jars) in a cool, dark place. Or, if you find your herbs mold in those glass jars, try paper lunch bags, tying them shut. Try to keep your herbs in as large of pieces as you can until you use them; the more they get broken up, the more quickly they lose their potency and (for our kitchen herbs) flavor. In general, bark, roots, seeds and twigs last from 1 to 2 years before their medicinal value is severely diminished; leaves and stalks last about 6 months and flowers last about 3 to 4 months.

NEED: Glass jar with lid or stainless steel pot with lid, herbs, water, and strainer.

PREPARE: Boil 1 pint of water, pour over 1 oz. herbs and steep, covered for 2-8 hours. Strain and drink.

USE: This is a stronger brew than the teas and tends to be used for more acute problems.

STORAGE: Keep in a dark, dry, cool place (refridgerate), in an air-tight container for up to a week.

NEED: Glass jar with air-tight lid, almond, grapeseed, olive or other quality oil, and herbs.

MAKE SURE that the jar AND lid are CLEAN and DRY.. If using fresh herbs, make sure that they are free of excess moisture as well! DO NOT wash the herbs, even if they seem a little 'dusty'.

This is best done outside as it's a messy project, though fun!

PREPARE: Break up and bruise the herbs in your hands and place them into the jar. Pour oil over the plants to cover them and -gently- (so you don't spill the oil) tap the jar to see if you can get any of the air bubbles the plants may have trapped to go to the surface of the oil. Fill the rest of the jar with oil until it is above the rim. It's ok if you spill a bit, but make sure that the oil is -over- the rim. Carefully place the lid onto the jar and tighten it. Wipe the jar clean with a dry cloth, if you want to. Place the jar in a warm, sunny location. The DAY AFTER you put the oil in the jar, tap the jar gently to see if you can bring up any more bubbles. Reopen the jar carefully and add more oil if need be. Fill the jar above the rim again, place the lid on tightly, then shake the jar. For the next six weeks, keep the jar in a warm, sunny location and shake it daily. If you notice any air bubbles, open it up and add more oil as per instructions above. REMEMBER to keep the inside of the jar DRY! After the six weeks are up, open the jar (it may be difficult) and strain as much of the plant matter out as you can. (This is another very messy part, but your hands will love you!). Put it into an air-tight glass container.

USE: Oil has many uses, from massage, to dry skin, to making salves. You can even cook with it!

STORAGE: Store in a cool, dry, dark place, preferably in an air-tight glass container. Oils generally keep 6 months to 1 year. If it is an oil with alot of protein (like comfrey oil) it will go bad more quickly.

Cool.... : The somewhat plain and yellow St. John'swort flowers will turn an oil a beautiful RUBY RED!! If it's St. John'swort oil and it's not a beautiful red, either it's bad quality oil or herb!

NEED: Herbs

PREPARE: Poultices are very easy to make anywhere. There are at least three methods.

1. Chew up or bruise the plant in your hand and apply directly to the skin. (Great for 'field' herbalism, just make sure it's not a poisonous plant!!)

2. Pour hot water over the crushed fresh or dry herb to moisten them. Place the wet herbs directly on the skin OR between two peices of cloth then put the cloth (with herbs inside) on the skin.

3. Make a tea, soak a cloth in it, wring the cloth out, then place the damp cloth on the skin.

USE: Poultices can be used for 15 -30 minutes several times daily, or some herbalists put them on and don't take them off for a week or more, depending on the problem. I would recommend that a poultice be changed at least daily, if at all possible!

STORAGE: Since these are usually made on an 'as needed' basis, they aren't usually stored, but if they must be, I'd suggest placing them in a plastic bag in the fridge for no more than a week at a time.

NEED: Infused oil (see Oils above), stainless steel or cast iron pot, wooden spoon, jar or jars with lids, grated beeswax, essential oils (optional), and vitamin E (optional).

MAKE SURE that there is NO water on the pots, pans, jars, etc.. that you will be using, moisture will cause the salves to go bad!

PREPARE: Heat most of the oil in a pot over low heat, stirring slowly and often (almost constantly). Add grated beeswax slowly, letting it melt and a few drops of essential oil (a little goes a LONG way!) and/or your vitamin E. Some say that the ratio of beeswax to oil should wind up being about 3 parts beeswax to 4 parts oil, but remember to add the wax slowly. Once most of the wax is melted in, pour some of the warm oil and wax mixture into a jar and place in the freezer for about five minutes. Pull it out and test it, if it's a good consistancy for you, then your salve is perfect. If it's too hard, add some more oil (that's why we didn't put it all in!), or if it's too soft, add more beeswax. If you live in a warm climate, remember that the heat will cause your salve to be softer, so you might want to add more beeswax. Once your salve's they way you want it, pour it out into jars and tighten the lids. Wait 15 minutes and retighten the lids (the cooling may have caused the caps to loosen).

USE: Topically, as needed for various external problems.

STORAGE: Store your salves in a cool, dry, dark place. They should keep from 6 months to 1 year. Some salves which contain alot of protein (like comfrey salves) will probably go bad more quickly.

NEED: Cup (mug), near-boiling water, strainer, herbs

Using DRIED herbs it is recommended that 1 to 2 teaspoons of herbs per 8 oz. water are placed in a cup, either loose or in a teaball or some kind of strainer.

Using FRESH herbs, it is recommended that 3 to 4 teaspoons of herbs per 8 oz. water are crushed and bruised and placed in a cup, either loose or in a teaball or some kind of strainer.

PREPARE: Pour near-boiling water over the herbs, covering them completely with hot water. Cover the cup and let it steep. Strain and drink, inhaling the steam. Most plants can be steeped 3 to 20 minutes for a tea. Chamomile should steep no more than 8 minutes or else it can cause stomach upset. Mints (including catnip) should be steeped no more than 10 minutes or else the tannins in the plants will cause the tea to be bitter. Teas are usually recommended for leafy, flowery and stalk parts of the plant, while decoctions are recommended for roots, twigs and bark. I use teas for the roots and bark, finding it works just as well.

USE: Teas are usually taken 'as needed', (such as for headaches), or for more serious problems, 3 to 4 cups a day.

STORAGE: Store unused tea in the fridge immediately in air-tight glass containers if possible. Most teas will keep in the fridge for about a week.

NEED: Glass jars or bottles with air tight lids (keep all metal out of contact with the herbs and liquid!), alcohol (100 proof is best), apple cider vinegar, or glycerine and herbs.

Using DRIED herbs it is recommended that 1 to 2 oz. plant material per 8 oz. of liquid.

Using FRESH herbs, it is recommended that the plant matter be bruised or cut and there must be at least enough to fill half the jar or more.

PREPARE: Place the herbs in the bottle/jar, pour the liquid over them, filling the container as much as possible. Place lid on and tighten securely. Place in cool, dark place for about 6 weeks, taking jar out to shake at least once daily. At the end of 6 weeks, open jar and strain out herbs.

USE: Tinctures are usually stored in small glass amber-colored bottles with eye-droppers. Dosage can be anywhere from 5 to 60 drops several times daily or as needed under the tongue or in a glass of water or juice. Tinctures can be applied topically as well for bruises, aches, minor cuts and scrapes and pain. Tinctures are excellent for travelling as they're core concentrated and portable than most other preparations and can take the place of teas, infusions, decoctions, oils and salves in most situations, though the others still have their uses and advantages. Tinctures usually taste AWFUL, though there are exceptions. I use tinctures only as a last resort and to preserve plants where the watery sap is the active part (such as poison ivy fighting Jewelweed) when their growing season is over. I use tinctures rarely, but when I do it is either topically or internally, depending on the need at the time.

STORAGE: All should be kept in a cool, dry place in air-tight containers and out of the light, preferably glass. Alcohol tinctures can keep 10 years or longer. Apple cider vinegar tinctures keep about 6 months. Glycerine keeps about 4 months.