MEDICINAL HERBS

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There are two disadvantages to oven drying. First, it is extremely easy to over-dry or burn the herbage. Remember, you are trying to dry the herb, not cook it. When the leaves or peals crumble gently in your hand without powdering, and some or all of the original color is intact, then the plant is dried sufficiently.

The second disadvantage of oven-drying is that, for various reasons, the herbs lose between 1/3 to 1/2 of their original potency, compared to their outdoor dried-equivalents which only lose around 1/4.

Frame Drying: Although this method is more time-consuming than oven drying, it is often preferred by experienced herbalists, as the loss of potency is somewhat less.

For frame-drying, you will need a small wooden or metal box about 3' square, with a glass lie. The base of the frame should be lined with aluminum foil, leaving a small, sheltered hole for ventilation. Herbs selected for drying should be placed on the aluminum foil, and then close the lid. The plants should be turned once a day until dry.

The frame should, of course, be situated in an area that receives a reasonable amount of sunlight. It should be absolutely watertight, and all herbs placed in it should be dried gently with a cloth first. One damp herb placed in the frame may be sufficient to turn the entire batch moldy. Frame drying may take anything between three to six weeks.

Storing Your Herbs

Having successfully dried your selected herbs, you must now consider by which method you wish to store them. This is largely determined by the eventual form in which the herb is to be administered. Ointments, for instance, are normally made from finely powdered herbs, while tinctures are usually made by submerging the whole root or leaves in alcohol. As a rough guide, I would suggest that the leaves, bark, and stem are best comminuted (ground), while root, petals, and seeds are best stored whole. Be sure that your herbs are thoroughly dried before storage.

Comminution: This can be done by the traditional method of using a mortar and pestle or by using an electric grinder. The first method, although slower, enables you to determine the eventual fineness of the powder with a great deal more accuracy. But when comminuting herbs for use in ointments or salves, an electric grinder gives a greater degree of fineness and uniformity.

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