# Anyone make herbal concoctions?



## wdcutrsdaughter (Dec 9, 2012)

I have been making tinctures and oils for a couple years now and I was wondering if there was anyone else here who also makes their own herbal goodies.

The Rosa Rugosa I planted a couple years ago has come out with so many roses this year. I have petals drying for tea but I'd like to do something else. Anyone using petals ? I am not sure to do a tincture or an oil or both.

Also, I have wild St Joan's (John's) Wort that is in full bloom, a little ahead of the holiday. 

Other plants I work with - lemon balm, elderberry, thyme, sage, dandelion, plantain, comfrey, oregano, mint, yarrow, white pine. There are other wild medicinal plants growing here that I just haven't used yet...I am hoping there are others here who do this and we can have a chat about plant love!
🙂🌿🌙✨


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## newfieannie (Dec 24, 2006)

i make rose petal jelly as well as jelly from my herbs. i also use rose petals to decorate my food when i entertain. nasturtiun sandwiches. tulip flowers filled with shrimp mixture or whatever. i sugar my borage flowers and use them to decorate cakes and cookies. pansies are lovely for decorating also. i dry my lemon thyme and make cookies,loaves etc. so much more i do with my flowers and herbs. potpourris, lavendar wands etc. i dont spray any chemicals either of course. ~Georgia


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## newfieannie (Dec 24, 2006)

i had to google that Rosa Rugosa. i never know the names of my roses. i believe that's what we call the wild rose. i have them all over my land in the country. i did transplant one in the city but it's not growing as well. i have what i call the old fashioned rose (for want of the proper name). that's spreading everywhere this year and bigger than ever. i've already used them for bouquets. i did prune them hard last year. although it must be a good year for roses because my climbing ones are way ahead also.. ~Georgia


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## VBF (Apr 15, 2017)

We do. We forage for chaga, yarrow, heal all, St. John's wort, bergamot, wintergreen, and several other things. My husband mixes a lot of teas and makes tinctures and I make more of the oils and balms.


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## wdcutrsdaughter (Dec 9, 2012)

Georgia-
The rosa rugosa naturalized here on the coast from Asia and I bet it is the wild one you are speaking of... They smell so good. I will have to look into rose jelly that sounds yummy. 

VBF - I've looked for chaga but when I think I found some it is so high up I can't get to it.... I hope to find some lower some day.


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

@VBF, by heal all do you mean _Prunella vulgaris_? I have _Prunella_ growing in several spots in my yard but I haven't used it yet. I like the flowers.


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## Pony (Jan 6, 2003)

Danaus29 said:


> @VBF, by heal all do you mean _Prunella vulgaris_? I have _Prunella_ growing in several spots in my yard but I haven't used it yet. I like the flowers.


<Pony! jumps up and down with excitement>

YAY!!! I had no idea what the pretty purple plant in the paddock was, and now I know!

_Prunella vulgaris_ sounds so... common, but it sure is a lovely, unusual plant. Hardly common to me, as I only noticed it last year, and this year, it has appeared more abundantly.


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## Pony (Jan 6, 2003)

We are blessed with many wonderful plants here. Elderberry, multiflora rose (invasive, but goats love it, and we get loads of rose hips from it), yarrow, plantain (common and English), wood sorrel... One of my friends is very "into" herbs and wildcrafting, and is graciously generous with her time and knowledge.


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## wdcutrsdaughter (Dec 9, 2012)

Danaus29 said:


> @VBF, by heal all do you mean _Prunella vulgaris_? I have _Prunella_ growing in several spots in my yard but I haven't used it yet. I like the flowers.


All heal - self heal - yes! Prunella vulgaris - one of the few Latin names I can pronounce! I have a couple of little of patches here. Last year I was making a 'lymph moving' oil with it and calendula, but it molded. novice mistakes, I wilt the flowers first now, to get some of the moisture out.


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## wdcutrsdaughter (Dec 9, 2012)

@VBF when your husband dries for teas - what is his method? 
I have run out of dark closet space and I am ready to just dry in the sunny porch room --- hoping dark is ideal but light works okay too ?
I use mesh hanging drying racks like these



Amazon.com



I also run into this problem with curing my garlic - does it really have to be a dark place?


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## VBF (Apr 15, 2017)

wdcutrsdaughter said:


> @VBF when your husband dries for teas - what is his method?
> I have run out of dark closet space and I am ready to just dry in the sunny porch room --- hoping dark is ideal but light works okay too ?
> I use mesh hanging drying racks like these
> 
> ...


We have a screened in porch that he dries things in that gets afternoon sun or I use the dehydrator. He hangs them up in a bundle with butcher twine from the ceiling or placed on unused screens (from other windows in the house) for air flow. He hangs corn and anything that needs drying in there and we haven't seen a difference vs drying things in the dark barn.


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## VBF (Apr 15, 2017)

Danaus29 said:


> @VBF, by heal all do you mean _Prunella vulgaris_? I have _Prunella_ growing in several spots in my yard but I haven't used it yet. I like the flowers.


Yes, that's exactly what I mean.


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## SLFarmMI (Feb 21, 2013)

wdcutrsdaughter said:


> I have been making tinctures and oils for a couple years now and I was wondering if there was anyone else here who also makes their own herbal goodies.
> 
> The Rosa Rugosa I planted a couple years ago has come out with so many roses this year. I have petals drying for tea but I'd like to do something else. Anyone using petals ? I am not sure to do a tincture or an oil or both.
> 
> ...


I haven't yet but I really want to get an herb garden up and running so that I can. I'm in the research stage right now reading lots of books about herbs & all the things you can do with them. Any must haves that I need to include in the herb garden once I get it up and running? I was mostly thinking of stuff that would be good for teas, lotions/soaps and maybe some medicinal stuff.


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## wdcutrsdaughter (Dec 9, 2012)

SLFarmMI said:


> I haven't yet but I really want to get an herb garden up and running so that I can. I'm in the research stage right now reading lots of books about herbs & all the things you can do with them. Any must haves that I need to include in the herb garden once I get it up and running? I was mostly thinking of stuff that would be good for teas, lotions/soaps and maybe some medicinal stuff.


Start soon!

Personally for me, must haves are sage, thyme, oregano - they are all real good for treating colds. I use them in cooking and for teas. Here in my zone I can keep picking it until the fall and that is nice too. 

Elderberry and Rosa Rugosa are also two I love - they need more space. 

You should look into what is already growing wild where you are and let it thrive. For example, I mow my "lawn" less now to let the self heal take some space, and the yarrow and the dandelion. 

I would also recommend Rosemary's Gladstarrs Medicinal Herbs A Beginner's guide to 33 herbs. 
Also, a foraging medicinal plants or foods for your area - get it specific for where you are in the country.


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

If you plant and intend to use comfrey I have a warning. The leaves can cause a very serious contact dermatitis rash that takes weeks to heal. And it didn't help the broken bone in my foot heal any faster than it would have without the horrible rash. But it is great in compost and bees and hummingbirds love the flowers.


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## SLFarmMI (Feb 21, 2013)

wdcutrsdaughter said:


> Start soon!
> 
> Personally for me, must haves are sage, thyme, oregano - they are all real good for treating colds. I use them in cooking and for teas. Here in my zone I can keep picking it until the fall and that is nice too.
> 
> ...


Thanks for the book recommendation. Thyme and oregano are in the regular garden and we usually grow that every year.


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## wdcutrsdaughter (Dec 9, 2012)

Danaus29 said:


> If you plant and intend to use comfrey I have a warning. The leaves can cause a very serious contact dermatitis rash that takes weeks to heal. And it didn't help the broken bone in my foot heal any faster than it would have without the horrible rash. But it is great in compost and bees and hummingbirds love the flowers.


In my case that prickly feeling leaf helped with the pain of a sore muscle. I have also had success with comfrey healing wounds. And once I put it on my nose when I wacked my own self with a children's building block while putting it on a shelf. Don't ask how I managed that but the cartilage on the bridge of my nose was wiggling around like it had a chip and the comfrey healed it!

Soooo
This reminds me of something an herbalist I've taken class with always says in regards to herbs --- start small! You never know how you might react. We are all different, but the same.


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## wdcutrsdaughter (Dec 9, 2012)

well all the herbs I had drying from picking in June have gone moldy.
Humidity is not my friend.
I am thinking of looking for a room sized de-humidifier, I imagine that would help? If I put it in the closet with the drying rack? 
I put up some St. John's wort tincture and also oil, as well as white pine. so not all is lost. 
I am trying to pick the elderberry before the birds get them but, yea, good luck to me, they eat them off as they ripen. 
How's your summer herbal harvest going?


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

The catnip that I picked and dried a couple months ago is still in the car. Sounds crazy right? But i read this tip in a magazine years ago. If you have a vehicle you aren't using it makes a really good large scale dehydrator. Cargo vans don't work well, you have to have something that has a lot of windows. The catnip has been crunchy dry for weeks but I haven't had the time to pull it out and strip it for packaging. Probably too late now, the heat destroys the oils if you leave the plants in there too long.

The jewelweed / witch hazel extractions are setting in the basement. The plantain / vinegar one is setting in my bedroom. At least the longer those set the better they get.

If I think about it I want to dry the raspberry and blackberry trimmings for use in tea later. And I still want to make lemon balm syrup but it's just too hot to cook it down now.


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## Evons hubby (Oct 3, 2005)

Do brownies count?


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## wdcutrsdaughter (Dec 9, 2012)

lemon balm syrup sounds delicious, I'll have to look into that....

sure brownies count - want to share your method?
personally, I stay away from edibles.


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## Pony (Jan 6, 2003)

Evons hubby said:


> Do brownies count?


Always! 

Around here, elderberry is like grits: It just comes.

Lots of rosa rugosa, and loads of wild raspberry and blackberry - despite the goats' concerted effort to eradicate them, along with the multiflora rose.

I have a patch of dandelion that started by itself. Just mowed around it and voila! Plenty of the tooth of the lion!

Loads of plantain (common and English), mullein, and sassafras.

We also have loads of perilla mint. Ugh. That stuff is nasty. Anyone know of a use for it?


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## Danaus29 (Sep 12, 2005)

Pony said:


> We also have loads of perilla mint. Ugh. That stuff is nasty. Anyone know of a use for it?











Perilla: Health Benefits, Side Effects, Uses, Dose & Precautions


Learn more about Perilla health benefits, uses, side effects, effectiveness, safety, precautions, and warnings




www.rxlist.com





But be aware it is also very toxic to cows.


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## Pony (Jan 6, 2003)

Danaus29 said:


> Perilla: Health Benefits, Side Effects, Uses, Dose & Precautions
> 
> 
> Learn more about Perilla health benefits, uses, side effects, effectiveness, safety, precautions, and warnings
> ...


Thanks for the link!

None of my grazers/browsers will touch it, except the goats but only then if it is wilted.

We just keep pulling it up as much as we can. To say that we have an abundance would be an understatement.


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## muleskinner2 (Oct 7, 2007)

My wife makes a brew she calls her witches brew. We drink it in the winter, or anytime we have any flu like symptoms, sets you right in a few hours.

She also has a mixture of essential oils that we keep in a spray bottle. It keeps rodents away, I spray it in my truck to keep the mice out. It works great.


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## Evons hubby (Oct 3, 2005)

wdcutrsdaughter said:


> lemon balm syrup sounds delicious, I'll have to look into that....
> 
> sure brownies count - want to share your method?
> personally, I stay away from edibles.


It’s very simple and can be used in most any recipe calling for butter. I use a stick of butter placed in a saucepan of water, and whatever medicinal herb I’m working with. Let the butter melt without stirring, once you have a layer of melted butter over the mixture, let simmer over low heat for twenty minutes or so. Turn off heat and allow to cool. When butter has hardened gently lift lift off the water and keep refrigerated until you’re ready to bake with it. Use same amount of your medicinal butter your recipe calls for regular butter. It will give the brownies, cookies, crackers etc a light minty flavor. As with any medication keep out of reach of children, and use caution operating power tools or heavy equipment. Side affects may vary from mild euphoria to extreme disorientation, or drowsiness depending upon dosage and individual.


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## wdcutrsdaughter (Dec 9, 2012)

yes! @Evons hubby that's my method too, though it's been years now since I've made butter.
I also made honey infused with herbs the same way. Have to keep the herbs in a cheese cloth and it is messy 
as all heck to wring out.


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