A herbal infusion is a stronger version of herbal tea. Generally the leaves, flowers and/or berries parts of the plant are used. Hot or boiling water are usually poured over the herbs but you can make infusions with cold water. I like to boil the water, take it off the heat for one minute and pour it over the herbs. Herbs like peppermint which contain volatile oils are not to be boiled—if you do so you will lessen the effect of the volatile oil.
Herbal infusions are one of the most potent ways to absorb the medicinal constituents. The body readily absorbs warm liquid and can extract the concentrated herbal properties easily.
You can use about 1/2–1 tbsp. of herb to 1 cup of water to start out with. The usual dosage is an ounce of herb to a liter/quart of water. I use a canning jar and seal it for 2–6 hours; once it’s infused you can store your infusion in the refrigerator for up to five days. You can use honey to sweeten your infusion. Take 1/8–1/4 cup up to four times a day.
Once you’ve made an infusion you can customize it to your taste the next time you make it. For instance, when I infuse skullcap in the amount of 1 tsp. to 2 cups of hot water, it’s so bitter that it’s as strong as I can take it. With a herb like red clover which tastes nice, I use a tbsp. per cup. Learn about the herbs you are using and let your intuition guide you.
Some commonly infused herbs are:
Elderflower for fever
Dandelion for weight loss/liver
Hyssop for a congested cough (expectorant)
Lemon Balm for gas (carminative)
Red clover for fertility
To learn more about herbal infusions check out Susan Weed’s site.
