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Which of these herbs can/can't be taken in tea?
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Posted by flowersandthings MidAtlantic 6/7 (My Page) on Mon, Feb 21, 05 at 0:27
Hi I love to use herbs to heal and know that some herbs are less effective when made into a tea (i.e. heat etc.) Which of these herbs can or can't be made into teas?
Also which are less effective dry?
mellissa, lemon balm mellissa officinalis leaf
raspberry leaf,
red clover flowers
motherwort (leaf) leonorus cardiaca
Pipsissewa Chimaphila umbellata
dandelion
astralagus
licorice
pau d'arco
honeysuckle
milk thistle
echinacea
goldenseal
Juniper Berry
Sarsaparilla Root
Black Cohosh Root
Skullcap
Burdock Root
rosehips
crampbark Viburnum opulus
Uva Ursi bearberry Arctostaphylos Uva-Ursi |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Which of these herbs can/can't be taken in tea?
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You can make and drink tea using any of this herb ( or make a herbal blend) except milk thistle.
The useful parts of the milk thistle are the seeds. The powder from them is very good for the liver. |
RE: Which of these herbs can/can't be taken in tea?
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| Most leaves work ok as a tea, and most are ok dried (echinacea leaves are usually best fresh; the root is best fresh but can be used dried, depending on the species). Barks and roots usually require a cold infusion (cold water overnight) or a strong decoction (add boiling water, let sit overnight). For details see Michael Moore's materia medica manual, available online. Milk thistle is usually prepared as a tincture for medicinal use; some people grind the seeds and eat them as food. Burdock root is also commonly eaten in soups, and you could make a fine spring salad with several common weedy greens, such as young dandelion, chickweed, and miner's lettuce. |
RE: Which of these herbs can/can't be taken in tea?
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Burdock can be eaten as a vegetable... the Japanese do...
Black Cohosh, to me, makes the WORST tasting tea! I'd take it in capsule if I could... but that just may be me, tastes like very strong DIRT to me. |
RE: Which of these herbs can/can't be taken in tea?
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| Motherwort makes a n-a-s-t-y tasting tea; tincture is more tolerable. Astragalus can be simmered in soup. Discard & drink the liquid; the root is too woody to be consumed. I agree with habitat gardener. Also, berries should be gently decocted (simmered, not boiled). I prefer making tea/infusion from dried leaves & flowers. You don't need as much & they seem to release more of their constituents into the water. If they are properly dried (away from heat & light) & stored in airtight containers, they are likely to retain their nutritional/medicinal value. |
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