Those of you who buy bulk herbs

Good evening,

I was reading on anther post and I'll admit it. I don't know what you mean by infusion.
Those of you who are using the powder bulk form, how do you ingest it? Do you brew and strain it? Put it in capsules? Do you put a tablespoon in a smoothie? Or a tablespoon in 8oz of water and drink it down without straining it?

Thank you!

Teas, decoctions, infusions, and tinctures.

Now, teas and decoctions are listed as the same thing usually, but I like to separate them, because certain sources will have you simmering the herbs for an extended period of time, which some feel could potentially destroy valuable properties.

How I go about making my teas.

First, I place herbs in a glass jar, while boiling some water separately. Once the water is ready, I remove it from the heat, wait for the bubbles to stop, then pour it over the herbs, stirring with a wooden spoon to ensure everything gets submerged (sometimes, the herbs like to just rise with the water - it is strange). Then, I cover the jar and allow the herbs to steep for 30 minutes or so.

Now, infusions, infusions are basically teas, but you let them sit for at least 4 hours (I plan to start doing 12), in an attempt to bring out more properties and thereby increase the medicinal value. It is said that certain properties only get drawn out of the herbs at the proper tempature. By letting the mixture go from hot to cold, you get as many as possible.

Tinctures. Tinctures are made by mixing the herbs with a solvent (the commonly used are alcohol, vinegar, or vegetable glycerin, with alcohol being the most efficient), then allowing them to sit for a period of a few weeks. Tinctures are the strongest.

People use all the herbs in a variety of ways. It just depends on the herb and how the person wants to apply them in their healing plan. Some are best put in capsules, some feel they'd benefit more using them as teas, infusions, etc. Others, they want the potency and/or better absorption that tinctures provide.

Personally, I was using powders for everything. I thought it'd be a good idea, because I wouldn't have to weigh out every herb. I'd just grab my trusty measuring spoons and go to town, but I really should have put more consideration into it. Straining is such a struggle, at least for me. I figured I'd just start eating the powder along with the tea, which turned out to be pretty gross. The consistency. If I were taking low doses, this wouldn't be so much of a problem, but that is not the case.

All of that, and I don't feel they provide the best mixture with the water either, affecting the extraction.

So, I'm switching to whole herbs, except for a couple which I mix with water, because.. well, they are not for making teas/infusions.

Anyway.. sorry if this isn't as informational as you'd like. I've forgotten a lot of the specifics. Also, sorry if it's messy. I wanted it to look nice, but oh well. I tried.

:)

Best wishes.