You Don’t Need To Prepare A Large Amount Of Herbals At Once.

It is always nice to remember that we are neither chemists nor pharmacists when preparing our herbal remedies at home. We are only doing it ourselves and not really making to vend, so why make so much at once?

Most herbal preparations are made from raw plant or botanical  materials which are susceptible to rapid degradation if not preserved.  The biggest issue faced by those who make their preparations at home is the shelf life, so when you decide to make herbal preparations by yourself, it is definitely better to make enough to use for a short time to avoid spoilage.

The solvent used to extract the active ingredients in herbal materials can also act as a preservative which can add to the shelf life. They are usually extracted in solvents like water, oils, vinegar, glycerin, honey and alcohol.

Water-based extracts

Those extracted in water are usually called teas, infusions and decoctions. Water increases the moisture content of your herbs which is a factor that favours the growth of microbes. These are the ones with the shortest shelf life unless they are preserved with preservatives which may not be desirable for inclusion. Teas are best for one time use and any remnants are best for refrigeration or heating up later. Heating or refrigeration is best for teas, infusions and decoctions.

Other solvents

Alcohol is a good solvent for extraction and preservation. Herbal preparations that are extracted in alcohol are usually called tinctures. Herbs that are made with alcohol have the longest shelf life, followed by those made with vinegar and glycerin. Those that are prepared with honey have a longer shelf life than those with water.

Other materials you should definitely make a small amount at a time are;

• Juices.
• Soaps.
• Conditioners.
• Balms.
• Salves.
• Lotions.

Make small batches of herbal preparations no matter what the solvent is, and keep the remaining raw materials for making another batch if you have a lot available. 

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