Gathering Your Herb's

There are some things you need to know when you are growing herbs and or gathering your herb's. 

  Take Precautions

2. Be prepared for the weather.  Dress appropriately.  Be sure to bring along gardening gloves, a small ax for bark, a large bag, and a garden fork for digging.

3. Some herb’s may cause an allergic reaction when the skin comes in contact.  St. John’s Wort is an example of one of these herb’s.  Reactions may occur on the skin or be of a respiratory nature.  Since reactions are unpredictable, if you are prone to reactions take extra precautions.

Be Considerate

1. Take only from a place where the plant grows in abundance.

2. Never take more than a third of a plant unless it is single rooted like Dandelion.  Also, never take more than a third of a group of plants.

  Be Practical

A. Identify the herb -   Whether you are gathering herb’s in the wild or from the garden make sure you can accurately identify the exact species of the plant.  Take a good identification guide along.  If you are not sure what the plant is then don’t take it.  It is much better to be safe than sorry.  Remember to only collect plants that are healthy and free of chemicals.

B. Potency  - Try to gather plants when they are medicinally useful.  Here is a list of guidelines to follow.

 1.  Do not gather plants after a heavy rain.  Gather plants when they are dry.

 2.  Gather plants before the sun is at its highest, as this is when the active ingredients are the highest.

 3.  Take only the part of the plant with medicinal value and try to gather when these parts are at their medicinal peak.

 4.  Flowers are best picked just after they open fully.  Leaves should be gathered when they are fresh.

 5.  Seeds or fruit with medicinal value should be collected when they are ripe.  This is usually late summer or early fall.

 6.  Collect medicinal bark either in the spring when the sap is rising or in the fall when it is falling.

 7.  It is important to collect the herb’s when medicinal values are highest, however, if you are in need of the herb you may still collect and use them even if conditions are not ideal.

C. Harvesting  -   Here are some guidelines for harvesting herb’s:

 1.  Always gather from places where there is an abundance of the plant.  Never take more than you need and never take from a plant that is threatened or protected.

 2.  When gathering aerial parts take only the top third of the plant.  When you are gathering roots dig the whole root.  When gathering seeds cut just below the seed head and take home intact.  When gathering flowers cut just below the flower head.

 3.  Do not take bark from the main trunk, always collect bark from a branch.  Also never remove the bark in a full circle.  Instead, cut out a rectangular area about a third of the way around.  Cut the bark up before drying.

 4.  When you need to collect the inner core of the root, scrape away the thin outer layer and collect the inner core.

Harvesting And Drying Your Herb’s

Two things are needed to preserve herb’s at their best - they must be totally dehydrated to remove all traces of moisture and they must be stored carefully to protect them from light, dampness, and heat.

When drying your herb’s gently brush or wash away any trace of dirt or insects.  Then proceed with the correct procedure for the particular plant part being used.

A.  Roots

1.  Most roots are harvested in late autumn when the aerial parts of the plant have wilted, but before the ground becomes too hard to dig.  Dandelion is an exception, gather these roots in the spring.

 2.  Roots that become soft should be thrown out.  Some roots tend to absorb moisture from the air.

 3.  Wash roots thoroughly to remove soil and dirt.

 4.  It is best to chop large roots into small pieces while they are still fresh as some roots can become very hard once they are dry.

 5.  Lay root pieces out on a tray lined with paper

 6.  Dry 1 - 3 hours in a cooling oven.  Larger roots may require 4 - 6 hours. 

 7.  Transfer to a warm room to complete drying.  A sunny room is the best if you have one.

 8  Store in airtight dark container.

B.  Leaves and Flowering Stems

1.  Large leaves such as Burdock can be harvested and dried individually.  Smaller leaves such as Lemon Balm are best left on the stem.

 2.  Gather leaves of deciduous herb’s just before flowering.  Gather evergreen herb’s, such as Rosemary, throughout the year.

 3.  If you are going to use all the aerial parts harvest in mid summer.

 4.  Tie in small bundles at the base and hang upside down in a warm airy place, out of the light. 

 5.  Place a paper bag with holes punched in it or a plastic vegetable bag over the bundle to protect the plant from dirt and dust.

 6.  Once they are dry spread out a large clean cloth to catch the leaves or flowers as you rub them off.  Chop stems into small pieces.  When the leaves are brittle to the touch, but not so dry they turn to dust, rub them from the stem.  Discard any large pieces.

 7.  Place the dried herb’s into an airtight storage container.

C.  Flowering Heads  

1.  When the flower is fully open, harvest after the morning dew.

 2.  Carefully cut the flower heads from the stems, as the heads can be damaged very easily.

 3.  Pick before the flowers before they wither.

 4.  If the stem is large or fleshy, like Mullein, remove the individual flowers and dry them separately.  If the flowers are small, like Lavender, treat them like seeds.

 5.  Remove dirt and insects then lay out to dry.

 6.  Place on a paper lined tray and keep in a warm dark place.

 7.  Turn 2 - 3 times per day to speed up the drying process.

 8.  Once dry rub gently to break into small pieces.

9.  Store in a dark air tight container.

D.  Fruit

 1.  Harvest berries and other fruits once they have just ripened.

 2.  You can keep fruit on the stem and hang up to dry or carefully remove individual fruit and dry as root pieces.

 3.  Before drying fruit peel strip and chop into small pieces.

 4.  Turn 2 - 3 times per day to ensure even drying.  Throw out any fruit that has signs of mold.

E.  Seeds

1.  When the seeds are almost ripe harvest the entire seed head.  Leave 10 - 20 cm. of stalk.

 2.  Dry the seed head whole by hanging it by the stem over a paper lined tray away from direct sunlight.

 3.  Seeds will fall off when they are ripe.  Lay out a cloth then shake the seed heads or rub them over it.  Seeds will fall off when they are ripe.

 4.  Remove the seeds and spread out on a tray to dry in a warm place away from the light.

 5.  Store in airtight, dark storage container.

F.  Sap And Resin

1.  In the autumn when the sap is falling harvest the sap by making a deep incision in the bark.

 2.  Collect the sap in a cup tied to the tree.

 3.  Squeeze the sap from latex plants, such as wild lettuce, over a bowl.  Many saps are corrosive so wear protective gloves.

 4.  For Aloe, slice along the center of the leaf, peel back the edges, then using the blunt edge of a knife scrape the gel from the leaf.

G.  Bark

 1.  To minimize the damage to the plant, harvest in the fall.

 2.  Never remove all the bark or a band of bark completely surrounding a tree.

 3.  Wipe bark to remove moss and insects.  Do not over soak in water.

 4.  Break into manageable pieces, approx. 1 - 2 inch squares.

 5.  Spread on lined trays and leave to dry.  The length of time will depend on the bark type.

 6.  Store in airtight, dark containers.

H.  Bulb

 1.  Once the aerial parts have wilted, harvest the bulbs.

 2.  Garlic bulbs sink quickly so collect them right after the tops start to wilt.

To ensure parts are completely dried feel the material.  It should feel crisp and dry and crumble or break easily.  The length of time it takes to dry will depend entirely on the conditions.  Be sure you check drying herb’s at least once a day, and preferably 2 - 3 times per day.

Storing Herb’s
Most herb’s will keep for several years but whenever possible it is best to gather them fresh and dry them each year, especially aromatic herb’s.  Once they are dry they can be store in airtight containers made from wood, glass, or tin, away from heat and direct light.  Make sure all containers are well labeled with the herb name and the date of packaging.  Herb’s will keep for several years if stored properly.

Buying Herb’s
You may choose not to grow or pick your own herb’s as this can be a very time consuming process.  Don’t fret, you have alternatives.  You can purchase bulk herb’s at your local health food store. 

Be sure to buy from a reputable outlet to ensure the quality and freshness of your herb’s, and their authenticity.  However, even buying bulk herb’s to make your own preparations can be time consuming, which is why health food stores offer easy to use, pre-packaged forms of most herb’s. 

Be sure you purchase a standardized, guaranteed potency product.  This means the product contains uniform levels of the compound(s) responsible for the plants medicinal value.  Not all herb’s are available in this form, but if they are, it is the preferred choice.  Herb’s are packaged and sold as capsules, tablets, tinctures, powders, dried herb’s, teas, juices, combinations of herb’s, creams, ointments, essential oils, and personal care products. 

The choice is yours.  You can make your own or purchase a prepackaged product, which ever suits your own life style.

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