When over-the-counter medicine seems to have you at your wit’s end and you don’t feel like visiting the doctor just to get a simple prescription, there is a wide-range of alternative treatment approaches to consider. Herbal remedies have been used for thousands of years and are easy to create in the comforts of your own home. Taking a careful approach towards making herbal treatments is highly suggested , you just can’t mix an array of plants, seeds, and roots and come out with a cure-all. In this article, we will touch upon some of the things needed to get you started.
Equipment
Creating an herbal remedy is more than picking a few leaves from a plant and mixing them together, some recipes require a few pieces of equipment. Individuals might have to pull out a few common household utensils to do the job. These tools of the kitchen include items fashioned from cast iron, glass, pottery, enamel, and stainless steel. Some people prefer wooden spatulas while others side with one made from steel. Palette knives come in handy, while nylon sieves and tea strainers help keep vital remedy parts separate.
Equipment Precautions
When it comes to herbal remedy equipment, you should know that aluminum utensils and pans should not be used in the process of creating a treatment. This is because aluminum is known to have an effect on food and herbs, where the element can be absorbed, which has the potential to create toxic effects. The same is true when using a plastic container to store your herbal concoctions. Keeping remedies in a plastic container for a long time may lead to the absorption of reactive chemicals from the herbs.
Sterilization and Equipment
Before placing your herbal remedies in your containers, it is very important that all storage bottles are clean and have been sterilized. If you foresee yourself making many different herbal remedies, it is also suggested to use a separate set of utensils so that contamination does not take place. Food bacteria have a way of creeping up when you least expect it. If this is not possible, everything should be washed in extremely hot water. Metal pans and spatulas should be dried very well and should be places in a hot oven before using to make sure no bacteria is present.
Why Sterilization is Important?
Besides the fact that you can get sick from non-sterile containers and utensils regardless if they are used for herbal remedy making, sterilization is quite key. Many herbal remedies will mold after time if they have been placed in storage jars or bottles that have not been properly sterilized. Usually, this is not seen as much when it comes to creating tinctures (due to a high alcohol content), but treatments like syrups and creams have a tendency to carry a short shelf life. When looking for a decent sterilization resource, the same stuff used for baby bottles and home winemaking projects is great (sodium hypochlorite or sodium metabisulphite).