What is a Decoction and What do I need to make them?

Over the past couple of months I have been showing you how to use dried herbs in making Tinctures and Infusions; today I am going to introduce you to Decoctions. I’m really excited to finally get to this part – so that in future blogs I can incorporate these fabulous extracts into making my recipes and formulations significantly better.

Decoctions are the resulting liquid from the extracting process called boiling or simmering. This process is used to extract fluids, essences, and active ingredients from hard plant materials. The plant materials can be items such as bark, branches, hard and woody roots, such as carrots, ginseng, or fungi. The extracting process is completed by placing the item in boiling water until the desired extraction is complete.

Here are some basic supplies that are needed when making decoctions.

Supplies for Decoctions
• Water
• Scale
• Plant material desired
• Stirring spoon or similar tool
• Stock pot
• Strainer
• Method of heating the water: stove, tea kettle, etc.
• Freezer storage container, if needed

Gather your stuff to make some decoctions with me! If you can think of any items to create decoctions from (maybe berries or ginger) then share your ideas and let’s hear them!

I’ll be back tomorrow to show you how to make a Wood Ear mushroom decoction.