Herbs preparing,cooking right facts for.

Now our pharmacies have a large selection of different herbs. But, if you decide to collect them yourself, remember that it is necessary to have the knowledge, experience and intuition. The garbage should know all the features of the plant and the time of collection, where it has the greatest healing power. For example, the leaves of lily of the valley, collected 2-3 weeks before flowering, twice richer glycosides than collected during flowering. Sometimes the medicine is made from raw materials harvested in inappropriate terms could harm.
When the collection and harvesting of medicinal plants must follow certain rules.
Do not collect plants in the city and other settlements, as well as a number of agricultural crops and plantings, as they are treated with pesticides. Collect medicinal plants, especially herbs, should be far away from enterprises, roads, and so on.
You can not "hack at the root of the plant," it is necessary to collect only those parts that are needed. When harvesting flowers and inflorescences should always leave a few untouched plants, then the next year will be a new growth. Roots, tubers and bulbs are dug out selectively and only after ripening and shedding of seeds.
Above-ground parts of plants (grass) collected after the dew on a sunny day.
The best time collecting grass - before flowering period or the beginning of it; roots (tubers) - in the fall, at least in the spring; bark - early spring, before bud break; leaves - before flowering period or during; kidneys - before blooming; flowers - in the early blooming; seeds and fruit - in full maturity.
Collected materials should not be stored in the container more than 3-4 hours (and sometimes more than 1-2 hours), since it is compressed, self-heating and the port.
Different plant species require different drying modes: containing essential oils - at a temperature not exceeding 30-35 ° C, Vitamin C - 80-90 ° C, glycosides - 55-60 ° C. Juicy fruit and roots are dried in the oven (or special ovens) at a temperature of 40-60 ° C.
It can be dried in the sun only a few species of plants. Basically, they are dried in closed, well-ventilated areas.
Dried plants are kept in a dry place, as a rule, no more than two years, signed by (name of the plant and the date of collection) paper bags, wooden boxes, in bags made of natural fabrics or glass jars (the best storage). If the grass "obsolete", they can always be used for baths.
Do not store in plastic packaging plant, as the essential oils come with them in hazardous compounds.
ATTENTION!In the absence of pharmacy scales chopped raw material is metered spoon, water - glass. A teaspoon holds about 5 g, dessert -10 g, a dining room without a top - 15 g, with the top - 20 g glass of water - 200 ml.
And a few words about how we can prepare medicines from plants.
Infusions - used to extract the active ingredients of the plant parts, which are relatively easy for them to give (grass, leaves, flowers, fresh fruit). For the preparation of infusions used primarily water. Infusions can be cooked as a hot or cold process.
When hot method  a chopped mass   is poured into the bowl and fill with boiling water, usually in a ratio of 1:10 (1 part of the plant to 10 parts water). Infusions are designed for outdoor use, prepare more concentrated (1: 5). They are best done in a thermos: raw pour boiling water in a thermos for 15-20 minutes kept open, then it was covered with a lid and leave for the night and in the morning strain. Another option is the preparation of infusions hot - water bath: the right amount of drug raw pour water at room temperature (about 18 ° C) in a porcelain, glass or enamel pot, which is placed into another container larger boiling water (boiling "water bath) and heated therein with frequent agitation for 15 minutes, then cooled for 45 minutes and filtered.
Cold infusions prepared as follows: raw materials pour necessary amount of cold boiled water and insist from 4 to 12 hours, and then filtered.
Broth - is used to extract the active ingredients the plant parts which render them poorly because they have a more coarse structure (bark, roots, rhizomes, wood, leaves rough, dry fruits, and so. P.) And require a prolonged heat treatment. Vegetable raw materials with cold water, mixed thoroughly, put on fire, bring to a boil and boil on low heat for 20-30 minutes, then filter, squeeze the cheesecloth and add boiling water to the desired volume.
Decoctions and infusions prepared meals designed for use within 1 to 2 days in advance, and stored in a dark cool place, avoiding direct sunlight. If a decoction or infusion of the day should be drunk in the form of heat, it should be heated to "water bath". "Water bath" can be replaced by heating on the fire poured boiling raw materials, put on low heat and warm 5 to 10 minutes, and then insist 20-40 minutes and strain.
Tinctures - liquid dosage forms, which are used as the extraction factor of 40-70% ethyl alcohol or vodka. Most often, one of the crushed material take five parts of alcohol or vodka, mixed thoroughly and put in a cool, dry and dark place (preferably in the bowl of dark glass) for a period of 7 to 40 days, depending on the purpose of the tincture. After the required exposure time infusion of strain, squeeze the remnants of raw materials and also strain.
Store in a tightly sealed infusion bottles. They can be stored for several years. Use them, usually in small doses - 10 to 40 drops per reception. Infusions usually take during the cold season (fall, winter, spring), because they cause a rush of blood to the head and heart, but after serious operations, long-term, debilitating diseases, work related to high physical activity, they can be taken Anytime.
Ointments - external means obtained by mixing powders of plants with the ointment base in a ratio of 1: 4,  .  One part of the plant and four pieces of the substrate. As an ointment bases using porcine and visceral fat (lard), fresh unsalted butter, petrolatum (preferably yellow), vegetable oils. Ointments on vegetable oils or mineral fats stored longer, but ointment lard better quality.
Man has used herbs as a medicine long before the advent of medicine as a science. To extract the active ingredients from plants, traditional healers have always used mainly infusions and decoctions, later came the ability to be treated with infusions and aromatic oils.
Herbs should be collected in a certain period of time, given the time of day and the phases of the moon. Herbalists and well-known of these periods.