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Infusion herbs
Infusion Herbs
Herbs are very versatile and popular “greens” with a huge variety of properties, such as medicinal, flavour enhancing, magical, relaxing, refreshing even sleep inducing to name but a few. Whether you like to use them in your cooking to achieve the perfect depth of flavour, whether you enjoy the benefits of herbal remedies, an aromatherapy massage, bath or sauna, or you love drinking herbal tea – their uses are diverse and seemingly endless. And the beauty of herbs is that they are so readily available. You can buy them virtually anywhere and, if you’re even just a little bit green-fingered you can grow them yourself, as they will thrive in most places with only minimal tending to and attention needed.
Infusions are one of the main ways to enjoy the benefits of herbs. They are dried herbs, flowers or berries infused in oil or water. This means the steeping of the herb in the water or oil, adding other flavours as and when required. For medicinal purposes, herbs are infused for a minimum of 4 hours, whereas, as we all know, for your lovely tea you need to infuse your herbs only for a few minutes, depending on how strong you prefer it. Most herbal tea aficionados know, that loose tea is best for infusions, rather than tea bags, and you can choose you herb depending on, what you would like the outcome of your tea indulgence to be. For their uplifting, mood balancing, brain harmonising even anti-depressant qualities, pick chamomile or peppermint, rosemary, St. John’s Wort or liquorice. To de-stress select lavender, chamomile, lemon balm or nettle for instance. Echinacea, fennel or ginger will help you to detox and stimulate your inner organs especially the detox organs, such as the liver and the kidneys. Alternatively, you might just enjoy any of the flavours as a refreshing drink.
But herbal teas are not the only way to enjoy herbal infusions. You can buy or make infused oils and vinegars for your kitchen to make that special signature dish of yours too, as they can give your cooking that extra bit of kick or twist. Oils and vinegar are often infused with basil, chilli or garlic, but there are many more possibilities. As, unlike with medicinal or tea infusions, you leave the herb/plant part in, they also look very pretty in any kitchen and make great presents.
Infusions also make herbal remedies, which are used widely in herbalism, aromatherapy and naturopathy. Herbal remedies usually come in the form of tinctures and use strained dried herbs, as the minerals and phytochemicals in dried herbs are more accessible than in fresh herbs. Herbs are also used in the essential oils you can purchase to enjoy a relaxing bath or an aromatherapy massage, as well as with your diffuser, creating just the right atmosphere for you to unwind. Search our website to find out more about the different properties and benefits of the herbs you are interested in, where to purchase your infusions, recipes on how to make your own infusions and advice on how to grow your own herbs.
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