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THE ART OF BREWING

THE ART OF BREWING
By octobre 04, 2022 0 Comment

THE ART OF BREWING

There really is nothing better than a hot drink to help the body fight against the cold and maintain homeostasis (1) whilst avoiding exhaustion. Aside from coffee (2) which is excitant and alcohol (3) which produces the illusion of heat whilst lowering the immune system, a good herbal tea is a great opportunity to join useful and pleasant.

Holding a steaming mug with both hands warms your fingers whilst you anticipate the hot, fragrant beverage descending into the pit of your stomach. But what exactly is a herbal tea? There are a number of  ways to prepare and enjoy herbal teas. In all cases, water is used as a solvent (4) to extract the active principles of the plant. This allows for a higher efficay due to a higher concentration of active components.

INFUSION:

This is the same principle that applies to tea-bags. Boiling water is poured over the plant matter which is then left to steep, or infuse, for the required time and filtered. This is the correct method to use for leaves and flowers such as Thyme - 5 minutes will ensure you extract both the active ingredients along with the flavour profile.

DECOCTION:

The plant matter is placed in cold water, covered and brought to the boil. It is then left to simmer for the required time, 15 minutes for Linden sapwood for example. Bark and roots most often than not require a decoction.

MACERATION:

The plant matter is placed in cold water, covered and soaked for the required time. It may require leaving it overnight and in some cases up to several weeks. Once ready the preparation is filtered. Maceration is rarely used with water (except as a fertiliser, such as the nettle tea used in the orchard); instead, alcohol, glycerin (glycerin macerate) or oil (oily macerate) are commonly used. Once macerated, you can enjoy the resulting beverage hot, warm or cold according to taste and season. Generally speaking you will want to consume it quickly because the active ingredients tend to volatilize and bacteria may develop. You should keep a herbal tea in the refrigerator for a maximum of 24 hours, after which you should also avoid reheating it excessively, just barely warm it so as not to lose any more active ingredients. Herbal teas are also used to prepare relaxing or medicinal baths, to gargle with, to rinse and disenfect the eyes, as warm compresses to increase blood flow to sore areas, in inhalations or as shampoos. So go right ahead and prepare yourself a Linden infusion from this summer's harvest in Buis les Baronnies!

1 - Or in other words to maintain balance in the body. (temperature, blood pressure, blood sugar level, etc.)

2 - Coffee requires water for its metabolization and in reality does not count as hydraion. This is where the habit of serving a glass of water with your coffee actually comes from..

3 - Alcohol causes vasodilation, which induces the feeling of heat, but in reality this heat dissipates quickly and causes a loss of body temperature. It also causes dehydration and fatigue.

4 - Other solvents are often used: alcohol (alcoholatures, tinctures, medicinal wines), alcohol + glycerin (glycerine macerates), alcohol + sugar (elixirs), vinegar (medicinal vinegars such as the prophylactic 4 thieves vinegar), oil ( lipid extracts or oily macerates such as St. John's Wort or Arnica), water vapour (essential oils or hydrosols). The solvent can also be evaporated to obtain a powdered extract which, taken in capsules, will be more concentrated and thus effective than a plant powder.

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