PERMACRAFTERS PRESENTS

l R e m e d i e s
He r b a n
for C o m m o
A i l m e n t s

ART BY CARO ARÉVALO

 PRESENTED BY

CHRISTELLE SIOHAN
&
CRISTINA ROJAS BOZOVICH

Copyright (c) 2019 by Permacrafters, LLC

Written by Christelle J. Siohan, Permacrafters, LLC
Designed by Cristina Rojas Bozovich, Permacrafters, LLC
All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this book or portions
thereof in any form whatsoever.
 WELCOME,
PERMACRAFTERS!
WELCOME TO HERBAL REMEDIES FOR
COMMON AILMENTS!

Congratulations on taking this important step for your health

and towards making your own home medicine.
This workbook has been prepared to help you follow along with
our online workshop. Use it as your handy reference book. 
To help you get started on the right track, this workbook
contains convenient checklists, guidelines, recipes, and more. It
is divided into modules, just as the video workshop is. 
For technical questions about the class, please email us at
[email protected]. You can also make use of our online
Facebook community to share questions, ideas, or successes with
other students.

FOLLOW US:
 PERMACRAFTERS

Health Disclaimer

What is Permacrafters?
TABLE OF CONTENTS

What is permaculture?

UNIT A: INTRO
Chapter 1: Welcome

UNIT B: LOW WASTE MEDICINE

Chapter 2: Intro to Zero Waste Health

Chapter 3: Pharmaceuticals and Waste
Chapter 4: Zero Waste Medicine Cabinet

UNIT C: INTRO TO HERBAL MEDICINE

MAKING
Chapter 5: Herbal Medicine
Chapter 6: Supplies for Herbal Medicine Making

UNIT D: SIMPLE HERBAL REMEDIES

Chapter 7: Medicinal Teas 

Chapter 8: Syrups 
 PERMACRAFTERS

Chapter 9: Herbal Lozenges

Chapter 10: Steam Inhalation
Chapter 11: Herbal Gargle
TABLE OF CONTENTS

UNIT E: HERBAL TINCTURE-MAKING

Chapter 12: Introduction to Tinctures 

Chapter 13: How to Make an Alcoholic Tincture
Chapter 14: Sleep Tincture   
Chapter 15: Menstrual Pain Tincture 
Chapter 16: Headache Tincture 
Chapter 17: Anxiety Tincture 
Chapter 18: How to Make a Vinegar Tincture
Chapter 19: Loblolly Pine Tincture 
Chapter 20: Fire Cider

UNIT F: SKIN AILMENTS & ACHES

Chapter 21: Salves 

Chapter 22: Poultices & Compresses

UNIT G: FORAGING

Chapter 23: The Rules of Foraging

Chapter 24: Yarrow Oil for Varicose Veins
 PERMACRAFTERS

Chapter 25: Narrowleaf Plantain Hummus

Chapter 26: Purple Dead Nettle Tofu Scramble
Chapter 27: Red Clover Tabbouleh
TABLE OF CONTENTS

Chapter 28: Elderflower Fritters

Chapter 29: Dandelions

UNIT H: MEDICINAL HERBS INFO SHEETS

BONUS: MENSTRUAL PAIN REMEDIES

CITATIONS
 HEALTH DISCLAIMER
The ideas, concepts, and opinions and all content expressed in this
workbook and its accompanying videos are for educational
purposes only. You are responsible to research and verify
information before relying on it. We are not licensed or registered
healthcare practitioners. This workbook is provided with the
understanding that Permacrafters, LLC is not rendering medical
advice of any kind, nor is this workbook intended to replace
medical advice, nor to diagnose, prescribe, or treat any disease,
condition, illness, or injury.

Please consult your medical care provider before using any

products and herbs listed in the workbook, particularly if you have
a known medical condition or if you are pregnant or nursing.

Medicinal products: Permacrafters, LLC cannot provide you with

personal health advice. Workshop participants can discuss health
topics in our private Facebook community groups. However, these
comments do not represent Permacrafters, LLC. No Website
comment or Facebook page comment should be considered health
advice. Some herbs are contraindicated with pharmaceutical drugs.
You are responsible for consulting a medical professional before
trying any new herb or remedy mentioned in the workbook.
Some of our recipes call for alcohol. If you are not of legal age to
consume alcohol, we recommend you refrain from alcohol use. You
are responsible for your own choices. Permacrafters, LLC accepts
no liability relating to or arising from your activities.

Foraging: Permacrafters, LLC, does not advise you to forage in this

workbook or in the videos. Many plants and mushrooms can make
you sick or are deadly poisonous. Be 100% positive of your
identification before you harvest any plant or mushroom. Herbs
can be confused with harmful or deadly substances. In addition,
sometimes a new food, even properly identified, can cause an
unusual reaction, from gastric intolerance to severe allergy. It is
your choice to try a new food. We cannot be responsible for
incorrect identification or reactions to plants or fungi. Some herbs
are contraindicated with pharmaceutical drugs.

Always seek the advice of a physician or other qualified health

provider with any questions you may have regarding any medical
condition. Reliance on any information provided by this workbook
and the accompanying videos, Permacrafters, LLC and the Owners
of Permacrafters, LLC, is solely at your own risk.
 About the Permacrafters

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Christelle is a bubbly environmental educator

and permaculture instructor who infuses

optimism in her classes and laughs at her own

jokes. Originally from Geneva, Switzerland, her

studies and career have focused on

environmental protection. She was awarded the
Betty Flanders Thomson Prize for excellence in

botany and has enjoyed continuing her

herbalism studies both in the field and online.

She’s multilingual, a mama (or “Permamacita”),
a former beekeeper, and a foraging enthusiast

with an insatiable curiosity for life.

ABOUT THE DESIGNER

Cristina brings in her passion for

homemade remedies and natural medicine.

Cristina's grandma loved herbal medicine

and she inspired her to always look for

natural alternatives for common ailments.

She is an outgoing Peruvian crafter whose

inquisitiveness led her to discovering

permaculture. She’s been learning to apply it

to her life ever since. She is our team’s

marketing genius, and talented web and

graphic designer.
Permacrafters, LLC, is a permaculture lifestyle blog and online school founded by Christelle Siohan

and Cristina Rojas. Our mission is to teach self-reliance skills and encourage creative permaculture

thinking for an abundant life. We love pouring our creativity into all aspects of our lives, with

sustainability in mind. We enjoy handcrafting our own body products, cleaners, herbal medicine,

decorations, and tool, and we have fun growing our favorite foods and preparing them right at
home. The guiding ethics and principles of permaculture help us in designing our crafts and our
lives.

Permaculture is an ethical design system for sustainable human culture. It was created as a response

to Earth’s diminishing resources and energy. This system of agricultural and social design principles
is focused of imitating patterns and features obvserved in natural ecosystems. The principles share

whole-systems thinking tools that we can use all together to creatively design our environment and

our behavior. 
Permaculture is not a collection of techniques: use the principles and apply them accordingly based

on your specific situation. As you design your life within the framework of permaculture, you will

develop new skills and build resilience.

 ©PERMACRAFTERS

UNIT A
INTRODUCTION
 Ch. 1: Welcome
This class is about empowering ourselves to make our own home
remedies from nature’s medicine.

BY PERMACRAFTERS
©PERMACRAFTERS

Welcome to our Zero Waste workbook and video course on Herbal Medicine for
Common Ailments. This class is about empowering ourselves to make our own home
remedies from nature’s medicine. It’s also about understanding where we can try to
reduce waste associated to our health habits and our health care without
compromising our health. 

This course begins by looking at the waste that is generated by our modern
healthcare system and how we can attempt to reduce this waste while still keeping
our health a priority. Next, it explores what a zero waste medicine cabinet can look
like (this will of course vary depending on what health issues you are dealing with).
Then, it delves into traditional herbal treatments for common ailments such as colds,
cuts, pain, and anxiety. You will understand the basics of making your own herbal
preparations, including tinctures, teas, syrups, lozenges, compresses, poultices,
salves, and more. By the end of this class, you’ll have a firm grasp of the basics of
herbal medicine making.

This class is intended for educational purposes only. Please read Permacrafters’
Health Disclaimer shared on the first pages of the workbook.
Before you begin, what are your goals in taking this class? What are things you can
take away from this class that will make you feel successful? Does it involve making
your own herbal remedies? What home medicine do you wish to make yourself? Do
you want to put aside a weekend to fill your medicine cabinet to have one year’s
supply of the basics? Do you wish to share this knowledge with your loved ones?
When would you like to start?

We want you to be successful as you learn about herbal remedies! Write down your
goals. If you wish, add a deadline that is both realistic and challenging enough to
motivate you to take action.
 ©PERMACRAFTERS

UNIT B
LOW WASTE
MEDICINE
 Ch. 2: Intro to Zero Waste
Health
Health always comes first. It should be a priority over waste reduction.
This class isn’t about tossing the pharmaceuticals that you need to live
out the window and hoping for the best.
BY PERMACRAFTERS
©PERMACRAFTERS

Intro to Zero Waste Health

BY PERMACRAFTERS

If you are trying to live a low waste lifestyle,

health issues can certainly be a challenge to
keeping your trashcan empty. I want to emphasize
that that is absolutely fine. Health always comes
first. It should be a priority over waste reduction.
This class isn’t about tossing the pharmaceuticals
that you need to live out the window and hoping
for the best. It’s about asking yourself where you
might be able to make changes without
compromising your health.

In our Intro to Zero Waste Living class (which you can take for free if you haven’t
already!) I shared my personal experience with open-heart surgery back in 2018. The
way our world works currently, the operation would have been an impossible feat
without plastic and without single-use medical gear. I required medicine that came in
plastic bottles and I unwillingly generated a lot of trash while I was in the hospital.
©PERMACRAFTERS

Of course, I felt bad about it, because that’s the way I’m wired, but sometimes you
don’t have the physical ability to be adamant about your beliefs. I love reducing
waste, but I am not going to put my health or life on the line to prevent trash from
being generated – and I don’t expect you to either. If you need medical help, please
get the help that you need. We can work together to determine in what areas we still
might be able to reduce waste. 

In the upcoming chapters, we will be looking at the wasteful practices of the

pharmaceutical industry and where we can take action. We’ll look at what a zero
waste medicine cabinet can look like, and finally, we will get in the meat of this class,
which is how to make herbal remedies for common ailments.
 Ch. 3: Minimize Waste from
Pharmaceuticals
The healthcare industry can create a lot of trash and wasted resources.

BY PERMACRAFTERS
©PERMACRAFTERS

Table of Contents
Minimize Waste from
Pharmaceuticals
Drug Donation BY PERMACRAFTERS

The healthcare industry can create a lot of trash

Drug Drop-Off and wasted resources. Being 100% zero waste when
it comes to health issues is not my goal.
Sometimes, you simply need medical assistance
Drugs & Expiration that will generate waste.
Dates
How is our healthcare system wasteful? We often
hear about overuse of pharmaceutical drugs, and
Drug Packaging addiction to opioids. After my heart surgery, I was
given 2 months worth of opioids, of oxycodone in
particular. I had the option of refilling my bottle as
needed.

I ended up using pain medication for only 10 days, and I couldn’t help but wonder
how easy it would have been for me to keep taking those pills and abuse them. When
medicine is prescribed very loosely, the many resources that were put into creating
that drug are wasted. In addition to that, drug manufacturing can be extremely toxic
to the environment (1) when regulations aren’t enforced to avoid contamination – this
is rare in the United States now. However, internationally there are instances of
contamination from drug manufacturers that have damaged local ecosystems greatly,
since the toxicity of the drugs exceeded threshold levels.
©PERMACRAFTERS

Also, when you consume pharmaceutical drugs, what goes in must come out. These
drugs eventually end up down the toilets and into our waterways, although much less
concentrated of course. Trace amounts of pharmaceuticals, such as hormones,
antidepressants, and antibiotics, are actually present in our drinking water. This is
because water filters don’t catch some of the smaller drug molecules. According to
the World Health Organization, the risk to human health is very low since the
concentrations of the pharmaceuticals in our drinking water are so low (2). However,
new research from the University of Buffalo has shown that for fish in the Great
Lakes, these pharmaceuticals are a threat. The active ingredients of antidepressants
have been found to bioaccumulate in fish brains, causing the fish to modify their
feeding behavior and have a have less sharp survival instincts (3). I’m not making an
argument to not use pharmaceuticals – it’s potential overuse of drugs and loose drug
prescription that concerns me. In numbers, a 2012 analysis by Express Scripts found
that $418 billion were wasted on medication in the USA for example due to patients
who ended up not using their medication (4).

Drug Donation
If your doctor prescribed you too many drugs, the first thing you’ll want to do is
check to see if there is a donation program near you. In the States, each state will
have its own Good Samaritan law for drug donation. Local donation programs can
take your medication so long as it’s not expired, that it’s sealed, doesn’t require
refrigeration and that it’s not controlled medication to give it to someone in need.
These drug donation programs aren’t only on the individual level - organizations can
also donate and ensure patient information is kept safe. This helps patients who
might not be able to afford their pharmaceuticals, such as asthma medication,
medicine for high blood pressure, mental health medication and much more.
©PERMACRAFTERS

Drug Drop-Off
If there isn’t a drug donation program near you, or if you have medication that’s no
longer effective, you’ll want to dispose of these drugs properly. The first thing to
note is to not flush the pharmaceuticals down the toilet – they are very concentrated
and it will contribute to water pollution. The second thing to note is to not throw the
drugs out with your trash, because there’s a risk they’ll leach out from an unlined
dump into the waterways. The best thing to do is to go to either your local pharmacy
or your local police station to drop off your medicine at their collection points.
Certain grocery stores also have the capacity to collect your drugs. These facilities
then typically incinerate the medicine to render their molecules inactive, and then
remove remaining heavy metals.

Drugs & Expiration Dates

I talked about medicine that’s no longer effective, but I didn’t mention expired
medicine – and that was deliberate. Pharmaceutical companies are required to set an
©PERMACRAFTERS

expiration date for their medicine and they tend to be very conservative with their
dating, probably because they wouldn’t sell as much if you knew you didn’t have to
replace that Tylenol bottle every 2 years. The expiration date on your medication
doesn’t mean that your medicine will no longer be effective or won’t be safe to use. In
fact, a study by the Food and Drug Administration back in 1998 found that 90% of 100
over-the-counter and prescription drugs that they tested were just as effective 15
years after their expiration date. The majority of the potency of a drug still remains
10 years later (5). A way to extend its shelf life even longer is to keep the medication
in a refrigerator – that’s in fact where I keep my emergency seizure medication. The
only exception medications include tetracycline, nitroglycerin, insulin, and liquid
antibiotics (5). So if you purchased a giant bottle of Tylenol and you didn’t finish the
pills by the time they expired, they may still be just as potent. Always ask your
pharmacist or doctor if you’re in doubt.

Drug Packaging
Other than overzealous prescriptions, the conservative expiration dates, and the
resulting wasted resources, the pharmaceutical industry also uses wasteful practices
such as unsustainable packaging. Again, there’s not always a way around this. Earlier
this year, I required medicine that came in plastic bottles. If you’re lucky, your
pharmacy will refill that same bottle for you, but in my experience, that hasn’t been
an option. Your best option is to determine whether the type of plastic used is
recyclable in your area or if your pharmacy will take it from you to recycle.
©PERMACRAFTERS

If it’s over-the-counter medication you’re in need of, take what you need of course,
but if there’s an option between a glass or plastic bottle, opt for the glass. If there’s
an option not to get medication individually wrapped, opt for that. If there’s an
option to get medication in a metal tube instead of a plastic one, opt for that. Perhaps
your family has extra medication that’s on its way out, and you can make use of it to
avoid having medication in your home that you’ll use once and never more. This may
help you have just what you need in your medical cabinet and not more. If you’re
fortunate, you may even have a store near you where you’ll be able to find natural
remedies in bulk or herbal medication in glass bottles. You can also learn how to
make your own zero waste herbal medicine for mild ailments, which is what we will
explore in this workbook.

Speak Up
In this chapter, we’ve talked a lot about the wasteful practices within the
pharmaceutical industry and around medication in general. Other than the choices
you can make as a patient and consumer, how else can you create an impact? If you’ve
got the extra energy in you, you can use your voice to make a change – you can speak
up and share your opinion and ideas. 

This can start with just letting your doctor know if you won’t need such a large
prescription. If you are upset with the single-use cups and cutlery used at your
hospital, write a letter or start a petition to switch to reusable options or
compostable options or at least recyclable options. (Of course note that certain non-
recyclable materials such as plastic straws may be necessary for certain patients.)
©PERMACRAFTERS

If there’s no drug donation program in your community, start pitching the idea to
your mayor and local pharmacies. If your sore throat pills came in individual
wrappers, you can consider writing the company or starting a petition to encourage
them to change their packaging. If you’re constantly using a new bottle to get your
prescription refills, you can give feedback to your pharmacy about alternative
options. And finally, start taking things into your own hands when it comes to simple
ailments, and learn about herbal medicine.
 Ch. 4: Low Waste Medicine
Cabinet
. Let’s have a look at the basics of what a low waste medicine cabinet
can look like.

BY PERMACRAFTERS
©PERMACRAFTERS

Table of Contents
Low Waste Medicine
Cabinet
First Aid Kit BY PERMACRAFTERS

A low waste medicine cabinet can take many

Bandage Options shapes. The amount of waste you produce from the
medication you take or the medical procedures you
undergo is so variable from person to person. Let’s
Other Items have a look at the basics of what a low waste
medicine cabinet can look like.

Condoms

Checklist

First Aid Kit

In your cabinet, you’ll likely want to keep a home first aid kit. In that kit, you’ll find
your typical non-disposable items, such as a thermometer, scissors, tweezers, and
safety pins. All of these can be easily found secondhand if you don’t already own
them. Then, you’ll want disposable sterile gloves for emergencies.
©PERMACRAFTERS

There are biodegradable nitrile medical examination gloves available called Green
Dex. You can purchase them online, but the shipping cost is about $15, twice the cost
of the gloves. They are meant more for bulk purchases. There are Green Dex gloves
available on Amazon, but they aren’t medical exam gloves specifically. What you can
do is grab a pair or two from a friend who might have a full box of gloves. Hopefully
you won’t need to use them, and if you do, it’s hopefully a rare occasion. Otherwise,
in Europe, Fair Zone sells latex gloves that are biodegradable – however, some
people are allergic to latex, which is why many medical organizations no longer use
latex gloves.
You may want to keep cotton swabs for emergencies as well – these can also be
composted. To disinfect wounds, soap and water can do the job in most cases, but
you may choose to keep disinfecting wipes or disinfectant liquid for more serious
injuries.
©PERMACRAFTERS

Bandage Options

Piece of Cotton
Depending on the type of scrape you have, you may
be able to get away with using a simple piece of
cotton and tying it around your cut or fastening it
with surgical tape – both the cotton and tape are
biodegradable. These bandages are NOT STERILE
and mustn't be used on open wounds.

SCOBY bandage
Another type of homemade bandage is super weird
and kind of acts as a second skin. It's made by
dehydrating kombucha SCOBY in the sun, and
cutting up the dried pieces into various bandage
sizes. SCOBY bandages are NOT STERILE. Use them
for wound prevention or on closed wounds to avoid
reopening.
©PERMACRAFTERS

So if you’re dealing with pesky flip-flops that are causing cuts between your toes,
you can use dried SCOBY. Or if you have a cut on your finger, you can use dried
SCOBY – I keep a dehydrated supply in my home and it’s one of the weirdest things I
own. If it doesn’t stick to itself, which is possible, you can fasten it with surgical
tape.

Lamb’s ear & gauze

Another option if you’re out and about or if you’re
a home gardener is to use lamb’s ear (Stachys
Byzantina) as a bandage. The leaves are
antimicrobial and soft on the skin. (Of course, be
100% certain of your plant ID first.) If it’s a small
cut, you can simply use biodegradable medical
paper tape on its own – it’s really hard to find
surgical tape that specifies that it’s biodegradable,
however. Or you can combine that with 100%
cotton sterile gauze, which is also compostable.

Patch, in Australia, currently sells biodegradable gauze, for instance. Finding sterile
gauze that’s not individually wrapped is tough, since it’s medical gear. On Amazon,
you can find bandage rolls by Covidien that aren’t individually wrapped, but they
aren’t sterile. We went with bandage rolls by California Basics that are sterile, but
also individually wrapped. The packaging to ensure sterility isn’t perfect, but these
can be composted after use.

Biodegradable Bandages
Finally, if you want more convenient options, you
can look for biodegradable bandages online. There
are companies in Australia (like Patch and
EveryDay Good Co.) who sell them. On Amazon US,
you can find several All Terrain bandages that are
biodegradable.
©PERMACRAFTERS

We use the strong strip bandages and the sheer bandages that are biodegradable.
They also offer a waterproof bandage that is biodegradable.

Other items
Next, in your first aid kit and in your medicine cabinet in general, you will also want
medication to treat your ailments. Keep any pharmaceuticals that you might need to
take in here (I keep emergency medication in case my daughter get a fever for
instance, or my emergency seizure medication). You’ll also have any herbal medicine
that you might decide is helpful and appropriate for you for common ailments.
Personally, in my medicine cabinet, I keep in stock medicinal preparations that are
shelf-stable, like my tincture for anxiety, my tincture for menstrual cramps, and my
sleep aid tincture. I keep a hot water bottle in here and my rice sock heating pack for
cramps. I also have my sore throat lozenges in here, and oregano and thyme for
steam inhalation. I keep a handy cotton cloth in there for the compresses and
poultices. I keep my salves in here for my dry or irritated or itchy skin. The only
herbal remedies I don’t keep in my medicine cabinet are my aloe vera plant,
obviously, my herbs for tea, my salt for gargling, and my elderberry syrup. I actually
prefer to not add alcohol to my elderberry syrup – which would actually make it shelf
stable - and to keep it in the fridge instead. We will go through all these remedies in
this workbook.
©PERMACRAFTERS

You may also store your multi-vitamin pills in your bathroom. Thankfully, there are
many glass jar options instead of plastic jars for your vitamins. I have to say that
personally, I have veered away from taking multi-vitamins and have focused on
having a balanced diet. I am particularly fond of consuming sprouts and microgreens
since they are superfoods packed with enzymes to facilitate digestion, and they’re an
excellent source of beta-carotene, carotenoids, and essential vitamins like vitamins
C, E and K. Their nutrient concentration is much higher at this young stage of
growth. We offer a whole other class on growing these plants at home if you are
interested. I also try to incorporate fermented foods and beverages into my diet to
consume healthy bacteria. I think vitamins can be necessary, I consumed them when I
was pregnant to make sure my daughter got all the nutrients she needed. But I think
that with a healthy balanced diet, I am receiving the nutrients that I need. I’m talking
from personal experience – make sure to consult your doctor or a nutritionist if you
are considering not taking multi-vitamins any longer.
©PERMACRAFTERS

Condoms
Finally, your medicine cabinet might be where you keep your condom stash – or
maybe by your bedside, but let’s talk about it. When it comes to sexual encounters,
always choose safety first. Depending on the contraception you use, it may create
waste, but… much less waste than treating an STD or than other outcomes you hadn’t
planned for.

Non-latex condoms are typically made of

polyurethane, which is a synthetic plastic that is
not biodegradable. Natural latex condoms are made
of rubber, which is biodegradable. However, that’s
usually not the only component – it may contain
components that are not biodegradable. The best
options I know of are Sustain condoms, made of
natural rubber from fair trade plantations and
Einhorn condoms in Germany that ethically source
and sustainably grow their rubber.

Both of these options are vegan. Either way, they aren’t appropriate for home
composting since they would take too long to degrade. If you are sending your
compost to a compost pick-up service for industrial composting, just make sure to
follow their guidelines for composting condoms.
©PERMACRAFTERS

An option that is totally compostable and fine for

backyard composting are lambskin condoms, which
are made from the intestines of lambs. Let me be
very clear in saying that lambskin condoms do NOT
give you assured protection against STDs. I
recommend never using these unless both your
partner & yourself have been tested for STDs
together. Lambskin condoms are used for
contraception only. 

Those are the basics that you can keep in your medicine cabinet.
 FIRST AID KIT
CHECKLIST

Thermometer NOTES
Scissors
Tweezers
Safety pins
Biodegradable disposable sterile gloves
GreenDex Click here.
Fair Zone (warning: latex) Click here.
Bandages
Piece of cloth + surgical tape (warning: not sterile)
SCOBY bandage (warning: not sterile)
Lamb’s ear (Stachys Byzantina) (warning: not sterile)
Biodegradable bandages (Patch, EveryDay Good Co., All Terrain) Click here.
Pharmaceuticals
Herbal medicine
Alcoholic Tinctures
Sore throat lozenges
Oregano & thyme (steam)
Salves
Cotton cloth (compress/poultice)
Hot water bottle/rice sock
Condoms
Sustain or Einhorn condoms Click here.
Lamb skin condoms
 ©PERMACRAFTERS

UNIT C
INTRO TO HERBAL
MEDICINE MAKING
 Ch. 5: Herbal Medicine
Our ancestors used herbs because of their many medicinal virtues.
Making herbal medicine is the ideal home medicine.

BY PERMACRAFTERS
©PERMACRAFTERS

Table of Contents Herbal Medicine

BY PERMACRAFTERS
Cough & Colds
Prior to modern medicine, we humans used plants
Pain  widely to treat many types of ailments – in fact,
plants were the first medicine we used. We often
Indigestion just ingested medicinal plants as food. Our
ancestors used these herbs, because they have a
Anxiety & Sleeping wide variety of healing properties. They can act as
diuretics, as decongestants, laxatives, stimulants,
Skin Care anti-inflammatory agents, or antianxiety agents.
Certain plants can strengthen our immune system
What solvents extract to ward off bacteria, viruses or other pathogens.
what medicinal Other plants can reduce menstrual cramps, or
constituents? different types of aches and pains.

Herbs have many medicinal virtues. Making herbal medicine is the ideal home
medicine. It works wonders for simple health issues, like the common cold or even
for basic first aid.Today, pharmaceutical drugs used in conventional or allopathic
medicine are actually often made with many plant-derived compounds. But we have
veered far from taking our traditional medicine from nature. In my personal opinion,
I do see many flaws with conventional medicine and pharmaceutical industries. I see
overuse of medication, addiction to medication such as opioids, and use of drugs that
mask problems instead of addressing the root of an illness.
©PERMACRAFTERS

With that being said, I believe allopathic medicine is necessary in many situations,
especially in cases of severe illness or if you are not responding to herbal remedies
successfully and in a timely manner. I am very grateful for medical advances and the
power of modern medicine.  To be clear, herbal medicine is not a complete
replacement for conventional medicine.

What herbs can do is support your health and wellbeing when it comes to common
day-to-day health issues, typically without concern for side effects you may
experience with over-the-counter drugs, and without such a heavy financial burden
since herbs are typically cheaper and you can even grow your own medicine or go
forage for it.  D epending on what you are trying to treat, herbal medicine alone is not
always a panacea. Chronic health problems, for example, are best addressed with a
holistic approach that incorporates herbal medicine, healthy diet, exercise, good
sleep, time outdoors in the sun, and potentially other practices as well such as talk
therapy or meditation depending on what problems you wish to heal. Our bodies are
complex and a holistic health approach can allow us to address the root of problems
and truly heal as opposed to temporarily masking symptoms. 

The reason I have loved delving into the study of herbal medicine is that I find it
fascinating to revisit traditional remedies that generations before me used. I get
excited about harvesting or preparing my own medicine. It’s empowering to learn the
medicinal properties of plants and to make your home medicine yourself, in your own
home. 

In this workbook, we will be working with herbs that were purchased dried and that
can be found without too much trouble in the United States and Europe. I do enjoy
foraging, but for now we will be sticking to plants you can purchase in order for you
to be 100% certain of their identity. I find that starting this way can be less
overwhelming if you are just beginning to learn about plants.

We will be making several blends for common ailments such as menstrual cramps,
anxiety, trouble sleeping, rashes and insect bites, sore throats, and compromised
immune systems. Many products I share in this workbook are shelf stable and can be
stored in your medicine cabinet. 
©PERMACRAFTERS

Remember that this isn’t intended to be health advice for your particular situation. I
have been studying herbalism for several years, but I am neither a certified herbalist,
nor a medical doctor. I’m sharing what has worked for me and it’s your responsibility
to do your due diligence as well and to run things by your doctor prior to using
anything. Again, make sure you are familiar with our Health Disclaimer.

In this workbook, I will be sharing remedies that can help with common ailments. The
recipes are an introduction to the topic and the list of ailments they can help is not
exhaustive of course, but hopefully touches upon some of the big ones. As mentioned
previously, these remedies need to be part of a holistic approach to your health, as
nothing alone is a panacea.

COLDS & COUGHS

If you are looking for remedies for colds and coughs, I suggest you check out our
vinegar tincture section for our fire cider recipe and loblolly pine vinegar. You may
also make infusions to support your immune system. If you have a cough or sore
throat, you may appreciate our syrups, including the elderberry syrup, onion-garlic
syrup and syrups for dry or productive coughing. I would also direct you to our
lozenges section for our sore throat lozenge recipe. Steam inhalations and gargles
are also herbal remedies that can support you during a cold or if you’re congested.
©PERMACRAFTERS

PAIN
If it’s pain you are dealing with, I would ask what sort of pain. For menstrual cramps,
I would direct you to our moon tincture as well as our compress section. For
headaches, I would also direct you to our headache tincture. For stomachaches, you
might find our herbal tea section helpful.

INDIGESTION
For indigestion, I suggest sipping on the digestive herbal infusion shared in the tea
section as well.
©PERMACRAFTERS

ANXIETY & SLEEPING

For trouble with anxiety and sleeping, be sure to check out our tinctures section
where share a helpful recipe and also walk through practices that are useful for
tackling these problems.

SKIN CARE
For skin care, if you are dealing with rashes or cuts, insect bites, dry skin and the
like, I invite you to check out our sections on compresses, poultices, and salves.
What solvents extract what
medicinal constituents?

WATER READILY Vitamins

EXTRACTS: Minerals (calcium, iron, magnesium)
Mucilage
Prebiotic compounds (inulin)
Volatile oils
Polysaccharides

OIL READILY Essential oils

EXTRACTS: Resins (heat to extract better)
Lipids

Alcohol is a more effective solvent that

vinegar and glycerin. The higher the
percentage of alcohol, the more effective
the solvent will be.

ALCOHOL READILY Essential oils

EXTRACTS: Resins
Balsams
Camphors
Alkaloids
Glycosides
Bitter constituents
ALCOHOL ISN’T GREAT Mucilage
AT EXTRACTING: Minerals
Polysaccharides

VINEGAR READILY
EXTRACTS: Minerals (iron, potassium, calcium)

GLYCERIN READILY Certain phytochemicals better

EXTRACTS: than alcohol
Ch. 6: Supplies for Medicine
Making
Here are the basic supplies you will need to complete the workbook
projects.

BY PERMACRAFTERS
©PERMACRAFTERS

Table of Contents Supplies for Medicine

Medicine Making Tools
Making
BY PERMACRAFTERS

Tools Checklist
Before jumping into our medicine making, let’s go
over some basic supplies that you will need to
Herbal Medicine
complete the projects in this workbook. This list
Ingredients
isn’t exhaustive, but it goes over the elements that
you may not already have in your home.
Where to Purchase Herbs

Ingredients Checklist

Amber glass bottles and amber dropper

bottles
If you count on making tinctures, having glass dropper bottles and amber bottles on
hand is very useful. I recommend seeing first what you can find at your local thrift
store or ask your friends if they have extra.
©PERMACRAFTERS

If you cannot find these secondhand, I highly recommend Mountain Rose herbs
because of their zero waste policy. They specifically prioritize lightweight and
recycled packaging materials. Their shipping boxes are 100% post-consumer
material. Instead of bubble wrap, they use 100% recyclable or biodegradable
GreenWrap and air pillows. Any paper is 100% recycled. The packing peanuts are
plant-based and are reused from incoming shipments. Essentially, they are a stellar
company!

Mason Jars (or le Parfait Jars)

Mason Jars are also a must for tincture-making,
but also for the salve-making process. I use
Mason Jars for everything! Le Parfait jars are a
great option that are popular in Europe. The
advantage of choosing these is that, unlike Mason
Jars, there is no plastic lining in the lid that may
leach unwanted substances in your medicine.
They are lined with natural rubber (those allergic
to latex, beware).

Wax Paper (if using Mason Jars)

If it’s an alcoholic tincture you are making, you
can use wax paper to protect the tincture, so that
the plastic components from the Mason Jar lid
don’t leach out into your medicine. You can use If
You Care unbleached wax paper that is 100%
soybean wax as opposed to petroleum-based wax,
and it’s chlorine-free and paraffin-free. When
using Le Parfait jars, no wax paper is needed.
©PERMACRAFTERS

Blender
When making tinctures and salves, blenders can
be very useful.

Kitchen Scale
A kitchen scale is especially useful when making
weight-to-volume tinctures or to exactly recreate
our tincture recipes in this workbook.

Nut Milk Bag

When making tinctures, syrups and salves, having
a nut milk bag is extremely handy for straining.
EcoPeaceful has a nut bag that is 100% organic,
including the stitching, no synthetics. They make
a point of having plastic-free sustainable
packaging options as well.
©PERMACRAFTERS

Potato Ricer
For further straining, for salve and tincture-
making, I find a potato ricer to be extremely
handy. I actually found one at a secondhand store
here, so always stop by there first to see what
gems you’ll find. If you do need to buy new, make
sure the handle is plastic-free.

Metallic Funnels: Large mouth and small

When you’re bottling syrups and tinctures, it’s

also very handy to have both a large-mouth
funnel and a small metallic funnel. I use metallic
as opposed to plastic to avoid unwanted leaching
of potentially toxic substances. Have a look at
what your secondhand options are first. If you
aren’t successful, I again recommend Mountain
Rose Herbs, because of their strong
environmental values.
©PERMACRAFTERS

Tall Glass Bottle

If you’re making a vinegar tincture, you might
want a nice bottle, like a cork-top bottle,
especially if you count on using the vinegar as
dressing. Mountain Rose Herbs offers some nice
ones.

Tea Strainers
If you’re planning on making tea, you’ll want to
choose a strainer, such as a small portable tea
strainer ball, a tea strainer cup, a French press,
or a glass or ceramic teapot. If you’re making
decoctions, a large fine triangle-shaped strainer
is also helpful for big batches of tea.
©PERMACRAFTERS

Metallic Containers
When making salves, you can use small metallic
containers. If you don’t want to buy a new one,
you can also repurpose those mini jam containers
that restaurants give out sometimes.

Labeling Materials
For many of your products, you’ll want to label
them. Depending on what you are labeling, you
can use a marker, biodegradable paper tape, or
twine and repurposed cardboard.
 Medicine Making
Tools Checklist
(    ) Amber glass dropper bottles

(    ) Amber bottles

(    ) Mason Jars or Le Parfait jars

(    ) Wax Paper (if using Mason jars)

(    ) Blender

(    ) Kitchen Scale

(    ) Nut milk bag

(    ) Potato Ricer

(    ) Metallic funnels (large mouth and small)

(    ) Tall glass bottle

(    ) Small tea strainer

(    ) Large triangle-shaped strainer

(    ) Small metallic containers

( ) Labeling Materials
©PERMACRAFTERS

Every recipe in this workbook calls for different ingredients. Prior to purchasing the
herbs, in particular, I recommend you research whether these herbs are safe for you
to use and run them by your practitioner.

Beeswax
If you want to make salves, you’ll want beeswax
pellets. They are hard to find plastic-free unless
you are lucky enough to know a great local
beekeeper who will provide them plastic-free.
Mountain Rose Herbs does offer beeswax pellets,
but because of strict government regulations, it’s
still offered in plastic packaging for the time
being.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Salves also call for vegetable oil. I use organic
extra virgin olive oil, which you can find either in
a glass bottle at the store or at the zero waste
shop in bulk where you bring your own bottle.
©PERMACRAFTERS

Balsamic or Apple Cider Vinegar

For a vinegar tincture, you’ll use either balsamic
or apple cider vinegar, typically.

100-proof vodka (or other)

For an alcoholic tincture, 100-proof vodka is

what I most commonly use. You can find more
details on which alcohols to pick in our tincture
section.
Medicinal Herbs
PERMACRAFTERS

VALERIAN Valeriana officinalis

Sleep tincture
Pain tincture

PASSIONFLOWER Passiflora incarnata

Sleep tincture

HOPS Humulus lupulus

Sleep tincture
Headache tincture

FEVERFEW Tanacetum parthenium

Headache tincture

MOTHERWORT Leonurus cardiaca

Menstrual pain tincture

ROSE FLOWERS Rosa spp.

Menstrual pain tincture 

CEYLON CINNAMON Cinnamomum Verum/Zeylanicum

Anxiety tincture

CHAMOMILE Matricaria recutita

Anxiety tincture
Calming tea

LEMON BALM Melissa officinalis

Anxiety tincture,
Calming tea

HOLY BASIL Ocimum tenuiflorum

Anxiety tincture
Calming tea
NETTLES Urtica dioica

Iron and calcium vinegar tincture

PLANTAIN Plantago spp.

Healing salve

VIOLET Viola spp

Healing salve

CALENDULA Calendula officinalis

Healing salve

LICORICE - CHOPPED Glycyrrhiza glabra

Chopped for dry cough syrup

LICORICE - POWDERED Glycyrrhiza glabra

Powdered licorice for throat lozenges

ELECAMPANE Inula helenium

Productive cough syrup

THYME Thymus spp.

Steam inhalation

OREGANO Origanum vulgare

Steam inhalation

GARDEN SAGE Salvia officinalis

Salt gargle
LEMONGRASS Cymbopogon citratus

Anxiety
Indigestion
Cramps

YARROW Achillea millefolium

Menstrual cramps
Salves

ANGELICA Angelica archangelica

Cramps
Coughs
©PERMACRAFTERS

Where to purchase herbs:

All of these herbs can be purchased either at your local apothecary where they will
hopefully package in recyclable paper, or, if you’re lucky, they’ll place the herbs
directly in your own reusable containers. Zero waste stores sometimes have a few
options for herbs in bulk, but it may be tough to find a store that would carry all of
these medicinal herbs package-free. If you’re buying online, Mountain Rose Herbs
offers excellent organic options and sustainable packaging. If you’re in Europe, like I
am at the moment, Herboristerie du Valmont offers great organic herbs in recyclable
paper packaging. No matter which supplier you go with, make sure to always opt for
organic herbs.

, there are bugs in my herbs!

Sometimes, you’ll find drugstore beetles happily living in your organic dry herbs jar.
These are completely harmless. I’ve consumed batches of tinctures that I accidentally
made that contained these little beetles. If you happen to have a batch of herbs that’s
contaminated, reach out to your supplier – you may still be able to use your herbs!
And they’ll likely give you a fresh new batch, too.
 Medicine-Making
Ingredients Checklist
(    ) Beeswax

(    ) Olive oil

(    ) Balsamic or Apple Cider Vinegar

(    ) 100-proof vodka (or other)

(    ) Medicinal Herbs

(    ) Valerian (Valeriana officinalis)

(    ) Passionflower (Passiflora incarnate)

(    ) Hops (Humulus lupulus)

(    ) Feverfew (Tanacetum parthenium)

(    ) Motherwort (Leonurus cardiac)

(    ) Rose flowers (Rosa spp.)

(    ) Ceylon cinnamon (Cinnamomum Verum/Zeylanicum)

(    ) Chamomile (Matricaria recutita)

(    ) Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis)

(    ) Holy basil (Ocimum tenuiflorum)

(    ) Nettles (Urtica dioica)

(    ) Plantain (Plantago spp.)

(    ) Violet (Viola spp.)

(    ) Calendula (Calendula officinalis)

(    ) Licorice, chopped & powdered (Glycyrrhiza glabra)

(    ) Elecampane (Inula helenium)

(    ) Thyme (Thymus spp.)

(    ) Oregano (Origanum vulgare)

(    ) Garden Sage (Salvia officinalis)

(    ) Lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus)

(    ) Yarrow (Achillea millefolium)

(    ) Angelica (Angelica archangelica)

 ©PERMACRAFTERS

UNIT D
SIMPLE HERBAL
REMEDIES
 Ch. 7: Medicinal Teas
Teas are such a comforting way to take your medicine. Sipping on a
warm cup of tea is a pleasurable, calming experience.

BY PERMACRAFTERS
©PERMACRAFTERS

Table of Contents Medicinal Teas

BY PERMACRAFTERS
Medicinal Teas
Teas are such a comforting way to take your
What medicinal medicine. Sipping on a warm cup of tea is a
constituents are pleasurable, calming experience. It’s not like trying
extracted by water? to swallow a horse pill. It’s especially enjoyable if
you are using aromatic herbs that have a
Infusions vs. Decoctions particularly nice flavor, like lemon verbena tea or
ginger root tea, for instance.
Infusion Blend for
Calmness Teas can also be affordable medicine. Bulk herbs
tend to be cheaper than herbs in teabags. You can
Herbs for Indigestion purchase your herbs in bulk from not only your
and Stomachaches local zero waste stores, but many regular grocery
stores too nowadays.
Checklist for
Tea-Making

Your local farmer might have some loose herbs for sale too. If you’re a gardener, you
can of course grow your own herbs right at home and either dry your herbs or put
them fresh in your tea. And if you know your way around foraging, you can also
forage for tea, which I personally find to be most exciting of all! (We do not go over
foraging options in this workbook.)
©PERMACRAFTERS

Choosing loose tea and steering clear of teabags is a good thing for more reasons
than one. It turns out 96% of teabags are not even compostable because they contain
plastic – polypropylene to be exact -, which leaches goodness knows what right into
your hot medicinal tea (6).

96% of teabags contain plastic

You might be wondering what makes teas medicinal. Well, it depends on the herbs
the teas are made from, of course. But what’s special about tea is that the hot water
used in making the tea extracts some of the medicinal constituents from the plants.

What medicinal constituents are extracted

by water?
©PERMACRAFTERS

Water is particular apt at extracting vitamins and minerals like calcium, iron, and
magnesium from the plant matter.

It’s also good at extracting mucilage from plants. Mucilage is that gooey substance
you find when you’re cooking up okra, for instance. Mucilage is particularly good at
coating tissues, which is why a mucilage-rich marshmallow tea, slippery elm tea, or
licorice tea is excellent for painful throats.

Water is also capable of extracting prebiotic compounds such an inulin, which can
support your gut flora. It extracts volatile oils, which can have various medicinal
properties. And it extracts polysaccharides from mushrooms, too – if you’re making a
mushroom tea, like reishi.

If you are looking to extract one of these constituents from your plant, making a tea
is a good way to go about it. 

If your herbs are unpalatable, you might consider making a medicinal preparation
other than tea, like a tincture, so that you can take your medicine quickly and not sip
on an unpleasant tea for hours. And if it’s the alkaloids or the resins you are after,
water isn’t the best way of extracting these compounds.
©PERMACRAFTERS

How do you make tea?

Tea can be made as an herbal infusion or as an herbal decoction depending on the
plants or plant parts you are working with.

What is an infusion?

Herbal infusions are adapted to loose, light,

delicate plant material, like leaves, flowers and
fruits, and also aromatic roots. The concept is
simple: boil some water, then pour the boiling
water over your herbs (like rose herbs, for
instance) and let them infuse for about 20 to 40
minutes. The longer you steep, the stronger the
tea.

The reason these more delicate plant parts are left to steep as opposed to boiled is to
preserve the vitamins, enzymes, and essential oils. If you’ve made your own tea from
a teabag before, you’ve made an infusion. And in fact, you may have been taking plant
medicine without knowing it. When you make tea for medicine, as opposed to just
pleasure, you choose plants that you know will specifically help your ailments, and
you’ll also want to use more herbs than you would for a typical tea you’d drink just
for pleasure.
©PERMACRAFTERS

Since your tea will be loose, you’ll need to put your herbs into a metallic strainer and
filter so that they can infuse properly but not get chunks into your tea. There are
various types of strainers you can use, some that are built-in to ceramic teapots,
some people like using a French press, or simply using a small portable tea ball that
you can put in your mug.

In terms of measurements, a general starting point is to use 1 tsp. of herbs per cup of
water – this applies to both infusions and decoctions. Of course, if the tea hasn’t
been finely crushed and is still in larger chunks, or if it’s fresh, then you’ll want to
add more than just a tsp – on tbsp. instead might be a better measurement. You can
adjust as needed.
©PERMACRAFTERS

“1 tsp. of herb per cup of water”

Some plants that are perfect for infusions specifically include peppermint, nettles,
chamomile, holy basil, raspberry leaf, and actually also certain aromatic roots like
ginger root.

PEPPERMINT NETTLES CHAMOMILE

HOLY BASIL RASPBERRY GINGER

LEAF ROOT
©PERMACRAFTERS

What is a decoction?

A decoction is adapted to harder, denser plant

material, like bark, non-aromatic roots, certain
seeds, and mushrooms. Instead of letting the
herbs infuse, your simmer the herbs. To make
your decoction, you need a pot and stovetop.
Your herbs are placed directly into the pot with
water (1 tsp. per cup of water), and the water is
brought to a boil. We used licorice in the video
for the demonstration.

Once it’s boiling, you turn the heat down to a simmer and cover the pot. You can let
your plant material simmer for 20 to 45 minutes. The longer, the stronger. In order
to finish your decoction, you’ll need a larger strainer, and you can pour your tea
through the strainer straight into your teapot or mug.

Some materials you can decoct include licorice root, dandelion root, fenugreek seed
and reishi.

LICORICE DANDELION FENUGREEK REISHI

ROOT ROOT SEED
©PERMACRAFTERS

What about combinations?

1st. Harder 2nd. Lighter Let it steep!

plant plant

If you wish to combine lighter and harder plant materials together, you can. Simply
start by decocting your tougher plant material – in our case here, the cinnamon bark,
and as soon as you’re done simmering, take the pot off the heat and add your lighter
plant material and let it steep – here we added holy basil to the cinnamon.

Whenever you’re combining herbs, take into account the more astringent or
overpowering herbs and perhaps combine them with a larger volume of other herbs
that will make the tea more pleasant to drink.

Cold Herbal Infusions

One last method of making tea is with cold
infusion. Letting herbs infuse in cold water
instead of hot water is a good way to extract the
herbs’ mucilaginous properties. It won’t extract
other medicinal constituents as readily, however.
When making a cold infusion, herbalists enjoy
setting the tea either out in the sun or under the
moonlight for several hours before consuming
the same day, or refrigerating and consuming
within a couple days.
©PERMACRAFTERS

Drinking & Composting your Tea

Once you’re done with your tea, you can compost
your herbs. The tea itself will keep for a couple
days in the fridge if you’ve made a large batch. If
you are taking it to help with an acute problem,
having up to 4 cups of tea in a day is what many
herbalists recommend. Of course, depending on
the herbs used, check with your doctor to see if
taking these herbs in such doses – or at all – is
appropriate.
©PERMACRAFTERS

Making an Infusion Blend for Calmness

Holy basil, lemon balm, and chamomile are three herbs that we explore in our section
on tinctures for anxiety. These are herbs that also taste incredible together in a tea.
Sipping on the tea is calming in and of itself, too. They are used in our infusion blend
for calmness.

Attention
Before drinking this tea, please run it by your doctor.
Be aware that some of these herbs in this blend aren’t
suitable for pregnant women, those with thyroid
problems, and those who develop an allergic reaction
to chamomile. The herbs can also lower glucose level
in the blood, thin blood, decrease sperm count, and
interact with certain medications.

Recipe:
1 tsp. of holy basil
1 tsp. of lemon balm
1 tsp. of chamomile
Boil 3 cups of water
Pour the water on top of the herbs 
Let them steep for 20 minutes
©PERMACRAFTERS

Herbs for Indigestion and Stomachaches

Tea can also be very helpful if you have an upset stomach or indigestion. Many herbs
can help with digestion, from peppermint, to lemon balm, lemon verbena,
lemongrass, dill seed and leaf, chamomile flower and elecampane.
 
If it’s more of a stomachache you are dealing with, a ginger tea with cinnamon can
help soothe that pain.

You can go ahead and make your own blend based on what medicinal qualities you
are after in the herbs and read up on the safety profiles of each herb to ensure
they’re suited for you.
 CHECKLIST FOR
TEA-MAKING:

MEDICINAL HERBS

HEAT-SAFE MUG OR TEAPOT (OPTIONAL)

WATER BOILER OR POT

INFUSIONS:

STRAINER (BUILT-IN TO CERAMIC TEAPOTS,

FRENCH PRESS, PORTABLE TEA BALL)

DECOCTIONS:

LARGE STRAINER (CONE-SHAPED)

POT
Ch. 8: How to Make Medicinal
Syrups
This section covers 3 medicinal syrups: one to boost your immune
system, another to fight colds, and the third to help with coughing.

BY PERMACRAFTERS
©PERMACRAFTERS

Table of Contents How to Make Medicinal

Elderberry syrup to Syrups
boost your immune
BY PERMACRAFTERS
system
Y’all know a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine
Garlic-Onion Syrup go down! And herbal syrups are a most delightful
way to take medicine. The herbal syrups in this
Syrups for Dry or workbook are made with honey, and they taste
Productive Coughs more like a treat than a medicine. This section
covers 3 medicinal syrups: one to boost your
immune system, another to fight colds, and the
Alcoholic Syrup
third to help with coughing. The first two syrups
we will be making in this section aren’t shelf-
Syrup-Making Checklist
stable, but I will also be sharing syrup recipes that
will last for decades.

The reason honey is used in these syrup recipes is that it has wonderful antimicrobial
and anti-inflammatory properties. These are helpful for an inflamed throat or for
colds in general. Honey also acts as a cough suppressant.
©PERMACRAFTERS

Attention

Honey should never be given to children under the age of 1 because of the
risk of illness or death related to botulism. In fact, always check with your
provider to see if the herbs and recipes are appropriate for you and
especially if you are considering sharing these with your children,
because this will also influence dosage.

Elderberry syrup to boost your immune

system
Elderberry (Sambucus nigra)

The first syrup we will be making is elderberry (Sambucus nigra) syrup, which is your
classic medicinal syrup. When I first moved to North Carolina (which is where
Permacrafters was born!), I spent a lot of time with Megan Toben from the Eco-
Institute.
©PERMACRAFTERS

She runs a fantastic program there to learn about permaculture and sustainable
living. On her farm there, she grew a ton of elderberries. So when I developed a
tickle in my throat and I just knew I had a cold coming on, Megan had me try some
elderberry syrup from her farm. She said it would kick my cold. I was really skeptical
because I really hadn’t dabbled in herbal medicine much by then, but I tried it
anyways. It was so delicious that it was effortless to take it. A few days later, the
tickle in my throat was gone and my cold never showed up. After that, I always kept a
bottle of elderberry syrup in my fridge for colds and took some as soon at the first
signs of a scratchy throat.

Since then, I’ve moved to Switzerland and I was lucky enough that I happened to walk
by elderberry bushes just at the right season and noticed them in the corner of my
eye. I’m still working on my foraging skills, so this find was a super prideful moment
for me! So I gathered the elderberries and made my own syrup.

As it turns out, Native Americans have used elderberry as a remedy for coughs, flus,
and viral infections for a long time (7). The berries are rich in flavonoids, which have
antioxidant and immune-enhancing properties, which were found to be effective at
treating flus, bacterial sinusitis, and bronchitis (7). These fruits also have antiviral
and anti-inflammatory properties and are reportedly very helpful for upper
respiratory infections. 

There have been many studies on the medicinal benefits of elderberries. Two studies
tested the benefits of elderberries on animals, finding that the berries inhibited the
flu virus and helped treat the flu and other viral infections (7). Various human studies
have shown that elderberries help reduce cold duration and symptoms associated to
colds and flus (8). So, yes, this is a tasty treat, but also a very potent medicine.

Safety Briefing:
If you do want to go foraging for your own
elderberries (Sambucua nigra) in August or
September, always be 100% certain of your
identification since lookalikes can be deadly.
While we share some pointers here to help you
on your way to elderberry identification, it's up
©PERMACRAFTERS

to you to do the extra research and due diligence to understand exactly how to
identify them and what the lookalikes are in your area. I prefer to direct you to self-
pick elderberry farms to complete this recipe or even to purchase the berries from
your local farmer or frozen or even dried so that you’re certain of their
identification.

Elderberry Identification

Elder (Sambucus nigra) can be found in most of Europe and North America. The fruits
appear around September or earlier. It’s a small tree or large shrub with many
branching stems and a smooth bark with lenticels. The leaves are opposite and
pinnately compound with a row of 5-11 toothed leaflets. Use a plant guide to aid you
in your identification.  P rior to harvesting, always be 100% certain of your
identification as lookalikes can be deadly.  D o not confuse with dwarf elder (Sambucus
ebulus), spikenard, or water hemlock, all of which are toxic.

The FDA recognizes elderberries as generally being safe (9). But, the berries should
never be eaten raw as they can cause digestive problems and diarrhea. Also, the
leaves, bark, root and peduncles should not be eaten as they contain high levels of
cyanogenic glycosides, which can cause nausea and diarrhea. You’ll see that there are
a few stems that accidentally made their way into my pot – ideally you would take
every last one out.
©PERMACRAFTERS

Making your elderberry syrup

There are various techniques to making elderberry syrup. This particular recipe
makes two small tincture bottles worth. Elderberry syrup shelf life varies depending
on your recipe. This homemade elderberry syrup recipe will keep for 3 months in
your fridge.

Here’s how to make it. You’ll pick off the berries and put them in a large bowl. You
can leave the dried berries to the side if you’re picking these towards the end of the
season like I was. In my case, I didn’t have a giant abundance of berries, so I used
what I had but it turned out I didn’t need much more than that to get me through the
Fall season. If you want to make a bigger batch, just stick to the same proportions.
©PERMACRAFTERS

Ingredients:
Elderberries (Sambucus nigra) (about 2/3 cup)
Honey (about 1/3 cup)

Instructions:
Put 2/3 cup of elderberries in a pot with 2 tbsp. of water.
Simmer until it’s juicy.
Line a glass jar with nut milk bag (or tight-weave cloth) and place a potato ricer
on top. 
Transfer the elderberries and the juice into the potato ricer so that the juices
drop through the nut milk bag into the jar. 
Press the potato ricer to extract all the juice.
Transfer the elderberry juice back to your pot, simmer for several minutes to
let it reduce a bit. 
Add as much honey as there is elderberry juice in volume. 
Mix and let simmer for several minutes – to preserve the honey’s enzymes,
make sure the heat doesn’t go above 104F. 
Take it off the heat and transfer the syrup to your bottles with a small metallic
funnel.

To take it, take several tablespoons a day when you feel a cold coming on, or to
shorten the duration of your cold.
©PERMACRAFTERS

Garlic-Onion Syrup
Another syrup that I really enjoy making is garlic-onion syrup, which is also helpful
for colds and coughs. 

Garlic and onion are both used in the fire cider recipe because they are wonderful
immune-system enhancers. Onions are packed with vitamin C and have antioxidant
and anti-inflammatory properties. Garlic has been found to help prevent colds (10),
and improve cold symptoms (11). The honey of course helps suppress coughing.

Making this syrup is quite simple. The first time I made it, I made a giant batch, way
more than I needed to. Since it isn’t shelf-stable and only lasts for a few weeks in the
fridge, it’s best to make a smaller quantity and prepare it as needed.

Ingredients:
Half an onion, sliced
Several garlic cloves, diced
Honey

Instructions:
Place the onion and garlic into a pan
Cover with honey and cook on low heat (ideally below 104F to preserve the
raw honey’s enzymes). 
Stir every so often until the onions and garlic are soft. 
Remove the onions and garlic with a fork and either eat them or compost
them.
©PERMACRAFTERS

We like incorporating the sweet onion and garlic bits in our meals. 
Transfer your concoction to a jar and store it in your fridge for a few weeks.
Always look out for signs of fermentation and mold.

To take it, simply have a spoonful as needed of your homemade cold and cough syrup
to either prevent a cold or help with your coughing.

Syrups for Dry or Productive Coughs

So far, the syrups we have looked at aren’t shelf-stable and don’t keep very long,
which can be a bummer if you don’t have a whole lot of time on your hands. But fear
not, there are actually cold and cough syrups that do not require storage. 

The first trick to making sure that your syrup will last is to use dried herbs instead
of fresh herbs that still contain water. If you do this, your syrup could actually last
your entire lifetime!

There are two cough remedies we make that are long-lasting: the productive cough
syrup made with elecampane, and the dry cough syrup made with licorice. 

For the dry cough syrup, you’ll be using licorice

(Glycyrrhiza glabra). Licorice is an ingredient
that we also use in our sore throat lozenges. It’s
typically used to treat dry hacking coughs
because it contains antitussive and expectorant
compounds (12). It also helps soothe throat
irritations from coughing.
©PERMACRAFTERS

Remember there are a variety of reasons not to use licorice, from pregnancy, to high
blood pressure, heart conditions, water retention, kidney stress, sodium retention
and loss of potassium – always check with your doctor first. Other herbs to add to
your dry cough syrup would be marshmallow root or wild cherry bark, for instance.

If it’s a wet productive cough that you’re trying

to treat, elecampane roots (Inula helenium) are
better suited for your cough syrup. Elecampane is
also an expectorant, but more adapted to helping
you cough out thick mucus from your lungs.
Elecampane shouldn’t be used in pregnancy or
while breastfeeding. Some people also have an
allergic reaction to this plant. Elecampane might
also change blood sugar levels, affect blood
pressure, and shouldn’t be taken prior to surgery.
Always check with your practitioner first.

When making a shelf-stable syrup, it’s important to take dried herbs that are ground
but not in powder form. Typically, syrups like this are made by mixing the herbs in
the honey, flipping the jar daily, and giving the honey many weeks to take up the
medicinal properties of the herbs. We find this to be the easiest technique. We did
attempt to heat the herbs and honey on very low heat for about 6 hours instead,
because honey isn’t the best solvent and heat makes the honey more liquid. However,
this method didn’t work for us. The elecampane swelled up and took up all the honey
and there was no honey left to strain. So we stuck the method that takes longer but is
so much easier to make.

Making your Cough Syrup

Ingredients:
1 part herbs; choose 1 herb:

Wet cough: Elecampane (Inula helenium) 

Dry cough: Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra)

4 parts honey
©PERMACRAFTERS

Instructions:
Fill a Mason Jar with the elecampane or licorice and honey
Line the jar with wax paper & label the jar
Every day for 2 to 4 weeks, flip the jar so that the herbs are mixed into the
honey. The honey will change color
Pour the honey mixture into another jar through a strainer. Let it sit for a
few hours and let gravity do it’s work as the honey drips off from the herb
bits and into the jar

Take your syrup by the spoonful or in your tea 2 to 3 times a day.

Alcoholic Syrup
So far, the syrups we have looked at aren’t shelf-stable and don’t keep very long,
which can be a bummer if you don’t have a whole lot of time on your hands. But fear
not, there are actually cold and cough syrups that do not require storage. 

The first trick to making sure that your syrup will last is to use dried herbs instead
of fresh herbs that still contain water. If you do this, your syrup could actually last
your entire lifetime!

There are two cough remedies we make that are long-lasting: the productive cough
syrup made with elecampane, and the dry cough syrup made with licorice. 
 CHECKLIST FOR
SYRUP-MAKING:

MEDICINAL HERBS

HONEY

JAR

STOVETOP METHOD:

POT
NUT MILK BAG (ELDERBERRY)
POTATO RICER (ELDERBERRY)

FLIP & WAIT METHOD:

WAX PAPER
 Ch. 9: How to Make Herbal
Lozenges
Herbal lozenges are hard little herbal sweets that you suck on to sooth
various ailments, from sore throats, to motion sickness or indigestion

BY PERMACRAFTERS
©PERMACRAFTERS

Table of Contents How to Make Herbal

Honey Lozenges
BY PERMACRAFTERS
Herbs for Sore Throats

How to make Lozenges Herbal lozenges are hard little herbal sweets that
you suck on to sooth various ailments, from sore
Checklist for Lozenge- throats, to motion sickness or indigestion. Ginger
Making lozenges, for instance, work wonders for upset
stomachs from a windy car ride or from a big
meal.

In this section, we make herbal lozenges to soothe sore throats, since scratchy or
painful throats are something many of us suffer from – I know I do at least once a
year. You may have seen throat lozenges at store checkouts before. Now you can
easily make your own!
©PERMACRAFTERS

Attention

Coughs can have dangerous secondary infections if they aren’t treated

appropriately and in a timely manner. Always see your doctor to see if an
herbal remedy is appropriate in your particular case. Whopping cough is
extremely dangerous and needs immediate medical attention. A cough that
doesn’t resolve itself in a timely manner requires professional attention
too. Finally, strep throat, pharyngitis, and other severe throat problems
need to be treated immediately by a professional.

Lozenges are typically made from honey, herbs, and sometimes carob or chocolate
powder.

Honey
The honey itself has antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties, which are
especially helpful when you have a cold with an inflamed throat.
©PERMACRAFTERS

When you suck on the lozenges, the honey also coats your throats, which helps
reduce coughing, especially for dry coughs. One study on children with upper
respiratory tract infections found that honey worked as a cough suppressant. It
reduced nighttime coughing and improved the children’s sleep (13).

Honey, in particular, should never be given to babies under the age of 1 because of
the risk of infant botulism, which is rare but can lead to death. Another reason to run
these honey lozenges by your doctor is if you have a productive cough, and it would
be a mistake to suppress it. 

A final note on honey is that many people prefer not to heat honey above 104F
because it loses its beneficial enzymes. Depending on the lozenge preparation
method you’re using, you might want to keep this in consideration.

Herbs for Sore Throats

The other ingredients in your lozenge will be the herbs. There are various herbs to
choose from to help with sore throats. 

Slippery elm bark (Ulmus rubra) is an herb that

for a long time was found in lozenges to soothe
throats. That’s because it has wonderful
mucilaginous properties that coat your throat.
However, in the 1930s, slippery elm populations
were devastated when the Dutch elm disease took
over.

Approximately hundreds of millions of elm trees, including slippery elm trees, were
lost due to this fungal pathogen that was introduced (14). You can still find slippery
elm lozenges and teas, but since this tree is slow-growing and is now considered
threatened and of special concern by the USDA, I prefer to use other mucilaginous
herbs in its place.
©PERMACRAFTERS

Marshmallow root (Althaea officinalis) is a

mucilaginous herb that’s often found in medicinal
teas for sore throats and coughs. It was found in
a 2013 Pakistani study to be helpful in lozenge
form in treating irritated throats and associated
dry cough (15) So this is the plant we will be
using in place of slippery elm and it’s typically
considered safe to use.

Marshmallow may affect blood sugar levels and slow blood clotting, which is why it
should be avoided prior to surgery, if you had a bleeding disorder, or have diabetes.
Make sure to run this herb by your physician.

Licorice (Glycyrrhiza glabra) has long been used

for treating dry hacking coughs, which is why it’s
often found in herbal lozenges. It contains
antitussive and expectorant compounds (12).
Antitussive compounds essentially prevent or
relieve coughs. Expectorant compounds help
expel mucus from the lungs. You can use
different types of expectorants depending on
whether you’re dealing with a dry cough or a
productive cough.

Make sure not to consume licorice when pregnant. If you have high blood pressure, a
heart condition like heart palpitations, or water retention, licorice shouldn’t be
consumed either. It can cause sodium retention, loss of potassium and kidney stress.
And as always, check with your doctor first.

Marshmallow root and licorice are the two ingredients we use in our sore throat
lozenges. There are other plants to consider, just take it upon yourself to do your due
diligence and check those plants’ contraindications.
©PERMACRAFTERS

Garden Sage (Salvia officinalis) is typically taken

as a tea to help with throat inflammation and
pain. One study found the garden sage in spray
form helped relieve symptoms of pharyngitis (16).
White sage (Salvia apiana) used to be taken as tea
to treat coughs. Because white sage is being
overharvested in the wild, mostly due to the
popularity of smudge sticks, we recommend that
you only use white sage if you grow it yourself,
or purchase it from a local forager whom you trust is taking good care of future
populations of white sage.

Echinacea (Echinacea purpurea) was found to

have anti-inflammatory properties and to be
bactericidal, helpful against respiratory bacteria
(17). In one study, an Echinacea and sage mix was
found to be as effective as
chlorhexidine/lidocaine for treating sore throats
(18). These are certainly plants to consider
adding to your lozenges.

Comfrey (Symphytum officinale) is also

sometimes use to soothe sore throats.
©PERMACRAFTERS

If you are dealing with not just a sore throat, but a cough too, you could try   . Violet
(Viola spp.) is used for dry coughs, Valerian (Valeriana officinalis) for dry spasmodic
coughing, and angelica (Angelica archangelica), can be used for productive coughs.

No matter which herb you choose, make sure it is suited for your specific needs and
is safe for you to use. Check with your practitioner first.

How to make lozenges

There are various ways to make sore throat lozenges. One method asks you to make a
strong marshmallow tea and combine it with equal parts of honey, then to mix in the
licorice powder to form dough. You can make it that way, but I’m going to make an
even simpler recipe for you.
©PERMACRAFTERS

Steps:

1) The marshmallow (Althaea officinalis) and licorice root (Glycyrrhiza glabra)

must both be in powder form. If they aren’t you’ll need to blend them into a
powder.
2) In a bowl, add equal parts marshmallow and licorice and mix them up together.
About 2 tbsp. each is a good starting point.   
3) Next, add honey and water at a 50/50 volume ratio. Add enough to make a sort
of dough that you can knead like bread dough.
4) Then you have 2 choices:

Roll your lozenges into little balls by hand. 

Or sprinkle some marshmallow root or even some cacao powder on a flat
clean surface and use a rolling pin to roll the dough down to ¼ inch
thickness. At that point, you would use a bottle cap to press down on the
dough and form your lozenges.

5) Dehydrate your lozenges either in the oven on low heat or in your car on a hot
day. As long as they’ve been properly dehydrated, they’ll keep for a long time.
6) Store your lozenges in a sealed container out of the sunlight, and carry it in
your purse or keep it in your medicine cabinet.

In terms of dosage, ask your doctor what’s suited for you. I personally take a lozenge
every couple hours, but not more than 8 in one day. 

Next time you feel a sore throat coming on, or you have a cough you need to kick,
you can give these lozenges a try. Remember that it’s important to treat coughs early
to avoid secondary infections and to always see your doctor first.
 CHECKLIST
FOR LOZENGE
MAKING:
MEDICINAL HERBS IN
POWDER FORM

HONEY

WATER

CACAO POWDER
(OPTIONAL)

MIXING BOWL

CUTTING BOARD OR
CLEAN FLAT SURFACE

ROLLING PIN
(OPTIONAL)

BOTTLE CAP (OPTIONAL)

SEALED CONTAINER
 Ch. 10: Steam Inhalation
Steam inhalation has traditionally been used to loosen mucus in the
nose and lungs, and relieve respiratory congestion and coughs.

BY PERMACRAFTERS
©PERMACRAFTERS

Table of Contents How to make a Steam

Herbs for Steam Inhalation
Inhalation
BY PERMACRAFTERS

Making a steam Ever since I was a child, I loved doing steam

inhalation for coughs and inhalations when I was congested or if I had a
sinus congestion cough. It was like going to the steam room at the
spa, except you were at home and sick as a dog.
Checklist for Steam  
Inhalation Nowadays, steam inhalation is no longer something
that’s recommended as much by Western doctors –
if at all, because the risks are thought to outweigh
the benefits. It’s very easy to burn yourself when
doing a steam inhalation.

I have to say that despite learning this, in my personal experience, steam inhalation
has been very helpful. I go in with a clogged nose, and come out finally blowing my
nose and being able to breathe more easily.
©PERMACRAFTERS

In terms of the safety factor, I want to say that there are more than one way to do
steam therapy. It can be done with a heat-safe bowl on a table and a towel draped
over your head. That’s how I have done it, but you do have to be very careful not to
burn yourself. Steam inhalation can also be done in a steam room, in your shower,
breathing in the hot tea you just made. Those are much safer options.

If you do choose to use the traditional method of putting your hot tea in a bowl and
putting your head under a towel to breathe in the steam, please be extremely careful.
It’s not only about the water that might accidentally spill on you, but the steam itself
just might be too hot under that towel. Be sure to use a large towel so you can space
yourself away from the bowl a little. And make sure to close your eyes and get out if
you’re feeling lightheaded. The towel is there not only to keep the heat in, but the
essential oils as well. Of course, whichever herbs you choose to use, run them by
your practitioner first. 

Steam inhalation has traditionally been used to loosen mucus in the nose and lungs
and relieve that respiratory congestion, and it’s been used for coughs, too. If you
choose to do a steam inhalation of any sort, you can make a strong herbal tea to
breathe in the essential oils.

Herbs for Steam Inhalation

Herbs often recommended for steam inhalation include eucalyptus (Eucalyptus spp.),
thyme (Thymus spp), oregano (Origanum vulgare), pine needles (Pinus spp.), bee balm
(Monarda didyma and M. fistulosa), and white sage (Salvia apiana – only if home
grown!). 

Eucalyptus (Eucalyptus spp.) has been

traditionally used in steam inhalation blends for
respiratory infections. Eucalyptus oil has been
found to be anti-inflammatory and helpful with
bronchitis and to be analgesic (21). Eucalyptus
isn’t recommended during pregnancy, however.
©PERMACRAFTERS

Thyme (Thymus spp) is another plant you can

use. It is generally considered safe, but not in
large quantities for pregnant women. It’s used in
steam inhalations to help fight infections and for
coughs as well.

Oregano (Origanum vulgare) is often taken as a

steam inhalation for coughs and respiratory tract
problems. Even University Health News suggests
taking an oregano steam inhalation to help with
sinus infections and colds (22).

Pine needles (Pinus spp.) are also a decongestant

and expectorant that can be used in a steam
inhalation to help coughs and congestion (23).

Bee balm (Monarda didyma and M. fistulosa) is

also helpful for sinus congestion and colds, as is
white sage.
©PERMACRAFTERS

Making a steam inhalation for coughs and

sinus congestion
You may already have the ingredients necessary to make a cough and sinus
congestion steam inhalation in your kitchen cupboard. A very simple steam inhalation
is made with thyme and oregano.

Ingredients:
¼ cup oregano (Origanum vulgare)
¼ cup thyme (Thymus spp)

Steps:
Add oregano and thyme to a heat-safe bowl (or to a pot)
Boil 2 cups of water and pour it into the pot. 
Add a drop of eucalyptus essential oil.

If you aren’t ready to use it just that second, cover the pot with a cloth to trap in the
heat and volatile oils. Use as soon as possible. To use, take a large towel, get cozy on
a chair and put your head over the bowl (use a hot pad), far enough that it won’t burn
your face. Make sure young children are nowhere nearby to avoid burning risk.
Inhale until you begin feeling better, or until the heat dissipates.
CHECKLIST FOR
STEAM
INHALATION:

MEDICINAL HERBS

HEAT-SAFE BOWL OR
POT

WATER BOILER OR POT

HOT PAD

LARGE TOWEL
Ch. 11: How to make a Gargle
Gargling warm salt water has been shown to soothe sore throats.

BY PERMACRAFTERS
©PERMACRAFTERS

How to make a Gargle

BY PERMACRAFTERS

If you have a sore throat, gargle some salt water.

Gargling warm salt water has been shown to
soothe sore throats and can actually also wash out
some of the virus that’s causing your sore throat.
It’s not going to stop it in its tracks necessarily,
but it can certainly help with the pain or itchiness
(24). A 2005 study did find that gargling salt water
helped prevent colds, so there’s no harm in giving
it a go. You can even make a warm tea, add salt,
and gargle that.

Garden sage (Salvia officinalis) is used to relieve throat inflammation, and it’s an
antiseptic. You could make a strong garden sage tea, add a few tablespoons of salt,
wait for the tea to cool off a bit of course, gargle the warm salt tea, and spit it out.

Gargle a warm cup of garden sage tea with a

few tablespoons of salt
 ©PERMACRAFTERS

UNIT E
HERBAL
TINCTURE-MAKING
 Ch. 12: Introduction to
Tinctures
A tincture is a solution of a medicinal substance in a solvent that is
typically alcoholic.

BY PERMACRAFTERS
©PERMACRAFTERS

Table of Contents Introduction to Tinctures

Advantages of Tinctures BY PERMACRAFTERS

3 Common Solvents There are many ways to prepare your home

medicine, and my favorite way to make herbal
medicine is by formulating tinctures. A tincture is
a solution of a medicinal substance in a solvent
that is typically alcoholic. It’s a medicine made by
dissolving the medicinal properties of plants in
alcohol, or sometimes in vinegar or glycerin. The
resulting liquid is very potent, which is why
several drops are sufficient to address an ailment.

The Advantages of Tinctures

The tinctures shared in this workbook are both alcohol-based and vinegar-based.
Alcoholic tinctures last virtually forever. As long as you are using the proper alcohol
ratio in your tincture, your tincture will be good long after you have left this Earth.
You don’t need to keep your alcohol tinctures refrigerated; they can easily be stored
in your medicine cabinet. Another advantage of tinctures is that you can make a big
batch once and then not worry about restocking for a very long time.
©PERMACRAFTERS

Tinctures are also easy to travel with. You can bring a small dropper bottle of
tincture in your purse or backpack when you need to. You can even have a designated
bottle that stays in your bag at all times, and another than stays in your medicine
cabinet. 

Tinctures are very easy to take. There’s no need to make a fresh batch of medicinal
syrup, or warm up a pot of tea, or chop up herbal ingredients when you’re feeling ill.
All you need to do is place a dropperfull on your tongue or mix a dropperfull in a
glass of water if the taste is too strong for you. It’s convenient and quick.
 
Finally, tinctures are easy to make. You can make precisely measured weight-to-
volume tinctures, or you can use the folkloric method, both of which we’ll examine.

Solvents
Before delving into the nitty-gritty, I’d like to look at solvents you can use for
tinctures. I mentioned that alcohol, vinegar, or glycerin are potential solvents you
can use. At this point, you might be thinking, “Great! I’ll just make a tincture for
every single ailment I have!” Well, not necessarily. Tinctures are great for extracting
medicinal constituents of plants, but not every solvent will extract the constituents
you are looking for. So before getting our crafty hands in gear, let’s examine which
solvent is best at dissolving which medicinal constituents from the plants.
©PERMACRAFTERS

Alcohol
Alcohol is the most typically used solvent. When I
refer to alcohol, I’m talking about ethanol from
grain, cane, corn, or even potato alcohol, ideally
organic. I’ll get into choosing your alcohol in a
moment. Alcohol, in particular, is an effective
solvent for resins, balsams, camphors, alkaloids,
essential oils, glycosides, and bitter constituents.

For example, we’ll be working with lavender, which is high in essential oils – we will
be using an alcohol extraction for this plant to make our sleep tincture, which will
allow us to extract and preserve those essential oils in our tincture. Ingesting
lavender oil was found to be effective in people suffering from anxiety in a study
carried out in 2014 (25). The oil itself also appears to have sedating effects and to
promote muscle relaxation. This is why in this particular case, it’s beneficial to
extract the oils with alcohol into the tincture so that they may be taken by mouth.

Alcohol doesn’t extract everything. It isn’t the ideal solvent for extracting mucilage,
minerals or polysaccharides, for instance. Think of a common mucilaginous plant like
okra. The mucilage in okra is that thick gluey substance that you find when you chop
up okra.

Mucilaginous plants like this can have a healing effect on burns, on wounds, for
internal inflammations like a sore throat, or for diarrhea (26). So if you have a sore
throat, and you hear that marshmallow (Althaea officinalis) is high in mucilage and
excellent for treating sore throats, you probably won’t want to make a marshmallow
tincture for your throat. You’ll want to extract the mucilage from the marshmallow to
coat your sore throat – you can do that by making marshmallow lozenges or a
marshmallow tea.
©PERMACRAFTERS

Vinegar
Vinegar is another solvent you can work with,
although it’s not nearly as strong a solvent as
alcohol, or as water for that matter. The tincture
won’t be as potent, so you’ll need to take a higher
dose. If you’re avoiding alcohol due to certain
health issues, vinegar tinctures can be a good
alternative. Unfortunately, vinegar tinctures don’t
last as long as alcoholic ones.

They will keep 1 to 2 years in the fridge if you are working with dried herbs, but only
6 months in the fridge if you are working with fresh herbs, due to the water content
that will shorten the shelf life. The main benefit of vinegar is that unlike alcohol, it
can easily dissolve minerals like calcium, iron, and potassium. Mineral-rich plants
include nettles, alfalfa, horsetail, violet and dandelion. You could use these plants to
make mineral-rich vinegar tinctures with an apple cider vinegar or balsamic vinegar
base, and then use them as dressings on your salads.

Glycerin

You can also use glycerin as a solvent, but like

vinegar it will be a poorer solvent than alcohol.
Certain phytochemicals are, however, more easily
dissolved in glycerin. A glycerin tincture will
typically keep for 2-3 years when prepared with
dried herbs. When purchasing glycerin, you might
want to make sure that it’s free of palm oil, since
palm oil plantations are responsible for the
destruction of orangutan habitat in Borneo.
 Ch. 13: How to Make an
Alcoholic tincture
Learn how to make alcoholic tinctures to address common ailments like
sleeping, menstrual cramps, anxiety, and headaches.

BY PERMACRAFTERS
©PERMACRAFTERS

Table of Contents How to Make an Alcoholic

Choose your Alcohol tincture
BY PERMACRAFTERS
Choose your Herbs
In this workbook, you will learn how to make
Choose your Method alcoholic tinctures to address common ailments
like sleeping, menstrual cramps, anxiety, and
Dosage headaches. We will also delve into vinegar-based
tinctures (also called herbal vinegar) to help boost
immune defenses.

Choose your Alcohol

One of the first steps in making alcoholic tinctures is choosing your alcohol. You can
opt for organic 190-proof pure grain alcohol, which is 95% alcohol and 5% water. In
many European countries, like France, it’s not legal to sell this. This is not an issue
however, as it’s also perfectly fine to choose 100-proof vodka, which is 50% alcohol,
50% water. That’s what I have been using as 95% alcohol isn’t available near me.
©PERMACRAFTERS

The higher the percentage of alcohol, the more effective the solvent will be. But for
home medicine purposes, 100-proof vodka – which is 50% alcohol – will be just fine.

It might be difficult for you to find even 100-proof vodka, you might only find vodka
that’s 35% alcohol, or gin or whiskey that are 40% alcohol or brandy that’s 30%
alcohol. If you opt for one of these solvents that are less than 50% alcohol, you’ll
need to realize 2 things: 1) it won’t be quite as effective a solvent, and 2) if you are
working with fresh plants as opposed to dried plants, the tincture won’t keep as long.
The water content in the fresh plants can make the tincture go bad sooner if the
alcohol content is below 50%. Make sure to work with dried plants so that it keeps
longer. A final note about choosing your alcohol is that if you have a gluten
intolerance, you might want to opt for gluten-free alcohols like corn, cane or grape
alcohols.

Choose your Herbs

Tinctures can be made with fresh or dried herbs. If you’re working with fresh herbs,
which contain water, some herbalists recommend using 95% alcohol, although 50%
alcohol would be perfectly acceptable. Since we will be working with dried herbs
here, as opposed to freshly harvested herbs, the percentage alcohol doesn’t matter as
much. We will be using 100-proof alcohol, which contains 50% alcohol and 50%
water. I also opted for dried herbs that you can purchase because I wouldn’t want to
send you on a foraging adventure without the basic foundations of foraging safety
beforehand. 
©PERMACRAFTERS

It’s technically preferred to make tinctures with fresh plants over dried herbs
because dried plants have already lost some volatile organic compounds like essential
oils, and the oxidation may also damage some of the molecules. In addition, the
dehydration may change some of the bioactive compounds as well.

Choose your Method

There are 2 ways to make an herb tincture. You can use the folkloric method or the
weight-to-volume method.

Weight-to-Volume Method
This method is for folks who want to know the exact proportions of the medication
they are taking. When you follow the weight-to-volume ratios, you know the relative
strength of your tincture. You can determine its concentration; you can calculate how
much of an herb’s medicinal components are present in a dropperfull of tincture. If
you want to recreate a 1:4 50% tincture that you purchased that worked for you, this
method will help you recreate it in those same proportions. Unlike the folkloric
method, this ratio method is a way for you to track how potent your tincture is, and
whether you would like to reformulate it to be stronger or weaker. 

If you are making a dry herb tincture, you would want to make a 1:4 50% tincture.
What does this mean? You want 1 part dry herb by weight. Then 4 parts of 50%
alcohol by volume. So you would measure out 2oz in weight of dry herbs (in the
course video we used Valerian) and put them in your jar.
©PERMACRAFTERS

You would potentially blend them first if they are very voluminous. Then you would
add 8oz in volume of 50% alcohol to make your 1:4 50% tincture. Make sure not to
accidentally weigh your solvent – your solvent should be measured in volume! The
herbs are by weight, and the alcohol is by volume.

1:4 50% Tincture:

1 part dry herb 4 parts 50% alcohol

by WEIGHT by VOLUME

You would think that this traditional 1:4 50% method would work all the time, but
that’s not the case. Some herbalists actually use a 1:5 50% or 1:5 65% method instead
so that there’s more alcohol volume in the tincture. What do you do if the dry herbs
don’t fit under the alcohol despite blending them? Just push them down with a
wooden or metallic spoon and potentially top it off with more alcohol so that the
herbs are all definitely under the solvent. If you need to top it off, jot down how
much alcohol in volume you added so that you can figure out the relative strength of
your tincture if you want to or need to. I find that for these tincture concoctions that
I’m about to share with you, the 1:4 50% weight-to-volume method doesn’t quite work
to cover the herbs properly even if you blend the herbs, so a 1:5 50% method might
be more adequate. 

Personally, since I make this medicine for myself and I’m not trying to sell a product
on the market, I am not so caught up in exact proportions so I prefer the folkloric
method.
©PERMACRAFTERS

Folkloric Method

In the folkloric method, the herbs are chopped up finely. If you purchased your herbs
dried, they are probably already chopped finely. If they are very voluminous like
hops, I would chop them up further with a blender. Once you’ve done that, place them
in a glass jar and cover them with alcohol so that they are all under the solvent – just
make sure the alcohol is below the lid so that it doesn’t touch the plastic and leach
out unwanted components. It’s that simple. The folkloric method isn’t an exact
science; you are eyeballing it. Some herbalists say to pour the alcohol up further so
that it covers the herbs by 2-3 inches. The idea in both cases is for the herbs to be
under the alcohol. If you decide to chop the herbs even more finely in your
processor, you’ll end up with a tincture that is stronger. If you do leave the 2-3 inch
margin, your tincture will be weaker. These variations in potency don’t matter so
much to me because I can adjust my dosages as I see fit. I’m not working with plants
that I need to be particularly careful with in terms of overdose.
©PERMACRAFTERS

Label your Jars

You’ll want to label your jars so that you know
exactly what’s in them. I like to write what I
made them for: whether it’s a sleep aid or
menstrual cramp relief, I will jot that on there.
I’ll add the common name of the plants used,
their scientific names, the parts of the plants that
were used, the date I made the tincture, then
either the lot number if I purchased the herbs or
where I harvested the herbs if they were foraged,
the type of alcohol that was used, and then finally whether it was a folkloric
preparation or a weight-to-volume preparation. Since it’s possible for the labels to
get wet, it can be good practice to add some scotch tape over the labels, even if that’s
not a zero waste practice.

Store, Shake and Wait

Once you’ve done that, you want to store your
tincture in a dark place and shake it every day, or
as often as you remember, for 6 weeks – some
herbalists will say 4 weeks is enough, some
herbalists say to actually store it in a sunny place
for that maceration time. There’s no perfect
method in my opinion, all that matters is that the
plants have time to soak and diffuse their
medicinal properties into the alcohol.
If you are concerned about shaking it every day and having the tincture touch the
plastic lid, then you can line it with wax paper. After 6 weeks or so, it’ll be time to
strain the herbs. You can actually let the herbs sit longer than 6 weeks, as long as
they are all under the solvent. You could forget about your maceration for years and
it would be just fine. In fact, the opposite it true as well. If you are impatient or need
your tincture sooner, you could strain it a few days later. It won’t be as potent as if
you waited the full 6 weeks, but it will already be quite strong.
©PERMACRAFTERS

Strain & Transfer your Tincture

Once you’re ready, you’ll want to strain your herb/alcohol mixture. You’ll need a fine
cloth that has a tight weave. I like using my nut milk bag as a strainer because it’s
easily washable and reusable. You could use a muslin or cheesecloth so long as the
weave is very tight – the cheesecloth I’ve personally found in stores wouldn’t have
tight enough weaves though. A potato ricer comes in handy to not waste herbs. You
can also use your hands to squeeze out the herbs, but a potato ricer is more effective.
Finally, you can use a wide mouth funnel. I chose a metallic one so that I wouldn’t
have to worry about plastic leaching out potentially toxic components into my
tincture since alcohol is such a great solvent. 

To strain the herb, you’ll grab a large wide-mouth jar, line the jar with your fine
cloth or nut milk bag, place your metallic funnel onto the jar, and what I like to do is
fit my potato ricer snuggly into the funnel. Then, I’ll pour the tincture straight into
the potato ricer, and it’ll drip through the ricer, through the funnel, through the nut
milk bag. The plant material will fall into the potato ricer and once it fills up, you
squeeze the plant material with the potato ricer. This is much more efficient than
using your hands to squeeze. The leftover herbs can be used for tea or can simply be
composted. 

Once you’re done, you can transfer your tincture into your amber bottles with the
help of small metallic funnels. The amber bottles protect the tinctures from the sun.
©PERMACRAFTERS

Dosage
You can then take a dropperfull of the tincture on your tongue or mix some in some
water, tea or juice. The particular dosage will depend on the herbs that you are
working with. To make sure you aren’t taking too much, run the tincture recipe by
your doctor for advice.   

Tincture dosages differ depending on the plant you are working with. For common
plants, herbalists typically recommend 60 to 200 drops, which is 3 to 10 mL. This is
NOT the case for all plants, which is why you should look up dosages for each plant.
This general dose guideline of 60-200 drops per day should be spread throughout
one day. For an acute problem, this daily dose should be taken every 2-3 hours until
symptoms subside. For chronic problems, you can wait longer between doses. In this
workbook, we do not explore dosages for children and teens. Tinctures are not
recommended for in pregnancy, when nursing, for those who have a difficult
relationship to alcohol, for those with digestive troubles or liver issues.
CHECKLIST FOR ALCOHOLIC
TINCTURE-MAKING:

MEDICINAL HERBS

ALCOHOL (CHOOSE DEPENDING ON PREPARATION)

BLENDER (OPTIONAL, FOR VOLUMINOUS HERBS)

GLASS JAR

WOODEN SPOON

LABEL (CARDBOARD + STRING + PEN)

WAX PAPER

WIDE-MOUTH METALLIC FUNNEL

NUT MILK BAG (OR TIGHT-WEAVE CLOTH)

POTATO RICER

SMALL METALLIC FUNNEL

AMBER JAR

AMBER TINCTURE BOTTLES

 Ch. 14: How to Make a Sleep
Tincture
In this section, we explore practices to get good sleep and how a sleep
support tincture can help.

BY PERMACRAFTERS
©PERMACRAFTERS

Table of Contents How to Make a Sleep

The Importance of Tincture
Quality Sleep BY PERMACRAFTERS

Herbs contain various medicinal constituents that

How herbs can support
can be there to support our wellbeing and our
sleep
healing. In this section, we explore practices to get
good sleep and how a sleep support tincture can
Making the Sleep
help. I will walk you through the various herbs in
Tincture
our tincture and why I chose them to support my
sleep regimen. But first, let’s look at how sleep can
affect us and how we can approach sleep problems
holistically.

The Importance of Quality Sleep

Insufficient sleep or low quality sleep has been scientifically found to worsen your
mood, lower your pain threshold, decrease concentration, negatively impact learning
and memory, and to make you more impulsive. Lack of sleep and poor sleep can also
cause physical changes such as increased blood pressure, weakened immune system,
weight gain and increased risk of addiction to drugs or alcohol. Poor sleep is among
the top reasons people develop depression. It’s an important issue to address.
©PERMACRAFTERS

Improving your sleep routine

Improving your sleep requires a holistic approach, of which improving your sleep
routine and addressing your anxiety are two major factors. Your sleep routine can be
improved in many ways. Here are some simple tips that you can incorporate
alongside the sleep tincture:

Use your bed for sleeping only, not for

scrolling through your news feed or watching
TV. There are so many distractions nowadays,
that it’s important to quiet the mind before
sleeping. When you stare at bright lights from
screens, it can shift your circadian rhythm. 
Go outside mid-day to get some sun and
synchronize your circadian rhythm.

Exercising can also regulate your circadian

rhythm, reduce stress and decrease your REM
sleep or rapid eye movement sleep – simply
make sure not to exercise right before bedtime
or it can have a negative effect instead. 
Avoid caffeinated drinks before bedtime or
even drinking too much water before bedtime.
Same thing with food - Avoid eating too much
prior to bedtime as well.

Try not to take naps during the day if you can

help it – sleeping without disruptions
continuously throughout the night is the best
way to get quality sleep. Way back when, we
didn’t need naps to get through the day. New
parents, you are excused from this particular
recommendation, sleep when you can. I had
some scary hallucinations and thoughts in that
first week postpartum, so if your sleep
©PERMACRAFTERS

deprivation is serious, it’s crucial that you seek help. Some herbalists actually
recommend taking naps, so opinions can vary on this topic – I believe that with a
good night’s sleep, naps shouldn’t be necessary and the focus should be on getting
continuous hours of sleep at nighttime. 
Get into a routine prior to going to bed to relax your mind. It can include drinking
some herbal tea, meditating, writing down what you are grateful for, reading a few
pages of a pleasant book.

Addressing anxiety
If you are anxious, some of these methods can be helpful in addressing your anxiety:

Write down your worries or even get your to-

do list out onto paper.
Taking deep breaths is scientifically
demonstrated to have a calming effect.
If you’re stuck in bed tossing and turning, try
going to another room to read a book or drink
some tea for about a half hour, and then going
back to bed. It’s better to push back your
bedtime, and to stop trying so hard to sleep,
but still getting up at the same time in the
morning regardless of how your night went.

How herbs can support sleep

When you take a medicinal herb for sleeping, it won’t have the same effect as taking
a pharmaceutical. For me, that’s a good thing because Ambien gives me hallucinations
©PERMACRAFTERS

and paranoia. Pharmaceuticals force the body to go to sleep. You won’t necessarily
feel rested when you wake up since it wasn’t a natural sleep. With pharmaceutical
sleeping pills, there’s also a risk of addiction. Herbal medicine supports the body to
fall asleep naturally. It helps the body do what it knows how to do.

There are different herbs that can support you to get some sleep. In my sleep
tincture concoction that we’ll be making, I’m using 5 plants: Valerian (LATIN NAME),
Skullcap (LATIN NAME), Hops (LATIN NAME), Passion flower(LATIN NAME), and
lavender(LATIN NAME).

WARNING:
You should refrain from driving or
operating heavy machinery after taking
this sleep tincture.

Valerian
(Valeriana officinalis)

The first herb that is in our sleep tincture is

Valerian (Valeriana officinalis), which is
originally from Europe but was brought to the
United States by colonists. The roots of the plant
are what we will be using, and be glad that we are
making this in tincture form instead of a tea
because Valerian tends to smell like dirty socks
©PERMACRAFTERS

The Food and Drug Administration states that valerian can generally be recognized as
safe, but there are certain side effects that may occur (27). Headaches, dizziness,
stomach problems, or even sleeplessness (ironically) are potentially side effects.
Because in-depth research is lacking on its safety, it’s not recommended for pregnant
and breastfeeding women. If you have liver problems, Mayo Clinic suggests
refraining from taking valerian. I’d also like to point out that Mexican and Indian
valerian preparations may contain higher valepotriate content, which is potentially
toxic. Remember to run this herb by your doctor prior to trying Valerian. 

Valerian is a medium strength sedative and hypnotic. Certain herbalists report that
as a sleep aid, Valerian kicks in within 20 minutes, but only has a lasting effect for 4
hours, which is why if Valerian is your only sleep aid, keeping a tincture bottle on
your nightstand to take some in case you wake up in the middle of the night is a good
idea (28).

Valerian is a powerful nervine - it

relaxes your nervous system. People
report that it quiets, calms, and soothes
their mind. It has been shown to help
with anxiety, insomnia, and also muscle
pain by acting as a muscle relaxant (29).
What exactly in the plant is responsible
for these effects? Much of Valerian’s
medicinal constituents are in its volatile
oils contained in its roots. Valerenic
acid, valerenal, and isovalerenic acid
are three volatile sesquiterpenes that
are responsible for inducing sleep and reducing central nervous-system activity. As a
powerful nervine, Valerian sometimes has the opposite effect in certain people and
stimulates the nervous system, creating more anxiety and alertness. This is an
exception rather than the norm, however, and here’s some data to prove that:

Many scientific studies have been conducted on the sedating effects of Valerian. One
such study gave over 11,000 patients dry extract of valerian root over 10 days. 72% of
patients reported that it decreased their sleep latency and that it decreased tension
and restlessness, and 76% said it improved discontinuous sleep patterns (30).
©PERMACRAFTERS

Another study, a double-blind study this time, found that over the course of 9 days,
sleep latency and sleep quality improved in patients given valerian root extract as
compared to those given the placebo (31). Similar results were found in another
similar study with people with sleeping difficulties (32). Other smaller studies found
that valerian root supported sleep cycles: it didn’t disturb REM sleep, and increased
slow wave delta and theta sleep (33) (34) (35). Another double-blind study tested
patients with insomnia. After 28 days, patients who were given the valerian tincture
instead of the placebo reported improved sleep, improved mood, and had a better
global clinical impression.

Many herbs don’t have such in-depth studies to prove their effectiveness, and we are
fortunate that Valerian has the science to back up claims, which have been made over
many generations about it being an effective sleep aid.

Valerian can be taken as an episodic sleep aid for 3-4 weeks, or as an aid for
insomnia. Remember to run this by your doctor prior to starting to use it.

Passionflower
Passiflora incarnata
I’ve combined Valerian with passionflower
(Passiflora incarnata). Some herbalists report
that Valerian is effective for just 4 hours, but
that passionflower helps you stay asleep
throughout the night. Passionflower is generally
considered safe by the National Center for
Complementary and Integrative Health, although
it should not be used during pregnancy since it
may induce contractions. Native Americans
traditionally used passionflower to help with
anxiety and insomnia, but the active ingredients
of the plant haven’t been defined yet (36). 
©PERMACRAFTERS

Studies suggest that passionflower

increases GABA (gamma-aminobutyric
acid) in the brain, which in turn
decreases brain activity. This is
potentially responsible for the
relaxation you feel when ingesting
passionflower (36). Three separate
clinical trials show that passionflower
has an anxiolytic effect: it reduces
anxiety, even for patients scheduled for
surgery. One of these studies even
found that this anxiolytic effect was as
efficient as benzodiazepines, which are pharmaceutical psychoactive drugs. Two
more studies showed that passionflower extract had sedative effects on patients.

Prior to taking passionflower, make sure to run it by your doctor to see if it’s suited
for you.

Hops
(Humulus Lupulus)

The next ingredient in my sleep tincture is hops

(Humulus lupulus). Hops (yes, the hops you find
in beer) is another herb that helps you stay
asleep. Like Valerian, hops is a nervine: it calms
your central nervous system and helps you quiet
down. Its key constituents are bitter resins,
which (like passionflower) increase the activity of
GABA in the brain, which in turn inhibits the
central nervous system (37). It’s a powerful
sedative for those suffering from heavy
insomnia. 
©PERMACRAFTERS

While you can make a hops tea, in this

instance we will be adding hops to our
sleep tincture. The alcohol will do a
good job of dissolving those resins,
which are a key component of this
medicine.   
Hops is considered possibly safe when
taken by mouth. Since there isn’t
sufficient safety information on it, it
should be avoided during pregnancy and
breastfeeding. It also should be avoided
by those suffering from depression, and
those sensitive to hormones such as people with breast cancer or endometriosis.
Those scheduled for surgery should discontinue use at least 2 weeks prior to surgery.
As always, check with your doctor to see if it’s safe for you.

Skullcap
(Scutellaria lateriflora)

Next, there is skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora),

which is a Native American plant. The leaves and
stems have traditionally been used to help with
anxiety, nervous tension, and insomnia. It’s
generally used as a sedative and sleep aid,
especially to help those with obsessive thoughts
or involuntary thought processes (28). Herbalists
also recommend skullcap for those suffering
from muscle spams, restless leg syndrome and
tremors.
©PERMACRAFTERS

The active medicinal constituents are

likely the flavonoids, like scutellarin
and baicalin, which are believed to
cause sedation and antispasmodic
effects. The flavonoids are also thought
to increase GABA in the brain, which in
turn quiets the nervous system (38).

Skullcap in Switzerland is actually a

controlled substance since it’s so
strong. The natural apothecary in town
here would only sell me skullcap at 5%
of an herb mixture. So I had to opt for a mix of 95% hops and 5% skullcap by weight
for my sleep formula. If I were in the States, I would have used a higher percentage
of skullcap in my tincture. The reason skullcap is so regulated here is because of
certain reports pointing to the possibility that it may cause liver injury (38). Ask your
doctor prior to using this plant, and avoid using it while pregnant and breastfeeding
since there isn’t enough information out there about potential negative interactions
with this plant.

Lavender
(Lavandula angustifolia)

Finally, there’s lavender (Lavandula angustifolia).

These flowers have typically been used for
relaxation, calming, and uplifting. They contain
oils that seem to sedate people and to relax
muscles. Research has shown that taking lavender
oil by mouth for a couple of months improves
anxiety and sleep (25). By making this tincture,
we are extracting these oils into the alcohol.
Lavender taken by mouth is generally safe, but it
can cause constipation, headaches and increased
appetite in
©PERMACRAFTERS

some cases. If you have a surgery

scheduled, or are pregnant or
breastfeeding, it’s best to refrain from
using it orally. Prior to taking lavender
by mouth, ask your physician.

Other Herbs that Support Sleep

For my sleep tincture, I’ve chosen 5 herbs that work very well as sleep aids, but there
are clearly more that you can try. There’s California poppy (Eschscholzia californica),
which is a nervine that contains natural opioids in safe amounts; it’s another sedative
herb to explore if you wish. There’s Ashwaganda (Withania somnifera), which can
regulate your sleep cycle when taken consistently. It helps with adrenal fatigue. Then
there’s fresh nutmeg (Myristica fragrans), which is sedating and almost acts like a
psychoactive.

CALIFORNIA NUTMEG LEMON CHAMOMILE

POPPY BALM
©PERMACRAFTERS

Herbalists report that it can help you get a full 8 hours of sleep. Blue vervain
(Verbena hastata) can quiet the mind, which promotes a more restful sleep. There’s
lemon balm (Melissa officinalis), which is calming. Chamomile (Matricaria recutita) is
a gentle sedative. Then there’s Jujube seed (Suan Zao Ren Tang), which is a Chinese
herb used to promote sleeping and heal insomnia. Shankhpushpi (Convolvulus
pluricaulis) is another fast-working sleep aid used in Ayurveda medicine. Among the
many different plants that you can work with, just remember to check with your
doctor first, and to be extra careful if you are pregnant, nursing, or have a liver
condition.

Making the Sleep Tincture

To make this recipe, I weigh out my herbs. This isn’t necessary, but I like to keep
these general proportions for myself and for you to recreate. This is still a folkloric
method as I won’t be measuring the alcohol volume precisely since I’m using this for
home medicine purposes.

Herbs:
0.5 oz in weight of Valerian (Valeriana officinalis)
0.5 oz in weight of a hops (Humulus lupulus) and skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora)
mixture (which is 5% skullcap by weight)*
0.5oz in weight of passion flower (Passiflora incarnata)
0.5oz in weight of lavender (Lavandula angustifolia)
©PERMACRAFTERS

(* if I could have it my way, 1/5 of these herbs by weight would be skullcap, but
skullcap is regulated here.)

Steps:
Blend these herbs (since the hops is so voluminous)
Transfer them to a glass jar
Cover the herbs with 100-proof vodka. 
Label your jar (so you don’t forget what’s in it)
Let it sit for 6 weeks in a dark spot and shake it daily or as often as you remember
Strain by using a glass jar, metallic funnel, nut milk bag and potato ricer
Transfer the tincture with a smaller metallic funnel to an amber jar (transfer the
label over as well) and put some in your dropper bottles too so you can go ahead
and take a dropperfull when you need it. Label the dropper bottles.

Purchasing a sleep tincture

Your schedule might not allow you to make your own sleep tincture. In that case, you
can purchase one. You now know which herbs to be on the lookout for in tincture
form. You can support your local apothecaries and look for options online: Mountain
Rose Herbs offers a wonderful sleep aid tincture you can try.
 Ch. 15: Menstrual Pain
Tincture
Painful menstrual cramps (dysmenorrhea) are very common and can be
managed with the help of medicinal herbs in tincture form.

BY PERMACRAFTERS
©PERMACRAFTERS

Table of Contents Menstrual Pain Tincture

BY PERMACRAFTERS
Best Practices to Curb
Menstrual Pain Painful menstrual cramps (dysmenorrhea) are very
common and typically start when menstrual flow
Other Herbs for begins, but this can vary from person to person.
Menstrual Support During your period, prostaglandins in your body
trigger the uterine muscles to contract to shed
Making a Moon Tincture their lining. The more prostaglandins you have, the
more severe the cramps tend to be (39) – if you’re
taking the birth control pill, prostaglandins in your
body are actually reduced, which is why period
cramps generally won’t be as severe.

Painful periods are very common, and can vary from simply being annoying to being
debilitating, lasting anywhere from 8 hours to 3 full days. Severe throbbing or
cramping pain actually interferes with the daily activities of up to 20 percent of
women (40). I know I personally have found myself up all night, sobbing on the floor
in pain, unable to stand, vomiting from the pain, with a hot hair dryer blowing on my
belly for relief. This is after taking over-the-counter pain medication. For
comparison’s sake, up until the very final stages of my labor before birthing Luna,
my labor contractions were a walk in the park compared to these period cramps.
Dysmenorrhea is no joke. 
©PERMACRAFTERS

In fact, you should always report this pain to your gynecologist, because painful
periods may be associated to endometriosis, ovarian cysts, or uterine fibroids, for
example. If you don’t have a history of menstrual pain, but have started having
painful periods, all the more reason to go see a doctor to determine whether there
may be a more serious underlying cause.

Best Practices to Curb Menstrual Pain

As with any health problem, a holistic health approach is the best way forward. Let’s
briefly examine some of the best practices to support pain reduction during
menstruation. 

One way to reduce the severity of period pain is with topical heat. According to a
2012 study, using a heat patch can provide pain relief that’s comparable to ibuprofen
(41). We love making our own heat packs from old socks and filling them with rice to
use when we’re on our period. You could also use a hot-water bottle for topical heat
or a warm ginger tea compress. I’ve used a hair dryer in desperate times, but that
can burn your skin, so be careful.
©PERMACRAFTERS

Massage also helps. Another study specifically

with women who had endometriosis found that
massage can also reduce menstrual pain (42). You
can use acupressure below your belly button, for
instance. You can also couple your massage with
essential oils. Certain essential oils have
analgesic components. One study found that
using a cream with lavender, clary sage and
marjoram essential oils to massage the lower
abdomen every day provided pain relief during menstruation and reduced the
duration of the pain (43).

Having a generally healthy lifestyle is important

– this includes exercise, diet, and stress
management. A Sports Medicine study found that
exercising regularly was an important part of
reducing menstrual cramps (44). So important, in
fact, that it could eliminate the need for pain
medication altogether. During your period, you
may not have the energy to exercise strenuously.
If that’s the case, any form of mild exercise will release endorphins, which can help
decrease pain perception. Speaking of endorphins, having an orgasm to release
endorphins may also help with your period pain.

Women who smoke are more likely to have period pain, so if you’re a smoker, here’s
some good motivation to quit smoking. Hydration and healthy diet are also factors
that can influence your period pain levels. That means avoiding fatty foods,
processed foods, overly salty foods, and steering clear of caffeine, alcohol and
carbonated drinks. We could talk about nutrition for a healthy period for hours, but
the take-home message is to eat a balanced diet with healthy fats, leafy greens,
abundant in vitamins and minerals, especially vitamins E, thiamine, manganese, and
boron.
©PERMACRAFTERS

Finally, many health practitioners suggest that

relaxation exercises can help ease the intensity of
period pain. Surprisingly, I’ve found that this has
been a very helpful tip for me. Before my period
starts, I’ll set an intention to have a pain-free
period, and sometimes even meditate on this
intention. I know it might sound super hokey, but
finding your own way to relax, whether it’s with
yoga or just setting time aside to rest, even in

front of a screen, and to allow yourself to go at a slower pace – it can help calm your
nerves which can reduce your pain perception.

Herbs for Menstrual Pain Relief

This tincture calls for Valerian (Valeriana officinalis), Motherwort (Leonurus
cardiaca), and rose (Rosa spp.) flowers. This tincture won’t be adapted to those with
heavy menstrual flows, but there are many other herbs that you can choose from too.
©PERMACRAFTERS

Valerian
(Valeriana officinalis)
Valerian (Valeriana officinalis) should sound
familiar to you, because it is a plant we used in
our sleep tincture as well. Valerian acts as a
muscle relaxant. It can relax the uterine muscle
during cramping, which can help with muscle
pain (29). In two separate studies, it was found to
both reduce the severity of PMS (45), and to be
an effective treatment for menstrual pain, likely
due to its antispasmodic effects (46). This is a
great herb to have on hand for effective muscle pain relief and sleep aid.

Valerian is generally recognized as safe, but you must be careful not to use
potentially toxic Valerian preparations from Mexico and India. There may also be
side effects, like headaches, dizziness, stomach problems and sleeplessness. It’s best
to not use it when pregnant, breastfeeding, or if you have liver problems. Always
check with your doctor before using this herb.

Motherwort
(Leonurus cardiac)
Motherwort (Leonurus cardiac) is traditionally
used for painful menstruation because it’s a
uterine antispasmodic. It can actually also be
used to bring on menstruation after emotional
stress may have put our menstruation on hold.
Motherwort is an emmenagogue, which means
that it can increase menstrual flow. For this
reason, you shouldn’t use it if you already bleed
heavily when on your period, or if you have
endometriosis or fibroids. It is an herb that should most definitely be avoided in
pregnancy too. Remember to always ask your doctor prior to using any herbs we are
talking about in this workbook.
©PERMACRAFTERS

Rose flowers
(Rosa spp.)
Rose flowers or Rosaceae flowers are the third
ingredient in our tincture. They have been
traditionally used to help ease menstrual cramps
and heavy bleeding. While there aren’t many
studies on the efficacy of rose flower tincture on
menstrual pain, rose tea has been proven to
relieve menstrual pain in teenage women (47).
Like any other herb, run rose flowers by your
doctor first.

Other Herbs for Menstrual Support

There are many other herbs that you can use to support yourself during your period.
You may want to change your moon tincture based on what your symptoms are.

Menstrual Cramp Relief:

Valerian (Valeriana officinalis)

Motherwort  ( Leonurus cardiaca)
Rose (Rosa spp.)
Ceylon Cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum)
©PERMACRAFTERS

Lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus and flexuosus)

Cramp bark (Viburnum opulus)
Common lady’s mantle (Alchemilla vulgaris)
Mugwort (a uterine stimulant) (Artemisia vulgaris)
Yarrow (a uterine stimulant) (Achillea millefolium) 
Angelica (Angelica archangelica) for sluggish cramping
Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) for gently pain relief
Catnip (Nepeta cataria) for gently pain relief

YARROW MUGWORT SHEPERD’S ANGELICA

PURSE

To help with heavy bleeding, you may want to explore herbs again like rose, common
lady’s mantle (Alchemilla vulgaris), yarrow (Achillea millefolium), and mugwort
(Artemisia vulgaris), or Sheperd’s purse (Capsella bursa-pastoris), which was actually
shown in a randomized clinical trial to reduce heavy menstrual bleeding (48). Make
sure, again to avoid motherwort if you tend to bleed heavily. 

If your period is late and you’re looking to jumpstart it, you might want to look into
herbs like cinnamon (Cinnamomum verum), motherwort (Leonurus cardiac), mugwort
(Artemisia vulgaris) and angelica (Angelica archangelica). Angelica is particularly
strong and has traditionally been used to bring on abortions, so always make sure to
check with your doctor first to see if any of these herbs I listed are safe for you.   
 
And finally, if it’s mostly the symptoms of PMS (pre-menstrual syndrome) that you’re
looking to appease, an herb traditionally used for this like vitex (vitex agnus castus)
might be most adapted to your needs, although current research on vitex is non-
conclusive. So you might want to use Valerian (Valeriana officinalis), which has been
scientifically proven to help with PMS symptoms.
©PERMACRAFTERS

Making the Moon Tincture

I have weighed out my herbs, which isn’t necessary but I like to keep these
proportions for myself and for you to recreate.

Herbs:
0.75 oz in weight of Valerian (Valeriana officinalis)
0.75 oz in weight of motherwort (Leonurus cardiaca)
0.5oz of rose (Rosa spp.)  p etals

(Had cramp bark been available here locally, I would have added some of that herb as
well.)

Steps:
Blend the herbs (since the rose petals can be a bit voluminous)
Transfer them to a glass jar
Cover the herbs with 100-proof vodka
Label your jar
Let sit for 6 weeks in a dark spot. Shake daily or as often as up remember 
Strain the older batch of moon tincture with a glass jar, metallic funnel, nut milk
bag, and potato ricer 
Transfer the tincture with your smaller metallic funnel to your amber jar and put
some in your dropper bottles too so you can take some when you need to. Transfer
your old label to the large new bottle and put smaller labels on the tincture
bottles.
©PERMACRAFTERS

Purchasing a moon tincture

You might not have time to make your own moon tincture, so purchasing one might
be your best option. Keep an eye out for the herbs you are looking for and whether
your local apothecary has a tincture with these herbs.
 Ch. 16: Headache tincture
If you are dealing with a headache, there are various ways to help treat
this problem naturally.

BY PERMACRAFTERS
©PERMACRAFTERS

Table of Contents Headache tincture

BY PERMACRAFTERS
Headache tincture
If you are dealing with a headache, there are
Feverfew various ways to help treat this problem naturally.
A warm or cold compress on your head, drinking
California poppy & Hops enough water, massage therapy, acupuncture,
strobile resting in a dark quiet room, taking a headache
tincture can all help the problem along. 

Of course, it’s important to make sure that your headache isn’t dangerous. If it’s very
painful and sudden, that’s a cause for concern. If it occurred after a fall or head
injury, it’s time to seek medical attention. If it doesn’t resolve itself, or if it’s
accompanied by weakness, fever, a rash, confusion, stiff neck, altered eyesight or
trouble speaking, it’s an emergency, not a common ailment. In fact, if you suffer
often from headaches, professional medical advice is a good idea.
©PERMACRAFTERS

Feverfew
Tanacetum parthenium
You can make your own tincture for headaches
with herbs that are analgesic. Feverfew
Tanacetum parthenium) flowers and leafs are a
great option, for instance.

In a 2011 review of feverfew, both the flowers

and leaves were found to contain pain-relieving
properties (49), as well as fever-reducing
properties, in fact. It should never be used while
pregnant since it’s both a uterine stimulant and can cause abortions (49). It also is an
emmanagogue, meaning that it stimulates or increases menstrual flow (49). For this
reason, it should be avoided when you are menstruating. As always, check with your
doctor to see if feverfew flowers and leafs are safe for you to use and what doses are
appropriate if you’re making a tincture of it.

California poppy & Hops strobile

(Eschscholzia californica) & (Humulus lupulus)

CALIFORNIA HOPS
POPPY

Other herbs to look into for your headache tincture are California poppy
(Eschscholzia californica) and hops strobile (Humulus lupulus).
 Ch. 17: Anxiety Tincture
When anxiety becomes chronic, it can seriously interfere with our
sleep, our work, and our relationships.

BY PERMACRAFTERS
©PERMACRAFTERS

Table of Contents Anxiety Tincture

BY PERMACRAFTERS
Best Practices to Reduce
Anxiety Many of us experience anxiety at some point in our
lives. Depending on its severity, it can result in
Herbs to Reduce Anxiety panic attacks, heart palpitations, shortness of
breath, chest pain, headaches, muscle tension, or
Making the Anti-Anxiety even social isolation. When anxiety becomes
Tincture chronic, it can seriously interfere with our sleep,
our work, and our relationships. Over the long
term, it can result in weight gain, reduced immune
system response, insomnia, and depression. I’ve
dealt with anxiety quite a bit. It’s typically been at
its worst when significant life events took place,
like a move, cramming for finals, a loss in the
family, surgery, or strained relationships.

Best Practices to Reduce Anxiety

In my experience, treating anxiety is certainly something that requires a holistic
approach – herbal remedies can be part of the solution for both short-term and
chronic anxiety, but they need to be combined with other practices to reduce our
anxiety. Many of the holistic tips I shared earlier to improve your sleep can also be
used to reduce anxiety. Here are some practices that can help curb anxiety:
©PERMACRAFTERS

Recognizing anxiety is important.Realizing that you are anxious and actively

trying to do something about it is helpful. 
Understanding where the anxiety is coming from can also be helpful, and
something speech therapy could help if you aren’t clear on this. 
Focus in on the present moment with meditation, mindfulness or non-
judgmental awareness. This can decrease worrying. 
Exercising and quality sleep are also key factors in reducing anxiety. 
Writing your worries out on paper can help.
Taking a deep breath is shown scientifically to be beneficial to reduce anxiety.

Herbs to Reduce Anxiety

Other than those basic practices, herbal medicine can also support you to feel less
anxious. The tincture I am sharing in this workbook is made from chamomile flowers
(Matricaria recutita), lemon balm (Melissa officinalis), holy basil (Ocimum
tenuiflorum and ocimum sanctum), and cinnamon bark (Cinnamomum Zelanicum).
Remember that this particular tincture recipe may not be suited to your needs. I’ll be
sharing other anxiolytic herbs that you can use as substitutes. Check with your
doctor to see if they’re safe for you to take.
©PERMACRAFTERS

Chamomile
(Matricaria recutita)
Chamomile (Matricaria recutita) is a tea I drink a
lot before bedtime to unwind and calm down. A
study suggests that chamomile is both an
anxiolytic and antidepressant (50). As a nervine,
chamomile calms the nerves and eases stress. It
can be taken as a yummy tea, a tincture, or even
used as a massage oil. (In fact, receiving
massages is a great way to reduce stress.) While
it’s generally considered safe, some folks are
allergic to chamomile and can develop either internal problems or topical reactions
like itchy eyes, ears, a scratchy throat, or a runny nose. While it’s a pretty safe herb,
there are adverse reactions to potentially look out for.

Lemon balm
(Melissa officinalis)

Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) is our next herb

for this anti-anxiety tincture. It’s a calming agent
and a wonderfully delicious herb that can be
taken as a tea, a tincture or added to your meals.
Like chamomile, it’s a nervine, used for nervous
disorders and helpful for anxiety. Many studies
have been conducted on lemon balm. It’s been
found to have anxiolytic effects, with rosmarinic
acid being one of the active components shown to

improve mood and cognitive performance (51). One study found that people who took
lemon balm reported increased calmness (52). Another study found that lemon balm
combined with Valerian also reduced anxiety (52). Lemon balm is rich in citral and
citronellal, which are volatile oils shown to calm the nervous system (29). There are a
lot of studies demonstrating lemon balm’s effectiveness against anxiety, which is why
it has made it to our tincture. Lemon balm inhibits thyroid activity, so for those with
hypothyroidism or low thyroid activity, you should certainly run this herb by your
doctor first.
©PERMACRAFTERS

Holy Basil
(Ocimum tenuiflorum and ocimum sanctum)
Holy Basil also called Tulsi is next. (It actually
has 2 Latin names which are synonyms, Ocimum
tenuiflorum and ocimum sanctum.) Holy Basil is
native to India and is well-known for its calming
and revitalizing effects. We are preparing it in
tincture form, but it can also be taken as tea,
vinegar, or eaten as a culinary herb. There have
been many human and animal studies on the
anxiolytic effects of holy basil. Two studies in
particular held my attention. A 2008 Nepalese study found that holy basil
significantly helped lessen anxiety in individuals suffering from generalized anxiety
disorder, pointing to holy basil potentially being an effective anxiolytic (53). Another
2011 study in India found that individuals who were given holy basil extract found
their stress symptoms to be improved, including forgetfulness, poor sleep, fatigue,
and even recently developed sexual problems linked to anxiety (54).
I do caution you, as with all these plants in our workbook, to check with your doctor
first. Holy basil isn’t suited for pregnant women since it’s a uterine stimulant. It was
also found to decrease sperm count so well in male rabbits that it was marked as a
potential effective male contraceptive agent in a 2010 study (55). It’s also a blood
thinner, lowers glucose in the blood, and can interact with other medication – all the
more reason to run this herb by your doctor first to see if it’s suited to you.

Ceylon Cinnamon
(Cinnamomum verum)

Our last ingredient in this tincture is

cinnamon,and cinnamomum verum in particular.
This cinnamon is known as true cinnamon, and
also goes by the name of Ceylon cinnamon. It
comes from the bark of trees native to India and
Sri Lanka. Cinnamon cassia is the type of
cinnamon you’ll more likely see in your spice
cupboard, but this relative comes from China.
©PERMACRAFTERS

They both have medicinal properties, but cinnamomum verum is the one we are
focusing on.

Cinnamon is well known to boost vitality. One study on mice found that cinnamon
essential oil helped improve symptoms of anxiety and depression. Researchers
hypothesize that the anxiolytic effects may be due to cinnamon’s antioxidant and
anti-inflammatory properties (56). Cinnamon has also traditionally been used to
stabilize blood sugar levels. People suffering from low blood sugar often suffer from
anxiety as a result. Using cinnamon can help reduce stabilize blood sugar, and in
turn, reduce anxiety.

A note of caution on cinnamon: it is a uterine stimulant, so if you are pregnant, make

sure not consume cinnamon in large amounts.

Other Herbs for Anxiety

The ingredients in my anti-anxiety tincture might not be perfect for you if you’re
pregnant or if you’re a man trying to conceive, or if you have thyroid issues. But the
good news is there are many other herbs to choose from that can help with anxiety. 

Ashwaganda (Withania somnifera), for instance is helpful with anxiety and is used in
Ayurveda medicine. It’s an adaptogen that helps with grounding and to better
respond to stress. Shankpushpi (Convolvulus pluricaulis) is also used in Ayurveda
medicine to calm people down who deal with anxiety. Rhodiola (rosea) is also
©PERMACRAFTERS

traditionally used to manage stress. Then there’s our beloved Valerian (Valeriana
officinalis) that’s also helpful for stress. Other herbs that are traditionally used for
anxiety include lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus and flexuosus) and Schisandra fruit
(Schisandra chinensis). Jasmine (Jasminum officinale) may also be beneficial, and
finally reishi, which is not an herb but a mushroom, is also helpful with anxiety.

Making the Anti-Anxiety Tincture

I have weighed out my herbs, which isn’t necessary but I like to keep these
proportions for myself and for you to recreate.

Ingredients:
0.5 oz in weight of Chamomile
0.5oz in weight of lemon balm 
0.5oz in weight of holy basil
0.5oz in weight of cinnamon

Steps:
Blend the herbs to make sure my tincture is nice and strong
Transfer them to a glass jar
Cover the herbs with 100-proof vodka
Label the jar
Let it sit for 6 weeks in a dark spot and shake it daily or as often as I remember
Strain with a glass jar, metallic funnel, nut milk bag and potato ricer
Transfer the tincture with a smaller metallic funnel to an amber jar (transfer the
label too) and put some in dropper bottles. Label the dropper bottles.
©PERMACRAFTERS

Purchasing an anxiety tincture

If you don’t have time to make your own tincture, you now know which herbs to be on
the lookout for. You can test support local apothecaries, or try Mountain Rose Herbs,
which offers a wonderful calming tincture you can try.
Ch. 18: How to Make a Vinegar
Tincture (Herbal Vinegar)
Vinegar is another great solvent for tincture-making.

BY PERMACRAFTERS
©PERMACRAFTERS

Table of Contents How to Make a Vinegar

What kind of vinegar can Tincture (Herbal Vinegar)
you use? BY PERMACRAFTERS

If you prefer not to use alcohol, vinegar is a

How to make a Vinegar perfectly suitable choice. Vinegar isn’t as good a
Tincture solvent as alcohol, but it does dissolve minerals
better than alcohol does. Remember that vinegar
Checklist for Vinegar- tinctures in the fridge will only keep 1 to 2 years
Tincture Making with dry herbs or just 6 months if you’re working
with fresh herbs. Instead of taking a dropperfull of
vinegar tincture, which could damage the enamel
of your teeth over time, you could actually use it as
salad dressing instead. In fact, that’s what I did
with my very first vinegar tincture that I made
from wild pine needles.

What kind of vinegar can you use?

Most herbalists stick to apple cider vinegar for their vinegar tinctures, but you could
also use balsamic vinegar, rice vinegar, or champagne vinegar. Kombucha vinegar
could probably work as well, but since the exact percentage of acetic acid content
would be unknown, and the taste might not be the best, I prefer to stick to store-
bought vinegar. I do not recommend white vinegar as it tends to be more processed.
The choice of which vinegar to use depends on how you plan on taking the tincture,
©PERMACRAFTERS

and what your taste preferences are. It also depends on whether you’re working with
fresh herbs or dried herbs. If you’re working with fresh herbs, you’ll want to ensure
your vinegar is at least 5% acetic acid and that you refrigerate it. That will help it
stay fresh for 6 months.

How to make a Vinegar Tincture

Making a vinegar tincture is pretty straightforward. (In our accompanying video, we
made a nettle (Urtica dioica) tincture as an example.)

Select your Vinegar

First, you want to select herbs whose medicinal constituents can actually be dissolved
in vinegar. In the case of a nettle tincture, this makes sense as nettles are rich in
minerals, (and in iron and calcium in particular,) which are readily dissolved in
vinegar.

Step-by-Step Instructions
Grab a sterilized jar. (You can sterilize your jars by boiling them for 10 minutes,
but be very careful not to burn yourself or break the glass jar.) 
Put your dried nettle leafs in half way up. 
Pour the vinegar on top of the nettles. (We used apple cider vinegar.)
Make sure the vinegar is about an inch from the top of the lid.
To make sure the vinegar doesn’t corrode the lid, you can line it with wax paper so
that you don’t have to worry about plastic leaching into your tincture. 
©PERMACRAFTERS

Seal the tincture shut and label your jar. Make sure to add the type of vinegar
used, the type of plant, including the Latin name, batch number, or where you
found it if you happened to forage for it, and the date on which you made the
batch. 
Place the vinegar in a dark place for 2 to 6 weeks. The longer, the better. Don’t
leave it longer than that if you are dealing with fresh herbs, however. Shake daily
or as often as you remember.
Strain the vinegar into a jar through nut milk bag (or tight-weave cloth) with the
help of a metallic funnel and a potato ricer. The potato ricer is great at getting all
those valuable juices out of the leftover herbs or marc. 
The marc can be composted.
Transfer your tincture with a small metal funnel to a nice vinegar bottle or even
tincture bottles if you prefer to take dropperfulls of it. Make sure that every
bottle that it’s in is labeled appropriately.

If you’ve worked with dried herbs, your vinegar will be shelf-stable and can be
consumed within a couple years. If it’s fresh herbs you used, make sure to refrigerate
your tincture and consume it within 6 months. In terms of dosage, you can typically
use the nettles vinegar liberally on salads – this won’t be the case for all herbs,
though.
©PERMACRAFTERS

Stinging nettles leaves (Urtica dioica) are full of vitamins and minerals, including
iron and calcium. Nettle tincture is often taken as a tonic. The leaves contain anti-
inflammatory and pain-relieving properties. They can also lower blood pressure and
serve as diuretics. The leaves must be either cooked or dried to avoid nasty stings on
your skin. Other than this, they are generally considered safe to consume. Of course,
be sure to check with your practitioner first.
 CHECKLIST FOR
VINEGAR-TINCTURE
MAKING:

MEDICINAL HERBS
VINEGAR (APPLE CIDER,
BALSAMIC, RICE, CHAMPAGNE)
STERILIZED JAR
WAX PAPER
LABEL ( CARDBOARD + STRING +
PEN)
LARGE JAR
LARGE-MOUTH METALLIC FUNNEL
NUT MILK BAG (OR TIGHT-WEAVE
CLOTH)
POTATO RICER
TALL GLASS BOTTLE
 Ch. 19: Making a Vinegar
Tincture with Fresh Herbs
Learn how to make a fresh loblolly pine tincture.

BY PERMACRAFTERS
©PERMACRAFTERS

Table of Contents Making a Vinegar Tincture

with Fresh Herbs
How to make a fresh BY PERMACRAFTERS
loblolly pine tincture
The first time I made a vinegar tincture, I had gone
foraging for fresh wild pines needles. And by that,
I mean, I walked across the street into my
neighbor’s driveway and harvested some needles.
These were Loblolly pine needles (Pinus Taeda).
They have 3 needles per bundle or fascicle. I first
learned about them when I was living in North
Carolina. Their needles are super tasty – they are
tangy and citrusy and make for a great treat on the
trail.

My foraging instructor at the time told me she used them when she had coughs or
colds to boost her vitamin C levels. You can also make a tea from these needles that
can help with sore throats, or a vinegar tincture that you can use as a salad dressing.
It’s very simple to do.

If you decide to forage for plants, you should always be 100% sure of you plant
identification. Furthermore, be aware that not everyone responds the same to plants.
While loblolly pines haven’t been found to cause abortions, its close relative, the
Ponderosa pine, has been found to cause abortions in cattle (57). Always check with
your doctor first to determine whether a recipe is right for you.
©PERMACRAFTERS

How to make a fresh loblolly pine tincture

Fill a small jar with my Loblolly pine needles (you may chop them beforehand to
make a stronger tincture by fitting more in there)
Pour apple cider vinegar over them just before the top of the lid (must be at least
5% acetic acid). 
Add wax paper to avoid leaching.
Let it sit for a couple of weeks out of the sun. Shake when you remember.
Strain the infused vinegar 
Use it on salads with some olive oil, salt and pepper!

The vinegar keeps for 6 months in the fridge.

 Ch. 20: Fire Cider
Fire cider, or spicy vinegar, is an excellent immune system booster.

BY PERMACRAFTERS
©PERMACRAFTERS

Table of Contents Fire Cider

BY PERMACRAFTERS
Health Benefits
The vinegar that I personally love taking the most
Recipe is fire cider, also called spicy vinegar. This vinegar
is an excellent immune system booster. It’s taken
to prevent and treat colds, to help clear up sinus
congestion and respiratory infections.

Fire cider isn’t necessarily the right fit for you. If you have a sensitive stomach, GI
problems, or suffer from heartburn, you probably want to stay away. 

There are many variations to fire cider recipes, but traditionally, you will find it’s
made with onion, garlic, ginger, horseradish, and honey. Some may add cayenne
powder, peppercorns, or hot peppers too.
©PERMACRAFTERS

Health Benefits of the Fire Cider Ingredients

Onions are packed with vitamin C, which can boost your immune system.

Garlic has been found in various studies to support the immune system (58) (59),
help prevent colds (60), and improve cold symptoms (61).

Ginger has a warming action, and it’s a painkiller that’s taken to help with colds and
coughs too.

Horseradish is taken to help with coughs, sinus problems and respiratory infections.
One study showed that horseradish was helpful in treating acute sinusitis and acute
bronchitis (62).

Finally, honey is used in fire cider. The honey makes the spicy vinegar more
palatable, but it also has medicinal benefits of its own. We explore honey in more
depth when we talk about lozenges. I mentioned that a study had found honey to
work well as a cough suppressant (13) and that it has antimicrobial and anti-
inflammatory properties. Remember that honey shouldn’t be given to babies because
of the risk of botulism. In fact, all these ingredients should be run by your doctor
before you consume them, even if they seem harmless enough just because together
they make such a potent medicine. 
©PERMACRAFTERS

Making the Fire Cider

Ingredients:
1 onion, chopped, or 2 if you are using small onions
5 garlic cloves, chopped
5 tablespoons of ginger, grated
5 tablespoons of horseradish, grated
Apple cider vinegar
½ cup honeyCayenne powder
Turmeric powder
©PERMACRAFTERS

Steps:

Add the onion, garlic, ginger and horseradish to a jar

Pour apple cider vinegar on top until everything is covered
Let it sit out of the sun for 2 to 6 weeks. Shake when you remember.
Strain with your metal funnel, nut milk bag, and potato ricer. 
Add honey (about half a cup of honey, or more or less depending on what you
prefer)
Add cayenne powder or turmeric powder to taste
Store it in your fridge for up to 6 months

Take a dropperfull or spoonful of the fire cider, or you can add it as dressing on
salads. We love putting it on our burritos. We also save the leftover onion, garlic,
ginger and horseradish bits and stuff our veggie wraps with it – it’s so delicious!
 ©PERMACRAFTERS

UNIT F
SKIN AILMENTS
& ACHES
 Ch. 21: How to Make Salves
Learn how to make salves for insect bites, rashes, dry skin, and for anti-
septic purposes.

BY PERMACRAFTERS
©PERMACRAFTERS

Table of Contents How to Make Salves

BY PERMACRAFTERS
Using your Medicinal
Salve Herbal salves are body ointments that are applied
to your skin to treat everything from wounds, to
Salve for Insect Bites and cuts, rashes, bruises, burns, irritated skin,
Rashes swelling, inflammation, dry skin, infections, and
aches. They are truly wonderful to keep on hand in
Making your Salve your medicine cabinet or in your first aid kit. In
this section, we cover how to make a salve for
Anti-septic Salve insect bites and rashes, an antiseptic salve for
wounds, and a salve for dry skin.
Dry Skin Salve

Using your Medicinal Salve

A salve uses beeswax to lock in moisture. It’s wonderful for dry skin, because it won’t
just wash off like an oil would. Salves aren’t meant for every last skin problem,
however. Salves shouldn’t be used on deep cuts, open wounds, or on rashes like
poison ivy, on infected areas, or on weepy eczema or even bad sunburns.
©PERMACRAFTERS

You don’t want to lock in a problem. So depending on what you’re dealing with, you’ll
simply want to check whether a salve makes sense for your particular condition or if
it might be best to use a compress or a poultice.

When you do use a salve, it’s best to disinfect the area if it needs disinfecting. If it’s
a scrape or a small cut, always disinfect before applying the salve.

This isn’t medical advice.

Check with your doctor to
see whether these herbs
are appropriate for you to
use topically for your
particular condition.
©PERMACRAFTERS

How to Make a Salve for Insect

Bites and Rashes
Part 1: Selecting your Oil and Dried Herbs
Olive Oil

The first step in making any herbal salve is

making an infused oil. Just like water, alcohol, or
vinegar extracts medicinal constituents from
herbs, so does oil. Oil extracts essential oils,
resins and lipids from the herbs. You can use
various types of oils, but I personally like using
organic extra virgin olive oil. It’s best if the oil is
high quality, such as unrefined and organic oil,
ideally. You can choose what’s local to you or

what options you find that are package-free or free of plastic packaging. Coconut oil,
jojoba oil, and sunflower oil would all be appropriate options as well.

Dried Herbs

When making a salve, it’s best to stick to dried herbs to avoid any spoilage. If there’s
water in your oil, it will eventually ferment and go bad. To make our salve for insect
bites and rashes, we use olive oil and 3 herbs: calendula (Calendula officinalis),
plantain (Plantago spp.), and violet (Viola sororia and V. odorata).
©PERMACRAFTERS

Calendula
(Calendula officinalis)

If there’s one herb you want in a skin healing

salve, it’s calendula flowers. Calendula is a
wonderful vulnerary that speeds up skin repair.
It’s antiseptic and anti-inflammatory, and it can
be taken orally as well as topically. Calendula has
been used to heal everything from cuts, wounds,
bruises and sores, to burns, rashes, and skin
infections, dry skin, eczema and dermatitis, skin
irritation and insect bites, chafing, boils, cradle
cap, diaper rash, and so on.

Calendula gets its anti-inflammatory properties from its flavonoid content and
triterpene derivatives. In fact, the flower’s extract were found to have anti-
inflammatory effects that were comparable to synthetic anti-inflammatory drugs
(66). The flower extract, when given orally, was also found in a 2008 study to
significantly improve the healing of burned skin (67). Calendula is perfect for this
insect bites and rashes salve, but it could have many other applications in salves as
well.

The flowers can be used in compresses, oils, and salves to treat various skin
problems. It should be noted that while calendula has generally been recognized as
safe, a European study does recommend that application of calendula should be
avoided on children under the age of 6 (68).
©PERMACRAFTERS

Plantain
(Plantago spp.)

In this insect bites and rashes salve, you will also

find plantain. Plantain, like calendula, is your go-
to vulnerary plant; which means it’s ideal for
treating skin problems. This plant’s leaves are
generally regarded as safe, although in rare
occasions they might cause allergic reactions.
They’ve been traditionally used to treat wounds,
cuts, bruises, boils, burns, rashes, insect stings,
bug bites, to slow bleeding – you name it.
Plantain contains volatile compounds, triterpenoids, phenolic acids and flavonoids.
Research has confirmed its medicinal properties for healing wounds. It’s been found
to be an anti-infective, anti-inflammatory, astringent, and hemostatic (69). A 2015
study, for instance, found that plantain leaf extract reduced inflammation following
acetaminophen-induced liver injury (70).

We’re making it as a salve, but herbalists also use plantain tea as a compress to help
remove splinters, or plantain poultice directly on the skin to help with stings. When
using it as a salve, you would typically rinse, wash, and/or disinfect the affected area
prior to applying the salve.

Violet
(Viola sororia and V. odorata)

Violet leaves have long been used to heal insect

bites, rashes such as psoriasis, dry skin, eczema,
and chafing. Like plantain, you can use violet
directly as a poultice, a compress, or even as an
oil. Violet is generally recognized as safe, too.
Violet contains mucilage, which is a gooey
substance you are probably familiar with if
you’ve ever cooked okra before. The mucilage
helps soothe skin and acts as an emollient.
©PERMACRAFTERS

It can help heal dry and inflamed skin (71). Violet leaves also contain rutin, which is a
flavonoid with anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic properties (72).

Part 2: Making the Herbal Oil

Once you have your herbs, you can make your herbal oil, which is the first step in the
salve-making process.

In order to extract the medicinal properties of these plants, they will need to be
infused into the oil. There are two ways to do this. You can let them sit in the oil to
macerate for 4 weeks, or you can heat the herbs in the oil. Since calendula is a
particularly resinous herb, it’s best to heat the herbs since the resin will be extracted
more readily that way. Leaving calendula to macerate in the dark would be perfectly
acceptable too.

Ingredients:
1 part dried calendula
1 part of dried plantain
1 part dried violet
3 parts olive oil

Steps:

- Option 1: Maceration (4 weeks)

Put all 3 herbs in a blender with the oil
Blend the herbs (especially useful with bulky or thick herbs)
Transfer the herbal oil to a jar
Label and let sit 4 weeks out of the sunlight
©PERMACRAFTERS

- Option 2: Heat the Oil (same day)

Blend the herbs and oil 
Place the herbal oil in a double boiler on the stove
Heat for 4 hours on low heat (about 43C/110F). Warning: Make sure the double
boiler doesn’t run out of water!

- Strain the Herbal Oil: use a nut milk bag (or tight-weave cloth), a funnel, and a
potato ricer to strain the oil into a wide-mouth jar. The herbs will fall into the potato
ricer and you can squeeze them to get the rest of that beautiful herbal oil out.

Part 3: Making your Salve

Now that you have your medicinal oil, you can finally make your salve. For my salves,
I like using beeswax. I was once a beekeeper, and I loved that beeswax was a local,
sustainable option. You may look into vegan waxes if you prefer.

Ingredients:
4 pars of herbal oil
1 part of grated beeswax

Steps:

Add the herbal oil and beeswax to your double boiler (the water shouldn’t bubble
so strongly that water falls into your salve mix)
Mix up the oil and wax so that it’s uniform. 

Ingredients:
©PERMACRAFTERS

Test your salve: put 1 tsp. of salve on the lid of your salve container and set it in
the freezer for a couple of minutes. Pull it out and determine if it’s firm enough or
too oily still. The consistency is up to you entirely. If it’s too soft, simply add more
beeswax in the double boiler. You can keep testing until you’ve got down the
proportions that you like best. 
Quickly transfer the salve to your containers before the beeswax hardens. If you
are filling multiple jars, place it back on the heat between each jar to keep the
beeswax melted.

Cleaning the pan is kind of a pain – if you plan on making salves and lipbalms, it
might be a good idea to keep a pot designated for your cosmetics and crafts. The
beeswax is difficult to take off. A helpful trick is to pour the boiling water from the
double boiler into the dirty pot – this melts the beeswax and it’s much easier to
clean.

The salve will harden fully within an hour or so, and it can be used for many months
if not years. I personally use mine years after I make them, I just make sure they’re
stored out of the sun. You’ll be able to tell if it goes bad if it smells rancid and
changes color.

Now that you have your salve, you can apply it on your skin if you have an insect bite
or a rash, so long as it’s not a poison ivy rash or a weepy skin condition that you
want to treat. Of course, you’ll want to run it by your doctor first to make sure you
won’t have adverse reactions to the herbs applied topically and that it makes sense
for your condition!
CHECKLIST
FOR SALVE-
MAKING:

DRIED MEDICINAL HERBS

OLIVE OIL

OPTION 1, MACERATION:

1. BLENDER

2. JAR

OPTION 2, HEATING:

1. BLENDER

2. DOUBLE BOILER

3. STOVE

LARGE JAR

LARGE-MOUTH FUNNEL

NUT MILK BAG (OR TIGHT-WEAVE CLOTH)

POTATO RICER

DOUBLE BOILER

STOVE

BEESWAX

SMALL SEALABLE CONTAINER

©PERMACRAFTERS

Herbs for an Anti-septic Salve

If you have a simple skin irritation or scrape or very minor infection, you can also
make an anti-septic salve.  

I mentioned a moment ago that plantain has been used for wounds and cuts. It’s been
found to slow bleeding, act as an anti-infective and anti-inflammatory and astringent
– all properties perfect for an anti-septic salve. A yarrow (Achillea millefolium) salve
would be an option as well since it’s antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, astringent
(meaning that it helps tissues contract) and hemostatic, meaning that it stop the
bleeding faster. This herb can also be used as a poultice instead. Some people do
develop skin irritation or itchy eyes when using yarrow. Goldenseal (Hydrastis
canadensis) is another option – it’s a great disinfectant. Both yarrow and goldenseal,
more generally, are contraindicated in pregnancy.

YARROW GOLDENSEAL
©PERMACRAFTERS

Remember you don’t want to lock in a problem with the salve, so it’s best to still
disinfect the skin prior to applying the salve. And also ensuring that a salve is
appropriate – that it’s not being used on a deep wound where a compress or poultice
would be best suited.

In addition to plantain or yarrow or goldenseal, you could consider adding rose. Its
petals contain antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. The petals and buds are
astringent, which can be helpful when treating cuts. It can be useful to help heal cuts,
and actually also bites, stings, rashes and sunburns.
©PERMACRAFTERS

Herbs for a Dry Skin Salve

If you have dry skin (but not a weepy skin condition like weepy eczema), just a salve
in itself will be hydrating and helpful to lock in moisture. Herbs that are healing for
dry skin include calendula and violet, which were used in our insect bites and rash
salve. Another herb to know about is chickweed, which is helpful with dry skin as well
as itchiness. Chickweed (Stellaria media) is generally recognized as safe.

Remember that every plant is different and should be run by your health practitioner
to make sure it’s safe for you.
 Ch. 22: How to Make a
Poultice and Compress
Discover how to make a poultice for sunburns and wounds, and a
compress for pain.

BY PERMACRAFTERS
©PERMACRAFTERS

How to Make a Poultice and

Table of Contents
Compress
What is a poultice?
BY PERMACRAFTERS

Insect Bite Poultice Herbs can be applied directly to the skin to soothe
skin irritation, inflammation, and aches. They can

Poultice for sunburns, be used to treat sunburns, insect bites, rashes,

cysts, burns, and more.
burns, irritated skin and
wounds
When applying the herbs to your skin, you can
either apply the herb directly, like with aloe vera,
What is a compress?
or mash up the moist herb, like with plantain or
make a tea, like a ginger tea, to apply to your skin
Menstrual Pain
on a cloth.
Compress

What is a poultice?
A poultice is typically a moist mass of herbs – sometimes warm herbs – that’s applied
to the skin to treat various ailments described a moment ago. Poultices can also be
made with clay. You can apply the paste directly to your skin and then cover it with a
towel or wrap it in a thin cotton towel before applying it to your body.
©PERMACRAFTERS

Insect Bite Poultice

A poultice can be used to treat insect bites. Basil is often used to treat itches and
pain caused by bug bites because basil oils contain eugenol, which is a numbing agent
(63). Plantain (Plantago spp.) can also be used on bug bites, because it has been
shown to help heal wounds, act as an anti-inflammatory agent and analgesic (64).

To make the poultice, work with fresh herbs. Chop up basil and/or plantain and then
mash it until it’s soft. You could also just do the chew and spit method, where you
chew the basil and spit it right onto your bug bite. Once it’s chopped up finely and
soft, you want to apply the paste directly to your skin and apply a cloth of top of it.
You can leave poultices on for up to an hour if you’d like. Basil and plantain are
typically safe on the skin, although plantain in rare occurrences can cause allergic
reactions.
©PERMACRAFTERS

Poultice for sunburns, burns, irritated skin

and wounds
Another herbal remedy that you can apply topically is aloe vera gel for sunburns,
other burns, irritated skin or wounds. Aloe vera is an easy plant to grow in your
home. You can cut a fresh leaf of aloe, cut it open, and scoop out the gel. The gel can
be applied directly to your skin on your sunburn to help heal the skin. You can cover
your poultice with a cold wet cotton towel if you wish. The aloe vera plant was found
to have anti-inflammatory properties that were helpful in treating inflamed skin
conditions (65).
 Checklist for
Poultice-Making:
(    ) Fresh medicinal herbs

(    ) Cloth (recommended)
©PERMACRAFTERS

What is a compress?
To make a compress, you need to first prepare a strong herbal infusion, using equal
parts dried plant material and water. Hot compresses can help with blood circulation
and cold compresses can help reduce inflammation. A hot compress can help with
menstrual pain, for example, and a cold compress can constrict blood vessels and
help a headache.

Menstrual Pain Compress

If you’re dealing with period pain, you can make a ginger compress (or a ginger
poultice for that matter). Ginger is often used to ease cramps because it helps with
inflammation and pain. To make your ginger compress, you would make a very strong
ginger tea, soak a cloth in the ginger tea, wring it out, and apply it hot to your pelvis
or stomach without it being so hot that you would burn yourself.
©PERMACRAFTERS

You can also put a hot water bottle on top to keep it warm. When ginger is applied to
the skin, it’s typically safe, although in some rare cases, you may experience allergic
reactions. When using the compress, you would keep the hot ginger tea nearby to re-
soak the cloth in the hot tea as needed and apply it on your skin again.
 Checklist for
Compress-Making:
(    ) Medicinal Herbs

(    ) Pot

(    ) Large cloth
 ©PERMACRAFTERS

UNIT G
FORAGING
Ch. 23: The Rules of Foraging
Learn about the 10 safety rules and 6 ethical harvesting
rules of foraging.

BY PERMACRAFTERS
©PERMACRAFTERS

Table of Contents The Rules of Foraging

BY PERMACRAFTERS
10 Foraging Safety Rules
If you are brand new to foraging, or even if you
6 Ethical Harvesting have a few years of foraging under your belt, it’s
Rules always important to remember the rules and
recommendations of foraging. There are two sets
of rules. The first set is directly for your health &
safety, and the second set is to ensure the health
of the ecosystems in which we are foraging.
©PERMACRAFTERS

10 Foraging Safety Rules

Rule #1: Always be 100% certain of your plant identification before
harvesting, using or consuming the plant

Why is this rule so important? Because there are toxic plants in nature, some of
which will make you sick, and some of which are deadly. Being pretty sure or 99%
certain just isn’t good enough because in some cases there are toxic lookalikes (and
as a beginner, everything might look alike!). Even as a fairly experienced forager
with a few seasons under your belt, you might get overly confident and get sloppy. 

This is why, to help you be positive of your plant ID, you want to thoroughly follow
the checklist of what characteristics the plant should have, including the height, the
color, in some cases the smell, the timing, the location, the leaves, the stem, and the
flowers. This checklist will also help you recognize what the plants should look like
at their various stages of growth. While I give a thorough checklist for certain plants
I consider beginner plants for foragers, don’t rely on me to give you all the plant ID
tips. Get yourself a local guide book on wild plants with botanical keys that help you
figure out the plant species you’re looking at. Go through the plant description
checklist, and if you want, check a backup plant guide. Pay close attention to detail,
and remember that it’s easiest to identify a plant when it’s in bloom.
©PERMACRAFTERS

Another recommendation is to remember to use your senses, including your eyes, of

course. Examine closely based on the checklist. Use your sense of touch to see if a
plant is scratchy or smooth (of course not for all plants as some will sting you or
irritate you). If it’s scratchy it might even make noise when you brush against it.

Use your sense of smell too, and remember that volatile oils will escape, so if you are
crumpling up a leaf to smell it, remember to do so right under your nose. Finally, you
can use your sense of taste, but of course, before doing this you need to know with
full certainty that you’ve correctly identified your plant.

The other thing that’s extremely important is to familiarize yourself with local
lookalikes whenever you’re foraging for a specific plant. These will vary depending
on where you live in the world.

Perhaps even more importantly, learn how to identify the poisonous plants in your
area. If you have no idea where to start, you can join a local foraging workshop, ask a
local forager, get a botanical guide for your region, contact your National Data
Center on Flora or if you live in the States, contact your local extension office.

Remember:

Follow the checklist of plant characteristics

Use your senses

Familiarize yourself with local lookalikes

Learn to identify the poisonous plants in your area

It’s easiest to identify certain plants when they’re in bloom

©PERMACRAFTERS

In my area in Switzerland, some toxic plants can be deadly if you just consume a tiny
bit, like wolfsbane (Aconitum napellus), foxglove (Digitalis purpurea), or Nerium
(Nerium oleander). Some are toxic only if you eat certain parts of it, or if you eat a
certain amount. Regardless, here are some more plants to beware of in my neck of
the woods. There’s water hemlock (Cicuta), poison hemlock (Conium maculatum),
poison parsley (Aethusa cynapium) which is related to hemlock, , the European yew
(Taxus bacata), the herb-paris (Paris quadrifolia), white veratrum (Veratrum album),
giant hogweed (Heracleum mantegazzianum), deadly nightshade (  A tropa bella-donna),
and dwarf elder (Sambucus ebulus).

Make sure to learn about what’s toxic near you. And make sure to be careful with
certain plant families that contain toxic species, too, like the carrot family
(Apiaceae), that has poison hemlock. Or the buttercup family (Ranunculaceae) that
contains members with medium toxicity that can irritate your mucous membranes. Or
the spurge family (Euphorbiaceae) that has a higher toxicity if you eat a certain
amount of some of the plants in this family that contain an irritating latex. There’s
also the lily (Liliaceae) and nightshade (Solanaceae) families you can be particularly
cautious with.

Be extra cautious with plants in these families:

Carrot (Apiaceae)

Buttercup (Ranunculaceae)

Spurge (Euphorbiaceae)

Lily (Liliaceae)

Nightshade (Solanaceae)
©PERMACRAFTERS

Some plants aren’t necessarily considered dangerous, but in large quantities, or for
certain people, they can be. Sorrel (Rumex acetosa) for example can cause damage to
the kidney and liver in larger quantities and create kidney stones in people prone to
them. 

Not all plants are equally toxic. Some plants are phototoxic, so if you get some of the
plant’s juices on you it can lead to skin sensitivity when exposed to sun and leave
burns on your skin. Other plants can cause itching or contact dermatitis if you get
the juice of the plant on you.  In any case, this is why it’s so important to be 100%
certain of what you’re foraging. 

In addition, not all species within one genus are the same or even safe. Don’t assume
that because one species in a genus is safe that another similar species also will be.

Finally, if you suspect you accidentally consumed or were in contact with the wrong
plant, make sure to call poison control. For Switzerland it’s 145. If you’re elsewhere,
just look up your local poison control center number. It’s a good idea to keep it on
hand when foraging.

WRITE DOWN
YOUR LOCAL
POISON CONTROL
CENTER NUMBER
©PERMACRAFTERS

Rule #2: Do not forage for plants near polluted areas

Plants can absorb or ‘bioaccumulate’ pollutants like heavy metals from the soil.
They’re helping remove pollutants from the soil, which is great, but you don’t want to
then eat the plants full of pollutants. Nowadays, many areas are polluted. Here are
the places to avoid. 

First, you shouldn’t forage along roads. Car tyres and exhaust pipes pollute the sides
of roads, so don’t forage within about 10-15 meters of them (30-50 feet). There can
be toxic nanoparticles and also heavy metals like old lead in the soil from the days of
leaded fuel that plants can bioaccumulate. Of course, the 15 meter rule doesn’t apply
if you’re foraging downhill of a road because of pollutant runoff. Next, do not forage
on or near railroads because heavy metals can accumulate in the soil, and also
because the railway wood can be treated with strong herbicides, pesticides and
fungicides. Same concept for phone lines or power lines: don’t harvest under them
because of the heavy chemical use to keep vegetation under control. Next, do not
forage near dumps or near factories because the soil in these areas may be polluted.
Industrial pollution can also come from dry cleaners or mining sites. Don’t forage by
cultivated fields, because they are treated with pesticides that can end up in the wild
plants on the edge. Some of these chemicals are linked to hormone disruption and
are neurotoxins. Make sure to think of pesticide runoff too by considering where the
contaminated water may flow. Don’t harvest in city parks or well-kept lawns unless
you explicitly know they aren’t using toxic chemicals to maintain the area. Don’t
harvest too close to older homes because of possible lead paint contamination or
pesticides use to prevent insect infestation. Consider pollution runoff too. Finally,
don’t harvest by polluted rivers or waterways, and consider how high the polluted
river may flow if a flood occurs. Don’t forage in the floodplain area because plants
can bioaccumulate some of the toxins from the polluted river. If you aren’t sure
whether a waterway is polluted, contact your local watershed department.   

With all of these rules, some people decide to avoid urban harvesting altogether. To
find a place you can forage in, you can consider contacting organic growers (either
©PERMACRAFTERS

farmers or gardeners or community garden owners) and asking to harvest their

edible or medicinal weeds. Typically, urban growers or larger farmers will have done
a soil test to make sure the soil is free from pollutants like heavy metals.

Avoid foraging:

Along roads

On or near railroads 

Under phone or power lines

Near dumps or factories

By cultivated fields

In city parks or well-kept lawns

Close to older homes

By polluted waterways

Rule #3: Harvest Plants above 50cm, Otherwise Cook them

To avoid parasites and bacterial disease, it’s recommended to harvest plants only
above 50cm, or otherwise to cook them.

Echinococcosis
The first parasitic disease to know about is echinococcosis. It’s a tapeworm disease
by the echinococcus tapeworm, otherwise known as the fox tapeworm. Adult
tapeworms colonize the digestive tract of carnivores, like dogs or foxes, and lay their
eggs in there. When the fox has a bowel movement, the baby worms exit the fox and
hatch in the excrement. If the fox defecates on a plant and you eat that plant, you’re
©PERMACRAFTERS

now infested. If the fox defecates upstream of a plant, it rains, the tapeworms slip &
slide onto a plant downhill, and you eat that plant, you’re now infested. Most of the
time though, it’s an animal like a little squirrel that will eat that infested plant and
then it gets infested and its digestive system is colonized. It gets sick because of the
tapeworms in its gut, and then a carnivore eats the squirrel and gets infested. And so
goes this cycle.

It can take years for you to notice you have been infected because these tapeworms
are slow-growing. You can eventually develop pain in your gut, your chest, vomiting
or nausea. That’s because the tapeworm cysts are growing and pushing against your
organs. If these cysts burst, it can in some cases lead to death. To get rid of these
tapeworms, surgeons will need to cut open any cysts in your organs full of worms
that are pushing on your other organs. You’ll need anti-parasitic medication. If
you’re lucky you can get a new alternative treatment that bypasses the surgery.

Now that I’ve scared you senseless and made your stomach flip and scarred you, I
should say that cases of echinococcosis are rare in North America and Europe.
However, it’s important to know about this to keep this disease rare. I’ll bet you’ll
never dare pick a plant downstream of excrement again. And maybe you’ll be more
apt to de-worm your dog often or wash your hands after petting your dog if you
suspect he may have just rolled in his doggie friend’s poop. 

Other than not picking plants near feces, what else can you do to avoid getting this
disease? You can harvest plants that are at least 50cm high (1.6 feet), because
carnivores don’t poop that high. Another thing you can do is cook your harvest to kill
any potential echinococcus tapeworms. Rinsing your harvest with water or vinegar
isn’t sufficient to kill the tapeworm.

Exceptions to the rule

There is an exception to this 50cm rule or cooking rule. If you’re eating nuts or
stems that first require taking off the outer layer, then that significantly reduces the
risk. Personally, I also break this rule when it comes to harvesting very young leaves.
If I’m harvesting young plantain leaves or young red clover leaves, they have only
©PERMACRAFTERS

just come out within the past few days and likely haven’t had the time to be defecated
on or near. In this case, I’ll rinse the leaves in water. If you rinse your harvested
plants with cold chlorinated water, this can get rid of 90 to 99% of microbial
populations(xx) according to the FDA. Some herbalists also choose to soak the plants
for a short time in water with a tiny bit of pure alcohol. Another thing to note is that
by dehydrating your herbs, you’ll kill many parasites and bacteria that require water
to live. However, there are ways certain pathogens could survive plant dehydration.

Of course, none of this guarantees to kill pathogens so I wouldn’t break this 50cm or
cooking rule if I had a poor immune system, and I would never suggest for you to
break this rule. I’m sharing what I do and what other foragers do to minimize the
risk, but to be fully safe, stick to the 50cm and cooking rule.

Sheep Liver Fluke

Another parasite to be aware of is called the sheep liver fluke (Fasciola hepatica),
which is a flatworm. Ruminants like sheep, cattle, or buffalos typically are the
definitive hosts. Freshwater snails are the intermediate hosts. If you’re foraging for
plants by streams that have ruminants upstream, then there is a risk of you becoming
the host if you eat those plants raw, like raw watercress. You’ll notice months later
because of symptoms like vomiting, nausea, abdominal pain or even a fever and a
rash. Take some anti-parasitic medication and most people respond great. This
parasite is relatively rare in the States, but it’s worth knowing about.

Leptospirosis
The last complication is a blood infection called Leptospirosis. The disease can be
spread by both wild animals and domestic animals, but most commonly it’s rodents.
The bacteria is spread through animal urine coming into contact with the mouth,
nose or eyes. It requires high humidity to live, so it’s often found in stagnant water
or mud. To kill it, you simply have to cook your harvest (50°C is sufficient). There are
about 150 cases of Leptospirosis per year in the States, compared to 600 cases per
year in France. There is a risk of death of around 7.5% if you do get it, so it’s
important to know about this. 

If you stick to the 50cm minimum harvesting height or cooking rule, you’ll be in good
shape.
©PERMACRAFTERS

Rule #4: Do not pick sick plants

Do not pick sick plants that look diseased or that are infested or have wilted or ill-
looking leaves. This is good practice because you don’t necessarily know what’s
making them look unhealthy. For example, purple dead nettle sometimes is infected
by powdery mildew. It’s a fungal disease that leaves white specs on the leaves and
that can make you sick depending on the specific disease.

Rule #5: Harvest the Correct Part of the Plant

If you’re harvesting elderberries, harvest the berries and not the toxic leaves. Just
because one part of the plant is safe doesn’t mean all parts of that same plant are
safe.

Rule #6: Follow the Rules for Preparing the Plant

Follow the rules for preparing that plant. Don’t eat elderberries raw. for instance. Or
if you’re harvesting acorns to make cookies, make sure to go through the appropriate
tannin-leaching process to make them edible. If you don’t follow these rules you
could get sick.

Rule #7: Beware of Allergies: Start Slow

Another tip is to take it slow with new plants. Just like you wouldn’t give a full 3
tbsp. of peanut butter to your child the very first time they try peanuts, take it easy
with new plants in case you are allergic or sensitive to that plant. It would be pretty
rare to have an extreme allergic reaction to edible plants, but if you do, call for
medical help, and make sure to avoid that plant in the future to avoid even worse
reactions.
©PERMACRAFTERS

Rule #8: Make Sure You’re Allowed to Forage in that Place

This falls under the foraging safety category, but it also could fit in the ethical
category. You don’t want to be mistaken by a hunter for a deer, and you don’t want to
end up on someone’s land who will shoot trespassers. More likely what would happen
though is getting a fine or being told off which is never fun.

If you’re foraging on private land, always ask the owner for permission. If you’re
foraging on government land, inform yourself about the local regulations and
potential permits you may need to harvest. National parks generally don’t allow
foraging, but local parks might. To learn more, contact the local authorities in your
country like the Forest Service or the Land Management Bureau. They might give you
a special permit to forage if they have a scheduled clear-cut, or if you plan to harvest
plants they consider weeds.

Rule #9: Personal Safety While Out & About (Gear, Water, 1st aid,
Buddy System)

Make sure to bring enough water and food for yourself, especially if it’s a big outing.
Bring the right clothing gear for being outdoors whether in the cold or the heat or
the rain, and the right pair of walking shoes. You might need sunscreen. If you’re
going to be walking through overgrown areas, make sure to wear long sleeves and
long pants tucked into your socks to protect yourself from thorns or stinging plants
or ticks. Bring gloves if you count on harvesting plants like stinging nettles. Bring a
phone and if you’re going far, a map and compass. Remember to bring a first aid kit
with the essentials including perhaps bug spray. 

Finally, consider bringing a friend along to forage with you. You can help each other
from getting lost, or help each other if you get injured. Deciding to bring a friend
along can also be influenced by your circumstances. I know I’m very privileged to live
©PERMACRAFTERS

in an area that is generally safe, and safe for women, and safe for White women in
particular. I recognize that not everyone has these privileges and that unfortunately
there are dangerous people in the world. That’s why I wanted to bring up the buddy
system as a consideration.

Rule #10: Tick Prevention & Check

Make sure to prevent ticks from latching onto you and always do a tick check after
foraging to do your best to prevent Lyme disease that the ticks might carry.

To prevent ticks from latching onto you when foraging, especially in overgrown
areas, you can cover your arms, your tummy by tucking in your shirt, your neck and
legs and even tuck your pants into your socks. When you get home, check your
backpack, put your clothes into your hamper, and check your body, including behind
your ears. If you have a dog, check the dog too, including its paws. 

Lyme Disease
Untreated Lyme disease can result in a fever, rash, facial paralysis and arthritis.
Approximately 75% of people bitten by an infected tick will develop a bull’s eye-
looking rash within 3 to 30 days. But if Lyme’s disease is treated very early on,
there’s a good chance of full recovery. This is why it’s important to check for ticks
after each outing to make sure you can act immediately.

Removing a Tick
If you do find a tick on yourself, I’m tempted to give you a solution that’s worked
perfectly with my daughter in the past, but I am sticking to CDC recommendations.
(And no, my solution wasn’t to use alcohol, but don’t use that either!) You’ll need to
remove the tick as soon as possible with fine-tipped tweezers or a tick removal
device. You’ll grasp the tick as close to your skin as possible and pull upward with a
steady and even pressure. This part is important because you don’t want the tick’s
mouth-parts to break off and stay in your skin. If this happens, you’ll need to fish
them out. Afterwards, make sure to disinfect the area and your hands. The official
recommendation is to make sure the tick doesn’t is killed and not put back outdoors.
©PERMACRAFTERS

If you suspect the tick may carry Lyme’s disease, some people (not the CDC)
recommend to hang onto it to get it tested. However, if the test comes back negative
and you still have symptoms, just remember you may have gotten another bite at
another time by an infected tick. You may not be in the clear. Personally, I call my
doctor when I get tick bites, but in some places in the world getting a tick bite is a
daily occurrence.

6 Rules of Ethical Harvesting

Rule # 1 Don’t harvest rare or protected plants, or in protected

areas

Don’t harvest rare or protected plants, and don’t harvest in protected areas like a
National Park or a protected ecosystem like a bog. Some plants you legally can’t
harvest at all or in limited quantities because they are at-risk. Other plants are
vulnerable but not protected by any laws. Whenever you count on foraging for a
particular plant, look up how its population is doing.

In the course so far, I’ve mentioned white sage’s (Salvia apiana) use to treat coughs
and the use of goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis) as a disinfectant. Both of these are
overharvested in the wild. Same for black cohosh (Cimicifuga racemosa) which is
used to address menopausal symptoms. In 2017, ramps (Allium tricoccum), which is
protected in Canada, was added to the United Plant Savers Watch-List. Therefore, it’s
good to do a quick search before assuming a plant population is thriving. 
©PERMACRAFTERS

If you’re harvesting an invasive plant (non-native) then don’t worry so much about
the quantity, because harvesting it is a way to control the population.

Rule #2: Leave the strongest and biggest plants intact

The next rule is to leave the most robust and largest plants intact. These are the
genetically strongest plants that, if left to reproduce, will create the healthiest and
strongest next generation.

Rule #3: Only harvest 10-30% of a plant species in any given area

Harvest just a limited amount of a plant species in any given area. Different foragers
will have different rules, but generally speaking, the recommendation is to harvest no
more than 10 to 30 percent of a plant in a given area. Another tip is to harvest bits
and pieces from many plants as opposed to many pieces from few plants. 

You don’t want to harvest too much of that plant because there would be none left
over for the local fauna and none left over to reproduce. The exceptions to this rule
would be if you know an area is about to be mowed down or clear-cut. Last time I
harvested yarrow, I went well beyond this recommendation because I knew that
within days the area I was harvesting from would be mowed down, which, sadly for
the bees, it was. In fact, if you know of an area that’s going to be paved over, you can
go a step further and transplant some of the plants to a safe area.

Rule #4: Forage delicately to not kill the whole plant

There’s no need to yank and uproot plants, unless of course it’s the root you’re
harvesting. But even if you’re harvesting the root, you don’t necessarily need the
entire root. Some plants will keep growing with just part of their root system.
©PERMACRAFTERS

When you’re harvesting, make sure to cut with a clean blade if it’s hard to cut.
Otherwise, just like veggies in your garden patch, you’re opening it up to catching a
disease.

Rule #5: Take only what you need; don’t waste

Make sure you don’t take more than you actually need and don’t let your harvest go
to waste. Make sure if you’re going to go through the effort of collecting loads of
stinging nettles that you actually have time to process them before they wilt. If
you’ve ended up with too much, give some of it away to minimize waste.

Rule #6: Seeding & replanting

If you’ve foraged a plant before it’s had a chance to go to seed, it won’t be able to
reproduce. Later on, you can go to another plant of that same species that’s gone to
seed and help this plant species to reproduce by gathering and spreading its seeds by
hand in the same location. 

With certain perennial plants like dandelion, you can leave part of the root or replant
part of the root to help the plant to keep growing. Of course, check the plant info for
each plant before assuming this of a plant.

Plant Offering
Many foragers decide to bring an offering to plants before or after harvesting from
them, like some water or hair or even a song. This isn’t something that particularly
resonates with me, but it might with you. For me, I find that I like to share my
gratitude when I actually consume the plant. If you’re looking for more ways to be
intentional and present in your foraging, this may speak to you.
 FORAGING
SAFETY RULES

1. Always be 100% certain of your plant

identification before harvesting, using or

consuming the plant. 

2. Do not forage for plants near polluted areas

3. Harvest above 50cm, otherwise cook

4. Do not forage for sick plants

5. Harvest the correct part of the plant

6. Follow the rules for preparing the plant

7. Beware of allergies, start slow

8. Make sure you are allowed to forage in that

place 

9. Personal safety (water, 1st aid, gear, buddy

system)

10. Tick prevention & check

 ETHICAL
HARVESTING
RULES

1. Don’t harvest rare or protected plants, or in

protected areas

2. Leave the strongest and biggest plants intact

3. Only harvest 10% to 30% of a plant species in a

given area

4. Forage delicately to not kill the whole plant

5. Take only what you need; don’t waste

6. Seeding & replanting

 Ch. 24 Yarrow Oil for
Varicose Veins
Learn how to identify the wild edible and medicinal plant yarrow
(Achillea Millefolium) and how to make a yarrow infused oil for
varicose veins treatment.
BY PERMACRAFTERS
©PERMACRAFTERS

Table of Contents Yarrow Oil for Varicose

Plant Identification
Veins
BY PERMACRAFTERS

Yarrow Lookalikes
Yarrow (Achillea Millefolium) is a plant in the
Asteraceae family that grows in Europe, as well as
Safety Information for
North America, Asia, and even Australia where it’s
Yarrow
been introduced. It’s a perennial that you’ll find
growing up to about 70cm in full-sun in prairies,
Eating Yarrow
clearings and meadows.

Medicinal Properties

How to Make Yarrow Oil

for Varicose Veins

Plant Identification
Yarrow is a plant that might start to catch your eye around the month of June when
it starts to bloom. In Europe, it typically blooms from June through October with a
beautiful white or light pink inflorescence, which is a cluster of flowers. In this case,
it’s actually a double inflorescence.
©PERMACRAFTERS

There’s the composite flower head, which is made up of 2 types of aromatic florets.
There are generally 4 to 5 ray florets on the outside that are whiter and fertile disc
florets at the center that are creamier colored. There are about 20 or more of these
flower heads arranged in a corymb. A corymb is where the flower stalks start at
different levels. The lower flower stalks are longer, and the higher flower stalks are
shorter and they end up holding up all the flowers at the same level at the top, in a
flat-topped, slightly convex cluster. A corymb is not the same thing as an umbel. The
umbel shape is one you’ll find in the carrot family. With an umbel, the flower stalks
start all at the same level, which is not the case with yarrow, which is in a corymb
form. 

The young yarrow leaves start to come up in March and April. The leaves at the base
are 4 to 5 times longer than the leaves on the stem. The leaves on the stem are
about 5cm long. In fact, yarrow leaves make for perfect little eyebrows if you want a
natural look. The leaves are bipinnately compound, meaning they’re twice divided
into leaflets called pinna and pinnules. This makes it appear as though there are
thousands of leaves, hence the name  M illefolium. 

Finally, the stem is white, hairy, furrowed and very fibrous. It branches out towards
the top. And at the very top of each stem is are compact and adjacent bracts
surrounding the receptacle.
©PERMACRAFTERS

Yarrow Lookalikes
It’s possible to confuse yarrow with various plants depending on where you live. Be
sure to learn about your local lookalikes, and especially if it’s your first time
foraging yarrow, wait until it’s in bloom. Here are some potential lookalikes in
Switzerland. 

First of all, there are different yarrow varieties – about 140 in the world. There are
cultivars that are yellow, red or pink. As long as we’re talking specifically
about  A chillea millefolium, it can be used medicinally. But there are also some types
of ornamental yarrow like Achillae filipendulina or roseo-alba that are not used in
the same way medicinally, because their chemical makeup is different.

Achillea filipendulina Achillea roseo-alba

Credit: Pablo Alberto Salguero Quiles Credit: Nicola Cocchia

Dropwort or  F ilipendula vulgaris looks similar at the young leaf stage, but it you look
closely, it has small little leaflets between the larger leaflets. This isn’t the case for
yarrow.
©PERMACRAFTERS

Achillea filipendulina
Credit: Pablo Alberto Salguero Quiles

German chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla) can look similar at the leaf stage.

Achillea filipendulina
Credit: Pablo Alberto Salguero Quiles
©PERMACRAFTERS

Redstem filaree (Erodium cicutarium) can also look quite similar at the leaf stage, but
it’s not cut as deeply as yarrow leaves.

Redstem filaree (Erodium cicutarium)

Credit:  T opjabot

Queen Anne’s Lace (Daucus carota) can be confused at the flowering stage. The
flowers are in an umbel shape for Queen Anne’s Lace as opposed to a corymb.

Queen Anne's Lace (Daucus carota)

Credit:  J im Evans
©PERMACRAFTERS

Poison hemlock (Conium maculatum) is deadly poisonous. Yarrow has a hairy stem
that’s very fibrous, whereas poison hemlock has a smooth hollow stem. Another
difference is that poison hemlock’s leaf stalk clasps the stem. Yarrow’s leaf stalks
don’t do this. And the flowers are in an umbel, not a corymb. Poison hemlock can also
grow up to 3 meters high whereas the highest yarrow will grow is 80cm.

Poison hemlock (Conium maculatum)

Source:  w ww.biolib.de

Safety Information for Yarrow

Yarrow is generally considered safe, however some people do have an allergic
reaction to yarrow in the form of a rash or itchy eyes, so stop using it if that’s the
case. It’s not recommended you take yarrow if you are pregnant, especially in the
first trimester since it stimulates the uterine muscles, nor if you are nursing. Also
avoid it if you’re taking anticoagulation or coagulation medication.
©PERMACRAFTERS

Eating Yarrow
The yarrow leaves and flowers are edible, albeit bitter. You can make wild pestos,
patés, tapenades, hummuses, and even cheeses with young yarrow leaves or young
inflorescences. The flowers can be used to decorate your meals, too.

Medicinal Properties
Yarrow has so many medicinal properties. I’m only going to list a few.  P lease note
that none of this is medical advice. For most of these medicinal uses, you can use the
flowers and flower stalks. You can also use the leaves, though, especially when it
comes to first-aid use. Yarrow can be made into a lotion, a compress, a tea, a honey,
an oil, a tincture: no matter what you choose, the medicinal constituents transfer
into those solvents readily. 
 
Yarrow leaves are a great wilderness first-aid plant that have all the properties
you’d want for an emergency injury by simply making a poultice with the chew & spit
method. They have an anti-inflammatory effect. They’re an antalgic, meaning that
they calm pain, an antiseptic and antifungal. The leaves are hemostatic, meaning that
they helps stop bleeding from cuts to nosebleeds, and they also help with the
scarring process, meaning that they help tighten the skin due to their astringent
properties so that it heals better. They’re also used topically for bruises, wounds,
skin irritations, rashes, itchiness, eczema, or even canker sores or little ulcers. 

Yarrow flowers and flower stalks, and even the leaves are a digestive tonic. Their
bitterness stimulates digestive secretions. They also protect the liver.

Yarrow has many effects for the menstrual cycle. It’s an antispasmodic that can help
with uterine cramping, as well as digestive cramping for that matter – you can use it
topically or internally. Yarrow also is helpful at lessening pre-menstrual syndrome
symptoms since it affects the estrogen-building process. Yarrow may also help
reduce heavy bleeding when menstruating. It can also help bring on menstruation if
you are late or if you aren’t getting your periods. 

Yarrow is known to be used as a diaphoretic, meaning that it induces sweating to

break fevers. 
©PERMACRAFTERS

Finally, yarrow is a circulatory stimulant and increases the tone of the wall of veins.
The flowers and flower stalks have been used in lotions or even compresses to
address issues like varicose veins, spider veins, and even hemorrhoids. The positive
effects are likely due to yarrow’s tannin, sesquiterpene and flavonoid content. When
yarrow is in bloom, it’s concentration of volatile oils is the highest, some of which
stimulate blood flow to the skin’s surface.

How to Make Yarrow Oil for Varicose Veins

In this course so far, we only used dried herbs for oil-making. It is possible to make
an oil from fresh herbs, but extra precautionary measures need to be taken. 

First, we’ll be using organic extra virgin olive oil because it doesn’t go rancid as
easily as other oils. Olive oil is great at extracting essential oils, resins and lipids
from medicinal herbs. To increase the shelf life of your yarrow oil once it’s ready,
you’ll want to make sure to keep it out of the heat, out of the sunlight and limit
oxidation by having it in a sealed and full container. 

Second, you’ll need your fresh yarrow. Whenever you’re working with fresh plants
like this, the issue is the water in the plants which impacts the preservation of your
herbal oil. Where there’s water, bacteria and fungi can develop. In order to prevent
the oil from going bad, there are several steps you have to take. First, you’ll need to
partially dry the yarrow. This can literally be as simple as letting the yarrow sit out
for 6 to 24 hours. Or, if you have a dehydrator, you can set it at 50 degrees Celsius
for several hours. The next thing to be mindful of is cleanliness; this is extra
©PERMACRAFTERS

important when working with plants that aren’t fully dehydrated. All the tools you’ll
be working with, including the jar, the cutting board, the knife – all these need to be
disinfected. You can do this by boiling the tools for 10 minutes, or if you have 70%
alcohol on hand, use that to wipe down your tools. Make sure your hands are clean
too. I’m sure you’re pros by now. And finally, just make sure your tools are fully dry
before starting as we’re trying to minimize water content.

There are a few more tricks to working around the water content of fresh herbs when
making herbal oils. I’ll mention them now briefly and go into more detail later, but
one is to not seal your jar fully during the maceration process if you’re doing a long
maceration, and the other is to add salt to your herbal oil.

Here’s how to make the yarrow oil:

Go safely foraging for yarrow.
Once you’ve let the yarrow plant dry a bit for 6-24 hours, you’ll measure out
100g of yarrow. If you’re working with less, just adjust the measurements.   
Chop the yarrow finely with a sterilized cutting board and knife. This will help
the yarrow’s medicinal properties be absorbed more easily by the oil. 
At this stage, you’ll place 40g of salt in an empty sterilized Mason Jar or Le
Parfait Jar. You’ll want to use natural uncolored sea salt that’s non-refined. The
sea salt will absorb some of the remaining water in your yarrow. Since salt isn’t
oil-soluble, there will be no leftover salt in the finished product. If your salt
package hasn’t been sealed very well, it’s best to dry the salt in your oven in a
thin layer for 10 mins at 105 degrees Celsius. 
Then you’ll add your yarrow to the jar. Today we will be doing the heat
maceration of this yarrow oil, but I still want to explain how it would work if you
did a regular maceration where you would wait for about a month before the next
step. If you count on waiting the full month, it’s important for your jar to be
pretty full at this point. If that’s not the case, you need a smaller jar. Cover your
yarrow with olive oil to the top, leaving just a cm of space. Don’t leave more
empty space than that or it will encourage oxidation. The empty space aspect
doesn’t matter so much if you’re doing the heat maceration like we are today.
©PERMACRAFTERS

If you’re doing the long maceration, you’ll close your jar. If you used a Le Parfait
jar, take off the rubber band so that it’s not fully sealed. Same concept if you are
using a Mason Jar. Twist it shut just partially, not fully. This will allow the
remaining water to evaporate. Also, remember that if you’re using a Mason Jar,
you’ll want to use wax paper at the top so that the oil doesn’t touch the plastic in
the lid when you’re shaking it.
Make sure to label your jar if you’re doing the long maceration. Write down
where you got the yarrow, the date you made the oil, whether you used salt, and
the type of oil you used.
©PERMACRAFTERS

Then you can leave it to sit in a warm place out of the sun for a month, ideally at
at least 30C. After a day or so, you can add some more olive oil at the top since
the yarrow will have absorbed some. Make sure to shake the oil every few days.
Before making a mess, remember that the jars aren’t sealed! Then, you’d move on
to the next step.
Today though, we are doing a heat maceration, so once the oil is poured over the
herbs, you’ll place the jar in a double boiler and heat it on low at about 50
degrees Celsius for about 3 hours. Make sure to place the ring of a Mason Jar at
the bottom of your pot so that the jar isn’t sitting directly on the pot. If you don’t
have a way to measure the water’s temperature, just make sure there are little
bubbles at the bottom of the pan. It should absolutely not be boiling or you risk
water falling into your oil. Stir about 4 times per hour.
Once it’s ready, take it off the heat. Wash your hands again. You’ll use your
sterilized nut milk bag and potato ricer to transfer the oil without the salt and
without the yarrow plant materials to a sterilized jar. At this point, you can add
vitamin E oil if you have some to help preserve the oil. I’m using about 50 drops.
Then, you’ll transfer the oil to small sterilized amber bottles, which you will
label. Make sure the oil is filled up to the top of the bottles to minimize
oxidation. Then, you’ll store the yarrow oil out of the sun at room temperature.

Finally, you can use the yarrow on varicose veins or spider veins. Massage the oil in
an upwards fashion on the affected area, like your legs. It’s ideal to do this when you
have some time on your hands since it can gets a little messy.
 RECIPE
PLANT
Yarrow
Achillea Millefolium

RECIPE

Yarrow Infused Oil

STEPS
MATERIALS

Fresh yarrow (100g or less)

1. Let the yarrow plants dry outdoors for 6-24
Organic extra virgin olive oil
hours
Unrefined sea salt
2. Wash your hands (important)
Kitchen scale
3. Weigh out 100g of yarrow
Sterilized cutting board*
4. Chop the yarrow finely on your cutting board
Sterilized knife*
5. Place 40g of salt in an empty jar
2 sterilized jars*
6. Add the yarrow to the jar
Large potMason jar ring
7. Pour the olive oil until it covers the yarrow
Sterilized nut milk bag*
8. Make a double boiler by placing the full
Sterilized potato ricer*
yarrow jar on a Mason jar ring in a pan with
Sterilized metallic funnels (large
water.
and small)*
9. Heat on low at about 50C for 3 hours,
Sterilized small amber bottles*
stirring regularly. Do not boil or water will
get into the oil!
*You can sterilize your equipment by boiling it for 10. Take it off the heat and strain through a nut
10 minutes or sanitizing it with a 70% alcohol milk bag and potato ricer into a new jar. 
solution.
11. Add 50 drops of vitamin E oil to preserve the
oil.
12. Transfer the oil with a small funnel to the
small bottles. Fill to the top to minimize
oxidation.
13. Label the bottles: yarrow foraging location,
date made, oil used
14. Store the yarrow at room temperature out of
the sunlight
 Ch. 25 Narrowleaf Plantain
Hummus
Learn about the characteristics & nutritional composition of narrowleaf
plantain (Plantago lanceolata) and prepare our delicious narrowleaf
plantain hummus recipe.
BY PERMACRAFTERS
©PERMACRAFTERS

Table of Contents Narrowleaf Plantain

Plant Identification
Hummus
BY PERMACRAFTERS

Lookalikes
Narrowleaf plantain (Plantago lanceolata) is a wild
food and medicinal plant that grows abundantly in
Medicinal Properties
many gardens and prairies. This edible plant is
native to Eurasia, and has been introduced in
Consuming Narrowleaf
North Africa, North America and Australia.
Plantain: Wild Superfood

Narrowleaf Plantain
Hummus Recipe

Narrowleaf Plantain Identification (Plantago

lanceolata)
The leaf of the narrowleaf plantain is lanceolate: it’s long, wider in the middle, and
shaped like a lance tip. The leaf has a short petiole, and 5 to 7 protruding veins that
are practically parallel. The leaves don’t have a stem; they are basal leaves, starting
at the top of the plant’s root system. They are slightly hairy.
©PERMACRAFTERS

From the base of the plantain grows a peduncle, which is the stem that supports the
inflorescence (cluster of flowers). The flowers are 4mm and produce seeds. The
inflorescence is dense, narrow, and elongated, because the flowers are tightly
attached to the stem.

Narrowleaf Plantain (Plantago lanceolata)

Credit: Johann Georg Sturm
©PERMACRAFTERS

Narrowleaf Plantain Lookalikes

Learn about the possible confusions in your geographical location. In my
area,  t here’s broadleaf plantain (Plantago major), which can be used in the same way
medicinally as narrowleaf plantain. It’s also edible. Its leaves are larger and broad,
as the name hints. There are 5 to 9 protruding veins running almost parallel. There’s
a long petiole. Then there’s hoary plantain (plantago media) which also has 5-9
protruding veins that run almost parallel, but it’s much hairier and it’s in a rosette
form, really flat on the ground. This one is often used in the same way medicinally.

If it’s your first time foraging for narrowleaf plantain, wait until the inflorescence
appears. Otherwise, you may confuse it with the great yellow gentian (Gentiana
lutea), the white veratrum (Veratrum album), or the white campion (Silene latifolia).

Narrowleaf with broadleaf

plantain (Plantago major)

Credit:  J an Kops

Hoary plantain (Plantago media)

Credit:  J ohann Georg Sturm

©PERMACRAFTERS

White veratrum (Veratrum album)

Credit: Franz Eugen Köhler,  K öhler’s
Medizinal-Pflanzen

Great yellow gentian (Gentiana lutea)

Credit:  F ichier d’origine

White campion (Silene
latifolia)
Credit:  A yacop
©PERMACRAFTERS

Medicinal Properties of Narrowleaf Plantain

In the “How to Make Salves” chapter, I talk about the medicinal properties of
plantain leaves. Before reviewing the benefits of applying plantain leaves topically, I
want to cover its internal medicinal uses. Internally, it’s been used to treat ear nose
and throat issues like dry cough caused by bronchitis, pharyngitis or laryngitis for
instance. Plantain is an antispasmodic for the bronchial smooth muscle and has an
antitussive effect. It can be prepared as a tea or a syrup for these sorts of ailments.
Otherwise, plantain tea has also been used to treat diarrhea, gastritis, and poor
digestion. The tea and tincture is also used by those who experience heavy menstrual
bleeding to restrict the bleeding. 

Of course, it’s the perfect vulnerary plant, meaning it’s ideal for treating skin
problems. In rare occasions, you might have an allergic topical reaction, but the
leaves are regarded as safe. They’ve been used for hemorrhoids, for acne, for
wounds, cuts, bruises, boils, burns, rashes and irritations, insect stings, bug bites,
and to slow bleeding. As a plantain tea compress, it can help remove splinters.
Plantain has been found to be an antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, astringent, and
hemostatic (69). When the plant is fresh, especially, it contains anti-inflammatory
properties due to its iridoids content and ursolic acid. I had mentioned a 2015 study
that found that plantain leaf extract reduced inflammation following acetaminophen-
induced liver injury (70). The fresh plant also contains mucilage that can help heal
the skin. 

To apply a fresh plantain poultice, there are two methods. The first is to crush it up
until it begins getting juicy, and apply it to your skin. The second method is the
classic chew and spit method. You chew the plantain, then apply it directly to your
bug bite or cut. If you’re in the woods, it’s a great emergency remedy.

Consuming Narrowleaf Plantain: Wild Superfood

Plantain is so often considered a weed, but really it’s closer to a superfood that
grows abundantly everywhere and is considered safe to consume. The narrowleaf
©PERMACRAFTERS

plantain leaves contain protein, mucilage, fatty acids, starch, vitamins B2 and B3,
vitamins C, E and K, minerals and beta-carotene. Foraging for plantain is a fun and
affordable way to incorporate nutrient-rich greens in your diet.

The young leaves of narrowleaf plantain that grow in the center of the base of the
plant are the tastiest leaves. These are best in the Spring. The older plantain leaves
are tough and bitter, but still perfectly edible. Plantain leaves can be eaten raw in
hummus, pesto, pâté, salads, or cooked up in soups. The inflorescences are edible at
any stage (including the infructescence stage), and can be eaten raw or prepared as
capers (especially at the early stage). Over-consuming plantain seeds may have a
laxative effect.

Narrowleaf Plantain Hummus Recipe

Servings: 4-5 servings
 
Ingredients: 
1 cup of chickpeas (canned or cooked)
1 tbsp. tahini
Juice from ½ lemon
1 heaping cup of fresh plantain leaves
2 cloves of garlic (this will make a spicy hummus! To make it less spicy, roast the
hummus, or add just one clove)
1/8 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. olive oil
2 tbsp. water
©PERMACRAFTERS

Steps:

Go foraging for plantain! Be 100% certain of your plant ID.

Rinse the plantain leaves
Blend all the ingredients in a food processor until smooth
Serve with raw vegetables or chips

This hummus recipe is the perfect consistency and is well worth a try with or
without plantain leaves!
RECIPE
PLANT
Narrowleaf Plantain
(Plantago lanceolata)

RECIPE

Narrowleaf Plantain Hummus

MATERIALS SERVINGS

1 cup of chickpeas (canned or 4-5 servings

cooked)
1 tbsp. tahini
Juice from ½ lemon
1 heaping cup of fresh plantain
STEPS
leaves
2 cloves of garlic (this will make a
spicy hummus! To make it less 1. Go foraging for plantain! Be 100% certain of
spicy, roast the hummus, or add just your plant ID.
one clove) 2. Rinse the plantain leaves
1/8 tsp. salt  3. Blend all the ingredients in a food processor
2 tbsp. olive oil until smooth
2 tbsp. water 4. Serve with raw vegetables or chips

Art by Caro Arévalo.

 Ch. 26 Purple Dead Nettle
Tofu Scramble
Learn about the purple dead nettle (Lamium purpureum), an edible
plant native to Eurasia which you can prepare in a simple tofu
scramble.
BY PERMACRAFTERS
©PERMACRAFTERS

Table of Contents Purple Dead Nettle Tofu

Plant Identification
Scramble
BY PERMACRAFTERS

Lookalikes
Purple dead nettle (Lamium purpureum) is an
edible plant that is native to Eurasia, and is also
Consuming Purple Dead
very common in the United States and Canada. This
Nettles
flowering plant is in the mint or sage family, called
the Lamiaceae family.
Making the Purple Dead
Nettle Tofu Scramble

Identifying Purple Dead Nettle

The leaves on the plant are opposite decussate, meaning they’re opposite and
arranged with each succeeding pair at right angles to the pairs below and above
them. This of course helps them best capture the sun since they grow straight up.
©PERMACRAFTERS

The leaves have hairs on them, and are quite soft to the touch. The leaves also have
petioles and are heart-shaped to triangular-shaped with a rounded tip and with
rounded teeth. They are green, but towards the top of the plant they can have a
reddish tint to them. In fact, these leaves are really close together towards the top
of the stem, which is something to remember to differentiate it from lookalikes.

The stem is square. The flower as a whole can get up to 40cm tall. 

The flowers are two-lipped and in bloom from March through September. Once it’s
pollinated, 4 dried fruits are noticeable at the bottom of the calyx, which is the
structure that encloses the petals.

Possible Confusions:
It is possible to confuse this plant with lookalikes. Depending on where you live in
the world, lookalikes will vary, so make sure to learn about your local lookalikes.
One lookalike is  B allota nigra  o r the black horehound. Unlike the dead nettle, this
plant does not have purple-ish tints on the top leaves, its flowers and leaves are
more regularly spread along the stem, and it gets up to 30 to 85cm before flowering.
It’s also got quite a nasty taste to it. Otherwise, there’s Henbit,  L amium
Amplexicaule, which looks similar, but if you look closely you’ll notice the leave
structures are different. In any case, this one is edible. There’s  G lechoma hederacea,
or ground-ivy, which has some notable differences: it smells like mint if crushed up,
the leaves are heart shaped, the leaves are regularly spread out along the stem, and
they aren’t soft. Then there are some that look alike before they bloom. Another
good reason to wait until the flowers are in bloom. There’s  V eronica persica (which
has a round stem and alternate leaves),  V iola odorata, Alliaria petiolate, flowering
plants in the  G eraniaceae  f amily, and also Meehanis cordata.
©PERMACRAFTERS

Black horehound (Ballota nigra) Henbit (Lamium Amplexicaule)

Credit: Michael Beker Credit: Kaldari

Ground-ivy (Glechoma hederacea) Veronica persica

Credit: Rasbak Credit: Strobilomyces

©PERMACRAFTERS

Viola odorata Alliaria petiolate

Credit:  F ritz Geller-Grimm Credit: Sannse

Flowering plants in the Geraniaceae family

Meehanis cordata
Credit:  A lvesgaspar
©PERMACRAFTERS

Consuming Purple Dead Nettles

Purple dead nettles are edible plants. It’s best to stick to eating the heads of these
plants. Eat the leaves and flowers just when the flowers are just beginning to bloom.
If you eat them later on, the calyx which holds on to the flowers gets tougher, and
the leaves are hairier. You can consume the leaves before the flowers bloom, but in
that case, you should be familiar with the plant first to not confuse it with a
lookalike. Eat the heads of the plant, not the entire plant. It gives off a mushroom-
like taste. Make sure to check the plant for ants and powdery mildew. Ants actually
help disperse the seeds of the plant. As for powdery mildew, it’s a fungal disease
that leaves white specs on the leaves – don’t consume it. If you eat the younger
leaves at the top, it’s unlikely the powdery mildew has reached them yet. 

Purple dead nettle can be consumed raw or cooked. If you’re eating it later in the
season, they do great in pestos or soups. Otherwise, you can prepare the leaves raw
as an addition to your salad greens, or cooked up in quiches or omelets.
©PERMACRAFTERS

Making the Purple Dead Nettle Tofu Scramble

Since it is said that purple dead nettle tastes delicious in omelets, we wanted to try a
plant-based version, so we made a wild tofu scramble.
 
Ingredients:
12 purple dead nettle heads (Lamium purpureum)
100g of tofu
Pinch of salt
2 pinches of pepper
2 pinches of turmeric
Olive oil

Instructions:
Rinse and chop the purple dead nettle heads
Slice the tofu, then smush it nicely with a fork 
Mix the purple dead nettle and tofu together in a bowl
Add the salt, pepper and turmeric, and mix
Add a squirt of olive oil to a pan, then add the tofu scramble mix
Cook on high for 5-10 mins, stir regularly
Serve warm

This dish turned out to be delicious! The dead nettle gives off a mushroom-like taste
which combined perfectly with the turmeric tofu.
RECIPE
PLANT
Purple dead nettle
(Lamium purpureum)

RECIPE

Purple Dead Nettle Tofu Scramble

STEPS
INGREDIENTS

12 purple dead nettle heads

(Lamium purpureum) 1. Rinse and chop the purple dead nettle heads
100g of tofu 2. Slice the tofu, then smush it nicely with a
Pinch of salt fork
2 pinches of pepper 3. Mix the purple dead nettle and tofu together
2 pinches of turmeric in a bowl
Olive oil 4. Add the salt, pepper and turmeric, and mix
5. Add a squirt of olive oil to a pan, then add
the tofu scramble mix
6. Cook on high for 5-10 mins, stir regularly
7. Serve warm
Ch. 27 Red Clover Tabbouleh
Learn about the identifying characteristics of red clover (Trifolium
pratense), its health benefits, and how to make a simple red clover
recipe: wild tabbouleh.

BY PERMACRAFTERS
©PERMACRAFTERS

Table of Contents Red Clover Tabbouleh

BY PERMACRAFTERS
Red Clover Identification

Consuming Red Clover Red clover (Trifolium pratense) is very common in

Europe, Western Asia and northwest Africa. It is
Red Clover Health also cultivated in other parts of the world where it
Benefits isn’t native.

Red Clover Recipe: Wild

Tabbouleh

Red Clover Identification

Red clovers often appear in clusters in sunny to mid-shady spots. They are a short-
lived perennial. If the flowers are already in bloom, it’s very easy to notice them (if
it’s your first time foraging red clover, wait for them to be in bloom). The leaves
©PERMACRAFTERS
©PERMACRAFTERS

have 3 leaflets (15-30mm long) that have an upside down V shape on them. It’s
important to look out for that V shape to not confuse the plant with the strawberry
clover (Trifolium fragiferum) or alfalfa (Medicago satival; purple flowers). Red
clover leaflets are lighter green on the underside and darker green on the top side;
they’re a bit furry. The leaves are actually alternate on the stem. The stem is round
and it branches out. Red clover has stipules with either purple or green veins.
They’re shaped like a lance-head (lanceolate); they abruptly narrow to a bristle-like
point. This part actually detaches.

The flowers bloom in a dense globular inflorescence at the very tip. The flowers are
light to dark pink, getting paler the closer they are to the base. They’re 12-15mm
long. It’s important to remember that there are stipules at the base of the
inflorescence. Some lookalikes, like the strawberry clover (Trifolium fragiferum)
don’t have this.

On the red clover flower, you’ll notice there’s a calyx, which is the collection of
sepals, stuck to the base of the flower. The calyx has 5 tooth-like structures. The red
clover flower has 5 petals. A large one above the others, two on the side, and two
that are sort of stuck together. 

The plant as a whole can get up to 40cm.

Before foraging, always learn about lookalikes.  T his will change depending on where
you live. In my case in Switzerland, lookalikes include the white clover (Trifolium
repens), the strawberry clover (Trifolium fragiferum), alfalfa (Medicago sativa),
heart clover (Medicago arabica) which has dark stains on the leaflets,    a nd the Oxalis
genus that has heart-shaped leaflets.
©PERMACRAFTERS

Strawberry clover (Trifolium fragiferum) White clover (Trifolium repens)

Credit: Christian Fischer Credit: Forest & Kim Star

Heart clover (Medicago arabica) Oxalis genus

Credit: Katya Credit: Kenpei

Alfalfa (Medicago sativa)

Credit:  I var Leidus

©PERMACRAFTERS

Consuming Red Clover

April is the perfect time to consume the young leaves as they are tastiest at this
stage. May through September, the flowers can be consumed. The leaves can be
eaten raw or cooked, and the flowers can be added as a garnish or made as a tea.

WARNING:
Don’t consume ungodly amounts of this plant, and don’t let babies or toddlers
consume it. Because of its phytoestrogen content, do not consume if you have
endometriosis, ovarian cancer, breast cancer, uterine cancer, uterine fibroids,
hyperthyroidism, or conditions that are sensitive to estrogen. Also avoid if pregnant
or breastfeeding, or if you have coagulation disorders or are undergoing
anticoagulation therapy. Do not consume if you’re currently taking medication.

Red Clover Health Benefits

Red clover leaves and flowers are packed with minerals and proteins, and contain
phytoestrogen. When it comes to medicinal uses, there hasn’t been much research on
this plant. Traditionally, it’s had many uses, from sedative to anti-inflammatory, to
antispasmodic, to treatment for menopause symptoms like hot flashes, lymphatic
system disorders, and so on. (Do not consider this health advice.)
©PERMACRAFTERS

Red Clover Recipe: Wild Tabbouleh

Instead of making a simple salad with these leaves, I thought it may be interesting to
test out a wild tabbouleh recipe. This recipe was so delicious and much tastier than I
had hoped for! My whole family gobbled it up!

Ingredients:
1 heaping handful of red clover leaves (Trifolium pratense)
3 red clover inflorescences (Trifolium pratense)
Prepared couscous, 4 tablespoons
¼ red pepper, chopped
½ onion, chopped finely
2 garlic cloves, chopped finely
Juice from ½ lemon
Pinch of salt
1 tbsp. olive oil

Instructions:
Mix the garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, and salt together in a glass. Stir. 
Rinse & chop the red clover leaves finely.
In a bowl, mix the red clover leaves, prepared couscous, red pepper, and onion.
Add the liquid garlic/lemon/salt/oil mix and stir. 
Let sit for 15 minutes. 
Serve!
RECIPE
PLANT
Red clover
(Trifolium pratense)

RECIPE

Red Clover Recipe: Wild Tabbouleh

STEPS
INGREDIENTS

1 heaping handful of red clover

leaves (Trifolium pratense) 1. Mix the garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, and salt
3 red clover inflorescences together in a glass. Stir. 
(Trifolium pratense) 2. Rinse & chop the red clover leaves finely.
Prepared couscous, 4 tablespoons 3. In a bowl, mix the red clover leaves,
¼ red pepper, chopped prepared couscous, red pepper, and onion.
½ onion, chopped finely 4. Add the liquid garlic/lemon/salt/oil mix and
2 garlic cloves, chopped finely stir. 
Juice from ½ lemon 5. Let sit for 15 minutes. 
Pinch of salt 6. Serve!
1 tbsp. olive oil
 Ch. 28 Elderflower Fritters
Learn how to identify elderflowers (Sambucus nigra), the medicinal
benefits of these flowers, and how to make vegan elderflower fritters.

BY PERMACRAFTERS
©PERMACRAFTERS

Table of Contents Elderflower Fritters

Plant Identification BY PERMACRAFTERS

In the late Spring, the aromatic & medicinal

Possible Confusions for
eldberflowers are in bloom in our backyard hedge
Elder
& all around the neighborhood. Instead of making
the typical elderflower cordial or syrup, I decided
Consuming Elderflowers to make deep-fried medicine this time instead!

Medicinal Value of
Elderflowers

Vegan Elderflower
Fritters Recipe

Elder Plant Identification (Sambucus Nigra)

Elder is a large shrub or small tree in the Adoxaceae family. It grows throughout
Europe and North America, often along stream banks, rivers, forest edges, and in
hedges. The flowers bloom around May to June, and the berries can be harvested
from July to early September. 
©PERMACRAFTERS

Elder is either a large shrub, with multiple trunks, growing up to 5 meters, or a

small tree with a single trunk, growing up to 7 meters – although this is rarer. It
has  m any branching stems and a smooth bark with knobby lenticels.

The leaves are opposite and pinnately compound, meaning they have several leaflets
joined to a single stem (compound), and the leaflets are arranged on either side of
the stem (pinnate). The leaves are odd-pinnate, because there’s a lone terminal
leaflet at the tip. There are 5 to 7 toothed leaflets per leaf.

When it’s in bloom, the flowers are white with yellow anthers. They are borne in
cymes, a dome-shaped form. The flowers in the inflorescence all grow at a common
level, but the flower stalks don’t all start from one common point. The flower stalks
©PERMACRAFTERS

start at different levels, so it’s not the same thing as an umbel where they would all
start at the same level.

If you cut a twig, you’ll see there’s a white spongy pith inside that comes out easily.

In Europe, you’ll find the European elder, but in North America, you’ll most likely be
finding North American elder, which is a sub species. It’s called  S ambucus
nigra  v ariety canadensis and it can sometimes have more leaflets per leaf (up to 11).

Possible Confusions for Elder

There are some possible lookalikes in my area in Switzerland, and some where I
used to live in North Carolina. I’ll mention these, but please inform  y ourself about
your local lookalikes.

Toxic Lookalike: Dwarf elder (Sambucus ebulus)

The easy way to distinguish dwarf elder from  S ambucus nigra  i s that it doesn’t have
woody growth and doesn’t grow higher than 1.5 meters. When  S ambucus nigra  i s still
young and reaches about 1.5 meters tall, it doesn’t have woody growth either at that
stage, but it doesn’t bloom yet. If you think you’re looking at edible elder, but the
plant is short, and in bloom, it’s not Sambucus nigra. Also, when the fruits arrive,
the dwarf elder fruits face upwards whereas the Sambucus nigra fruits face
downwards. (This is not the case for the flowers, only the fruits.) Also, the anthers
on the dwarf elder are pink, not yellow.

Credit: Willow Credit:  S OC  B ogdan  a ssumed (based on

copyright claims)
©PERMACRAFTERS

Credit:  E dal  A nton Lefterov

Toxic Lookalike: Spikenard (Aralia

spinosa)
In the Eastern United States, spikenard
is a possible lookalike, but it has
distinctive thorns.

Credit:  C elerylady

Toxic Lookalike: Water hemlock

(Cicuta)

Water hemlock doesn’t have woody

growth and instead of a cyme, it has a
double umbel where all the flower stalks
start at the same level.
©PERMACRAFTERS

Lookalike: Red elder (Sambucus

racemosa)

Red elder’s fruits are red, and the pith

is brown instead of white.

Credit:  C elerylady

Consuming Elderflowers (Sambucus Nigra)

Elderflowers from the  S ambucus nigraelder are safe to consume raw or cooked.
Although if you eat them raw, you shouldn’t eat very large amounts of them.
Elderberries are safe to consume as long as they’re cooked, otherwise they can cause
digestive problems, diarrhea, nausea, and possible vomiting. The reason for this is
the high level of cyanogenic glycosides, specifically sambunigrin, which is toxic. The
sambunigrin is highest in the roots, bark, stems, and leaves, which is why those
parts of the plant are toxic. The sambunigrin isn’t as high in the berries or the
peduncles, and even less so in the flowers. When you heat the flowers and berries
the levels of sambunigrin drop. Still, it’s a good idea to remove the peduncles when
preparing your elderberries or elderflowers, but consuming a few of those won’t be
a big deal.

How can you consume the flowers or the berries? The berries can be turned into a
medicinal syrup, which we demonstrate in another video of ours, a jam, a tincture,
or cooked up in fruit tarts. The flowers can be eaten raw or made into a syrup too, a
liquor, a tea, or steamed up with veggies or as vegan elderflower fritters.
©PERMACRAFTERS

Medicinal Value of Elderflowers

Elderflowers have traditionally been used to induce sweating to lower fevers. That’s
because of their sudorific and febrifuge properties. They also have anti-
inflammatory properties that can be used for bronchitis and laryngitis; this may be
due to its flavonoids content. The flavonoids in elder flowers also have antioxidant
and immune-enhancing properties effective at treating flus, bacterial sinusitis, and
bronchitis. The flowers can be used as a diuretic and an expectorant as well.

Vegan Elderflower Fritters Recipe

Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients & Materials:

About 10 elderflower cymes, with the long stalk
½ cup flour
½ cup cornstarch
½ cup water
2 tbsp. sugar
1 tbsp. crushed almonds
Separately, sunflower oil for frying
Small pot
Pan (for the leftover batter pancakes!)
©PERMACRAFTERS

Steps:

Mix all the ingredients together (not the oil). The texture should be between
thick & watery. (If it’s too watery, add cornstarch so it sticks to the flowers. If
it’s too thick, add water so the flowers don’t fall off.) 
Heat up 1-2 inches of oil in a small pot. It should be very hot, but not so hot that
the oil is jumping out at you.
Place one elderflower cyme in the batter. Use your fingers to help cover the
cyme in batter. Pull it out, let the batter drip off a tiny bit, but not the whole
way.
Quickly transfer to the oil pot, holding on to the long stalk. (It must be long, or
else you run the risk of burning yourself.) It will begin bubbling. If the top part
of the cyme isn’t cooking because the oil isn’t deep enough, then tilt the pan
slightly so that the oil covers the top of the cyme. (This avoids wasting oil.)
Let it cook until it browns. This could take a few minutes or less than a minute
depending on how hot your oil is. 
Transfer to a serving dish, and repeat. 
Once you’ve finished dipping all your elderflowers in the batter and cooking
them, make pancakes with the leftovers. Use the leftover oil to grease your new
flat pan, and cook the batter as pancakes on each side until they brown.

Eat the elderflowers while they’re still warm. Make sure to avoid the peduncles as
much as you can, and do not eat the stalk!
RECIPE
PLANT
Elderflower
(Sambucus Nigra)

RECIPE STEPS

Vegan Elderflower Fritters

1. Mix all the ingredients together (not the oil).

The texture should be between thick &
watery. (If it’s too watery, add cornstarch so
INGREDIENTS & it sticks to the flowers. If it’s too thick, add
MATERIALS: water so the flowers don’t fall off.)
2. Heat up 1-2 inches of oil in a small pot. It
About 10 elderflower cymes, with should be very hot, but not so hot that the oil
the long stalk is jumping out at you.
½ cup flour 3. Place one elderflower cyme in the batter. Use
½ cup cornstarch your fingers to help cover the cyme in batter.
½ cup water Pull it out, let the batter drip off a tiny bit,
2 tbsp. sugar but not the whole way.
1 tbsp. crushed almonds 4. Quickly transfer to the oil pot, holding on to
Separately, sunflower oil for frying the long stalk. (It must be long, or else you
Small pot run the risk of burning yourself.) It will
Pan (for the leftover batter begin bubbling. If the top part of the cyme
pancakes!) isn’t cooking because the oil isn’t deep
enough, then tilt the pan slightly so that the
oil covers the top of the cyme. (This avoids
wasting oil.)
5. Let it cook until it browns. This could take a
few minutes or less than a minute depending
on how hot your oil is.
6. Transfer to a serving dish, and repeat.
7. Once you’ve finished dipping all your
elderflowers in the batter and cooking them,
make pancakes with the leftovers. Use the
leftover oil to grease your new flat pan, and
cook the batter as pancakes on each side
until they brown.
 Ch. 29 Dandelions
Early spring is the perfect time to forage for dandelion leaves and
flower heads to make a simple dandelion salad.

BY PERMACRAFTERS
©PERMACRAFTERS

Table of Contents Dandelions

Dandelion Nutrients & BY PERMACRAFTERS

Health Benefits
There are so many ways to consume dandelions!
The young leaves in March are perfect in salads.
Plant Identification
The rest of the year, the raw leaves will be bitter
but can still be consumed raw, cooked or as tea.
Lookalikes The florets in April and May are perfect sprinkled
on top of salads or on toast. They can also be
Preparing the Dandelion turned into a medicinal syrup. Flower buds can be
Salad prepared like capers. The roots can be cooked up
in oil and salt or even turned into a coffee-like
Cooking up Dandelion beverage. Dandelions leaves can be turned into a
Leaves vinegar tincture. The options are endless!

HEALTH WARNING:
It is not recommended to consume dandelions if you have a liver disease, gallstones,
ulcers, heart or renal failure, or diabetes.
©PERMACRAFTERS

Dandelion Nutrients & Health Benefits

Dandelions are high in iron, potassium, vitamins E, C, K1 and beta-carotene.
Dandelion is a digestive tonic; it stimulates digestive secretions. It’s ideal to
consume dandelion as a bitters prior to eating a meal. Dandelion can also help the
liver.

Identifying Dandelions (Taraxacum officinale)

Dandelions  ( Taraxacum officinale)  c an be found around most of the world in full sun
or partially shaded areas. They can reach 40cm tall. The flowering stalk has one
single yellow flower head at the top (covered with yellow florets) and does not
branch out, nor does it have leaves. The stalk is hollow and sometimes reddish. The
leaves all start in a cluster from the ground level and contain latex (break the leaf,
and latex will come out). The leaves don’t all look alike. Some have large pointy
lobes and deep cuts, others are just slightly dented. Their edges are jagged. The
midrib is rounded, not triangular, and protrudes from the leaf. Sometimes the leaves
have a few hairs, sometimes they don’t.  P lease watch our video for better images of
the plants.
©PERMACRAFTERS

Beware of Dandelion Lookalikes

It’s possible to confuse dandelion with other plants. To avoid mistakes, one
cautionary measure would be to harvest only when the dandelion is in bloom.
Lookalikes to beware of:  S onchus Oleraceus,  C hicorium Intybus,  P icris
Hieraciooides,  P icris Echioides,  L apsana Communis,  C apsella Bursa-pastoris  ( no latex),
Sisymbrium Officinale (no latex),  L actuca virosa  ( central rib is triangular instead of
rounded),  L actuca serriola  ( central rib is triangular instead of rounded), and  P apaver
rhoeas.

Preparing the Dandelion Salad

We rinsed the dandelion leaves and let the dandelion flower heads sit out for a while
before plucking out the florets. This gave time for any critters to leave the flower. I
chopped up the leaves and sprinkled the florets on top of them. We didn’t have much
to work with other than a handful of fresh cherry tomatoes, olive oil, and salt. So
that’s what we added! We were pleasantly surprised at how tasty it turned out. If
we’d harvested the leaves a few weeks earlier they wouldn’t have been as bitter, but
it was tasty all the same.
©PERMACRAFTERS

Cooking up Dandelion Leaves

We loved this meal so much that we made another dandelion dish. We cooked up
some dandelion leaves in olive oil, a bit of veggie broth, with an apple, and foraged
onion grass  ( Allium vineale). Then we sprinkled on some dandelion florets and
foraged common daisies  ( Bellis perennis)  o n top. (Make sure to look up plant ID info
for onion grass and common daisies before foraging.) The cooked dandelion leaves
were delicious!
©PERMACRAFTERS
RECIPE
PLANT
Dandelions 
(Taraxacum officinale)

RECIPE

Dandelion Salad

STEPS
MATERIALS

Handful Dandelion leaves

Handful Dandelion flower 1. Rinse the dandelion leaves.
Handful Cherry tomatoes 2. Let the dandelion flower heads sit out for a
Olive oil while before plucking out the florets.
Salt 3. Chop up the leaves.
4. Sprinkle the florets on top.
5. Add cherry tomatoes, olive oil, and salt.
 ©PERMACRAFTERS

UNIT H
MEDICINAL
HERBS INFO
SHEETS
 PERMACRAFTERS PRESENTS

i n a l H e r b s
Me d i c s
Inf o S h e e t

ART BY CARO ARÉVALO

 VALERIAN
(Valeriana
officinalis)

PART USED:
Roots

WARNING:
Not recommended: in
pregnancy; for
breastfeeding women; for
those with liver problems

POSSIBLE SIDE EFFECTS:

Art by Caro Arévalo
Headaches, dizziness, stomach
problems, sleeplessness

TRADITIONAL USES:
Sleep support, insomnia (medium strength sedative and hypnotic)
Anxiety & stress (nervine: relaxes nervous system)
Pre-menstrual syndrome symptoms (reduces severity)
Muscle pain, menstrual pain (muscle relaxant, antispasmodic)
Dry spasmodic coughing
Headaches (helps acute nerve problems)

This is not health advice. This is for educational purposes only.

 PASSIONFLOWER
(Passiflora incarnata)

Art by Caro Arévalo

TRADITIONAL USES: PARTS USED:

Sleep support, insomnia (sedative effect) leaves, stem, flowers
Anxiety (calming properties)
WARNING:
Not recommended: in pregnancy

This is not health advice. This is for educational purposes only.

 PLANTAIN
(Plantago spp.)

Art by Caro Arévalo

TRADITIONAL USES:
Bug bites & insect stings
PARTS USED:
Vulnerary; skin issues: acne, wounds, cuts, bruises, boils,
leaves, inflorescences, seeds
burns, rashes, splinters (anti-infective)
Analgesic & anti-inflammatory
Astringent & hemostatic (slows bleeding, including WARNING:
menstrual bleeding) allergic reactions in rare
Anti-tussive (dry cough) cases
Anti-spasmodic (bronchial)
Diarrhea, gastritis, poor digestion

This is not health advice. This is for educational purposes only.

 YARROW
(Achillea millefolium)
PARTS USED:
flowers, flower stalks. First aid: leaves

WARNING:
Not recommended: in pregnancy; while
breastfeeding; while on anticoagulation
or coagulation medication. May cause
skin irritation, rash, or itchy eyes.

TRADITIONAL USES:
Astringent & hemostatic (slows bleeding,
including menstrual bleeding)
Antiseptic & antifungal
Antalgic & anti-inflammatory (used for
bruises, wounds, skin irritations, rashes,
itchiness, eczema, canker sores, little
ulcers)
Digestive tonic, protect liver
Antispasmodic (uterine & digestive
cramping)
Pre-menstrual syndrome symptoms
Brings on menstruation
Diaphoretic (induces sweating)
Circulatory stimulant: used for varicose
veins, spider veins, hemorrhoids
Art by Caro Arévalo

This is not health advice. This is for educational purposes only.

 STINGING
NETTLES
(Urtica
dioica)

Art by Caro Arévalo

PART USED:
leaf (and sometimes seed)
TRADITIONAL USES:
Tonic WARNING:
Anti-inflammatory
Beware of the nettles’ sting! Make sure to
Anti-histamine
wear gloves when handling fresh leaves.
Pain relief
Lower blood sugar
Diuretic This is not health advice. This is for
educational purposes only.
 GINGER
(Zingiber officinale)

TRADITIONAL USES: Art by Caro Arévalo

Anti-inflammatory (arthritis, joint pain, cramps) PART USED:

Menstrual cramps rhizome
Colds & coughs; decongestion
Warming action WARNING:
Antiseptic Possible topical allergic reaction
Nausea, motion sickness, upset stomach
Reproductive tonic
This is not health advice. This is for educational purposes only.
 CALENDULA
(Calendula officinalis)

Art by Caro Arévalo

TRADITIONAL USES:

Vulnerary; skin problems: cuts,

wounds, bruises, sores, burns, rashes, PART USED:
skin infections, dry skin, eczema, flowers
dermatitis, skin irritation, insect bites,
chafing, boils, cradle cap, diaper rash
WARNING:
Antiseptic
Anti-inflammatory not for children under the age of 6
Lymph cleanser
This is not health advice. This is for educational purposes only.
 VIOLET
(Viola spp.)

TRADITIONAL USES: Art by Caro Arévalo

PARTS USED:
dry coughs
insect bites leaves and flowers
skin problems: rashes, psoriasis, dry skin, eczema, chafing,
dry skin, varicose veins & hemmorhoids 
anti-inflammatory
anti-allergic
lymphatic stimulant

This is not health advice. This is for educational purposes only.

 HOPS
(Humulus
Lupulus)

Art by Caro Arévalo

TRADITIONAL USES: WARNING:

Sleep, insomnia (sedative) Not recommended: for those suffering from

Nervine (calms nervous system) depression; for those sensitive to hormones such
as those with breast cancer or endometriosis; for
use 2 weeks before scheduled for surgery; in
PART USED:
pregnancy; while breastfeeding
flowers

This is not health advice. This is for educational purposes only.

 OREGANO
(Origanum vulgare)

Art by Caro Arévalo PARTS USED:

leaves & flowering stems

TRADITIONAL USES: WARNING:

Respiratory infections (incl. sinus), coughs, colds Not recommended: for people
Anxiety relief with bleeding disorders; for
Antiseptic, disinfectant people with diabetes

This is not health advice. This is for educational purposes only.

 ANGELICA
(Angelica archangelica)

Art by Caro Arévalo

TRADITIONAL USES: PART USED:

root
Productive cough
Sluggish cramping
WARNING:
Jumpstart menstrual cycle Not recommended: in

Digestive stimulant (irritable bowl syndrome) pregnancy

Anti-inflammatory (arthritis)

This is not health advice. This is for educational purposes only.

 ROSE
(Rose Spp.)

Art by Caro Arévalo

TRADITIONAL USES: PART USED:

petals
Heavy menstrual bleeding
Menstrual cramps
Antioxidant
Anti-inflammatory 
Skin problems: cuts, bug bites, stings, rashes, sunburns

This is not health advice. This is for educational purposes only.

 FEVERFEW
(Tanacetum
parthenium)

PARTS USED:
Art by Caro Arévalo flowers & leaves

WARNING:
TRADITIONAL USES: Not recommended: in pregnancy; if
Analgesic experiencing heavy periods
Fever reduction (emmenagogue).

This is not health advice. This is for educational purposes only.

 MOTHERWORT
(Leonurus cardiaca)

TRADITIONAL USES:
Menstrual pain (uterine antispasmodic)
Jumpstart menstruation
Birth aid

WARNING:
Not recommended: if experiencing
heavy periods (emmenagogue); if you
Art by Caro Arévalo
have endometriosis or fibroids; in
pregnancy

This is not health advice. This is for educational purposes only.

 CHAMOMILE
(Matricaria recutita)

Art by Caro Arévalo

PART USED:
flowers

TRADITIONAL USES: WARNING:

Anxiolytic & nervine Warning: Generally considered
Sleep aid safe. Some are allergic & develop
Antidepressant internal problems or topical
Anti-inflammatory (arthritis)  reactions like itchy eyes, ears, a
Antifever scratchy throat, or a runny nose.
Digestion

This is not health advice. This is for educational purposes only.

 ELECAMPANE
(Inula helenium)

Art by Caro Arévalo

PART USED:
root

WARNING:
TRADITIONAL USES: Not recommended: in pregnancy; while
breastfeeding; some have allergic
Digestion
reaction; may change blood sugar
Productive cough syrup (expectorant)
levels, affect blood pressure; not to be
Antibacterial (bronchitis, tuberculosis, pneumonia,
taken before surgery.
asthma)
Circulatory stimulant

This is not health advice. This is for educational purposes only.

 LEMONGRASS
(Cymbopogon citratus)

Art by Caro Arévalo

TRADITIONAL USES:
Cough & flu (antibacterial, antifungal)
Anxiety
PART USED:
Digestion
leaves
Insomnia
Headaches
This is not health advice. This is for educational purposes only.
 HOLY BASIL
(Ocimum tenuiflorum
and ocimum sanctum)

PARTS USED:
leaves, seeds, or flowers

Art by Caro Arévalo

TRADITIONAL USES: WARNING:

Not recommended: in pregnancy; potential male
Cough, colds, flus, sinus infections
contraceptive agent; blood thinner, lowers
Depression & anxiety (calming)
glucose in the blood, can interact with other
Revitalizing
medication.
Concentration
This is not health advice. This is for educational purposes only.
 LEMON BALM
(Melissa officinalis)

PART USED:
aerial part

WARNING:
Not recommended: for those with
hypothyroidism or low thyroid
activity (inhibits thyroid activity)

TRADITIONAL USES:
Digestion (antispasmodic)
Pain relief
Anxiety (calming)
Nervine 
Mild sedative, nightmares 
Depression, seasonal affective disorder
ADD, ADHD
Antiviral

Art by Caro Arévalo

This is not health advice. This is for educational purposes only.

 THYME
(Thymus spp.)

Art by Caro Arévalo

TRADITIONAL USES:
PARTS USED:
Respiratory infections & coughs
flower and leaf
Dinsinfectant
Tonic

This is not health advice. This is for educational purposes only.

 GARDEN SAGE
(Salvia officinalis)

Art by Caro Arévalo

TRADITIONAL USES: PART USED:

leaf
Throat inflammation & pain (pharyngitis)
Antiseptic
This is not health advice. This is for educational purposes only.
 CEYLON
CINNAMON
(Cinnamomum verum)

PART USED:
Art by Caro Arévalo
bark

TRADITIONAL USES:
Anxiety
Depression
Anti-inflammatory, antioxidant
Antiviral, antifungal
Stabilize blood sugar levels
Congestion WARNING:
Circulation, boost vitality Not recommended: in pregnancy

Menstrual cramps
This is not health advice. This is for educational purposes only.
 LICORICE
(Glycyrrhiza glabra)

Art by Caro Arévalo

PART USED:
root
TRADITIONAL USES:
Dry hacking coughs (antitussive, expectorant)
WARNING:
Not recommended: in pregnancy;
Throat irritation, bronchial inflammation
high blood pressure; heart
Antiviral, anti-inflammatory
conditions; water retention;
Bowel irritation
kidney stress; sodium retention;
Gastric & peptic ulcers
loss of potassium.
Adrenal exhaustion

This is not health advice. This is for educational purposes only.

 ©PERMACRAFTERS

BONUS
MENSTRUAL PAIN
REMEDIES
BONUS: Tea, Syrup, Poultice,
Compress, and Foot Soak for
Menstrual Pain Relief
Learn how to use medicinal herbs to make preparations for cramp
relief.
BY PERMACRAFTERS
©PERMACRAFTERS

Tea, Syrup, Poultice,

Table of Contents
Compress, and Foot Soak
Tea
for Menstrual Pain Relief
Syrup BY PERMACRAFTERS

Poultice Tinctures are a wonderful way of getting a potent

medicine for pain relief. If you prefer to try other
Compress methods to relieve your cramps, there are many
options available to you, such as teas, syrup,

Foot Soak poultices, compresses, and even foot soaks. In this

section, I’ll be showing you how to make these
preparations with ginger.

Ginger is often used to ease cramps because it helps with inflammation and pain. One
study found that taking ginger powder 4 times a day for 3 days at the start of
menstruation to be just as effective as ibuprofen and other anti-inflammatory
medication in relieving menstrual cramps[40]. Another study found the severity and
duration of the pain to be decreased when taking ginger powder as opposed to a
placebo[40].
©PERMACRAFTERS

So here are several ways to prepare ginger to help you with your cramps. Remember,
as always, to run these herbal medicines by your doctor first and that these are not a
replacement for pharmaceuticals.

Tea
If you prefer to drink a tea to help you with your pain instead of taking your
medicine in tincture form, you could make a ginger tea with fresh ginger. You could
even add lemongrass – they will taste great together and are a great way to gently
relieve pain. If you aren’t a fan of ginger, you could make a tea with some of the
herbs I mentioned in the tincture section. Rose (Rosa spp.), Valerian (Valeriana
officinalis, but not the best taste!), Angelica (Angelica  a rchangelica), cinnamon
(Cinnamomi Ceylon) and Lemongrass can be used, for instance. Make sure to be
familiar with the safety profiles of these plants first.

Steps:
Chop up ginger into thin slices
Pour boiling water over the
ginger
Let steep for 15 minutes
Add honey and lemon (optional)
©PERMACRAFTERS

Syrup
You can also make an herbal syrup which you can take by the spoonful or add to your
tea as sweetener. You would grate about a quarter cup of ginger and place it in a pan.
Then add about a quarter cup of honey. Then you’d let it simmer until the ginger gets
soft – about 10 minutes. Then you transfer the syrup with the ginger bits into your
Mason jar and refrigerate it. It’ll keep for a couple weeks in the fridge.

Poultice
Another idea is to make a ginger poultice to warm and stimulate the area that is
cramping. You would grate about a half cup of ginger and add boiling water to it to
make a paste. Then, take a cloth (I like to use my daughter’s old cloth diapers) and
soak it in boiling water. Put the ginger paste on the cloth, then fold the cloth over it,
and once it’s cooled off a bit, apply it to the area where you are cramping. To help
the poultice stay warm, you can apply a hot water bottle on top of it.
©PERMACRAFTERS

Compress
A similar idea is to make a compress by soaking a cloth in ginger tea and applying it
to your pelvis or stomach. You would first make a strong ginger tea, like I described
just a moment ago, then soak the cloth in the tea, wring it out, and apply it warm to
the affected area. Here, too, you could use a hot water bottle to keep it warm.

Foot Soak
A foot soak can help you relax and ease menstrual pain. If you’ve made your ginger
tea, make a larger quantity of it, make extra strong, add some Epsom salts. Once it’s
ready, put it in a bucket, make sure it’s not burning hot, and soak your feet in it.
 HOMEPLAY
Which of these methods seems most interesting to you? Which one will you try next
time you have menstrual cramps? Gather the ingredients & tools you’ll need now to
be ready when your period comes.

Ginger

Lemon

Honey

Cloth

Epsom Salts

Bucket for Feet

 PERMACRAFTERS

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 PERMACRAFTERS

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