08/06/2026
💧🫖Water extraction
⏳️Sometimes you simply cannot wait for a tincture/glycerite to sit and extract. With water you have the ability to extract in a number of ways, and get faster results.
🌿Every herb is made up of different constituents. Some water soluble constituents include volatile oils, mucilages, flavonoids, alkaloids, and tannins. The way you decide on your extraction method is by understanding how the different constituents interact with water.
🔥💧Hot water infusion/Tea (10-15min steep): best for dried or fresh leaves/stems/flowers, and some roots. This method will extract alkaloids(caffeine), aromatic volatile oils, and tannins(antioxidants). Keep in mind that dried herbs tend to have a higher concentration of volatile oils than fresh herbs. To execute this you can use a covered tea pot, french press, or coffee mug with a cover of some kind. Steep, strain if needed, and enjoy. A few ideal plants include chamomile, cayenne, green tea, ginger, mints, lemon balm and more.
🫕Decoction (30-45min simmer): best for roots, barks, berries, and dense herbs. This method will extract tannins, saponins, minerals, and glycosides. To execute, coarsely grind up contents for more surface area coverage and add to a pot. Cover the contents with cold water and bring to a simmer over med-low. Let simmer per recipe or standard for herbs being used. Strain and discard left over plant materials. Drink decoction as you would tea, or you can go on to make a more potent tincture with it, known as a double or dual extraction. Most mushrooms work in decoctions as well as, blackberry roots, elderberries, echinacea root, willow bark and more.
❄️💧Cold water infusion (2-10 hours steep): best for fibrous plants, barks, and some flowers. Certain plant material/constituents will break down and dissolve in high temperatures. Antioxidants, crucial vitamins and minerals can all be lost in heat. Choice herbs to use for cold extraction are chamomile, crampbark, nettle, uva ursi and marshmallow root. To execute this method simply add the coarsely ground contents to cold water and let sit refrigerated for the needed time.
♨️🫙Hydrosols (20 min-3hr) best for aromatic herbs, leaves, and flowers. This method is used to capture the aromatic volatile oils of plants. A way to harness those powerful scents and combine them into cosmetics, culinary dishes, or use as is topically and internally. The process uses steam distillation for extraction. This is more complex than the others and requires more in depth explanation. I will make a separate post soon. The best plants to use in hydrosols are rosemary, rose petals, lavender, lemon balm, and orange blossoms.
⁉️All of these methods are great to learn and remember in a pinch. I love to make a warm cup of tea before bed to get relaxed. What is your favorite form of water extraction?
