The Herbal Medicine-Maker's Handbook_ A Home Manual - James Green [127]
3. Tinctures can be added to this syrup by adding 1 part of tincture to 3 parts of syrup.
4. Even though the honey and glycerin (and the tincture’s alcohol) will act to preserve this syrup, store it in the refrigerator whenever possible.
An Embellished Syrup Made from Dried Herbs
1. Weigh out 60 Gm (2 oz.) of the dry herb or herbal mixture and measure 1 liter (1 quart) of distilled water.
2. Mix and stir together the herb and water, then let this mixture soak for a few hours if you have the time.
3. Place over a low heat and simmer the mixture slowly until the liquid is reduced to about 1/2 original volume (approximately 500 ml or 1 pint).
4. Remove from heat, strain, and press the herbs.
5. Measure the retrieved liquid and pour it back into the pot.
6. Add sweetener to the decoction at the ratio of 2:1 (2 cups sweetener to 1 cup of liquid).
As sweeteners and preservatives, use any one or a blend of honey, white or brown sugar, maple syrup, rice syrup, or vegetable glycerin. This 2:1 proportion will create a very sweet syrup. Use less sweetening if desired when refrigeration is accessible.
7. Warm the decoction and sweetener(s) and mix them until the sweetener is completely dissolved.
8. If you want to thicken the syrup further, simmer it over a moderate heat for 20 to 30 minutes or until you attain the desired consistency. If using raw honey, this last step will destroy its active enzymes. To avoid this, merely warm the syrup adequately to mix the honey and decoction.
9. At this point, you can add brandy (optional), approximately 6–8 tablespoonsful per pint of syrup.
Brandy is added for flavor and further preservative action. If this is to be a cough syrup, brandy adds some muscle relaxant and cough retardant properties. (There are some excellent-tasting fruit- and spice-flavored brandies on the market.)
You might also want to add a fruit concentrate for flavor and nutrients. This will dilute the syrup and make it more prone to fermentation unless you compensate by adding more sugar, glycerin, or brandy.
10. Once the syrup has cooled down, essential oils such as Peppermint, Anise, Cardamom, or Ginger can be added for flavor. Add 5 drops total of a single oil or a blend of oils per pint of syrup. Add these only 1 drop at a time, and test the flavor each time; these aromatic oils are extremely concentrated, and they can easily overpower your syrup.
11. Remove the syrup from the heat and bottle it in clean bottles for use.
A 5:1 (Syrup to Herb Ratio) Medicinal Syrup
This syrup will have a 1 to 2 teaspoons dose level.
1. Weigh 50 Gm of the cut herb or herb compound.
2. Measure 500 ml of distilled water.
3. Make a decoction that when completed is strained or expressed.
4. Prepare a concentrate by placing the decoction into a water bath, and at 140–160° F., reduce it to 125 ml.
5. Transfer this concentrate to a saucepan and add 200 Gm of white sugar.
6. Stir this mixture over a gentle heat until the sugar is completely dissolved.
7. Remove from the heat, cover, and when cool you will have 250 ml of medicated syrup.
8. Pour into small storage bottles.
Using this method, I recently made a syrup from a decoction of “Redwood Chai,” a non-caffeine blend of herbs (Carob, Ginger, Cinnamon, Orange Peel, Clove, Chicory, Licorice, Cardamom, and Fennel) which was formulated by Julie Rothman, herbalist, and owner of Flower Power Teas in Santa Cruz, California. The consequent Chai syrup quickly attained a “nectar for the gods” status in my community; misty-eyed recurrent tasters revered it as El Dorado, liquid Elysium, Formicidae heaven … the Kingdom had definitely come by spoonfuls—I highly recommend it.
Garlic Syrup
This expectorant syrup is most useful for relieving spasmodic cough and lung congestion, and will be found especially appropriate for children.
Avoid using metallic containers or utensils when making this syrup.
1 Slice and bruise 3