The Herbal Medicine-Maker's Handbook_ A Home Manual - James Green [35]
I suggest embellishing this basic field press book with cotton strap handgrips affixed to the boards (as illustrated) and a spiral bound notebook that has been stapled to one of the rigid boards which gives you a field desktop on which to write in the notebook. The pages of this notebook are useful for scribbling field notes and writing plant spirit-inspired lines of poetry. The 1-inch cotton straps stapled to the outside of both boards form handles with which to carry the whole works—a curious woodland briefcase for carting leaves and flowers.
GARBLING HERBS
Garbling is an exercise in the high art of paying attention to detail. Alertness to the details of harvesting and medicine-making is one of a herbalist’s most creative and prosperity-promoting allies. Garbling (the word can be found the dictionary; I didn’t make it up), when done correctly, is a meticulous, self-satisfying chore (a Virgo turn-on), the object of which is to remove all excess stems and twigs, impurities and adulterants, and decayed and deteriorated portions of the plant, which not only mar appearance but are apt to contaminate the usable portions. One also removes any small fauna found crawling on the goods. They were probably minding their own business, harvesting the plant for their personal agenda before you muscled in. Be kind by setting them free; they were also most likely participating in the plant’s pollination conspiracy.
Garbling is an unsung backstage activity akin to the kneading of bread, the curing of firewood, proofreading manuscripts, and the arduous pulling of taffy. Mindful garbling transforms good-quality herb into great-quality herb and great-quality herb into primo herb. All superior-quality herb, by definition, is always meticulously garbled. Garbling makes herbal things better. It is appropriately undertaken anytime before, during, and after the drying process. Garbling herb is well performed in solitude, where it provides a prime opportunity to simultaneously garble one’s attitude and beliefs about life. Yet I find it equally pleasant when performed in an intimate community atmosphere, wherein it attracts uplifting companionship and leisurely conversation. Its pace is similar to that of quilting and whittling, walking with little children, basket weaving, and chopping the fruits and vegetables at a potluck dinner.
STORING HERBS
Light, heat, moisture, and exposure to air deteriorate dried botanicals. Store your dried herbs in airtight, light-shielding, dry containers that will keep out insects and rodents. I prefer to use canning jars or clean recycled jars (especially the amber brown jars) that have wide mouths and tight-fitting lids. Coffee cans also make good containers, and, in some short-term situations, paper or plastic bags are appropriate containers. Do whatever you have to do to store these herb-filled containers in a cool, dark place.
LABELING HERBS FOR STORAGE
Label each container clearly including the name you use for the plant, the location of the harvest, and the date. (As I mentioned elsewhere, stored herbs can reabsorb moisture in time. Inspect your dried herb stashes routinely and re-dry them as necessary.) It is a reasonable idea to also note the general uses and dosage of the ingredients. This is a good method to refresh not only your memory of the herb’s virtues but also a subtle way to pique the interest of casual onlookers. They in turn go out and buy books like this.
When using jars as containers, it is prudent to secure the labels to the jars instead of to the lids. Jar lids are openly polygamous and have no qualms whatsoever about being affixed to any fitting jar that comes along. I’ve been shocked by this conduct a number of times. If this simple precaution is taken, mislabeling jar contents can be almost entirely prevented.
Like fresh plants, dried herbs are organic entities that have various and differing tenures of stability. You seldom find