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By Root 860 0

many competing companies is to rampantly display medical cliché symbols accompanied by comparative charts that applaud their brand’s self-extolled “superior delivery systems,” their “clinically tested,” “fast-active,” “full-spectrum” this and “power-herb,” “doctor-approved,” “standardized” that. Please realize that the commercially correct terms and symbols being used reflect marketing strategies employed in general to overawe consumers and specifically to enhance sales; they are “business as usual.” So, in face of all this, I’m strongly suggesting you not allow yourself to become overwhelmed or disempowered by the marketers’ razzie dazzle. None of this glossy-slick corporate propaganda really has anything to do with you, your health, or Herbalism.

The home-tech environment of your cottage kitchen is where Herbalism lives. Herbalism thrives in the lay communities and hand-tended gardens of self-reliant plant people who cherish and practice their independence. Let the herbal marketers rave on, but know it is in your home that you can access and create for yourself the finest, most effective herbal products. In the simple environment of your domestic dwelling, you can fully empower yourself with experiences of functional herbal knowledge and competency; and all you need to help you do this is some basic knowledge and your own juicy kitchen-lab, supplied with the following equipment.

JARS AND BOTTLES

Jars are used to hold, blend, shake, seal, and store herbal stuff. Quart-size and pint-size canning jars are excellent, especially because their lids are easily renewed. Acquire a couple gallon-size glass jars, along with a diversity of miscellaneous-sized jars that reside and function in your kitchen-lab’s container tribe.

Bottles are used for holding dried herbs and finished extracts. Amber glass bottles are the best to use, for they provide a shade-like shield to filter out damaging light that can deteriorate herbal material during storage.

If I may interject a suggestion here: Herbalism at its best embraces theater, and I recommend that, whenever possible, you consider doing things a little differently when you package and present your herbal wares. As a budding herbalist, don’t accept false limitations. To do so only betrays your human potential. Break from the ordinary; as you collect common bottles for practical use, seek wild, colorful, whimsically shaped bottles and other types of bizarre containers as well. Use these to house and transport your herbal preparations. Render your herbal craft unique and fascinating. Why not? It’s all part of the enthusiasm and charisma of an herbal medicine show. Remember, when you make medicines at home and distribute your own herbal products to family and friends, you don’t have the FDA (forever dull administration) editing your labels, monitoring your moves, or standardizing your panache. Herbalism thrives freely in the home—you can be as elaborate, outrageous, and nonconforming as you want. Package as you will. Have fun, give your herbal medicines a magical air. They will entertain and entice, manifesting ancillary wonders in a special way.

RUBBER SPATULAS

Wide ones and narrow ones to help get every bit of herbal material out of any and all sized containers. It’s akin to garbling and a gesture of respect. These healing, nourishing substances are too precious to waste.

ELECTRIC COFFEE GRINDER

These post-Edison mortar and pestles provide a high-rpm pulverizing blade. Electric coffee grinders are relatively inexpensive tools that are excellent to use for powdering small portions of dried herb. Keep in mind that these are designed to be coffee bean grinding machines. They powder most herbs in good fashion, but they are not built to grind exceptionally hard materials, and they burn out when pushed too far. One has to be discriminating, somewhat gentle, and patient while using them; hardly as patient, however, as one has to be when using a pre-Edison mortar and pestle to grind and powder herbs.

MORTAR AND PESTLE

These are used more for creating atmosphere now that herbalists