Herbal Preparations For Prunella vulgaris

Standard Infusion

Part Used: Aerial parts of the flowering plant
Plant State: Fresh
Place 2 ounces of the fresh chopped plant material into a quart mason jar and fill the jar with almost boiling water. Cover the jar, place it in a sunny location, and let it sit for 8 to 10 hours or overnight. If refrigerated, the infusion will last a couple of days.
Dosage: 2-4 oz As Needed

Infused Oil

Part Used: Aerial parts of the flowering plant
Plant State: Fresh
Natural Solar infusion method:
In a quart mason jar, thoroughly mix 2 ounces of fresh chopped herb and 6 ounces by weight of the oil of your choice. Cover the jar and place in a sunny spot for a month or so. Strain your oil, return to the cleaned jar and store in the refrigerator until needed.

Crock Pot Method: (My favorite)
Place 2 ounces of fresh plant material and 6 ounces by weight of grape seed oil into a crock pot. Mix thoroughly, set the dial to its lowest setting, and allow to heat uncovered for 12 hours. After this time has elapsed, place the cover on the crock pot and turn the switch to off. Allow the pot to sit covered until the following morning. Then turn the crock pot once again to its lowest setting, remove the cover, and allow to heat uncovered for an additional 12 hours. Once this time has elapsed, allow the oil to cool enough that you can touch it without burning yourself, and then strain the plant material out. Now place the strained infused oil into a pint-sized mason jar and store it in the refrigerator until needed. (When straining my infused oils, I place a coffee filter into a fine metal sieve, and set the sieve over a glass bowl. I then pour the mixture into the strainer, and let it sit until all the oil has drained. Once it appears that it has completely drained, you will notice that there is much less than the 6 ounces of oil you started with. I usually take a large wooded spoon, or something else heavy, and pack the mixture into the strainer. I am always surprised how much oil is still released from the plant material. You can expect to yield just over 5 ounces by weight of your infused oil)
Dosage: You can apply infused oil topically as needed. You can also follow the directions below to turn your infused oil into an ointment or salve.

Ointment or Salve

Infused oils are turned into ointments and salves. I have found a 5:1 ration by weight of infused oil to bees wax yields the best consistency of ointment. In a medium saucepan, heat 5 ounces, by weight, of your previously prepared infused oil over low heat. When the oil is hot enough, stir in 1 ounce of grated bees wax. When the wax is completely dissolved, dip the back of a clean cold spoon into the mixture. Allow it to cool and solidify. If you find the ointment is too hard, add a little more oil, if you find it is too soft, add a little more bees wax, until you reach your desired consistency. To make an even more luxurious feeling ointment, before it cools, try adding 1 tablespoon of lanolin to your ointments. If you are anything like me, you will love the luxurious texture, and soothing effect it has on your skin.
Dosage: Apply topically as needed

Tincture

Part Used: Entire flowering plant
Plant State: Fresh
Alcohol Percentage: 50%
Plant to Alcohol Ratio: 1:2
Label a quart mason jar with the plant name, the part of the plant used, the percentage of alcohol used, and the date the tincture was started.

Fill the jar to the neck with chopped fresh plant material, then pour in 750 ml of 100 proof vodka, or 500 ml of 150 proof Everclear and 250 ml of water. Next pour the contents of the jar into a blender and blend until all of the plant material is thoroughly chopped into fine pieces and incorporated into the menstrum. This will increase the surface area and provide better leaching of the plant constituents. As a matter of fact, this method works so well that, if necessary, the tincture can be used in as little as 7 days. Now pour the contents of the blender back into the jar, being careful to scrape every last bit of goodness from the blender. Place a lid on the mason jar, shake it well, and place the jar in a dark cupboard. Once a day for the first 7 days, take the jar out of the cupboard and shake it well. Place the jar back into the cupboard, and leave it soak for another 3 weeks. After the tincture has soaked for 30 days, remove it from the cupboard and strain out the spent plant material. Your tincture will remain viable for 2-3 years.
Dosage: 45-90 drops up to 4 times daily

Tincture

Tincture made from dried plant material is inferior to that made from the fresh flowering plant.
Part Used: Entire flowering plant
Plant State: Dried
Alcohol Percentage: 50%
Plant to Alcohol Ratio: 1:5
Label a quart mason jar with the plant name, the part of the plant used, the percentage of alcohol used, and the date the tincture was started.

Place 150 grams of dried plant material into a quart mason jar. Now pour in 750 ml of 100 proof vodka, or 500 ml of 150 proof Everclear and 250 ml of water. Next pour the contents of the jar into a blender and blend until all of the plant material is thoroughly chopped into fine pieces and incorporated into the menstrum. This will increase the surface area and provide better leaching of the plant constituents. As a matter of fact, this method works so well that, if necessary, the tincture can be used in as little as 7 days. Now pour the contents of the blender back into the jar, being careful to scrape every last bit of goodness from the blender. Place a lid on the mason jar, shake it well, and place the jar in a dark cupboard. Once a day for the first 7 days, take the jar out of the cupboard and shake it well. Place the jar back into the cupboard, and leave it soak for another 3 weeks. After the tincture has soaked for 30 days, remove it from the cupboard and strain out the spent plant material. Your tincture will remain viable for 2-3 years.
Dosage: 60 - 100 drops up to 4 times daily