How To Properly Cook Chinese Herbs as Herbal Medicines

My mother and I both go to an acupuncturist, which works amazingly well on her arthritis inflammation. Our doctor often sends us home with miscellaneous concoctions of dried Chinese herbs in brown paper bags that she especially creates for us for whatever ailments we may have.

Right in front of us, she combines ingredients from 100s of jars of different herbs, spices and roots, etc. Super interesting just to watch her…

You are sometimes able to pick up pre-mixed pouches of Chinese herbal medicines from different Asian markets…

However, often times, there are either no instructions on how to prepare the herbs to be able to ingest them, or the instructions are in Chinese…Not very helpful to us who do not speak Chinese…LOL

Don’t fret…Here are step-by-step instructions for how to cook your Chinese herbs…

Instructions:
1. Empty the herbs into a deep saucepan.

* Tip: The best kind of container to use is ceramic. It is important that your saucepan has a lid. Materials to avoid include cast iron or metals. Stainless steel is better than the other metals, however.

2. Add enough water to cover the herbs completely. The water should cover the herbs by about 1.5″.

3. Soak the herbs for at least 30 minutes without turning on the heat beneath the saucepan.

4. Bring water to a rolling boil. Then, turn down the fire to a low simmer. Cover the pan leaving a small gap for the steam to escape. Cook herbs for 30 min. Check occasionally that the water still covers the herbs.

5. Strain the tea and repeat the above simmering process to re-cook the same herbs a second time. Strain again and mix the tea from both batches. Divide into two equal portions.

6. Drink the tea twice a day, morning and evening.

* Of course, there may be variations, but this is a good foundation and starting point to work with.

Don’t expect to have a tea that is pleasant in taste or odor. In fact, most of the tea concoctions she gives us are absolutely horrendous…bitter even. However, they have always worked…No pain, no gain, right?

* Tip: Just plug your nose before you drink them…You won’t taste it as well! LOL

* Tip: Adding honey helps too! Sometimes, I put fresh ginger pieces in the herbal mix to counteract the awful taste!

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I hope you enjoyed this installment of Your Health Today! Until next time…

Kimberly Edwards