Tonic Infusions

‘Tonic Infusion’ is basically a fancy way of saying super-nutritious tea. A tonic is an herbal remedy that is used to build up health over time by consistently nourishing our bodies with high-quality vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients. In the olden days, spring tonics were much sought after and highly prized after a long winter with little to no access to fresh, raw vegetables.

An infusion is an herbalist’s term for tea, but rather than just a beverage tea it is a strong, potent medicinal tea, made with the intent to heal and nourish.

Infusions are incredibly easy to make, just as easy as brewing your morning cup of coffee and lots healthier! I make mine in a quart mason jar, which is a good healthy dose of most tonic herbs for each day. I like to try to drink a quart a day of my favorite nutritive herbs. These are herbs that are completely safe to use, in fact, they are really more like food than medicine.

I use these daily tonics in place of any factory vitamin and mineral supplements. I have not taken supplements for over 15 years; I believe these tonic infusions supply my body with top-quality nutrients, easily assimilated by the body as nature intended. These tonic infusions are the mainstay of my personal health program, alongside a sensible diet, exercise and positive attitude. Preventive maintenance is the best medicine of all! There is no way to measure how many health problems I have avoided through the years by constantly supplying my body with the building blocks of healing through these nourishing teas.

My favorite tonic herbs are:
               Red Clover                              Nettles
               Oatstraw                                Red Raspberry Leaves
               Comfrey                                 Mint (all kinds)
               Mullein                                   Alfalfa

All of these herbs are very mild tasting and easy to drink. Sometimes I add a little honey when I make them (about one Tbsp per quart), but mostly I drink them plain. I mix them together freely in different combinations for variety, but just as often I drink them as single herbs. I try to keep a good supply of each on hand by harvesting enough in season to last through the winter.
The water used to make the infusion is a medicine in its own right. It is said that most people don’t drink nearly enough water, and I believe that the increased liquids from using tonic infusions also contribute to good health in a way that a few drops of herbal tincture or herb pills cannot. Water is also one of nature’s finest solvents, meaning that it has the ability to dissolve and extract the minerals and nutrients from the herbs into itself. Consider how water is able to carve canyons in the earth! It is equally powerful to carry the life-giving nutrients from the herbs to our bodies. I try to use as pure a water a possible for my tonic infusions.

The true direction of herbalism is to create excellent health and energy through the daily use of herbs and natural tonics. -Rosemary Gladstar

How to Make a Tonic Infusion

      - Put ½-1 cup dried herbs of choice into a quart mason jar. {Fresh herbs need to be simmered gently right in the water for a few minutes to break down cell walls. Dried herbs have brittle cell walls}
      -Bring 1 quart water to boiling.
      -Pour water over herbs and fill to top of jar.
      -Cover or put a lid on the jar. {Some herbs have volatile oils that easily evaporate into thin air if not covered}
     - Let steep at least 8 hours or overnight. {Long steeping allows the water time to dissolve and do its work, much increasing the potency of the tea}
      -Strain and drink. {I tend to strain as needed, leaving the herbs in the infusion to continue steeping until the tea is gone}
      -Store in refrigerator.

I drink these infusions cold, only rarely warming or heating them. I try to drink tea whenever I am thirsty rather than plain water.

Roots and Barks
Roots and barks have much denser, woody cell walls than the more delicate leaves and flowers. When preparing a medicinal tea from them, they must be allowed to simmer for 10-15 minutes, as the prolonged heat helps to soften and break down the roots and barks, thus releasing their nutrients. This tea is called a decoction rather than an infusion.

I sometimes make my tonics with roots, especially if I am feeling a bit rundown and need the deeper action that roots seem to have. Roots, being the food storage of the plants, tend to have higher concentrations of nutrients, especially minerals. My favorite root tonics are:

Burdock
Sassafras
Astragalus
Ginger
Ginseng

I use the same proportions of ½ to 1 cup root to 1 quart water, simmer for 10-15 minutes, then pour into a quart jar, roots and all, to continue steeping, refrigerate, then strain as needed.

I usually don’t mix my roots with leaves or flowers, but if I happen to make a recipe that calls for both, I would make an infusion with the leaves, a decoction with the roots, and mix the finished teas together afterward.

Remember, a quart a day keeps the doctor away!

Here's a wonderful article by the queen of tonic infusions, Susun Weed:
Susun S Weed: Questions and Answers about Nourishing Herbal Infusions