Decoctions vs. Infusions: The Difference and How to Make Them
The beauty of herbs and flowers is that there are many ways to extract their goodness. You often hear the words “infusions and decoctions” when reading about herbalism and making your own herbal remedies. However, there is rarely any sort of explanation as to what they are. Infusions and decoctions are often portrayed as a type of herbal tea, but that is not completely true.
The primary difference between infusions and decoctions is that infusions use flowers and leaves, while decoctions use hardy parts of the plant like the bark and roots. In addition, infusions involve steeping or soaking the plant material in a solvent for a few minutes, while decoctions involve boiling the plant material in a solvent, and the boiling process can take a few hours.
Here is a deeper look into the two main preparations for creating the herbal extractions known as infusions and decoctions.
What is an infusion?
An infusion is the extraction of a flavour or chemical compound from a plant in a solvent like water, oil, or alcohol. Infusions involve the process of steeping or soaking the plant parts until the solvent absorbs the flavours and oils of the herb. Plant materials like dried herbs, berries, leaves and flowers are often used when making infusions. Infusions can also be made with both hot and cold water, but hot water is the most effective.
Herbal tea is a great example of an infusion. However, this is an example of a weak infusion. The process of making herbal tea typically involves hot water, flowers, or leaves and only takes a few minutes to prepare. On the other hand, longer infusions can use the shoots, stems, flowers, leaves, and occasionally the roots of a plant and require a considerably longer period for steeping.
Infusions have a few wonderful benefits. They can be consumed for their medicinal value and are also used in many homemade remedies and natural products like insect repellents, cleaning products, and garden fertilizers.
Hot Herbal Infusions
Hot herbal infusions are best for drawing out the enzymes, vitamins, and volatile aromatic oils. Flowers, leaves, young shoots, and soft roots are all ideal for hot infusions, for example, ginger root, holy basil, nettle leaf, horsetail, red clover, chamomile, and raspberry leaf, to name a few.
Making hot infusions with nutrient-rich herbs allows you to add an extra dimension to your daily routine and work synergistically to support your overall health. There is an abundance of options for creating comforting combinations for hot infusions, allowing you to tap into your creative side depending on your needs.
The amount of time you steep your herbs for will depend on personal flavour preferences and the specific plant used. The longer a herb is steeped, the stronger the infusion will be. There are also different nutritional benefits from different steep times for certain herbs because a longer steep time draws out more nutrients. The general rule is to steep herbs for longer than you would steep black, green, or white tea leaves.
How to make a hot infusion
Begin by scooping 1 to 3 tablespoons of dried herbal flowers or leaves into a tea strainer placed in your teapot or mug.
Heat some water until it reaches a boil.
Pour the hot water over the herbs to submerge them and cover the cup or pot to help contain any volatile plant oils.
Steep your herbs for 15 minutes to 1 hour and strain.
Hot Infusion Recipes
Stress Relief Blend
2 parts dried holy basil
1 part dried lemon balm
1 part dried chamomile
1 part dried lavender
Cold Herbal Infusions
Cold herbal infusions are great for enjoying the benefits of mucilaginous plants and herbs with delicate essential oils, for example, marshmallow root, rose buds, peppermint leaf, or freshly harvested herbs like St. John’s Wort or lemon balm.
When preparing a cold infusion, ensure that you are using sterile tools and refrigerate your remedy right away if you are not going to drink it there and then. Since cold infusions don’t involve boiling, bacteria growth can happen more quickly than with hot infusions. Cold infusions will typically last about a week in the refrigerator.
How to make a cold infusion
Fill a jar with a quart of cold water.
Bundle about 1 ounce of herbs in a cheesecloth or muslin bag.
Slightly moisten the herbs inside the bundle to make submersion easier.
Immerse the bundle just below the water in your jar.
Drape the tied end of the bundle over the lip of the jar and secure it loosely by screwing on the cap.
Allow your herbs to infuse overnight.
Cold Infusion Recipe
Tummy Tamer Tea
2 parts marshmallow
1 part chamomile
1 part peppermint
½ part fresh ginger
What is a Decoction
Decoctions involve the extractions of the essence of a plant by boiling the plant materials. Hardier plant parts like stems, roots, bark, and rhizomes are typically used to make decoctions. Decoctions are the most common method of preparation in most herbal medicine systems and are generally used to make tisanes, tinctures, and other similar remedies.
Making a decoction typically involves drying the plant materials, then cutting, slicing, or mashing them for maximum dissolution. The plant parts are then boiled in a solvent to extract the flavours, oils, organic compounds, and other chemical substances. Water is the most common solvent used in decoctions, but glycerol or aqueous ethanol can also be used as a solvent. The plant materials are typically boiled for 1 to 2 hours in water and then strained. Decoctions are much stronger in flavour than herbal infusions and more concentrated.
How to make a decoction
Use 1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon of herbs or plant matter per cup of cold water. It is important to always start your decoctions with cold water. Placing the herbs directly into boiling water will cause the albumen within the herbs cells to bind, making it difficult for the other plant compounds to be extracted.
Place the pot on the stove and bring it to a gentle boil.
Put the lid on the pot and lightly simmer for 30 to 60 minutes.
Remove the pot from the heat and let your decoction cool to a drinking temperature.
Finish up by straining out the herbs or plant material.
You can often use this same plant material to brew up a new batch of decoction a few more times as long as the decoction is still strong after brewing.
Refrigerate the leftovers and use them within a week.
Pro tip: You can infuse your decoction by combining the herbs that are best prepared as a decoction with those that do better as an infusion. Start by decocting your hardy herbs in a pot of water. Then, once you’ve removed your decoction from the heat and let it reach a cooler temperature, you can add your more delicate herbs and let everything infuse together until you are ready to drink your remedy.
Decoction Recipes
Detoxifying Blend
3 parts milk thistle
1 part gentian
1 ½ parts burdock
1 ½ parts dandelion root
1 part ginger
Adaptogen Blend
4 parts ashwagandha
2 parts eleuthero
½ parts licorice
In Summary: Which method is better?
Either! – both are wonderful ways to make healing herbal remedies! The method you choose will depend on what you wish to achieve. For example, infusions have a stronger reputation for cleansing the body, boosting nutrient levels, and offering great medicinal support. However, decoctions are just as beneficial. The difference is that decoctions help you access the essential minerals in the plant, while infusions focus more on the nutrients and vitamins.