Powders & Sprinkles

Powdered herbs can be used to create a variety of herbal preparations for medicinal, culinary and body care uses.

Powdered herbs can easily be incorporated into many herbal preparations including, but not limited to: culinary sprinkles, salts, oils, vinegars, butters and honey, body powders and personal care products, capsules, bolus and suppositories, medicinal oils, packing in teeth, gums, and other areas, instant tea (mix ¼ - ½ tsp in cup of water), dry poultice, etc.

Note: Herbs need to be dried thoroughly. The more an herb is handled, crushed, or powdered, the quicker it will break down and lose potency. For this reason it is best to powder an herb right before being used instead of storing them powdered.

Crushed Herbs

Crushed herbs have a coarse consistency that can be used for culinary purposes, extracts, dry poultices and similar preparations.

Add dried herbs to a blender, food processer or coffee grinder and blend to desired consistency.
A mortar and pestle can also be used to crush the herbs which is more time consuming but ascetic and fun. It is also a fun way to involve children in preparing their own herbal remedies.
Using your hands to crush the dried herb is also an easy and immediate option. I like to use this method when preparing teas for baths and washes. There is something special in the practice of rubbing the herbs in between the hands, releasing the aromas and feeling the touch of the herbs. (Don't do this with pokey herbs such as comfrey)

Powdered Herbs

Powdered herbs have a fine consistency and are best for making capsules, pills, body powders and mouth packs.

First crush the herbs.
Add to a coffee grinder set aside specifically for herbs and blend until powdered.
Shake through a fine mesh strainer to remove larger particles that didn't powder. This may need to be repeated until all larger particles are removed.

Note: As the grinder heats up allow breaks in between for tougher to blend herbs to prevent over heating.

Roots and Bark

Thoroughly wash and chop the root or bark while fresh. Dry the chopped pieces thoroughly.

Blend dried pieces in a high powered blender or coffee grinder.
Shake through a fine mesh strainer.

Note: Some roots and bark need industrial blending to get the fine powdery texture out of these tough parts. This is when purchasing root powders come in handy. They have a much longer shelf life than the aerial parts of the plant.

Sprinkles

A sprinkle is an herb or combination of herbs that are blended together and placed in a spice jar with a slotted top to "sprinkle" out on food or the body. Using glass jars preserves the flavor and potency longer. Try to keep stored in a cool, dark place for longer shelf life. Once the herb loses color and aroma it is time to discard.

Make your own culinary spices - herbs you grow and dry yourself are so much more flavorful and potent! Compare a grocery store spice to one you've cultivated and you will be surprised at the difference in quality.
Create sprinkles by drying and powdering an over abundance of produce and use as sprinkles in your food for added nutrients.
Create culinary salts and sugars by adding your powdered herbs and thoroughly combining.

Note: The Herbal Kitchen by Kami McBride has some wonderful recipes for specific salts and sprinkles.