Marshmallow & Burdock: Cold Infusions and Decoctions

Herbs of the week: Marshmallow root (Althaea officinalis) and Burdock root (Arctium lappa)

  

Methods: Cold infusion and Decoction

Cold infusions: 5g herb / 100 mL water

The next morning…

The cold infusions are more concentrated than I expected for cold water.

Decoctions: 5g herb / 1 cup water

Brought to a simmer

15 minutes later...

               I am not happy with the decoction results.  I would have liked it more had the end volume been ½ cup.  The taste was not offensive; just lacking somehow.  On the other hand, I did not expect any mucilage with the Marshmallow because of all the advice against decocting Marshmallow.  To my surprise, the Marshmallow decoction did have a slime factor to it.

I liked the cold infusions better than the decoctions because cold infusions were more dense.  Although, as unsatisfying as my results were with the decoctions, I wonder:  If I had simmered the decoctions down to ½ cup, how might my opinion of cold infusion vs. decoction differ?  Then again, perhaps my poor results are the reason it is not recommended to decoct Marshmallow and Burdock.

The cold infusions tasted full, like one would expect a cold tea to taste.  The Marshmallow was fun to strain because of its mucilage.  The Marshmallow tea tea is not my favorite due to its taste and texture, but after experimenting with it, the therapeutic value of Marshmallow for a dry cough is clear. 

The Burdock was interesting.  I found it so unique that I can’t think of any better word for its taste than “creamy” – but it isn’t really creamy!  I liked it. 

As enchanting as a prepared cup of tea is, the unfortunate side to this natural wonder is its short shelf-life.  Because water is not a preservative, once the tea is prepared, it must be used within a day (allegedly) (Cech, 2000).   As a result of its shelf-life, the biggest disadvantage to a cold infusion is its wait time:  When I come down with a dry cough and think to aid myself with a cold Marshmallow infusion, I first would have to drag together water and root, then continue to hack away, suffering for hours while the Marshmallow macerates.  While it is certainly worth the wait, one must admit that when one is in need, the wait time is undesirable. 

Mitch Hedberg said it better:

Baked Potatoes: Mitch Hedberg likes to eat.

Cech, R. (2000). Making Plant Medicine (Kindle ed.). Williams: Horizon Herbs, LLC.