Contents
How to make a maceration?
What is a maceration?
A maceration is a method of extracting the active principles of a medicinal plant consisting on leaving it in liquid for a long period of time (between 6 hours and several weeks)
How a maceration is done?
Macerations are made in a proportion of 20 parts of liquid to 1 part of plant, That’s is to say per 50g of plant parts we use 1 liter of liquid, although they can be diluted by up to half (20 g per liter of water plant)
Types of macerations
St John’s wort flowers (Hypericum perforatum) macerated in olive oil
There are three main types of maceration:
- Aqueous maceration : they are performed in water. Therefore, in case of flowers or leaves, we will put them in a bowl of water for 12 hours. Hardest parts such as bark, roots, stems or seeds should be allowed to stand for 24 hours.
- Oily maceration: The maceration is done in oil. In this case the the plant parts must be soaked in oil between 1 month and a half year.
- Alcoholic maceration: When maceration is carried out in alcohol. In this case the process can be extended from several weeks to several months. Sometimes it takes years to get a full maceration.
Once the product is macerated, it must be stored in an opaque container. There are special glass containers to save these preparations in health food stores and specialty shops.
Can we macerate in another way?
More rarely, but macerations can be done with other liquids o semi-liquid combinations such as the one depicted in this page, where ginger is macerated in honey
How many doses of maceration should be taken daily?
Usually, we can take 2 to three cups a day for aqueous maceration and one drink per day if it is alcoholic maceration.
How to preserve macerations?
In case of aqueous macerations, they should be consumed within 12 or 24 hours, keeping them in the refrigerator or in a cool place. Alcoholic maceration can be stored in a cool place where they can take much longer.
SOME MACERATIONS
Among the most commonly used macerations, we can point out the following:
- Cherry peduncles macerated in water: for obesity ( 40 gr. of peduncles after having allowed them to macerate 40 gr. of peduncles in water for 6 or 7 hours. Then, boil during 10 or 12 minutes. Take three cups a day,)
- Macerated chicory in white cherry: as a liver remedy (Maceration during a couple of weeks of 35 gr. of dry smashed roots in a liter of sherry. A daily glass distributed in several spoonfuls a day)
- Bilberries macerated in alcohol: To treat irritable colon. (40 g of bilberries in 360 g of alcohol at 70 º for 10 days. Once we have the tincture, take about 25 drops mixed in a glass of water twice daily).
How to macerate ginger in honey
Wash, peel and cut some ginger
We cut it in pieces
We fill the jar with honey and leave the ginger to macerate in it for 6 hours. Honey absorbs ginger properties and becomes aphrodisiac, antiemetic and antibiotic.
More information on other medicinal plant preparations.
