Cold Infusions

What Is A Cold Infusion?
A cold infusion is a convenient and effective method of preparing your herbal medicines (or delicious teas) using cool water to extract the compounds from your chosen plant material overnight. An herbalist or tea-lover may choose this method when wanting specific results from the plants used. This method may also be chosen at times purely for convenience, as you can prepare a large amount of herbal infusions in advance. Here is a short breakdown of how a cold infusion can potentially benefit the flavor and medicine of herbs.

Flavor
As far as tea (leaves from the Camellia sinensis plant) goes, a cold infusion may be ideal if you are looking for a lighter flavor or if you are sensitive to tannins, as the cold water extracts less of the constituents that make the flavor bolder or more bitter. For herbs, a cold infusion has a more mild flavor that might suit those who are not fond of a strong "grassy" taste. For florals that have an essence that is notoriously fleeting when brewed in heat, such as the delicate flavor of rose petals, this can extract a smoother flavor that lingers a little more consistently.

Medicine

Some medicinal compounds in an herb may be sensitive to heat or behave in a way that is not as effective for what you need it to address. Marshmallow root, for example, is better to cold brew if you are wanting it primarily to aid in soothing a sore throat or digestive inflammation, as it extracts the mucilage more effectively under those conditions. This is not true for all medicinal herbs however. Barks, roots, and even some leafy herbs need some heat to help break the material down to for extracting the benefits.

It is because of this that it can be helpful to look up what it is about your desired herb that treats your symptoms (especially in an herb that has many uses) and whether it should be handled differently to get a result.

Basic Cold Infusion Guidelines

This is a simple guideline to help you create some basic cold infusions. You can of course adjust recipes as needed. Always research the herbs you are using and be wary of dosage, interactions with medications, and toxicity with specific herbs. When in doubt consult a physician if you have any concerns. With that said, experiment (safely) and enjoy!

Measure the herbs! 
My go-to measurements for medicinal purposes is about an ounce of dried herbs per 32 ounces of water. If you wish to use fresh herbs, you can try 2 ounces of fresh herbs to 32 ounces of water. Fresh requires more plant material. as it is easier to break down and extract from dried herbs.
If you are cold brewing for flavor, you can start at about 4- 8 grams of tea leaves or herbs to 32 ounces and adjust based on how you enjoy the strength of your tea. 

Break down the herbs!
For medicinal purposes, it helps to rough up the plant material before steeping in cold water. This makes it easier to extract the medicine into the water, thus creating a stronger infusion. For fresh herbs, cut up the material to release the beneficial oils and compounds. For dried, consider using a mortar and pestle or food processor to grind the herbs up a bit.

Prepare the herbs!
If you are using dried herbs, I recommend preparing them with just enough water to saturate all the little particles. Stir them a bit and let it sit for a couple of minutes, stirring again a few times until it seems like they have taken in some water. They don't all have to sink, but you should make sure there isn't a clump of herbs that has stayed dry. This will help weigh your herbs down a little so they get a better saturation, making your infusion more balanced and effective! It will also save you the heartache of opening the fridge in the morning to see that half your herbs floated dry on top of the water all evening.

Infuse the herbs!
Once you've saturated your herbs, add the rest of the water and cover the vessel. Place it in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours. Infusing for longer is totally fine, with 12-24 hours also being common infusion times.

Strain the herbs!
When it has infused long enough, get out a strainer or cheesecloth. Remove the solid particles from the infusion. This is important even if you do not plan on drinking it yet, as it spoils faster with the plant matter still in it. Place back in the fridge if not using all of it immediately.

Use the herbs!
When your infusion is ready, enjoy! If you made a standard infusion a “serving” is likely to be about 8 ounces. If your fridge storage space is tight, you can double the amount of herbs to the same amount of water to make a more concentrated version and serve yourself 4 ounces at a time instead of getting a larger vessel. The infusion is likely good for approximately 4 days, but keep an eye out for any signs of spoilage.

Tip: You can freeze your infusion if you feel you will not get through all of it fast enough. Pouring it into an ice cube tray can give you some medicinal ice for a hot day as well.