Before boiling:
●Cleaning: Generally, there is no need to clean before boiling. If there is any dirt or sediment in the herbs, you can quickly rinse them with water, but avoid soaking to prevent the loss of water-soluble components.
●Soaking: Soak the herbs in cold water for about half an hour before boiling. This can help extract the water-soluble components into the broth and increase the concentration of the herbal soup.
During boiling:
●Water: It is recommended to use water that covers the herbs by about 2-3 cm, or press the herbs gently with your hand so that the water just covers the back of your hand. Some flowers and herbs absorb more water, so after soaking for half an hour, if the water level decreases, you can add cold water to the standard level before starting to boil.
●Heat: Generally, use high heat first and then switch to low heat after boiling. However, for some herbs that treat external conditions, you can continue to boil them over high heat for about 15 minutes after boiling.
●Time: For most herbs, the first boil should be around 20-25 minutes, and the second boil should be around 15-20 minutes. For herbs that treat surface conditions, the first boil should be around 10-15 minutes, and the second boil should be around 10 minutes. For nourishing herbs, the first boil should be around 30-40 minutes, and the second boil should be around 25-30 minutes.
●Double boiling: After boiling the herbs twice, the concentration of the active ingredients is significantly reduced, so it is recommended to boil them twice. However, for nourishing herbs, they can be boiled three times. For some prescriptions with larger amounts of herbs, they can also be boiled three times.
After boiling:
●Immediate filtration: After boiling the herbal soup, it should be filtered and poured out while hot, and should not be left in the pot for a long time. Excessive colloidal substances in the liquid may form gelatin as the temperature decreases, making it difficult to filter and affecting the efficacy of the herbs. It can also easily cause spoilage.
Boiling utensils:
●Earthenware pot: Traditional earthenware pots and clay pots are the best utensils for boiling herbs. Enamel and stainless steel can also be used, but avoid using aluminum, iron, and copper pots to prevent reactions between the metal utensils and the herbs, which may affect the efficacy of the herbs or even be harmful to the body.
Reminder: "First boil, then add"
The purpose of "first boil" is usually to increase the solubility of certain herbs or reduce their toxicity. "Adding later" is to reduce the loss of volatile oils and prevent the destruction of active ingredients.
Mineral-based herbs such as shells and animal shells are hard in texture and must be boiled first to extract their active ingredients. For example, raw gypsum, stone calamus, turtle shell, and tortoise shell can be crushed and boiled for 30 minutes before adding other herbs to boil together. Some toxic herbs, such as Aconite, Fuzi, and Shanglu, must be boiled for 1-2 hours to reduce toxicity. In addition, some herbal medicines such as Gardenia, Cannabis seed, and Dendrobium also need to be boiled for 10-30 minutes before they can take effect.
Herbs that are added later include those with aromatic odors and high content of volatile oils, such as peppermint, patchouli, cardamom, and some herbs that should not be boiled for a long time, such as Uncaria, apricot kernel, etc. They should be added to the pot 5-10 minutes before the broth is ready.
