Many patients with chronic diseases drink traditional Chinese medicine to regulate their bodies. Here, I want to remind everyone that there are many details to pay attention to when brewing herbal medicine in the summer.
Soaking the herbs for no more than half an hour. Soaking the herbs before boiling can help dissolve their effective ingredients and enhance the efficacy. However, it is important to note that different types of herbs have different soaking times. For example, flowers and herbs like safflower and honeysuckle should be soaked for 15-20 minutes. Rhizomatous herbs like Zhe Bei Mu and Huai Shan Yao, which are rich in starch, need a slightly longer soaking time. However, a prescription usually contains multiple herbs, so a "compromise" principle should be adopted. This means roughly categorizing the herbs and considering the characteristics of the majority of them. Additionally, the soaking time for herbs may vary with different seasons. For example, in spring and autumn, the soaking time is usually 30-60 minutes, while in winter, it should not exceed 60 minutes. In the hot summer, soaking the herbs for too long can cause them to spoil, so it is generally recommended to control the soaking time within 30 minutes.
Store the medicine for a maximum of one month. In a damp and hot environment, the herbs are prone to moisture and insects. Zhong Yan Zhu reminds us that small packs of herbs can be placed in a well-ventilated and cool place, while fresh plant herbs and animal-based herbs should be individually packed and stored in the refrigerator. Heshimao oil, commonly known as "snow clam paste" in Guangdong, may spoil at room temperature in summer and should be stored in the freezer. Ginseng and other herbs can be wrapped in rice paper and stored in a rice jar. In general, herbs should not be stored for more than one month in summer.
Refrigerated Chinese medicine needs to be "warmed through". When heating, the medicine should be placed in a steamer or an electric rice cooker with water, instead of using a microwave. After taking the packaged Chinese medicine out of the refrigerator, it can be soaked in about 500ml of boiling water in a slightly larger container for 5 minutes, and then the water should be changed to ensure that the medicine is "warmed through".
