SUMMER!!

(Pictured above - Common Yarrow, Achillea millefolium)

Have you ever been asked “What do you love about your job?”?

Summer is by far, our busiest season of the year for production. Summer is hot, labor-intensive, long hours (with extra hours sprinkled on top), and definitely our FAVORITE part of the job! If anyone ever asks us, Summer fresh is what we look forward to every year!! It has a magic that cannot be felt any other season.

(Pictured above from left to right, Spotted Horsemint - Monarda punctata, Hyssop - Hyssopus officinalis, Anise Hyssop - Agastache foeniculum)

The reason that Summer is so busy for production is because all of our aerial portions of plants are ready for harvesting and processing. We receive most our fresh plant material at its peak bloom, because all of its energy is open and flowing, focused on forming flowers for pollination. After fertilization, plant energies will drop and shift gears to focus on seed-production or turning energy back down into the root system for Winter dormancy. Late Fall or early Winter is when we process roots, when all of the sugars and minerals are stored for hibernation.

(Pictured above from left to right, Agrimony - Agrimonia eupatorium, St. John's Wort - Hypericum perforatum)

Working with fresh plant material is part of what makes our remedies special. Turning plant into Tincture at peak bloom preserves the freshness and vitality of the plant at the moment of harvest! When comparing fresh-plant-based extracts to dried-plant-based extracts, the difference is night and day. Color, flavor, and action on the body can have a stark difference when comparing fresh vs. dried.

(Pictured above from left to right, Mullein Leaf - Verbascum thapsus, Wild Lettuce - Lactuca serriola)

For the Midwest, late May through mid-July is our prime time for harvesting and processing fresh leaves, stems, and flowers. Typically, the top 6-12 inches of plant will be harvested, or as far as the stem isn’t woody/fibrous and can be easily chopped/blended. Due to water content of the plant, fresh material needs to be extracted at a 1:2 or 1:3 ratio (1 gram herb to 2 or 3 milliliters solvent). We always recommend using a combination of high proof alcohol and vegetable glycerin to improve extraction as well as flavor.

(Pictured above from left to right, Comfrey - Symphytum officinale, California Poppy - Eschscholzia californica, Blue Vervain - Verbena hastata)

Now is the exciting time to watch your garden, your neighbors’ gardens, the fields and roadside ditches, and everywhere else in between to see what is in bloom to fill your apothecary. What do you stock your Apothecary with? Share with us in the blog and social media (Facebook, Instagram, and Tiktok), we’d love to hear from you!

(Pictured above from left to right, Catnip -  Nepeta cataria, Rose - Rosa spp., Rosemary - Rosmarinus officinalis)