HOW TO COLLECT AND PREPARE HERBS FOR COSUMPTION?

In my previous blogs, I explained how to choose, grow, extract, dry, and store your herbs. And so I shall continue this blog assuming that you have been following my teachings in the same order as I delivered them. Make your body practice what your mind knows. And if you have been doing this all along, I believe you are ready for this read.

Today I will teach you how to prepare herbs for consumption. There are two ways of consuming herbs. The first one is cold and raw consumption, and the second one is hot and boiled consumption. The first method is for those who lack time to follow any procedure outside their workspace. And so, the right way to eat your herbs without extra preparation is to cut and eat them with hot soup or rice. Do not consume them directly, for it is not suitable for the stomach when had it cold. The other way is to pound it and collect the juice and drink it. And then have the remaining paste with rice for the meal. If you feel that the paste is too bad to consume directly, you can use honey or syrup as taste enhancers.

Talking about the right utensil, you can pick anything among ceramic, stainless steel, or glass but always say no to the aluminum pots because they are not the best choice for cooking. I strongly suggest using a double-boiler pot during the inceptive learning stages because it makes sure that the herbs are not overcooked. If this feels very complicated, pick a modern boiling pot with a timer to reduce human error chances.

The next aspect that plays a vital role in the diet of herbs is your interest. Many people get bored after having to have the residue. It is not necessary to consume the pulp. Only drink the herbs and don't eat the residue, which may ruin your interest in following a healthy diet. Take only the soup, even after having the same soup for months; you will never get bored of it.

Now that we are through the different methods of cooking herbs let's talk about some misunderstandings. Many people think that boiling vegetables and herbs destroy their nutrients. This claim is not entirely true. Some nutrients do get destroyed, but many get broken down for easier digestion. In fact, the preparation of a soup involves boiling the herbs. And having soup is the most common method of obtaining the nutrients of herbs. We simmer the herbs for twenty minutes to one hour; the duration depends on the type of herbs. Another benefit of boiling the herb is facilitating the easy absorption of nutrients. Our body needs some energy to extract nutrients from cold eatables. Consuming a boiled meal eliminates the use of investing this extra energy.

If you follow all the methods that you learned, you will be able to experience the benefits of your efforts in no time. This blog marks the end of the teaching of herbs. But it is not the end of learning.