Let’s talk about cold infusions.
Last week, we talked about hot water infusions, but there are some constituents that extract better in cold water (think polysaccharides and volatile oils).
As long as you follow a few simple rules, you’ll have no problem making a cold infusion.
Place your herbs in a small bag. This can be a thin sock (please make sure it’s clean), muslin, cheesecloth, etc.
Fill a jar with room temperature-to-cold water, and suspend herbs at the top. I hold it in place by using a jar lid or a rubber band and a cloth.
Allow to steep a minimum of 4 hours, but preferably overnight. This uses the displacement method of infusion, where the water at the top is saturated with plant constituents and sinks to the bottom, pushing unsaturated water to the top.
Herbs to try: marshmallow, slippery elm, chamomile and members of the mint family such as peppermint and hyssop
What herbs do you prepare using cold infusion?
