Re: Herbs for Tinctures Questions

When P/B sends "fresh" herbs, they'll allow you to choose UPS 2nd day (or Next Day) for roots/berries, but the leafs/flowers must be shipped Next Day. You can use this calculator (your zipcode & theirs) to determine 'about how much' shipping will be to you: http://postcalc.usps.gov/


According to their schedule for 2011 http://www.pacificbotanicals.com/fresh/freshSchedule.html
, Ginkgo leaf won't be available fresh until September. On the product listing for fresh Gingko leaf it says "call in summer".

I don't know for sure if you understand how P/B works with the way they sell their 'fresh herbs'. You phone them in the season they say to phone them for each individual 'fresh listing' (in this case "the summer"), they'll ask you to tell them (approximately) how much you'll be buying, and then they put you on a 'call list' for when they start the harvest. When they know when they're going to harvest - or have started the harvest (in the case "the fall"), they phone you and confirm how much you want (and if you still want it)...then it is shipped within a day or two of their call.

For what it's worth, I have read in the past that the dried leaf is superior to fresh for tincturing (because just like with some dried fruits, certain 'chemicals/nutrients per leaf' actually INCREASE during the drying process (but try as I might, I can't find the link/data this morning...grrrr).

>>>I read that Uny said that it takes about six times of fresh than what you would normally use of dried.<<<

I think I said that 6 pounds of ginger root dehydrated to less than 1 pound. Each herb is totally different in the ratio of weight (fresh to dry).

YES! You *must* tincture fresh herb immediately after receiving them (or freeze them)...otherwise they will degrade :(

I would never buy ginkgo from China. Starwest and M/R is from China. So if you don't want it from China, you'll need to wait for P/B, or start Googling (there's likely some 'minor' herb companies that have it from the USA).

***

This is fine for St. John's tincturing:
(a) St. John's Wort – Organically Grown Flowering Tops
St. John's Wort Hypericum perforatum

I'm sorry, but I don't know how long it takes for anyone to restock their inventory. You can be assured it's VERY frustrating for us, too. The best way to find out is to phone them (sometimes they 'have a clue', sometimes not).

'Hope I didn't miss anything :)

Hugs & blessings -

Uny