Herbs are a vital part of our daily lives. They provide us with the basic building blocks for healthy living and help improve the health of all people. Herbs can be used in cooking, making medicines or even for recreational purposes.
The use of herbs is not new. It has been known by various cultures for centuries. However, in modern times, herbalism is becoming more popular with many people because it is believed that herbs have medicinal properties.
In order to prepare your own herbal remedies, you will need a herb grinder. A good herb grinder can make preparing fresh herbs easy. It can also serve as a kitchen tool that you may need from time to time. Here are some tips on how to use an electric herb grinder.
1. Buy an Herb Grinder
For home use: For those who want to grind their own herbs at home, they should buy one of the best herb grinders. The herb grinder comes with several features. Some of the most important ones include a screen to separate the ground herbs from the powdery residue, a container to store the ground herbs, a blade to cut the herbs into small pieces, and a storage basket to keep the blade sharp.
For professional use: Professional herb grinders are designed to grind large amounts. They are perfect for restaurants, food companies, hospitals, etc.
2. Clean Your Herb Grinder
Always clean your herb grinder before grinding any herbs. This will prevent cross contamination between different types of herbs and prevent bad odors.
Use warm water, soap, and dish detergent to clean your herb grinder.
Before cleaning, remove the blade and screen from the herb grinder.
After cleaning, dry the herb grinder with a towel.
If your herb grinder does not come with a screen, then wash it first and then place it inside a bowl. Add salt, hot water, and lemon juice to the herb grinder. Mix well, let sit for about 5 minutes and then put it back on its stand.
Let the salt soak away, add cold water and mix again. Repeat this process until there is no color left in the water. Now, rinse the bowl, let it drip for a few seconds, and then wipe it with wet cloth.
Now, dry the herb grinder carefully. If possible, leave all parts exposed while drying.
3. Store Your Herb Grinder
Keep your herb grinder in a cool, dry place.
Store your herb grinder properly so that it doesn’t get dirty easily.
Do not store anything metallic (like knives) inside your herb grinder. You can store other tools such as scissors or measuring cups.
When storing your herb grinder, make sure it is stored horizontally, rather than vertically.
4. Using Your Herb Grinder
To grind herbs with a herb grinder, simply place herbs in the bottom of the herb grinder. Press down lightly until the herb grinder turns into fine powder.
You can also make herbal tea using an herbal tea bag, but you will need to follow these steps:
Step 1: Put 2-3 teaspoons of dried herbs into a cup. It is recommended to add honey for flavor if desired. You can also add sugar or milk depending on how sweet you prefer your herbal tea. Step 2: In a pot, bring 4 cups of water to boil. Step 3: Once boiling, pour the hot water over the herbs in the cup. Let the mixture steep for 10-15 minutes.
Step 4: Remove the herbs from the water and discard the leaves. Step 5: Place the herbs in the refrigerator for 4 hours. You can repeat the steeping process up to three times depending on how strong you want your tea to be.
Note: Do not drink the tea immediately after mixing; allow it to cool before drinking.
5. Make Healthy Smoothies
Smoothies are considered as one of the most efficient ways to boost the nutritional value of your diet. With the wide variety of ingredients available today, you can make a smoothie that suits your taste and dietary needs. These days, there are quite a few stores that sell premade smoothies that are ready to enjoy.
Here are some simple ideas on how to make delicious smoothies:
Step 1: Prepare the smoothie base. Start by blending frozen fruit. Then add ice cubes, yogurt, milk, or cream to the blender. Step 2: Add other ingredients as required. Step 3: Blend everything together and enjoy!
Apart from making herbal teas, you also have several other uses for an herb grinder. Here are some suggestions:
Use it to grind nuts or seeds. Nuts and seeds are very healthy foods that contain essential fats, proteins, carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.
Grind pepper corns and spices into powdered form. Powdered spices can be added to meals and snacks to add extra flavor and enhance digestion. Powdered herbs can also be mixed with water and taken orally.
Grind coffee beans into powder. Coffee beans are rich in caffeine, which helps stimulate the nervous system and improves concentration. Grind them into powder and take it internally as needed.
Make herbal vinegar. Vinegar is a great way to add flavor to your dishes. To make herbal vinegar, just grind up fresh chives, cilantro, dill, sage, rosemary, oregano, thyme, or basil. Place them in a glass jar and cover with apple cider vinegar. Leave it for two weeks and strain when done.
Make herbal oil. Just like vinegar, you can make herbal oil too. Take equal quantities of dried herbs and olive oil or coconut oil. Heat them up gently and blend them together. Allow them to cool and bottle it up. When taking a spoonful, do not forget to chew on garlic cloves for better absorption.
So, now you know how to use an herb grinder. There are plenty of other uses for this kitchen gadget aside from making herbal teas. It is a handy kitchen tool that can spice up your recipes and improve your overall nutrition. What are you waiting for? Get out there and start experimenting with herbs!
