Once you have harvested your herbs and they are dry it is time to put your knowledge about herbs to the test, and the fun begins with blending herbs. The best way to start would be to do small batches at a time so not much is wasted.
I would write on a index card what herbs I was blending and the amount used. I would take out only the tools I need at this time, which would be a mortal which is of stone and pestle used to grind or crush the dried herb.
There are many kinds of mortals but the best to me is the stone. The wood is nice too, but it also absorbs the moisture of the fresh herbs being crushed. So even if you clean it and dry it when using it for another fresh herb to make something, it will release the last herb used in it, which may interfere with your new herb concoction.
It is best to use the stone. It is easy to clean, but you use what you are more confrontable with.
When using your mortar for grinding roots or leaves, it is best to cut the roots into smaller pieces so it will be easy to grind it in the mortar with the pestle.
Grinding the roots, seeds, or leaves releases the essentials of plants which have been trapped in the plant when it is dried. That is why we need to grind it, so when you put it in alcohol or water it releases all the internal power of healing.
This helps us exceptionally, so it is always very important to grind it to a powder. The finer you grind it the more of the oils it will release.
What is nice about using the mortar and pestle is the scent of the herbs that you are mixing and crushing, putting your love and energy into it and knowing the healing it will bring to a family member or a dear friend.
Nothing is better than using your natural herbs for healing.
Knowing that God had a plan when he made man and that we just had to take the time to figure how we could use all plants, trees, everything green has some kind of a healing power.
We have yet to discover, only time well let us know. That is why herbalists are always discovering new uses for some old plants or some they didn’t previously know about.
Your mortar and pestle are one of the most important tools in your herbal tool box helping you take out the essential oils of plants and making concoctions easier to become teas, tinctures, or anything else you are making.
It is exciting to discover that when you are an herbalist your discoveries are endless the world is your garden (or oyster) full of treasures waiting to be found.
Remember there are many kinds of mortar and pestles out there. Just make sure you get one that can take a beating and wont break when you have to pound the root or the seeds to break them down.