Plantain questions

[Martha StanleyStudent]

1. I have discovered a wealth of P lanceolata and P major growing in the field.

But I found a different looking one. On the FB Plant ID page, it was identified as P rugelii due to its red stems down near the bottom of the leaves.

Is this an okay variety to use too?

(My attempt to upload the pic got rejected due to file size limits)

2. I read about juicing plantain. I don’t know how to juice things. Do I need a juicer machine? Can I use a garlic press or something? Or a Vitamix?

If I use kitchen gadgets, can I use them later with food or do I need to start looking for an herb set and a food prep set?

3. When I tincture fresh plantain, I should use everclear potency vodka, right?

4. A friend takes Invokana which says that it may provoke (my word) urinary tract infections. Would a daily dose be useful/indicated as a preventative? Or would something else be more appropriate?

So many picky questions….. story of my mind. :blink:

Martha

[Dr. Patrick JonesHomestead Instructor]

Mine in Bold

Marthabees wrote: 1. I have discovered a wealth of P lanceolata and P major growing in the field.

But I found a different looking one. On the FB Plant ID page, it was identified as P rugelii due to its red stems down near the bottom of the leaves.

Is this an okay variety to use too?

(My attempt to upload the pic got rejected due to file size limits)

Yup. That’ll work.

2. I read about juicing plantain. I don’t know how to juice things. Do I need a juicer machine?

Yup.

Can I use a garlic press or something? Or a Vitamix?

Hmmm…I dunno. Try it and see. 🙂

If I use kitchen gadgets, can I use them later with food or do I need to start looking for an herb set and a food prep set?

Some herbs may stain kitchen gadgets (Turmeric, golenseal…) Plantain should be fine.

3. When I tincture fresh plantain, I should use everclear potency vodka, right?

I would. There’s a lot of water in the leaves that may dilute vodka too much.

4. A friend takes Invokana which says that it may provoke (my word) urinary tract infections. Would a daily dose be useful/indicated as a preventative? Or would something else be more appropriate?

Plantain and marshmallow might be a good combo for that.

So many picky questions….. story of my mind. :blink:

Happy to help. 🙂

Martha

Don't use herbs or combine herbs with medications or use them during lactation or pregnancy without talking with your healthcare provider.

1 user thanked author for this post.

Amy Cain

[IdahoHerbalist]

I think you will be surprised at how little juice is in the leave as compared to other things you may be familiar with.

[Martha StanleyStudentTopic Author]

I’m still working with plantain issues.

1. I don’t have a juicer, don’t plan to get one. But I want to freeze fresh leaves cuz I keep reading fresh is much better than dried. Can I freeze them wholeand use later?

2. I want to make a poultice but dang, I don’t wanna chew it. I’m not in the woods; I have kitchen appliances.

Seems like every website thinks I’ll be in the woods when I want to make a poultice.

Can I use a mortar and pestle?

Can I blend it up in a vitamix?

3. I blended some in a magic bullet this morning for a tick bite and it was drrrrryyyy. So I added a little water…. no spit!

How goopy should it be?

4. Can I dehydrate plantain leaves on 95 degrees F?

5. How much potency is lost when it’s dehydrated?

6. Can you make a big batch and use it for a couple of days? It’s reaaallllyy muddy out in the plantain patch and if I don’t have to slog through it, that would be fine.

Thanks, y’all.

Martha

[Dr. Patrick JonesHomestead Instructor]

Mine in Bold

Marthabees wrote: I’m still working with plantain issues.

1. I don’t have a juicer, don’t plan to get one. But I want to freeze fresh leaves cuz I keep reading fresh is much better than dried. Can I freeze them wholeand use later?

Yup. Even better.

2. I want to make a poultice but dang, I don’t wanna chew it. I’m not in the woods; I have kitchen appliances.

Seems like every website thinks I’ll be in the woods when I want to make a poultice.

Can I use a mortar and pestle?

Can I blend it up in a vitamix?

So you have electricity? Hmmm….I guess you can still be an herbalist. Grind away with whatever technology floats yer boat. 🙂

3. I blended some in a magic bullet this morning for a tick bite and it was drrrrryyyy. So I added a little water…. no spit!

How goopy should it be?

Kinda goopy.

4. Can I dehydrate plantain leaves on 95 degrees F?

Sure. I’ve been using the dry stuff with good effect for years even though everyone says the fresh stuff is best.

5. How much potency is lost when it’s dehydrated?

I dunno. Dry stuff seems to works pretty good for me.

6. Can you make a big batch and use it for a couple of days? It’s reaaallllyy muddy out in the plantain patch and if I don’t have to slog through it, that would be fine.

Sure. It’ll last a couple of days in the fridge.

Thanks, y’all.

Yer welcome.

Martha

Don't use herbs or combine herbs with medications or use them during lactation or pregnancy without talking with your healthcare provider.

[Martha StanleyStudentTopic Author]

I have been challenged about the role of heat with plantain.

Can anyone provide me with evidence or a good rebuttal to the notion that you can pour boiling water on dry plantain to make poultice material without damaging the medicinal quality?

Or….

Did I not understand something along the line?

Is there a problem with the boiling water to make a poultice or not?

Thanks.

[IdahoHerbalist]

I cannot support or deny your premise but I would not use boiling water. Cold or cool water should be sufficient for a poultice. Heat almost always degrades.

[Dr. Patrick JonesHomestead Instructor]

Plantain contains a number of chemicals with important medicinal properties. Some of them are devastated by heat. some are not bothered at all. This is the reason that some herbalists will say plantain is no good if you heat it and others will say that it works great for them. The variance in efficacy is based on the application.

Aucubin is an iridoid that accounts for some of plantain’s properties. It’s anti-microbial, liver protectant and is a good anti-inflammatory. Dried aucubin has a shelf life of only months and it is devastated by heat. So, if you’re using plantain for its aucubin properties and you boil it, plantain is dead to you.

However, if you’re using plantain to draw stuff out or accelerate healing or soothe, the heat of a hot infusion won’t bother it at all.

You can read more about all of this in the Plantain module. 🙂

Doc

Don't use herbs or combine herbs with medications or use them during lactation or pregnancy without talking with your healthcare provider.

[Martha StanleyStudentTopic Author]

I appreciate the response. Exactly the kind of answer that makes my brain happy. :frog:

I’ll reread the plantain module.

I’m realizing that I need to review modules regularly to retain my learning. Not having a classroom of people to discuss things makes my learning/retention a bit more tricky. The interaction seems to be part of my learning style.

Thanks, Doc.

[KelleyStudent]

I love your posts Martha. Thank you!

[Author]

Posts