|
 The
art of tumbling: Herbs, Etc.'s exclusive Kinetic Maceration
Herbs, Etc. created an innovative process called kinetic maceration. This is
a method whereby alcohol, water and herbs are put in a container and tumbled
24 hours non-stop. Other manufacturers stir their herbs for approximately five
minutes
ad ay. Analyses reveal that Herbs, Etc.’s kinetic maceration method yields
20-50% more active constituents than old-fashioned maceration methods used by
other herbal companies.
When drier
is better: roots, barks, seeds, gums
Other herbs fully impart their medicinal properties only when dried. This is
often the case with roots, barks, seeds and gums. The drying process deactivates
certain enzymes and helps release more active constituents. When dehydrated,
the extraction and concentration of hardy glycosides, alkaloids and other stable
active constituents is increased.
Why whole
dried herbs and not powders
To produce liquid herbal extracts from dried herbs, Herbs, Etc. always starts
with whole un ground herbs. Herbs bought in  their
whole form are easy to identify. Whole herbs prevent falsification by providing
herb buyers with obvious distinguishable plant characteristics. Furthermore,
whole herbs protects against the oxidation of active constituents and loss
of potency.
Herbs ground
fresh daily
The herbs are ground the same day they are extracted. Otherwise, they oxidize
and lose most of their volatile oils. Test this yourself by crushing whole
dried peppermint leaves into a powder, leaving them on a table overnight and
smelling the powder in the morning. You will notice a substantial loss of aroma.
Now you understand why it is Herbs, Etc.’s policy to only grind whole
dried herbs the same day they are extracted.
Why colder
is better
In a manufacturing setting the heads of grinding mills become
extremely hot. It is not unusual to observe temperatures between 150-250°F.
This is of serious concern since it is known that heat destroys active constituents
of herbs.
To
prevent heat damage of herbs, Herbs, Etc. pioneered a method by
which liquid nitrogen is injected around the grinding chamber.
The herbs
come
out of the
grinding process at temperatures around 30°F., thus protecting their
active constituents. This method, called cryogenic (ultra-cold) grinding,
is exclusive
to Herbs, Etc.
We leave
nothing behind
 After
the herbs are ground, they are packed in a glass funnel called
a cold-process percolator. Alcohol and water are added on top
and as this liquid goes through the column of herbs, it extracts
all of the constituents.
The
pressure is on to get all the juices out
Once the alcohol and water have gone through the glass
funnel, the cold percolated herbs are placed into our 150-ton press.
This press, exclusive to the herbal industry, squeezes all of the
remaining juices out of the herb. The resulting liquid contains
all of the medicinal properties of the herbs. This becomes Herbs,
Etc.’s alcohol-based liquid herbal extract. What is left in
the press is the cellulose, or plant fibers. The fibers are given
to the Santa Fe area farmers and are composted. The herb has now
gone full circle, back to the earth.
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