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Inner bark, bast, is soothing. It contains mucilage that can help mucous membranes.
Slippery Elm has been used for generations medicinally to treat digestive ailments as well as cough and sore throat. Ground into a powder, it is used to treat and soothe wounds and burns. It can even speed up bone healing.
Native Americans used bast soaked as a natural bandage on wounds and also wrapped it around food to prolong freshness..
Identify
Slippery Elm is a medium size tree and looks very similar to the American Elm. The leaves are larger and wider though. They are also sandpapery rough on both top and bottom.
Here is a great app for identifying plants.
Uses:
How to Use
- Chew the fresh or dried bark to release the mucilage.
- Take a slippery elm extract .
- add 1 tsp of powder to a cup of hot water.
- take in capsule form
For Reflux
Take 1-2 TBSP after meals & before bed.
Can I harvest and prepare my own?
Of Course!
As a rule, never harvest from the trunk that has recently been cut down or fallen. It is best to harvest from low branches on a healthy tree.
It's best to harvest in Spring when the sap is running.
Make a vertical cut through the bark.
The outer bark is soft & corky.
The inner bark is moist & fibrous.
You can peel the inner bark (bast) away from outer. The bark pulls away easily from even the smaller branches.
Cut the bast into strips and dry in the sun,. Store it in a sealed jar.
Extract
- Fill a glass jar with bast
- pour and cover bast with a distilled alcohol, such as vodka. (at least 80 proof) to pull the medicinal qualities out.
- store in a dark, cool place for up to 6 week. shake occasionally.
Powder
- cut into strips
- dry in the sun
- you can use a coffee grinder or food processor to grind bast into powder form.
- store in an airtight container.
Capsules
- create the powder form using the above procedure.
The capsule machine is easy to make capsules of your favorite herb and store for easy, convenient use.
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