Lay the whole root or cut pieces out to dry in regular ambient air. It will dry quickly; using heat to dry is unnecessary unless the conditions are high humidity. To prevent mold, protect the root from moisture and humidity once it has dried completely.

Ashwagandha root is most efficiently used as a powder because there is more relative surface area (to make contact with water or other extract medium). That said, it’s a very woody root and is not easily cut or processed. Use shears or heavy scissors to cut into 1-inch pieces. Then use a Vitamix, Ninja, or Nutribullet to breakdown further. The root must be completely dry. To get a fine powder, pass through a sifter.

• One half teaspoon of fine powder is equal to 1 gram.

Cutting into small pieces is also an option, however the root will need to be boiled to get potency from the extraction.

• Use a grams scale to determine weight of cut pieces.

A decoction is made with cut pieces of the root and an infusion can be made with the powder. If brewing an herbal blend, the ashwagandha root would go in first and can be boiled with other roots such as ginger. Then, turn off the heat and let the temperature lower to 160-180 degrees before adding leafy aromatic herbs. Use 1 gram per 8 ounces of water.

• Using Whole Root: Cut the root into small 1/4 inch pieces. Make a pile and take a hefty pinch per 1 cup of water. You will need to boil the chunky pieces so it’s better to do at least 2 cups at a time, adding extra water (1 oz per 1 cup) for the boiling off. Simmer for 15-20 minutes with the lid on and let sit for 5 more, then strain and serve. Add tea leaves or fresh herbs at the 5 minute resting point to infuse flavor.

• Using Powder: Stir into hot water or another tea. It can be boiled with other herbs to make a larger batch. The fine granulation allows it to extract quickly; simmer as little as ten minutes or up to several hours if the other herbs require longer time. One half teaspoon of fine powder is equal to 1 gram. Use 1 to 2 grams per day. There will be some sediment because it’s a woody root, use a metal mesh coffee strainer or filter if you prefer to remove this.

The leaves: Not traditionally used as a tisane. Make an acetract or tincture and keep track of dosage.

The berries: If fresh, mash and add hot water; honey reduces bitterness. If dried, grind into a powder and add hot water. Keep track of dosage, do not exceed 1 tablespoon of berries per day. The berries are very seedy, use a tea strainer.

The Root: //add water + boil

The Leaves:

The Berries:

The Root:

The Leaves:

The Berries:

The Root:

The Leaves:

The Berries:

Made by combining the powder of dried root, leaf, or berry with honey.

Use a 1:1 ratio

• Measure by volume the amount of powder you’re planning to use. For example ¼ cup = 2 ounces (30 grams root powder).

• Add the ashwagandha powder to a larger Ball jar; then add the same amount of honey. Stir well.

• Over time the powder will absorb the honey and harden. Add more honey if you desire a thinner “spoonable” texture. This will, however, reduce your powder dosage amount - the more honey you add.

• In a 1:1 ratio (50% powder and 50% honey) 1 teaspoon equals 1 gram of ashwagandha powder.

• Stir into hot water to make a tea.

• As the electuary hardens you can roll into balls and dust with cinnamon to eat or drop into a beverage.

Ashwagandha root is not generally extracted in plain honey to make a syrup (for example, infusing and then straining out the herb) because it needs to be heated, and honey alone should not be heated above 110 degrees. It’s better to extract in vinegar or alcohol spirits and then add the honey.

Oil infusions are the same situation where heating is a problem. In most cases, it does not make sense to extract ashwaghandha in oil. Rather, extract in vinegar or alcohol spirits and then blend with an oil while also using an emulsifier.

The solution to both of these situations is an electuary, which is taken as a paste of the powder (the herb is not strained out of the honey). An oil paste can be made in the same style as an electuary.