I love foraging for plantain weed because you can harvest as much as you want during the growing season since it is an invasive, non-native plant.
Plantain leaves can be picked and used whenever needed as they remain green all year round. Simply crush or chew a leaf and then apply it to the area that needs attention. If you live in a region like mine with harsh winters, you can do as I do and freeze the leaves for winter use.
To make medicine for future use, collect the leaves in summer and dry them in a warm, dry place, either on brown paper bags or on drying screens. Turn them daily until crispy. Throw away anything that turns black.
Fresh young plantain leaves can be eaten in salads or lightly steamed and eaten as a vegetable, similar to cooked spinach. Be sure to collect only the youngest, softest leaves, as the larger leaves tend to become tough and bitter.
It is best to harvest the seeds when they are ripe and dry them by removing the seed heads from the stems and spreading them on brown paper to dry completely before removing the seeds and storing them in jars. The labor-intensive process produces a small number of seeds, but they are quite tasty and can be ground into flour or left whole to sprinkle on salads.