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Healthy
Herbal Treats
Herbs have a charm all of
their own; their smells,
names, and flavours all
remind us of the good old
days. They are the source
of our earliest medicines
as well as being our earliest
food enhances
In
these days of synthetic
additives more and more
people are once again rediscovering
the power of the herb
There
are many books on how to
cultivate, dry, and store
herbs as well as books on
what they look like I am
not going to go into that
here. What I am trying to
do is to introduce you to
some simple home made treats
which you probably had as
a child and forgot about
or if you are to young to
remember you may have heard
your granny extol their
virtues. Old or young I
hope you enjoy your herbal
experience. Go on and treat
your self.
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Angelica
Mouth rinse
For best effect use twice
daily, and after meals
Pour
2-½ cups (625ml)
boiling water over 3 table
spoons Angelica seeds. Leave
to infuse until cold strain
into screw top bottle. For
extra strength try adding
peppermint, or lemon verbena.
A little orris root will
scent the breath of violates
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Barley
Water
A cooling drink for fever
1
cup of pearl barley
2lt
of water
Lemon
juice
Simmer
barley and water for 20min,
strain and add lemon juice
to taste
Or
if preferred use blackcurrant
or orange juice. Use pure
juice rather than juice
which has had added sugar
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Caraway
Comfits
Sweeten and freshen the
breath also aids digestion
Make
a paste of icing sugar with
lemon juice. Dip caraway
seeds into an egg white
then roll them in the paste.
Spread them on greaseproof
paper. Leave in a cool place
to harden
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Digestive
tonic
20 green cardamom seeds
crushed
1-teaspoon
fennel seeds crushed
1
teaspoon dried rosemary
Zest
of ½ lemon
Zest
of ½ orange
5cm
(2in) piece cinnamon
250ml
(8foz) vodka or other spirit
Steep
all in the alcohol for two
weeks, shaking occasionally.
Strain and rebottle
To
use—take 1-2 teaspoons
in a little water before
meals or when needed to
settle stomach
This
keeps for over a year
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Eyebright
and Marigold Eyebath
15g dried eyebright
10g
dried pot marigold
500ml
/ 18foz water
Put
water and herbs into saucepan
and simmer for 10min. Strain
and allow to cool store
in a sterilised bottle
To
use pour a little into an
eyebath and bath the eye.
Sterilise glass and repeat
with other eye. Helps in
cases of Conjunctivitis
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Fennel
and lemon balm tea
10g dried fennel seed
15g
dried lemon balm
3g
cinnamon bark
500ml
water
To
calm the stomach from nervous
stress
Put
herbs into teapot add boiling
water, and leave to infuse
for 10min. Strain into covered
jar store in a cool place.
Take wineglass dose as required
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Ginger
Ginger in all its forms
is good for nausea but some
people cannot take it unless
disguised. Capsules are
the easiest way of doing
this
50g
powdered ginger
Size
00 gelatin capsules
Put
powdered ginger into saucer;
pull one half of the capsule
through ginger to fill seal
with other half. Take two
capsules every 3-4 hours
while symptoms last
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Horsetail
infusion
To strengthen brittle finger
nails
Pour
2 ½ cups of water
over 6 tablespoons dried
horsetail stems leave for
5-6 hours. Put on heat and
bring to boil, simmer for
30 min remove from heat
and let cool for another
30 min. Strain into air
tight container i.e. screw
topped bottle. Every other
day soak nails in warm sunflower
oil for 10-15 min, and then
in a little horsetail infusion
for 15min
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Ideal
Ginger beer
28g
- 1oz chopped gingerroot
or 1tablespoon ground ginger
450g
- 1lb sugar
1
sliced lemon
14g
- ½ oz fresh yeast
1
slice toast
4-½
lt. - 8pt boiling water
To
stimulate digestion
Put
ginger, lemon and sugar
into adequate container
pour water over stirring
until sugar has melted.
When liquid is tepid spread
yeast onto toast and add.
Leave for 12 hours in a
warm place strain and bottle
leave for one week
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Juniper
and raspberry ice
1 teaspoon juniper tincture
8
fluid oz 250ml raspberry
puree
1
egg white
Ideal
for cooling the body when
hot and restless
Mix
juniper and raspberry and
place in freezer until partially
frozen. Take out and mix
into slush. Beat egg white
until stiff then fold into
juniper mixture put into
2-3 serving bowls. Then
freeze for 1 ½ -
2 hours serve with a sprig
of mint
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Keel
junket
Junket
will separate if disturbed
before serving. They are
a traditional British food
for convalescents
8
large crushed cardamom pods
16
fluid oz 475ml milk
1
teaspoon honey
2
teaspoons essence of rennet
Cinnamon
powder
Simmer
the cardamoms in the milk
over low heat for 6-7minutes.
Strain into bowl, and stir
in the honey. Allow too
cool to blood heat then
stir in the rennet. Leave
in a warm place 10-12 hours
until set. Sprinkle with
cinnamon and serve.
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Lovage
foot bath
Soothing for tired feet
Put
20 fluid oz 595ml of boiling
water over 2 tablespoons
fresh lovage. Leave to infuse
for 15 min. Strain into
a footbath, and top up with
water to the desired temperature.
Add 1 tablespoon of sea
salt, and stir. Soak feet
for 10-15min.
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Marshmallow
lotion
To moisturize and sooth.
If kept in the fridge lotion
will keep for 5 days
Put
3 tablespoons of dried marshmallow
leaves or root into a bowl,
pour over 8 fluid oz 240ml
distilled water. Leave to
infuse over night, Strain
into a screw top jar. Apply
a little lotion to skin
after normal cleaning. By
adding the lotion to plain
cold cream will make a rich
moisturizer
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Nutmeg
Wine tonic
1 bottle of wine of your
choice
½
grated nutmeg
Sprig
of fresh thyme
1
piece1 ½ cm ½
in. cinnamon stick
8
sultanas or large raisins
Drink
a small glass of wine from
bottle; add the herbs and
re-cork. Leave for 2 weeks
then strain and replace
back into wine bottle, and
label. Take ½ small
wine glass when in need
of a lift
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Oat
Tonic
This
is a calming, strengthening
tonic particularly for the
young and old
12
fluid oz 350ml cold boiled
water
3oz
84g flaked or rolled oats
½
teaspoon ginger
Juice
½ lemon
5ml
1 teaspoon honey
Pour
the water over oats and
leave over night. Strain
through a cloth and wring
out juice. Add the honey
and lemon mix well and bottle.
Will keep in the fridge
for a week
Take
1 teaspoon 2-3 times a day
until finished
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Peppermint
facial
Use to cleanse the skin
and reduce large pores
After
washing face pour 2 lt.
70 fluid oz boiling water
into bowl, add 2 tablespoons
fresh peppermint, 2 tablespoons
fresh sage, and a ½
teaspoon of basil. Cover
head with large towel. Hold
face 10in 30cm from water.
Steam neck and face for
8-10 mi. then cover face
with a washcloth that has
been dipped in ice cold
water. Pat dry with towel
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Quiet
Cough Syrup
Use
for chesty cough, tightness
and sore throat
14g
- ½ oz dried thyme
7g
– ¼ oz dried
chamomile
7g
– ¼ oz dried
sage
2
teaspoons fennel seed
2
garlic cloves
15-20
cloves
1
teaspoon aniseed
Pinch
of powdered ginger
850ml
– 1 ½ pint water
450g
1lb honey
Put
all the ingredients into
pan except honey. Bring
to the boil turn heat down,
and cover simmering for
20 min. Let cool slightly
then strain making sure
you extract all the liquid.
Discard the used herbs return
liquid to heat gently simmer
until liquid is reduced
to 200ml 7fluid oz. Add
the honey to the pan and
simmer for a few minutes
stirring all the time. Do
not over cook or it will
turn into toffee. Bottle
keeps for months
Take
2-3 teaspoons 4-6 times
a day = Children 1 teaspoon
3 –5 times daily
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Rosemary
or Chamomile hair rinse
Stimulates the scalp and
helps hair growth
For
dark hair—put 2 heaped
tablespoons of fresh chopped
rosemary and 1 tablespoon
dried chamomile flowers
into bowl add 2 heaped tablespoons
of dried lime flowers and
cover with 650ml 24 fluid
oz boiling water. Leave
until Luke warm strain and
apply to freshly washed
and rinsed hair
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Soothing
Salt Bath
112g- 4oz sea salt
1
tablespoon bicarbonate of
Soda
1
teaspoon sweet almond oil
5
drops essential oil
Juice
1 lemon
To
remove dead skin, clear
pores, and tone blood circulation
Blend
all ingredients together
dissolve in the bath water.
Soak for twenty minutes.
Rub all over body then rinse
off with fresh water
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Tarragon
vinegar
This makes wonderful vinaigrette
For
every 350ml 12 fluid oz
of white vinegar add 2 tablespoons
finely chopped fresh tarragon
leaves. Put into screw topped
bottle and leave for 10
days in a warm place shake
from time to time. Strain
and return to bottle add
a sprig of tarragon for
decoration
Utopia
syrup
This strengthens the brain
and memory, helps blood
pressure, keeps blood thin
and aids the appetite, strengthens
nerves, and circulation
56g
2oz rosemary
1
tablespoon parsley
1
tablespoon basil
2
tablespoons sage
4
teaspoons crushed fennel
seed
4
cloves garlic crushed
1
teaspoon cayenne pepper
20
cloves
6
cardamom pods
1.75lt
3 pints water
450g
1lb honey
Put
all ingredients except honey
into pan and reduce down
to300ml ½ pint. Allow
liquid to cool and strain.
Discard used herbs. Put
liquid back on to heat and
add honey. Simmer on very
low heat stirring all the
time until it reaches a
syrupy consistency. Let
cool and bottle will keep
for at least a year
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Vinegar
(balsamic)
This
can be used either as a
salad dressing or in cooking
or as a tonic or even a
hair rinse
Dilute
1-teaspoon vinegar in 240ml
8fluid-oz water for rinse
6
green cardamom pods
12
sultanas
12
black peppercorns
1
teaspoon rosemary
1
teaspoon sage
4
cloves of garlic
300ml
½ pint cider vinegar
Steep
all the ingredients together
in screw topped jar for
2 months. Strain and bottle
Woodruff punch
Put 6 tablespoons of fresh
chopped woodruff and the
grated peel of a lemon into
a muslin bag. Place into
punch bowl. Pour over 120ml
– 4 fluid oz cognac
and a half bottle of wine.
Cover and leave over night.
Remove the bag and add ice
cubes add another 1 ½
bottle of wine and a bottle
of champagne put in the
juice of 1 lemon and a little
sugar to taste serve
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Xin
Yi Hua tincture
Steeping
the desired herb in a water
/alcohol mixture makes tinctures.
Vodka is an ideal home spirit,
as it does not contain any
additives. The tinctures
should be individually made,
and then prepared tinctures
can then be combined when
required. The liquid is
usually 25% alcohol and
75% water
Put
the herb into large jar
and cover with the alcohol
/ water mixture. Seal jar
and store in a cool place
for 2 weeks shake occasionally.
Put a muslin bag into a
winepress pour in mixture.
If winepress is unavailable
then wring out by hand into
bowl. Squeeze out through
press into bowl. Pour the
strained liquid into clean
sterilized dark glass bottles
label and seal
This
is good for the sinuses
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25ml
Xin Yi Hua (magnolia flower)
tincture
25ml
elderflower tincture
15
ml ground ivy tincture
15
ml Echinacea tincture
10
ml bayberry tincture
5
ml ginger tincture
5
ml peppermint tincture
Combine
all into a sterilized dark
glass bottle and shake well.
Take 5 ml in a half tumbler
of warm water 3 times a
day before meals while symptoms
persist
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Yarrow
and celery tea
This is good for gout sufferers
50g
dried celery seed
15g
dried yarrow
15
g dried heather flowers
300
ml ½ pint water
Mix
herbs and put into airtight
container. When ready to
use put 1 teaspoons into
teapot add teacup-boiling
water and let infuse for
10-min strain and drink.
Take 2 fresh cups ever day
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Zealous
Syrup of figs
8 dried figs
224g
/ 8oz dark brown sugar
Juice
½ lemon
1
teaspoon ground ginger
240ml
/ 8 fluid oz water
Slice
the figs thinly and simmer
in water for 20 min. Strain
keeping both liquid and
figs. Set figs aside and
make the liquid back up
to 240 ml / 8 fluid oz with
cold water. Add sugar and
heat gently stirring all
the time until sugar is
melted. Put back in the
figs and add lemon juice
and ginger. Pour into blender
or food processor and blend
for a minute. Put into sterilized
jar seal and label. It keeps
very well
Dose
for adult 3 – 4 desert
spoons daily Children 1
– 2 desert spoons
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