Fire Cider Immunity Booster

I made my first vinegar tonic just in time for the winter season.  Fire Cider is potent, hence its healthiness.  It is used as an immunity boost.  Taking a teaspoon a day can spare you annoying colds and coughs, and possibly lessen the intensity of the flu.  Depending on how often you take it, you could boost your immunity enough to ease the sicknesses of the winter season.  This easy-peasy tonic is fun to make and only takes 5 ingredients plus raw, unpasteurized apple cider vinegar:

                          ·        Onion

·        Garlic

·        Horseradish

·        Gingerroot

·        Cayenne

For one pint of Fire Cider, I followed Rosemary Gladstar’s recipe from her book Medicinal Herbs.   Combine 1 medium onion, 4-5 garlic cloves, 3-4, tablespoons gingerroot, and 3-4 tablespoons horseradish in a blender.  If you have whole dried or fresh cayenne peppers, add 2-3 to the blender.  Otherwise, add 1-3 teaspoons of powdered or flaked cayenne.  ( I added flaked cayenne almost two weeks after I made mine, as Rosemary’s recipe instructs; but it really doesn’t matter all that much when you add the cayenne.  It mixes quickly and effectively!)  

  A word of warning: DO NOT STICK YOUR NOSE OVER THE BLENDED HERBS FOR A WHIFF!  BE CAREFUL!

Once your ingredients are in the blender, pour 1 pint of apple cider vinegar over the “hot stuff”.  Blend.  Pour into a half-gallon jar, as the herbs take up too much room for a quart jar.  Either put a plastic lid on the jar or line the metal lid with plastic wrap.  The acid in the vinegar will eat away at the metal on Mason jar lids.  Let the Fire Cider sit somewhere warm (on top of the refrigerator is where mine sat) for two weeks.  Strain.  You can strain it right back into the apple cider vinegar jar.  I added about a tablespoon of raw honey to my batch.  Raw honey has its own medicinal properties that pasteurized honey does not have.  It also gives the tonic a sweetness.

Take a teaspoon daily as maintenance.  If you feel something coming on or you are sick already, this tonic can be taken hourly by the teaspoon.  Besides being used for an immunity boost, Fire Cider can be made into salad dressings.  This stuff is delicious, but I must say, it certainly gives a kick!

 

Amaranth

         Amaranth comes in several colors.  Some varieties are green, some are red, and some are golden.  Whatever color, the plant is beautiful!  It grows really tall and reminds me of a sunflower.  While some varieties grow up to 16 inches, some will grow up to 64 inches or taller.  The usually red or golden seeds grow in long tasseled bunches.  This year my dad grew Giant Golden Amaranth.  The plants grew taller than me!  Their colors were gold tinged with orange, as the season waned, and they weathered the drought better than most of the garden.


Close up on Amaranth leaves

Henry and I with young Amaranth in the spring

      While the plant is still quite young, the leaves are delicious in salads.  The mature leaves are good cooked as spinach (which reminds me, one of the Amaranth varieties is known as wild spinach).  However, the tough, leaves are bitter.  The seed is used as flour when ground.  I have made baked goods with Amaranth, but it was so fine that my flapjacks were mushy and delicate.  It was better when I used it with another flour, such as buckwheat or spelt.  I’ve also made a hot cereal with the whole seeds.  It was really good!  Cooked amaranth has a similar consistency to corn grits, but softer.  I added butter and maple syrup…YUM!  I’ve read that in Mexico the seeds are popped like popcorn and then sugar, salt, or honey is added.  DELICIOUS!

Close up on Amaranth seeds

             I haven’t used Amaranth for medicinal purposes, but I am looking forward to it.  It is used to control diarrhea when taken internally (which is when you eat it like spinach or oatmeal) and to treat wounds.  This herb also contains astringent, soothing properties. 

TIDBIT: Amaranth is also used in the coloring of foods and medicines.  There are varieties that produce yellow, red, and brown dyes.

            I have watched this plant grow in our garden from seedlings to giants.  Amaranth is a beautiful plant and I can’t wait to work with it more.  Next week’s herb is also known as Leopard’s bane and is well known for its treatment of bruises.

 

 

Artimesia (Wormwood)

          Wormwood, true to its name, kills internal parasites such as round and thread worms.  I know.  It sounds gross.  I’ve read of a folktale that Wormwood first sprang up from the impressions that the serpent left in the ground when he slithered out of the Garden of Eden.  Of course, in herbal books you have to read around the superstitions of some traditional herbalists. Wormwood was also traditionally used as a flea repellent.  Here’s a little poem:

“White wormwood hath seed, get a handful or twaine,

to save against March, to make flea to refrain.

Where chamber is sweeped and wormwood is strewn,

no flea for his life, dare abide to be knowne.”

This poem comes from Thomas Tusser’s Five Hundred Pointes of Good Husbandrie.  It was written in 1573.

            Wormwood grows to a height of 3 feet and a width of 4 feet.  It has tiny yellow flowers and grayish green leaves.  This hardy, partial-evergreen grows wonderfully in Indiana. 

            Other than expelling worms, Wormwood is used to treat problems with poor digestion and wind.  It’s also used for fevers, menstrual problems, and nerve tonics. 

WARNING:  If used continually, wormwood may cause convulsions, restlessness, and vomiting.  Too much may cause vertigo, cramps, intoxication, and delirium.  So, do not use unsupervised.

            As I always say, I look forward to growing this herb myself.  I’ve been wondering if there is a way to make a wormer for my goats…  Well, next week’s herb is one that my dad actually grew this year.  It grew taller than me and its second name is Pigweed.

           

African Bulbine

     I have never seen African Bulbine in person, but the plant fascinates me.  An evergreen perennial in South Africa, it grows 24 inches tall and spreads 40 inches wide.  However, it looks nothing like the evergreens we have in Indiana.  It has lovely, orange or yellow star-shaped flowers and the leaves contain a gel very much like that of Aloe Vera.  This herb thrives in the South-African heat, but the first Hoosier frost would kill it.  I have read that you can grow it indoors; and I'd like to try that, as it supposedly flowers all year round. 
      African Bulbine, having similar uses as Aloe Vera, alleviates some of the same maladies: insevere burns, wounds, cuts, and abrasions, as well as stings, rashes, and eczema.  This herb also treats rheumatism, herpes, cracked lips, and urinary problems. The Zulu used it for hundreds of years to heal rashes, stop bleeding, to fight against poisoning, and in the treatment of sick livestock!

     TID BIT: The roots of Bulbine latifolia (one of the varities) can make a red dye for wool and other fibers and fabrics.

     As far as I know, you shouldn't eat African Bulbine.  Personally, I would use the pressed flowers for crafts like cards, pictures, and decoration for just about anything. 

     I enjoyed researching this herb, and I hope that you enjoyed reading about it!:)  Next week we will learn about an herb that treats parasitic problems.   Actually, it got its name for this ability!

Angelica

     Angelica, or Archangel, is one of the many herbs that I am eager to grow.  Its stalks and leaves are greener than spearmint, but its small, clustered flowers can be white or fusia.  This plant can grow from the size of my four-year-old brother Nat in the first year to eight feet, much taller than my dad, in the second year!  It likes to grow in places like Indiana, but some varieties are only content with Florida.  Angelica likes to grow in shady areas with moist but well-draining soil.  It also likes to have elbow room of three and a half feet between it and its neighbors.  This herb seeds in its second year, but then it dies.  Its life can be prolonged if its seed and flower heads are cut back.
    
     You can harvest Angelica during its second year, and every part of the plant is edible: flowers, stalk, leaf, and roots.  I have read that Angelica is deliciously sweet.  The stalks are usually candied with sugar and water.  I would love to try that!  It can also be boiled or steamed like asparagus.

     For those who have trouble with anemia, indegestion, stomach cramps, flatulence, and bloating, this is an awesome herb.  It also helps coughs, colds, headaches, nausea, and motion sickness.  Angelica leaf tea is a good remedy for these problems.  Otherwise, it can be eaten as a part of supper.

     Warning: "Large doses first stimulate and then paralyze the central nervous system.  The tea is not recommended for those suffering from diabetes."  (The Complete Herb Book, by Jekka McVicar pg. 37)  I guess it's really true that you can have too much of a good thing!

     I think that Angelica is such a beautiful herb that I can hardly wait to name my next milk-goat after it!:)  Next week's herb is one that I recently discovered during my research.  Its secondary names include, Burn jelly plant, Snake flower, Cat's tail, Bulbinella, Ibhucu (Zulu), and Rooiwortel (Africaans).  Hint, it's African.

Aloe Vera

      I have not grown Aloe Vera yet, but I am eager to.  My grandmother has grown it in her house for as long as I can remember.  When a plant gets too big, she divides it into several new plants.  I love to go to her house and see all of them growing in her windows.
    
     Aloe Vera is a cactus-like plant that grows in zones 8-10. In areas that are too cold, it is best grown indoors. In fact, it takes to indoor life very well, as long as it is in a sunny window.  This plant grows to about 2 feet high and 2 feet wide.  The leaves are a grayish-green color and they have little spikes or hooks along the edges.  The leaves are filled with a jelly that is medicinally beneficial.

     Aloe Vera is well known for its healing properties.  The gel that is harvested from the thick leaves is used as a soother for fresh burns(even sunburns) and cuts.  I have read that the gel actually "forms a clear protective seal and encourages skin regeneration"(pg. 29 of The Complete Herb Book, by Jekka McVicar).  It can also be used to moisturize dried or irritated skin caused by eczema and psoriasis.  Aloe Vera is a helpful plant to have on hand.  To harvest, just take a knife and cut a leaf(or stalk) off as close to the base of the plant as possible.  Then make a dorsal cut down one side of the leaf, but don't cut through to the other side.  Peel open the incision with your fingers and scrape out the gel.  It can then be used for any burns, cuts, or skin irritations. 

     According to nutritionhealthfitness.com, used internally, the juice can boost the immune system, cleanse the colon, treat constipation, and give relief for acid reflux symptons.

TID BIT: Aloe Vera is also used in cosmetics such as hand creams, suntan lotions, and shampoos.

    For those who are interested in keeping Aloe Vera in the house, the plant will be happy if it is planted in gritty and well drained soil or compost.  It does not like frost (remember it's a zone 8-10 plant) and likes sunlight.  A West or East windowsill or a sunroom is the ideal place for Aloe Vera in the house.
    
    I hope that you have enjoyed this slimy plant as much as I have.  I can't wait to share next week's herb, which has a beautiful, maybe even angelic, name!:)

Anise Hyssop

Anise Hyssop, also known as Anise mint, giant blue hyssop, and licorice mint, is a delectably scentful plant.  I've grown it for two years now; and it is a beautiful addition to any garden.
    
      This perennial grows up to 2 feet high and spreads about 1 foot wide.  Of course, the size of the plant would depend on the soil that it is planted in, the amount of moisture it receives, and how much sunlight shines on it.  It's blossoms, which are often called spikes, are a lovely soft purple color.  It's leaves are mid-green color tinged with purplish-brown.  There are several varieties of Anise Hyssop, one of which grows in the zone 8 areas(like Georgia).  However, most of the varieties are best grown in zones 4 and 5 (Indiana area).   Check out the pictures that are posted to see what a lovely plant this is.  Unfortunately, I have no pictures of my own as my plants suffered during the dry summer.

     Anise Hyssop is known for its strong Anise-like flavor of licorice.  Hence, its name, Anise mint. 

     Now, what uses does this herb have?  As of yet, I have found no medicinal purposes.  It is, however, used in cooking.

     The fresh leaves can be a flavorful addition to salads and
 can be used as a seasoning for nearly any dish, such as meats and rices.  The leaves can also be used in teas, either fresh or dried.  The flowers, having been stripped off of the stem, can be used in decorating both savory and sweet dishes, as well as being frozen in ice cubes for a colorful glass of ice tea.  I have
made tea using an interesting method.  Take a bunch of leaves and about 2 quarts of water and combine in a large mixing bowl.  Then crush, press, and twist leaves in water until the water is tea-colored.  Strain and add sugar or honey to the Anise Hyssop tea (dilution may be necessary as the flavor can be very strong) and pour over ice in a glass.  This drink has a very distinct licorice flavor and has a rather interesting texture.

     This herb, because of its strong scent, can be used in the making of potpourri.  I have recently been doing a lot of pressing and drying for making my own stationary.  I have not pressed this plant yet, but it would be beautiful pressed and then glued to the front of a card and sent to a friend.  Bunches of Anise Hyssop can be tied together, hung upside down to dry, and then used as decoration in the house.

I hope that you have enjoyed what I have shared about Anise Hyssop.  I am excitedly looking forward to next week!  I will not divulge what I have planned, but I will say that it will be just as delightful...but a lot slimier:)