We’re coming into cold season where I live.  I thoroughly enjoy and rely on many herbal remedies to knock the stuffing out of germs and general icky feelings.  I’ve also spent a lifetime educating myself on the active properties and the contraindications of any herb that is ingested or applied topically. Now imagine me saying the next sentence to you while I nudge my glasses down to the end of my nose and shake my finger furiously in your face:

NEVER, EVER take herbal medicine with prescription or over the counter (OTC) drugs.

Herbs are a drug.  Alone or in fixed combinations with other herbs they can prove fatal if taken with OTC drugs or prescripts.  Just because the word “natural” is on an herbal product it does not, in any way, equate with an “all around stamp of approval for your body”.

I’m a big believer in knowledge, research, and educational sources.  If you are even thinking about using herbal remedies it’s your individual responsibility to cross-reference numerous sources and include your health care practitioner in the conversation of what works best for you and your chemistry.  We’re all wired differently my friends.

Some of my favorite remedies to be proactive during cold and flu season are:

¼ teaspoon of cayenne pepper in a full jar of unsweetened grape juice. Shake it up. Drink 6 oz. daily. This travels well. Bring it to the office or when visiting relatives this holiday season.

Roasted Garlic. Take an entire bulb and pull off any loose papery skins. Cut about ¼” off the top of the bulb to see some of the fleshy white garlic cloves. Put it on an oven proof dish. Drizzle some olive oil on it. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. Once cooked use a butter knife to slip the vitamin packed natural antibiotic goodness out of their papers and slather it on some thinly toasted rosemary ciabatta bread.

Nettle infusion. Bring water to a near boil and take off the heat. Measure a full teaspoon of dried nettle leaves and place in a cup. Pour the hot water on and cover the cup. Steep for at least five minutes. Strain. Add a couple drops of honey, as it’s slightly bitter in taste. Drink up to two cups a day. Nettle helps to purify the blood, and will assist in easing respiratory problems.

Rose hip infusion. Fully packed with Vitamin C this infusion is great for all over good health and will soothe a mild cough. Pour boiling water (note how the temperature is different than for nettles) over 1 ½ teaspoon of dried rose hips. One cup of rose hip infusion a day is plenty.

Feel chilled and can’t get warm?  Peel some fresh ginger root and put 1/4 inch slice in a cup with boiling water.  Add a small wedge of organic lemon and a couple drops of honey or agave nectar.

Herbs work gradually in your system.  Drinking nettles everyday will benefit your overall health.  If you feel that scratchiness starting to happen in your throat due to an oncoming cold try the rose hip infusion.

To ensure the best result when purchasing any herbs, purchase the highest grade you can afford.  Less expensive brands tend to use very old product that most likely has lost their active properties. 

For a list of herbal products from integrity based growers visit United Plant Savers and order their Nursery & Bulk Herb Directory.  Or receive it free with your membership contribution.

Harvesting herbal roots/rhizomes from your garden can be physically demanding but there is nothing like taking a long handled round point shovel, throwing your boot down on it and digging up a bunch of plants.  (I’m enjoying that image a little too much.)

A rhizome is a horizontal stem found under specific plants.  The roots and shoots grow off the rhizome.

Burdock, Angelica, Comfrey, Ginseng, Valerian, Licorice, Solomon’s Seal and Dandelion, to name a few common herbs, have active substances in their roots.  Research herbs you are digging, some herbs, like Echinacea only develop their active properties after the second and third crop.  Burdock, first year plants are preferred.  The time of the season that you choose to harvest needs your attention as well.  So Google-Up!

To extract those properties you have to: DIG, WASH, INSPECT, DRY, CUT, STORE, BOIL

Some rhizomes will require extracting active properties in alcohol.  I’ll be posting in the future under tinctures to explain the difference.

DIG

Remember to have a clean blade on your shovel.  Your garden tools must be disinfected; otherwise you run the risk of transferring viruses to your herb plants from previous diggings.

Dig wide and deep enough around the plant you are harvesting so you can bend down, place your hands under the roots and pull upward.  A great deal of soil will be attached to the roots.  Just shake off the excess soil, use your clean pruning shears to cut the roots away from the green plant growth.

WASH

Get the biggest bowl in your cabinet and fill it with tepid water.  Then submerge the roots in the water and leave for at least one hour.  Rinse several times and use your hands or a vegetable brush to remove any stubborn clinging soil.

Soaking Roots

Washing & Inspecting Roots

 INSPECT

Look at the roots and discard any ones that are eaten by insects, or obviously damaged by your garden spade.

DRY

Place your roots on a rack that allows air to circulate under them.  Drying roots can take more than 48 hours.  If you find a very thick root cut it in half to reduce the drying time. You can test dryness by squeezing one of the rhizomes.  If it feels dry, firm and moisture free you’re good.

Drying Roots

CUT

Once dry, use a sharp paring knife and cut the pieces into lengths of approximately ½ inch.

STORE

Place them in a sterile jar, cap and label it.  Check your jar on a daily basis for a week.  If moisture forms inside the jar then the roots were not dried properly and you have to remove them immediately and re-dry.  Mold can form quickly so actively check your work.  Store the jar in a cool place away from direct sunlight or heat sources. (Cabinet next to dishwasher,stove, etc.)

BOIL

You are now ready to enjoy the medicinal properties of your harvest.  Measure one ounce of dried herb and place in a pan with 1 ½ pints of cold water.  Let the pieces stand covered for one hour.   Heat slowly and allow it to boil for 20 to 30 minutes.  Amounts and boiling time may vary with different herbs.  The mixture should be strained while it is still hot.  Honey or red wine may be added.  Then drink.

Often I do not add anything to my decoctions and drink as is.  Burdock is especially bitter but I know it’s doing great things for my liver and consider the taste to be a small sacrifice for good health.  Dandelion is bitter as well, and a dram of honey seems to take the edge off the taste.  It may take a few tries to accustom your taste buds to the earthy taste of root decoctions but give it a few tries before you give it the boot.

Infusion:  bring 6 – 8 oz. of water to just under a boil.  Turn the water off and remove from heat source for thirty seconds.  Then pour into a cup with ¼ teaspoon of dried, or 1 large teaspoon of fresh herb. Cover and steep 6 minutes. Strain and drink.

For road warriors who find the road a little too lonely and make an alcoholic beverage their best friend, consider drinking a cup of Violet flower infusion first thing in the morning; it’s a hangover’s best friend.

Violet has a way of balancing the body with the mind in a rather Zen fashion – just take a moment to really study a Violet flower and be mesmerized by it’s beauty of simplicity.

CURATIVE

Got an ugly bruise?  Take some fresh Violet flowers and leaves and place them in a mortar. (photo 1)

Center the pestle in the middle of the mortar and rotate the pestle clockwise, using firm pressure against the side of the bowl of the mortar.  (photo 2)  A few turns of the pestle and you’ll have a “bruised mixture”, which releases the active properties of the plant.

Turn out the mixture onto clean cheesecloth (photo 3) that’s long enough to wrap around your bruise.  Leave on the bruise for one hour.  This procedure can safely be repeated up to four times a day – or leave on overnight for a significant reduction in the black & blueness. 

This compress is especially helpful if your injuries are:  a sprained ankle, hit your thigh on a sharp corner of your desk, or stubbed your toe in the same place you always do on your bed frame.

Got a sore throat?  Infuse 1 teaspoon of dried or 4 teaspoons of fresh flowers and leaves in 6 oz. of water, let cool to lukewarm temperature, strain and gargle away.

 Alert:  Sipping an infusion of only Violet leaves may result in expectorant action (clears the respiratory system). 

Gathered Violet Leaves

Photo 1

Photo 2

Photo 3

Heartease

 

 COSMETIC- A gentle astringent. 

Is daily stress wreaking havoc with your skin? Place 4 tablespoons of dried Violet leaves and flowers into a sterile jar with a tight fitting lid and add 6 tablespoons of vodka.  Keep in a dark place for two weeks.

After two weeks, strain (use an unbleached coffee filter and a funnel) and add 12 drops of glycerin and 3 tablespoons of good quality witch hazel. 

Keep in the refrigerator for a refreshing treat to your skin.  Apply with a sterile cotton ball.

 CULINARY

Presentation is everything.  Now you can be the envy of all your friends by placing candied Violet flowers on top of cakes, floating them on top of strawberry soup or sprinkling them on your prized peach shortcake.  Perfectly edible,  these colourful garnishes always elicit ooohhs and ahhhhhs.  And so easy to do!

To candy:  pick fresh perfect flowers and quickly dip them in a bowl of cool water.  Using tweezers to pick one flower up out of the water and using a tiny spoon sprinkle extra-fine sugar to coat them, then place on a sheet of waxed paper to dry (at least 24 hours).  Once dry they can be safely stored in a tin for keeping.  (They must be fully dry or else they will mildew and mold). 

Alert:  I always have used an organic egg white to coat my flowers instead of water.  And I have used a small artist brush to apply the organic egg white to the petals of the Violet.  As you know there are many warnings about eating raw eggs.  I have found that the organic egg white does a far superior job of coating the flower and the sugar has more to grab onto.

Use only Violets that have not been sprayed with chemicals or have been in the path of a lawn mower.  If you’ve purchased Violets from the florist or a commercial greenhouse, chances are your Violets have been sprayed with harsh chemicals rendering them unfit to eat! 

Infuse Violet flowers with an excellent grade vinegar and watch the metamorphosis of the vinegar as it turns a brilliant tint.  The flavour will challenge your taste buds as it mixes with your best olive oil as a superb dressing for a plate of mixed greens.

CROPS

Violets are extremely resilient.  They grow from a short rootstock and thrive in damp, shady places.  Native to Europe, Asia, and North Africa they naturalized throughout the temperate zones.  Violets propagate quite nicely and they don’t require special attention.  Just let them alone and in a couple of years you will have enough Violets to enjoy and harvest.  They love to spread out, so either contain them in pots or give them lots of room in your garden.

Harvesting is a short window of opportunity.  In the Northeast, where I live, once they sprout up in April, harvest time ends for flowers by the beginning of June.  But take heart, their lovely distant cousin known as Viola tricolor, common name Heartsease, (see photo above) is ready to substitute for harvesting of flowers for the rest of the summer.  

Please be a responsible harvester.  Never harvest more than 1/3 of your crop.  The plants and Mother Nature thank you.

 COMMON LORE

Ah, the language of flowers.  In Victorian times Violets were placed in a bouquet and stood for modesty.  

Quoted in an old English sonnet, “Violet is for faithfulness, which in me shall abide”.  In Shakespearian times Violets had been associated with death of the young.

“We are Violets blue, for our sweetness found Careless, in the mossy shades, Looking on the ground.  Love’s dropp’d eyelids; and a kiss – Such our breath and blueness is.”

Author:  Leigh Hunt (James Henry Leigh Hunt) Songs and Chorus of the Flowers – Violets

 Violets are ruled by the planet Venus, which suggests a mild nature.

Violets have a way of humbling us.  They have near human expression, but as all herbalists know, Violets resonate at a higher level of existence, bringing a calming and peaceful energy to all who gaze upon them.