Home Remedies for Fall & Winter

HERBAL HOME REMEDIES FOR FALL & WINTER


Here's a terrific sampler of simple home remedies you can use throughout fall and winter, or anytime of year, when you're feeling less than your usual excellent self.
The instructions are given in each recipe, and most of these can also be found in my book,
The Wild & Weedy Apothecary.
Do you recognize any recipes from your childhood? Do you have any recipes to contribute?

Garlic Tea

You will use a whole head of garlic for this recipe.

To peel the garlic, lay each separated clove on a cutting board, then smack each one soundly by laying the side of a chef’s knife on the clove and then hitting the side of the knife with your closed fist – watch out for the blade – then remove the peel.  If you don’t have a chef’s knife, just use the heel of your hand and press down real hard until it “pops”.  Next, toss the crushed cloves into a small saucepan with 1 quart of water, and simmer until soft, about 20 minutes.  Mash up the garlic in the broth with a fork, then strain.  A pinch of sea salt for flavor doesn’t hurt.  Take half a cup every couple hours.  This can be repeated the next day if you still have symptoms.

Garlic Syrup

First make Garlic Tea as instructed above, but let it steep overnight, unstrained. 

The next day, strain the tea, reheat until just warm and add 4 tablespoons honey and 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar; do not let the brew come to a boil.  Take one or two tablespoons for adults, a teaspoon for children (but not babies), every hour or so, for 2 days.  After that, refrigerate the syrup (for up to a week) or use it to baste chicken.

Apple Water

In THE HERB BOOK, John Lust says that the dried peels of apples were used as a tea for “rheumatic illness”.  Mrs. M. Grieve, in A MODERN HERBAL, says that a mild apple beverage is drunk cool for feverish conditions.

Take 3 to 4 whole unpeeled apples, slice thin, place in a saucepan with 1 quart water, and bring to a boil; reduce heat, then simmer until soft, about 20 minutes.  Strain, stir in 2 tablespoons honey, then cool to serve. Drink throughout the day as needed.

Barley Water

This recipe is not to be confused with Barley Pops, or Brew Doggies, or any other fond reference to beer.  This is a remedy to be used when the patient may not be able to hold down food, or if the flu is accompanied by vomiting or diarrhea.  It is very soothing to the alimentary tract including the digestive tract because of the mucilaginous nature of barley.

To make Barley Water, use a ratio of four parts water to one part barley.

4 cups water

1 cup barley

honey

fresh lemon

Add barley to the water and bring to a boil.  Lower heat and cover, gently simmering until barley is cooked, about 45 minutes.  To serve, strain, and add honey and lemon to taste (if desired) and drink the liquid warm or cool.

Lemony cold and flu tea

Perhaps some of the best-known home remedies using lemon are for coughs and colds.  Hot honey-lemonade comes to mind:  simply boil a cup of water, squeeze in lemon to taste and stir in a small dab of honey.  You don’t have to be sick to like it, and if it’s close to bedtime, you could add a dash of whisky (depending on your age) for a good night’s sleep.  Remember not to give honey (or whisky) to babies.  Another hot lemon remedy is a tea made with a pounded garlic clove, a squeeze of lemon, a pinch of cinnamon, and a dab of honey.  The following lemony cold and flu combination includes health-enhancing herbs.

Boil 1 cup water, add 1 tablespoon chopped lemon peel, a pinch each sage and thyme (fresh or dried), then steep 15 minutes.  Strain, then add the juice of half a lemon and a small dab of honey; drink at least twice a day.

Zip: A Hearty Garlic Tonic:

I learned about this cold and flu tonic many years ago from my dear old friend Jeannine, who not only had a green thumb, you might say she had rainbow fingers.  You can use Zip everyday in the manner of an old-fashioned apple cider vinegar & honey tonic, with the immune-enhancing properties of fresh garlic. 

To make 1 pint:

Take 2 large heads of garlic (not just the individual cloves, but the whole head), wash well, then smash each clove soundly against a cutting board with the side of a heavy chef’s knife (no need to peel unless they are dirty).  Place the smashed garlic in a pint-sized jar and cover with about 1 to 2 cups good apple cider vinegar; use enough vinegar to keep the garlic completely covered, but it’s okay if some of it floats.  (Don’t expect to use this jar for anything else, except Zip, ever again.)  Place a small piece of waxed paper or plastic over the jar to prevent corrosion, and then screw on the lid.  Label and date.

Keep this somewhere you can see it, and let steep for 2 weeks, shaking daily.  Strain, and then add an equal amount of raw honey to the garlic-infused vinegar.  Place the jar in the sun to warm it if you can to melt the honey easier, otherwise just shake it now and again until dissolved.  You can funnel it into a clean bottle for easier dispensing if desired.  Your batch of  Zip is now ready, and it will keep until you use it up, about 3 months.

If you like, you can add a dried cayenne pepper or two to steep with the garlic, and really boost the octane of this bad boy.  I’ve added a pinch of cayenne powder to the basic recipe, as an afterthought, to take when I actually did have the flu. 

To use as a tonic, just add a splash of Zip (1 or 2 tablespoons) to a glass of water and sip away.  You could even use it as a pungent salad dressing for coleslaw.  Your kids will probably hate it, but the taste kinda grows on you after a while.  It sure does put hair on your chest. 

Yarrow: Trad-but-rad

            To be completely honest, although yarrow smells good as a plant, the tea doesn’t taste that great all by itself.  Nevertheless, when combined with equal parts peppermint leaf and elder flower, it makes an excellent and palatable combination, and a very traditional one I might add, to remedy flu and cold symptoms.  The tannin content is said to inhibit the spread of some viruses, including influenza. 
This tea combination taken at the onset of a cold or flu helps you “sweat it out”.

To make plain yarrow tea or the flu combo, place 1 rounded teaspoon dried herb

 in 1 pint (2 cups) boiling water, cover and remove from heat;

steep for 10 minutes, then strain, sweeten if desired, and drink hot 1 cup at bedtime. 

Let the rest cool to drink in the morning. 

Be sure to stay warm under the blankets to sweat it all out,

changing out of your wet pajamas if you have to.

Household uses of Vinegar

            Vinegar makes a great cleaning product, it even cuts grease on a messy stovetop.  While plain old white vinegar works just fine, I make a three-quarter strength vinegar spray by diluting with one-fourth water and adding several drops each of all the citrus essential oils I have, plus rosemary oil, in a sprayer bottle.  I don’t feel so weird then, placing veggies or whatever directly on the counter, knowing I've sprayed it with a food-grade substance instead of something made from words I can’t even read let alone pronounce.  You could make an infused vinegar for this use as well; herbs known for their antiseptic properties, such as thyme, rosemary, and the mints, would be good choices, along with aromatics such as clove, cinnamon, and allspice (use whole spices and not powdered).  Plain white vinegar, as well as lavender vinegar, makes a good addition to the final rinse in the clothes washer, as it helps remove any soap left in the water, very excellent for washing baby diapers and blankets and so on.  Lavender vinegar makes a good wash for bedrails and toys and such when the kids are sick; it has a soothing yet refreshing aroma-therapeutic quality, and it just makes everything smell cleaner (the Latin word for lavender, lavare, means “to wash”).  I highly recommend using vinegar as a general household cleaner, even when you’re feeling well!

Doreen and Janet at the Squeeze Inn

No, we never get tired of cooking or eating! This is at the All-Women's Tuesday Morning Breakfast at the Squeeze Inn in Clark Fork, Idaho, prior to the demonstration.

Round Two of Daisy's Yellow Rice, this time with restaurant owner Janet Smith. Also pictured are Sheryl Lilly and Janet's daughter Taneesha, who cooked the beans to accompany. I demonstrated how to make the achiote oil (we used frozen sofrito) and the Yellow Rice, and of course everyone got to sample.

I'm not used to being in the "working" kitchen of a restaurant, even a small one such as the Squeeze. I wasn't too intimidated, just that it's another woman's kitchen, so I had to show proper respect! 

One thing was certain, that is, a splendid time was had by all.

(A special note for the future: look for a biscotti recipe from Sheryl that'll give you reason to leave behind those jaw-breakers you've had in the past and come over to our side of the kitchen!)

Sofrito and Achiote Oil

Deliciousness according to Daisy Martinez!

Yes, this is the continuing story of last blogpost's "Daisy's Yellow Rice". Here we will discuss two ingredients which are integral to the dish, namely Sofrito ("which does everything but make the beds") and Achiote Oil, which is made from annatto seeds.

I might also mention here about the ingredient called alcaparrado which might be akin to the Italian giardiniera except simpler. Daisy says it "is nothing more than a jarred condiment containing olives...,diced pimientos, and capers," (from Daisy: Morning, Noon and Night). I have never found the alcaparrado so I use the green spanish olives with pimientos, and i guess you could chop up some capers too. (I need to plan a trip to the new Trader Joe's in Spokane!)

As for the Achiote Oil, nothing could be easier. You just have to keep it from burning, which will ruin the oil! Annatto seeds are available from herb companies such as Frontier, as well as Latin American markets or sections of your local "grocery store". They are about the size of a small lentil, irregularly spherical and bumpy, dark red in color and when heated with oil turns it a beautiful and fragrant orangey-red, which in turn makes the rice "yellow". Annatto is sometimes used to color butter. 

Achiote Oil

1 cup olive oil, or olive and sunflower (which is what I did)

2 tablespoons annatto seed

Put these ingredients in a small pan and place over the lowest simmer you can. You want to see the seeds begin to sizzle, but not fry. My stove has a very low simmer flame, so I can let it go for a while, letting the oil steep and give off it's aromatherapeutic fragrance, making me crazy! Do not let the seeds burn. Strain the oil into a heatproof jar and let cool before covering with the lid. Will keep at room temp for about a week.

Other ways to use Achiote Oil: as a rub on roasted chicken inside and out, with canned beans and sofrito, to make risotto,  to flavor and color cheeses...

 

When preparing the Sofrito, Daisy makes a big batch of it, and since the recipe for the rice only calls for a cup or so, she then freezes the rest and uses it later... a very Wild & Weedy thing to do, I might add. The above photo shows the sofrito already prepped and waiting to make the yellow rice, with chopped green olives. For such strong flavors uncooked, this dish is truely savory medicine for the soul.

Another thing about the Sofrito is the type of peppers she calls for. That ol' Daisy lives in New York City, where you can get anything anytime, and the food is fresh too, dammit! So here in northern Hi-Dee-Ho we get what we can, and that includes peppers. Do your best to get the feel of the recipe and choose your produce accordingly... again, a Wild & Weedy thing! I ended up using some green and yellow bell peppers, anaheim peppers, and a serrano pepper (the red bell pepper available was non-organic, which I didn't want). So much for following her recipe -- it still tastes great, I promise! She also calls for a leafy herb called Culantro, Eryngium foetidum, commonly used in Latin American and Asian cooking. Never tried it, am considering growing, but for now will stick to cilantro, which is easier to grow and more prolific.

Sofrito

2 medium Spanish onions, chunked up

3 to 4 cubanelle or Italian frying peppers, stemmed and seeded

16 to 20 cloves garlic, peeled

1 large bunch cilantro, well washed

7 to 10 ajies dulces/ajicitos, stemmed and seeded 

    (this is where you have to get creative! these are like a habanero except sweet)

4 leaves culantro (optional, see above)

3 to 4 plum tomatoes, cored and chunked

1 large red bell pepper, stemmed and seeded

You can do this by hand but a food processor is the real ticket. Place the onions, peppers and garlic in the bowl of the processor and pulse until coarsely chopped. Then add the rest of the ingredients, one at a time, until all is incorporated and the Sofrito is nicely chopped. This will keep in the frige for 3 or 4 days, but you can freeze it too and have it at the ready to flavor everything including the kitchen sink!

 

Other ways to use Sofrito: in scrambled eggs, with canned beans, on a hamburger, in spaghetti sauce... 

I want you to look for all of Daisy's cooking books, they are warm and inviting, with flavorful recipes to knock your socks off, not to mention Daisy herself, who really comes through in the writing. I love her!

And I love Yellow Rice!

 Daisy's Blog

Yum! Yellow Rice Again!

You make me crazy, Miss Daisy!

I am referring to, of course, the one and only Daisy Martinez, whose fabulous books read just like she was speaking directly to you, with all her jesting and enthusiasm. I fell in love with Yellow Rice as soon as I tasted it. This recipe is from her book (co-authored with Chris Styler) Daisy: Morning, Noon and Night - Bringing Your Family Together with Everyday Latin Dishes. There are some ingredients you'll need to prep ahead of time, such as Achiote Oil and Sofrito, and these recipes are also in the book - both are very easy. I will give you the recipes for them in a follow-up post.  Here is a recipe for Daisy's Yellow Rice for four people.

Daisy's Yellow Rice

1/4 cup Achiote Oil

1/2 cup Sofrito

2 tablespoons alcaparrado or coarsly chopped green olives with pimiento

1 tablespoon kosher salt or sea salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1 bay leaf

1-1/2 cups long grain white rice (do not be tempted to use brown rice)

3-to-4 cups chicken broth

Heat the achiote oil in a large saucepan or dutch oven (enameled) over medium high heat.  Have all your ingredients ready so the oil doesn't get too hot.

.

Stir in the sofrito and the alcaparrado and cook until the liquid has evaporated and the pot is sizzling. Season with the salt, pepper and cumin. Turn the heat up to high, stir in the rice, and cook until the rice is coated with the mixture in the pan and the grains begin to turn opaque, just a few minutes.

Pour in enough chicken broth to cover the rice by about an inch (Daisy's instructions) and toss in the bay leaf. Boil until the broth is down to the rice, give it a stir, then turn the heat to a very low simmer. Cover and cook for about 20 minutes  - do not stir or lift the lid while the rice is cooking.

Last night's rice is shown served with elk hock pieces slow-cooked to unctuous perfection, surely the kind of thing a caring Abuela would serve to her loved ones!

Herbal Treatments for the Hair, Part Seven - "She's So Unusual"

Oh Yes! You are in for a visual treat here, as well as some interesting results. I found the following concoction referenced in more than one place, most notably THE COMPLETE HERBAL GUIDE TO NATURAL HEALTH & BEAUTY by Dian Dincin Buchman. Even though this book was written in the early '70's (1970's that is) it has a very down to earth approach, with many personal ancedotes by the author as well as traditions from her grandmother. This recipe is so unusual that I had to include it here.

Parsnip Hair Conditioner

Take 1 parsnip root, scrub clean, trim, then chop small and simmer in 1/4 cup almond oil; toss in a pinch of parsnip seed if you have it. (What I actually did was chop up a few small roots and covered with plenty of oil, because I wanted to save some for later.)

Simmer on low heat for 30 minutes.

It is my first impulse to add garlic to any simmering oil, but this is neither the time nor the place!

After simmering, strain and press out as much oil as possible from the root.

Since I didn't do the treatment right away, I decanted the cooled oil back into the oil bottle and refrigerated it. The small amount of oil that didn't fit  and didn't get refrigerated (I used one-and-a-half bottles) went rancid after a month. So let that be a lesson to you.

When I was finally ready to apply the treatment, I placed the opened bottle of oil into a small pan of water on simmer for maybe 15 minutes, just to take the cold out. The method for applying to the scalp and hair is as a "hot" oil pack - the oil isn't really hot, just a bit warm. Part your hair as you go, getting the scalp most importantly.

Wrap your hair in plastic wrap and then a towel. How glamorous!

What do you think of the results?

When I do the oil treatment again next time (which is likely since I have been experincing a bout of "adult cradle cap" and the oil feels soothing) - and what I didn't say in my book THE WILD  & WEEDY APOTHECARY - I will definately concentrate on the scalp more, and less on the hair... Why? I washed my hair three times with Dr. Bronner's liquid castile soap, to try and be more "natural", and still had oily hair. Then I used Nature's Gate Tea Tree Shampoo, and the oil was gone from my hair... which made me wonder...

Other books I use as reference for my work include Jeanne Rose's Kitchen Cosmetics, and A Modern Herbal by Mrs. M. Grieve and originally published in 1931.  You could certainly simmer other herbs in oil and apply the same way. Please refer to earlier blogposts in this series, or get a copy of my book for this and other ways to use herbs and other plants for safe and readily available body care.

This blogpost is dedicated to Gramma Lil, with whom I will forever associate the rare and humble Parsnip.

Part Six - Herbal Treatments for the Hair

"Color Me Pretty"

There are several plants, in addition to Persian, Indian or  Egyptian henna, that add subtle coloring and highlights to the hair, some for blondes, some for brunettes, and some for redheads and gray or silver hair. Some henna formulations are neutral and do not add any color but do bring shine and elasticity to the hair; it actually coats the hair shaft.

I wouldn't recommend using any of these plant dyes on white hair  unless you are very adventurous!

Following the methods described in Part One for making Herbal Hair Tea, make a brew out of perhaps three of the following suggested herbs and repeatedly wash or brush through the hair over a large tub to catch and re-use the coloring brew. You could also use the powdered herb pack method as well, which is how henna is applied. As I said in Part One, "messy, but fun" !! Please wear gloves and old clothes, and have lots of towels ready as well.

I listed these herbs in the Introduction, but here they are again for your convenience.

chamomile flower - light hair

elderberries - very dark hair (experiment with this on a hidden strand first, this may dye your hair blue!)

grape leaves - dark

green walnut husks - brown (this definately stains)

henna - red tones to dark; these are storebought, but very traditional

hollyhock flowers - according to color

marigold petals - light and golden (this includes both common marigolds and calendula or pot-marigold)

mulberries - see elderberry, above, except they're more purplish-black

mullein leaf and flower - golden

poppy petals - red or golden

raspberry leaf - dark

rhubarb root - golden

rose petals - according to color (doesn't get very dark)

sage - for dark or grey, more for lustre than dye

St. John's wort flowering tops - red or golden

I have used the golden herbs for adding highlights to my brown hair, but my hair is graying now, so I need to take a different approach. As a fun finale, Part Seven will feature a very unusual hair and scalp concoction for which yours truely will model LOL, and which I dedicate to my Grandma Lil and her luscious Ox-tail Soup...

... now I gotcha wonderin', huh?

Herbal Treatments for the Hair - Part Five

Tonics to Treat Dandruff and to Stimulate a Healthy Scalp:  Don't Flake Out!

Before I go on to our next set of recipes and remedies, let me describe the term tonic. Often used preventatively, a tonic is a substance used to strengthen a  system, usually in the absence of injury or disease, such as grandma's spring dandelion tonic for scouring out a winter's worth of  taters and gravy and not enough veggies. In the context of this article, we are talking about home-made products you can use on a regular basis to bring the scalp pH into balance, whether overactive (oily) or dry. The pH of hair and nails - on the acid to alkaline scale of 1 to 14 - is about 5, with skin being between 5 to 6.8 . Tonics can also be used prevent, or create a condition less likely to allow, scalp problems such as dandruff, psoriasis, eczema, and so on (I call it "adult cradle cap" and am having my first ever bout of such ever, truth be told... more on that in a later installment). These conditions may differ in degree of severity and/or cause, but the following tonics and treatments will  at least alleviate the symptoms, if not the causes.

If you have dandruff you might traipse over to Scarborough Faire for your first treatment. Using the method described in Part Two for making "Herbal Hair Tea", prepare equal parts parsley for shine, sage for cleansing, rosemary for its all-around tonic properties, and thyme for the mildly medicinal effect, and use this brew as a scalp treatment. Rub it into the scalp and do not rinse. You can also make a vinegar rinse with these herbs, as described in our previous blog-posting (Part Four). This formula is more suitable for dark hair.

Another dandruff tonic combines equal parts nettle leaf, violet leaf, red clover blossom, and peppermint leaf. Red clover contains salicylic acid, and many dandruff shampoos contain this compound. I have noticed all these herbal extracts in store-bought shampoo formulas. How cool  to utilize whole plants to include its other soothing properties.

In addition to the above mentioned herbs, birch bark, hollyhock flower, rose petal, and willow bark are also good herbs to use as a dandruff tonic. Apple cider vinegar can be used all by itself too.

Some tonics have been used as "growth stimulants" but they are not the herbal equivalent of Rogaine. Rather, they are a type of tonic that has been traditionally used (along with good nutrition and exercise) to stimulate new hair growth. Rosemary is a good example of a hair tonic herb. Catnip is said to be an old Gypsy remedy for hair loss. The inner bark of the hemlock tree (Tsuga spp.)  is another traditional remedy, briskly rubbed into the scalp. Do not confuse this hemlock tree with poisonous water hemlock... one is a tall evergreen tree, the other is a demon carrot on steroids. If you decide use the hemlock bark, be sure to take it only from a branch, and do not, don't EVER, take bark from the actual trunk of the tree. Not only will you eventually kill it if not most certainly injure it, but you will be committing the tree-equivalent of skinning something alive... BAD KARMA!

Birch leaf or twig, horsetail (scouring rush), juniper berries, nettles, sage leaf, and yarrow flowers are all herbs that have been used as a hair and scalp tonic.


Might I remind you again to use a dark towel when using these herbal treatments for your hair, as they are often dark in color and could stain.

My personal all around favorite herbal combination for the hair is nettles and mint, because I make tea with the herbs, and if I have any leftover (even a bit of honey won't hurt), I can rub it into my scalp and away we go!

... and yes, I do it in that order, first tea, then hair, okay?!?

Herbal Treatments for the Hair - Part Four

"What Condition Your Conditioner is In"

Herb-steeped vinegar is a very good final rinse for the hair after shampooing. Even plain ol' apple cider vinegar will do. You can use it straight, or dilute with water by half. If your hair is very coarse or dry, the following conditioner can be used sparingly, after shampooing but while your hair is still wet, to give it some shine.

To make Almond Oil Hair Conditioner, boil 1 cup of water, add a  pinch each (fresh or dried) rosemary and lavender leaves, remove from heat, then cover and steep for 15 minutes. Strain, then funnel into a bottle and add 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) of almond oil. Shake, shake, shake to disperse, then pour a small amount into your hand and gently work into your wet hair, especially the ends. Wrap in a towel until dampened off, then comb your hair with your fingers and let air dry. You might try using a spray bottle for this application, but I think the oil might clog up the nozzle. This conditioner keeps about 1 week, so if more than one person will be using it, the recipe can be easily doubled.

For deep conditioning, you can give your hair and scalp a hot oil treatment. The best oils for this are avocado and almond, although you can use sunflower or jojoba oil, like many of our Native American grandmothers did. Jojoba oil is very similar to our own skin and hair oils, and it has a long tradition in American and Mexican grooming as a hair restorative. Indigenous people of the Pacific Islands and coastal Asia traditionally used fragrant coconut oil on the hair, scalp and skin. You can add a few drops of essential oil such as rosemary or lavender to the oil treatment, or you can plan ahead and make a compound oil, such as for herbal salves, without the beeswax. (You might want to check out my book, The Wild & Weedy Apothecary for more complete instructions on making an herbal oil, or check back into the blog for Mother's Tummy Rub, for information on how to steep herbs in oil.) 

To prepare the Hot Oil Treatment, take about 4 ounces (1/2 cup) oil, a little more if your hair is longer, and heat gently in a double-boiler fashion; I usually place the oil in a small canning jar inside a small saucepan filled with just enough water so the jar doesn't float. Slowly heat until warm, remove from heat, and add 2 or 3 drops essential oil if using. Dip your fingers in the oil, then rub into your scalp, a small section at at time. Continue until the whole scalp is treated, then go ahead and do the strands, especially the drier ends. (No oil or contidioner will "repair" split ends, these must be trimmed.) Now for the fun part, and it sounds worse than it is: wrap your hair in a plastic bag and then an old towel, and hope nobody takes your picture! After about 15 minutes, rinse as much as you can with plain warm water, then shampoo with your homemade herbal shampoo. Finish with a vinegar rinse.

Another plant used by Native Americans of the Sonora region is creosote bush (Larrea tridentata). This plant is also known as chapparal and has a very strong aroma. It was effectively used for dry skin, dandruff, and brittle hair. Researchers have uncovered an isolate of this plant that apparently "was found to suppress HIV-1 replication in human cells". [Krompegel, Karla. "Ethnobotany of Two Contrasting American Ecosystems: Amazonia and the Sonoran Desert"  (www.colostate.edu/Depts/Entomology/courses/en570/papers_2000/Krompegen.html)]

Here are a couple formulas for vinegar-herb rinses that are very refreshing and, might I say in spite of or maybe because of the vinegar, very fragrant as well. The vinegar aroma disappates (mostly!) and some of the other aromas remain. Dilute the vinegar in water by half. These recipes require you to heat the vinegar to near-boiling before using, and be sure to use heat-proof glass for steeping, such a canning jar.

Herb-Vinegar Rinse for Dark Hair

Using 1 cup fresh or 1/2 cup dried, combine at least 2 of the following herbs, plus a pinch of ground clove, take rosemary, sage (especially good for grey hair), nettles, plantain leaf, red clover, or maybe even a bit of exotic sandalwood or henna powder, place in a 1 pint jar, then cover with hot vinegar. Cover, label and date. Let steep a few days, then strain into a decanting container. To use, simply squirt a little over your cleanly shampooed hair and scalp, and massage in. Rinsing isn't necessary, although you might want to use a dark colored towel.

Herb-Vinegar Rinse for Light Hair

Follow the same method as above, but instead, use at least two of these herbs for light or reddish hair: calendula petals, chamomile flowers, marigold petals, mullein leaf, rhubarb root, lemon or orange peel. Use the same as for dark hair.

I hope you find these recipes & remedies useful, if not amusing and experimental; there are other herbs you can use, and I will offer a book list at the end of this series of articles for further reading. These are the ways of our grandmothers, making our own cosmetics and body care potions. I realize not everyone has access to, or the desire to use, these kinds ingredients; some are messy, or a bit oily, but they're real.  If you can meet your most immediate needs with ingredients found in your pantry and garden or the forests and fields around you, you'll gain a deep inner satisfaction from knowing you can create remedies for common complaints, if not at least a bit of olde-ways glamour to your personal charisma...


Hey, you can make your own shampoo and conditioner! doesn't that just kick ass?!?

Herbal Hair Treatments - Part Three

How about this sweet slice o'life, my Aunt Carol & Uncle Joe at Gramma Lil's kitchen sink, late 1950's, I think.

"Tiny Bubbles"

You can make your own specially formulated herbal shampoo - how cool is that? This shampoo is very simple to prepare (which makes it a good kids-craft), is much gentler on your hair, and the cost is minimal.

Homemade Herbal Shampoo

    Take 1 pint boiling water, toss in a big handful of herbs appropriate to your hair type.

You can refer to Part One of this article for Categories of use.

For example, with my dark and graying hair, I would use rosemary, sage and birch bark .

So, you've tossed your chosen herbs into the boiling water,

now reduce the heat to a simmer and let steep for 20 minutes,

adding more hot water to keep it roughly at 1 pint if the liquid evaporates.

After 20 minutes, line a colander with cheesecloth or other cloth, and strain the brew, and cool.

Remove strainer, then stir in 2 ounces grated castile soap or 2 ounces liquid castile soap to the brew, stirring until melted or well blended.    

Now you can pour your shampoo into a dispensing bottle.

When choosing what herbs to use, try to formulate it with something from each category. If you remember from Part One, the categories are Tonics, Growth Stimulant, and Dyes or Colorants.

Dandruff is also one of the categories, but not everyone needs to treat their scalp as such; however, all the herbs in this category are considered tonic and soothing. You may find that a little goes a long way with this natural soap shampoo compared to most commercial brands (which are likened to detergents), and you can dilute it, or bump it up a notch, to suit your lather requirements.

Follow up your herbal shampoo with your own herbal conditioner, which will be discussed in the next blog-post, Herbal Treatments for the Hair - Part Three, "What Condition Your Conditioner Is In".  

Herbal Treatments for the Hair - Part Two

Part Two of Herbal Treatments for the Hair explains how to make an herbal tea for your hair, and a conditioning pack for deep treatment. The hollyhock flower pictured above is one plant that can be used to treat dandruff and other scalp irritations; the red ones can be used as a colorant, if you're adventurous!

Herbal Hair Tea

    One of the simplest ways to use herbs on your hair is to make a strong tea or decoction of the appropriate herbs - such as birch leaf and nettles for a general tonic - strain into a wide bowl (put the soggy herbs into the compost), and place the bowl into a deep sink or tub. Lean over the tub so that your head and hair are over the bowl, and pour cupfuls of the warm brew repeatedly over your hair until thoroughly wetted, catching what you pour back into the bowl. Continue pouring and working it into your hair and scalp until the brew is too cold for comfort. At this point, you can either rinse your hair with lukewarm water, or wrap in a dark towel (to prevent staining), then dry and style.

    To make herbal hair tea, take 1 quart boiling water and add 1 or 2 handfuls of plant material; turn off heat and steep for about 20 minutes. You may need more water and herbs for longer hair. This potion will keep in the refrigerator for about 3 days.

    You can also use herbal hair tea as a scalp treatment by rubbing it into your scalp every day or two, depending on what condition you are dealing with. I think you can overdo it with regular shampooing, especially in the dry cold of winter. While the scalp still needs conditioning, the hair can get dry and brittle. Most commercial shampoos are detergents that strip the hair and scalp of any natural oils and acidity it may have had; they may, in fact, overstimulate the scalp into producing more oils. So the herbal hair treatments are a good thing, restoring the scalp and hair follicles with new vigor.

Messy but Fun

    An alternative method of herbal hair treatment is especially for deep and long-lasting results, and one that requires significantly more plant material. You will use dried powdered herbs (use a blender to make your own) to make an herbal pack for the hair and scalp. Hollyhock flower, rose petal and willow bark, for example, can be used to rescue irritating dandruff, mixed with a little apple cider vinegar and applied warm to the scalp. This can also be used as a coloring technique, such as for henna (an exotic, not local, plant); we will discuss dyes and colorants in Part Six.

    Before you begin, tie your hair up, if possible, and rub a schmeer of petroleum jelly on your forehead and neck at the hairline, and the backs of your ears, so your skin doesn't take on any stain.

    To make an herbal hair pack, you'll need 4 to 8 ounces of powdered plant material to do this, depending on how long your hair is. Use approximately 1 pint of boiling water to the herbs to make a runny paste, adding more hot water if necessary to keep it easy to work and spread. Once it's cool enough (you still want it fairly warm), apply to the hair in sections, from scalp to ends, then roll up each section and clip it to keep it out of the way.

    Keep in mind that this is a very messy procedure, so plan accordingly, i.e., newspapers to cover the floor, old towels and grubby clothes, a helpful friend who has sworn not to take your picture with their cell phone, etc... Once the pack is in place, wrap your hair with plastic wrap, put a dark towel around your neck, and just sight tight for about 20 minutes. Keep paper towels handy to wipe up any drips. Then head to the shower to rinse and shampoo thoroughly.

Whether you choose the herbal hair tea or the hair pack method to treat your hair, you can expect your hair and scalp to feel clean and refreshed. Depending on the herbs you choose, the results will be gradual (except for dyes and colorings) and gentle. As mentioned in Part One, some herbs are used for more than one condition. Rosemary is a good herb to start with for dark hair; chamomile is often used for light hair.

Part Three will discuss making your own tiny bubbles, that is, homemade herbal shampoo specific to your hair type. 

Herbal Treatments for the Hair, introduction

Greetings and welcome to Part One of a seven-part series, "Herbal Treatments for the Hair". This is an edited excerpt from my book, The Wild & Weedy Apothecary. I hope you will come back for the rest of the series.

Introduction

    With winter approaching, and indoor enviroments becoming warmer and drier than earlier in the year, you will find that herbal hair concoctions can add luster to your locks, resulting in a shiny, healthy head of hair, your true crowning glow-ry. Welcome to the world of wild and weedy plants traditionally used on the hair and scalp. These plants grow readily in my vicinity, specifically northern Idaho. These plants can be found in many other places as well, and although other regions and cultures may use different plants, I like to forage locally if at all possible. Except for dyes and colorants, which will be included later in the series, I have categorized these herbs and listed them below.

    Herbal hair treatments include those for dandruff, olde-timey growth stimulants, tonics, dyes and colorants, and homemade shampoo using liquid castile soap. Some herbs fall into more than one category, such as the sage plants shown in the photo (courtesy of my spring greenhouse). There are also plants such as soapwort (Saponaria officinalis) and yucca (Yucca spp.) that contain saponins (soapy colloidal compounds) and actually make a sudsy lather in water, and these were used for external cleansing for centuries by the native people of North America.

    All the treatments discussed are for both men and women. If you are using herbal shampoos or hair rinses for children, dilute them to half-strength. Although these herbal hair treatments are made with family-friendly herbs, they are made stronger than usual, so do not drink.

Categories of use:

Tonics

birch leaf or twig

horsetail (also known as scouring rush)

juniper berries

nettles

rosemary

sage leaf

yarrow flowers

Dandruff

apple cider vinegar

birch bark

hollyhock flower

nettles

peppermint

red clover blossom

rose petal

rosemary

sage leaf

violet leaf

willow bark

Growth stimulants

catnip

clove (very small amount)

hemlock tree bark

nettles

rosemary

Part Two of the series will discuss preparing and using "Herbal Hair Tea" and the "Messy but Fun" alternative method, the herbal hair pack. Oh yeah, it's messy, but it is fun!

Bread 'n' Butter, boys!

It's been a couple years  since we grew enough cucumbers to make bread & butter pickles, but here we are with about six cups in waiting... after all, how many pickles does one need at a setting? I'm thinking raw cheddar on whole-grain toast with the tender cuke and onion sweetness glazing the top... this is a favorite winter breakfast for me, if you don't mind!

I thought we would only be able to make the 1-pint  as per the recipe in the book, SUMMER IN A JAR byAndrea Chesman. It offers small-batch recipes, and it just so happened that those cucumbers in the Pyrex measuring cup amounted to about 6 cups.

As you can see from the photo above, I've used this recipe many times, doubling or quadrupling the quantities, and changing only the seasonings to my personal likings. Never change the amount of salt or vinegar in a recipe for pickled vegetables, they are designed to be the proper amount of "natural preservative" - in accordance with flavor of course - along with the processing time, to make a safe home-preserved product. Chesman says to process for 5 minutes per pint (including steam canning, which I do not recommend); my USDA/University Extension sources say to process for 10 minutes, and that is what I do. Nevertheless, I do use her proportions for flavorings and vinegar, I like how they taste. I highly recommend doubling the amount of brine though, there's never enough for the amount of cucumbers! (Vinegar and spices aren't very expensive, and better safe than sorry. You can always use the leftovers for slaw dressing.)

 

Pretty cucumber slices with thinly-sliced onion half-moons...

Here we are adding the salt to the cuke-onion blend...

(a little side visit to my reference books)

... then covering with water and ice cubes to stand for about 3 hours to crisp and brine.

And so, the part I forgot to show you, and it's all because I am a beginner at this photo-journaling thing, is the vinegar brine, which is not to be confused with the salt brine, as shown above. After the three hours, the cukes are drained (remove the ice cubes by hand, or they will dilute the vinegar OH NO!!!), and placed into the awaiting boiling spicy sweet brine. (The vinegar and spices smell strong at first. Be sure you make extra.) When the cucumbers, onions and brine come back to a boil, you fill the sterilized canning jars (with lids and rings at the ready)...


 

and bring to a rolling boil...

... careful, put the lid back on, and put the boil down to steady, no need to rock the jars around (I had 6 half-pints going; I like to put empty jars into the spaces to keep them from falling over.).

Then, after the 10-minutes time processing, the heat is shut off, the canner lid removed (remember, this is a boiling water canner, not a pressure canner), we wait another 5 minutes, then take the jars out of the water. Keep them from getting knocked around, and out of any cool draft. Yesterday the outdoor temps went into the high 80's and I had the exhaust fan going while the water was boiling, but once the jars were on the counter, I shut the fan off until they cooled off some.

Really, can you taste these next to cold sliced turkey or duck breast, or whatever your tradition for enjoying bread & butter pickles? Tell me how you like 'em!

So, without any further ado, here is the recipe from Chesman. I will admonish you again to make extra vinegar brine, I hate to see you scrounging to heat up extra vinegar at the last minute to top off the jars (grandma's quick-fix for this kind of mistake - NEVER top off with hot water! This will dilute the brine, which is what you don't want.)

BREAD AND BUTTER PICKLES - Makes 1 pint

2-1/2  cups thinly sliced cucumbers

1/2 cup thinly sliced onion (I like to cut the onions in half first)

1-1/2 teaspoons pickling salt (or plain sea salt)

Water and ice cubes

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

3 tablespoons sugar

1/4 teaspoon turmeric

1 teaspoon whole mustard seed

1/2 teaspoon mixed pickling spice

1 small dried hot pepper per jar

In a large bowl, combine the cukes, onions and salt. Mix well. ("If you are multiplying this recipe, do not use more than 3 tablespoons salt...") Cover veggies & salt with cold water and ice cubes, place in refrigerator, and let brine for 3 to 4 hours. Drain. If the cukes taste too salty, rinse and drain again.

In a large non-aluminum saucepan, place remaining ingredients (except hot pepper) and

heat till boiling. Carefully stir in the drained cucumber and onion, and bring back to a gentle boil.

With hot jars at the ready, pack each with veggie and brine liquid leaving 1/2-inch headspace. Wipe rims, cover with lids and rings, and place in simmering hot water canner, and process 10 minutes for pints and half-pints. Turn off the heat, remove the lid, wait 5 minutes, then remove jars from canner to a towel, and keep out of drafts.

Next day, remove rings and wash jars, label and date, and lovingly admire the collaboration between you and the magic of the gardenand Mother Nature at her fullest.

Ohhhh, that sandwich is calling me! But you will like the pickles better if you wait three or four weeks before popping them open, giving the flavors a chance to get cozy.

I'd like to add here that the above recipe makes the assumption that you already know how to do water-bath canning (and also know how to multiply fractions!). If not, maybe you need an experienced friend to hang out with you for the first time or two (Thank you Lolana  Grace  Fontaign... I love you... I miss you...)... but for your reading pleasure, here are the books I used for referencing my procedures. Of course, there are many others.  Perhaps I will offer a list as a separate blog entry.

SUMMER IN A JAR: MAKING PICKLES, JAMS & MORE, by Andrea Chesman

SO EASY TO PRESERVE by the Cooperative Extension University of Georgia ("Bulletin 989")

BALL BLUE BOOK GUIDE TO HOME CANNING, FREEZING  & DEHYDRATION by Alltrista Corporation

Enjoy that garden and put up some of summer's bounty for this coming winter's feasting. A simple jar of pickles can make a big difference to an ordinary meal. Plus, you know where the food is coming from.

www.soeasytopreserve.com