Growing Chamomile Tea

Grow, dry, and enjoy a cup of chamomile tea.

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Plant Tea in your Herb Garden
About 6 weeks ago, I started my herb garden. I went to the nursery and bought about a dozen different young starts. In the mix, I bought some German chamomile. It's a hardy, fast-growing plant and, if you've never grown your own tea, this would be a good one to start with.

 

Chamomile (Matricaria Recutita).
Its daisy-like flowers contain many
healing and therapeutic substances.

Chamomile Benefits

German chamomile contains substances that promote relaxation and decrease inflammation. As a tea, it helps reduce anxiety and many people take it at night to help them relax so that they can fall asleep. It is also used by some for digestive system issues and menstrual cramps. Chamomile is often found in creams used for skin conditions, such as eczema.

Harvesting

Once the little yellow and white flowers bloom, you can pinch or cut them at the very top of the stem and place them on a screen or cheese cloth and dry naturally.

I use my Excalibur Dehydrator and place the flowers on the dehydrator screen with another screen on top to keep them from blowing away. I dry the flowers on the lowest heat setting until they feel crunchy, about 10 to 12 hours. If they are still pliable, they are not ready.

Flowers on a dehydrator screen

Flowers weighted down with another screen

A bowl of dried chamomile flowers

Another way to dry them, is to just hang up a big branch. I have this pretty statue in my kitchen that holds enough to make a few cups of tea. It's quite decorative :-)

Hang a branch or the entire plant to dry.

Make tea by steeping a few teaspoons of dried flowers, or more depending on the desired strength, in boiling water for several minutes. Strain and enjoy.

Or place the dried tea in a tea filter bag and submerge the bag in boiling water. This prevents having to strain the tea.

No need to strain the tea leaves
when you use a T-Sac Filter Bag. 

Precautions

German chamomile should be avoided by people with allergies to ragweed, daisies, and other asters. It also should be avoided for two weeks before having surgery as it may interact with anesthesia.

Although chamomile tea is good for soothing the tummy, something women in their first trimester of pregnancy would appreciate, studies as to the safety of drinking chamomile tea during pregnancy are inconclusive. So use caution and talk to your healthcare provider.

Should We Stop Taking Wildcrafted Herbs?

Echinacea is a popular herb used to boost the immune system. But is it over harvested?

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Wildcrafted Herbs
I've always had the notion that wildcrafted herbs were superior to ones that were cultivated. With this belief, I would always select wildcrafted herbal products when I had the choice. But the demand for herbal and botanical supplements has become a multi-billion dollar business which has resulted in large-scale wildcrafting. This itself is an oxymoron. When I think of wildcrafting, I imagine a herbalist wondering through a beautiful forest with a wicker basket on their arm, carefully pruning or gathering a small amount of leaves, flowers, roots, or bark to meet their needs or the needs of their clients. But, unfortunately, the reality of it can be a large-scale producer bulldozing trees for bark, or over harvesting herbs to near extinction. Besides herbal remedies, many prescription drugs are based on plants. For example, the plant-derived anti-cancer drug taxol was first isolated from the Pacific yew. 

Species at Risk
Here are just a few of the plants that are at risk:
Wild Echinacea angustifolia and Echinacea purpurea have become such a popular remedy for boosting the immune system during cold and flu season, that they have been commercially over harvested.

Slippery elm is a popular soothing agent for coughs and GI issues. Many of the slippery elm wood trees are stripped of their bark and left to die.

American Ginseng is used to fight infection, for stress, and as a stimulant. Wildcrafted American ginseng is in such high demand that it has been declared an endangered species in some states in the U.S.

The bark from the Pacific and Chinese yew, as mentioned above, are used to produce taxol. These species have been identified in need of protection.

Pacific yew bark

Black cohosh, a popular herb that women take to alleviate menopause symptoms, as well as to treat colds, rheumatism, and pain, are at great risk from over harvesting, especially since nearly 100% of the supply comes from wild harvesting.

Goldenseal, used for many conditions such as the common cold and upper respiratory infections, is already considered rare and endangered in many states.

Look For Organically Cultivated Herbs
An organically cultivated plant is one that is grown on unpolluted land without the use of chemical fertilizers, herbicides, or pesticides. If grown in this natural way, they can have the same medicinal efficacy as their wild counterparts. So if you are in the health food store looking for herbs, you may opt for one that is organically cultivated rather than one that is commercially wildcrafted. 

Responsible Herbalists Allowed, of course
I'm not suggesting that a responsible herbalist stop wildcrafting. Most have great respect for mother earth. They know how not to damage the plant and not to take more than they need. An experienced herbalist would use sustainable practices and would not over harvest an endangered plant. But for those of us who buy our herbal supplements, I gently suggest that organically cultivated herbs, from a respectable company, will be just as effective and will cause less stress to our plants in the wild.

Plant an Herb Garden
Many popular herbs will grow in your garden. I planted calendula a few years back when we had our nephew's wedding here and it has reseeded itself every since. It makes a lovely oil infusion and skin remedy.

Calendula from my garden

I think it's best to make a list of plants you would use. Then check on the growing conditions that are required and see if they will grow in your area. Pick one or two and give it a try. Be careful, some herbs are pretty invasive and can take over your garden, such as lemon balm, comfrey and any kind of mint. You may want to plant them in an individual container and either leave the container above ground, or recess them into the garden. Once you've grown the herb, the fun begins. You can learn to make infusions, tinctures, herbal pills, and more!

Mother Earth has provided us with all the food and medicine we need but we must remember to be good stewards and to take care of the gifts that nature gives us.

Make Organic Pain Relief Salve In Your Instant PotMakes A Great Holiday Gift!

Homemade salves make a great gift,
especially when they are in Infinity Jars.

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Herbs
My latest passion is working with herbs. I especially enjoy making salves using the highest quality ingredients I can find. My next step will be to grow some of these flowers myself but today I'm going to show you how to make a simple salve that you can use on sore or spastic muscles, nerve pain, arthritic pain, and more. 

The most important thing is to use organic ingredients. Even though it is not to be used internally or on broken skin, this salve will be absorbed through the skin. I buy all certified organic herbs from Mountain Rose. I also like using organic extra virgin olive oil instead of coconut oil, probably because I'm Italian and I use olive oil for everything, and because it's easier to get consistent firmness. I also throw in a little jojoba oil (it's actually a wax) for added moisturizing and vitamin E as a preservative.

Arnica can help treat physical trauma, bruises, strains,muscle pain and can reduce swelling.

Calendula flowers are useful for skin irritations.

Comfrey relieves pain, swelling, supporting muscle, cartilage and bone.

St. John's Wort is used for bruises and nerve support.

Instant Pot Does It Again
Just when I am convinced that I've discovered all the things my Instant Pot Electric Pressure cooker can do, I discover another one. It turns out that the yogurt setting and the slow cooker setting are perfect in the salve-making process! 

                 *                           *                             *

Organic Pain Relief Salve
Do not use internally or on broken skin
[makes 8 ounces]

Requires a pint jar and top, an Instant Pot Pressure Cooker, a scale, cheese cloth, small cosmetic jars, a pint or quart pyrex with pour spout (one that fits inside your Instant Pot).

Ingredients
1/4 ounce organic calendula flowers
1/4 ounce organic comfrey
1/4 ounce organic arnica flowers
1/4 ounce organic St. John's Wort
Everclear or vodka in a small spray bottle
1 1/4 cups organic extra virgin olive oil or more to cover
1 ounce beeswax*
1 tablespoon organic jojoba oil 
1/4 teaspoon vitamin E
40 to 50 drops organic essential oils

* For a vegan salve, substitute carnauba wax

Directions

Clean the cosmetic jars thoroughly and dry completely. Set aside.

Carefully measure out your herbs. Break the flowers up with your hands (don't grind or they will be hard to strain out later). 

Place the broken up herbs in a shallow pan and spray with Everclear or Vodka to open up the herbs. Let sit for 5 to10 minutes.

Place in a jar and cover with olive oil.

You want to make sure that you end up with 1 cup after straining so you must allow some of the oil to be absorbed by the herbs.

Some people let this mixture sit for weeks, but you can reduce that time dramatically if you heat the herbs at 100 degrees for 48 to 72 hours, stirring a few times a day. The yogurt setting on the  instant pot is about 104 degrees so it's pretty perfect! I just set the jar of infused herbs directly on the bottom of the pot, hit YOGURT and set the timer for 72 hours (I didn't realize the pot timer went up that high!) Make sure you use a canning jar that can take the heat. 

When it's done, lay several layers of sterile cheese cloth in a strainer and strain your herbs.

Now it's time to squeeze as much out of the herbs as possible into your pint or quart pyrex.

Just squeeze the balled up cheese cloth with your hand. As a little trick, I pulled out my potato ricer, which I never use for potato ricing, and put the ball of herbs in there for a good press.

Place an inch or two of water in the bottom of the Instant Pot and hit SLOW COOK. The water should get to around 220 degrees F. This beats having to mess with a double boiler.

Line up your cosmetic jars. When everything is ready to pour, you'll have no time to do this so do it now.

While the water is heating, measure out the beeswax. One ounce will make a firm salve. Use less if you want a looser salve. If you want a vegan salve, use carnauba wax. I have no personal experience with carnauba wax but I assume the amount needed is similar.

Place the beeswax in the pyrex of herb oil and place the pyrex into the pot of hot water being very careful not to get any moisture into the oil. The wax will slowly melt. Stir occasionally until all the wax is melted into the oil. 

Quickly stir in the jojoba oil and remove from the heat. But before you remove it from the heat, you can drop a bit onto a piece of parchment to see if you like the hardness of the salve. If it's too stiff, add more oil. If it's too soft, add more beeswax. Throwing the sample in the freezer for a few minutes will speed up this test.

If you are happy with the firmness, remove from heat and quickly stir in the vitamin E oil and whatever essential oil drops you desire. I used a mixture of lavender, peppermint, and DoTerra Aroma Touch which all have relaxing properties and are good for sore muscles.

Once everything is mixed, quickly pour your mixture into the cosmetic jars before the salve starts to harden. Let the jars cool completely before you cover them.

Well, there you have it. Instant Pot Salve! Who knew?

Make Dried Parsley Flakes In 2 Minutes

Dry garden parsley before it freezes and enjoy all winter!

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Storing Herbs
If you go to the store to buy parsley, basil, or some other herb for a recipe, you usually use a tablespoon and, quite often, the rest goes to waste. Well, in two minutes you can turn parsley into parsley flakes and save them for later use. 

And if you are growing herbs in your garden, they will soon freeze so it's time to start drying those too.

Parsley
I use a lot of dried parsley when I cook. It's a nutrient powerhouse. One tablespoon provides 8% of your daily requirement of both iron and manganese. It is also is a very good source of fiber, vitamins A, C, and K, riboflavin, calcium magnesium, and potassium and a good source of vitamins E and B6, niacin, folate, phosphorus, zinc, copper and selenium. 

Parsley grows easily in the garden.

Microwave
There are several ways to dry herbs. You can use a dehydrator, let them dry in the sun, place them in a warm oven, etc. But a technique that I think works the best is to put them in the microwave.

OK, I can hear you screaming from here as some of you feel very strongly about microwave cooking. So let me tell you how I personally feel about microwave ovens.

* I have never personally cooked a meal in a microwave oven. I think the results are inferior to other forms of cooking.

* I use them to rapidly heat up or defrost food using ceramic and glass vessels and I NEVER cover them with plastic wrap or any kind of plastic material that could leach into the food.

* I never stand in front of a microwave oven when it's in use - not because I am convinced scientifically that it's bad but just in case. 

* Since drying herbs takes only minutes, I believe that this technique preserves their nutrients.

Drying Parsley
Start with dry parsley. If I'm getting it out of my organic garden and it's fairly clean, I just shake it off. If you purchase it and want to wash it first, make sure it's completely dry before you start.

Place a paper towel on the bottom of your microwave. If you have a turntable, place the paper towel on the turntable. 

Remove the large stems from the parsley and place small clumps across the paper towel in a single layer.

Ready to be microwaved.

Close the door and microwave for 2 minutes.

After 2 minutes.

Test the parsley to see if it's completely dry. If not, set it for another minute.
Remove the parsley. If it's still warm, let it cool a bit. 

Dried parsley before removing the small stems.

Holding the small stems, pull the parsley off into a dish. Leave the flakes large or grind them into smaller flakes by rubbing them between your fingers. It's best to leave them larger and crumble them later when needed.

Place in a jar and store in your spice cabinet. Notice how the parsley retains its bright green color using this technique.

You can use this same technique with other herbs. The time may vary with each herb and with your particular microwave so experiment with small amounts until you get the formula down to your liking.

Low Libido? Before Popping The Little Pink Pill, Women May Want To Try This First

Herbs can increase a woman's libido
without the risks of the new drug, Addyi.

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Is This Really a Win for Women?
I know a lot of women are happy to see the drug companies finally develop something besides boner pills for men. For years now, many women with waning libidos have been less than thrilled about their husband's new chemically-induced erections. But is the approval of the "Little Pink Pill" a big win for women or Wall Street? 

What It Does for Women
The benefits of the pill known as flibanserin or Addyi are minimal. In clinical trials, women who took the drug had an average of 4.4 "satisfying sexual experiences a month" compared to 3.7 for those women in the trial who took a placebo. That's not even a gain of 1 extra satisfying sexual experience a month! They would probably have benefited more from watching Dirty Dancing or the Masters of Sex TV series on Showtime. 

Besides having to take a pill every single day of the month to get these minimal benefits, a woman also has to risk some very serious side effects such as severely low blood pressure and loss of consciousness. Now if you are only going to experience an additional 0.7 satisfying sexual experience in a month, I would certainly think you'd want to remember it! And you know that little glass of bubbly that allows you to forget about life stresses and helps you get in the mood? Well, the doctors and pharmacists must now advise you to abstain from alcohol or the risks of this drug are increased. In fact these risks and the dangerous interaction with alcohol are so severe that this drug was rejected by the FDA twice, in 2010 and 2013. But have no fear. I'm sure the strong warning on the label telling woman not to mix sex with alcohol will be as effective as the anti-abstenance campaign for teens. 

What it Did for Wall Street
Within just a few days after this drug was approved, Sprout Pharmaceuticals, the North Carolina company with less than 3 dozen employees that developed Addyi, was acquired by   Quebec's Valiant Pharmaceuticals for $1 billion dollars in cash. Enough said.

What Else can Improve Libido
A while back I was taking a supplement to balance out my hormones. I noticed that it significantly increased my libido. I had no idea why. Then a few years ago my naturopath gave me a tonic to strengthen my lungs. The tonic had a similar effect on my libido. Since both the supplement (Estrotone by New Chapter) and the custom brewed tonic from my naturopath had multiple ingredients, I compared all the ingredients to see if they had anything in common. I was more than curious to discover what was supercharging my sex drive. It turned out to be the herb Schizandra. 

Schizandra (Schisandra chinensis)
Schizandra is an adaptogenic herb, a class of herbs that increase the body's resistance to disease and long-term stress. Schizandra is a berry native to northeast China and parts of Russia which is dried and used in various preparations. This herb has been used in Chinese medicine for several thousand years to decrease fatigue, beautify the skin, sharpen the mind, slow the aging process, protect the liver, and as a sexual tonic for both men and women. 

Schizandra is known to increase the "Water Qi in the Kidney" and increases the circulation, lubrication, and sensitivity in the female genitals. 

Take as a Tonic
You can take Schizandra as a tincture such as the one made by Herb Pharm. This organic liquid extract comes in a 1 fluid ounce bottle.

Shake well before using.
Best taken between meals.

Schizandra can also be taken in capsule form like the ones sold by Dragon Herbs.

Organic Shanghai Mountain
Northern Schizandra fruit

You can also buy dried berries but you would usually use them to make a tea and not eat them like you would a goji berry. 

As I mentioned before, schizandra is a key ingredient in New Chapter's Estrotone.

Herbs before Pink Pills
Lack of libido is a serious issue. It can be caused by many different things and can have serious consequences. But before you resort to a risky and minimally effective pharmaceutical, consider taking herbs. Herbs like schizandra and others such as muira puama, damiana, and combination tinctures have been supporting female sexuality for hundreds if not thousands of years. They don't work overnight so be patient and give them a little time to do their magic. Best of all, you don't have to give up that glass of bubbly and will remain conscious for the entire experience!

A combination tincture from Herb Pharm
that supports female libido

Herbs are potent drugs in their own right so you should discuss them with your naturopath or herbalist before adding them to your daily health regimen. Some can interact with medications you are already taking so be mindful of that too.