Pressing Herbs
Any herbs with thin leaves or petals are suitable for pressing. The pressed specimens can then be used in herbal crafts. Avoid herbs with thick, fleshy leaves and flowers and always select perfect sprigs, delicate flowers or individual leaves and petals. Snip them neatly, removing petals gently from thick flowers or cutting leaves or leaflets into small groups.
You an use a book or sheets of stiff card to press your herbs. A special flower press made up of a number of sheets of still card fixed together at the corners with butterfly screws is useful but not essential, unless you plan to do a great deal of pressed flower work. Protect books from flower dyes with sheets of whit e tissue paper. You will also need some blotting paper or absorbent paper the same size as the press or books and some heavy books or other weights if you do not have a press.
Lay the leaves and flowers on a sheet of absorbent paper, using plastic tweezers or a soft paintbrush to lift or move them and making sure they do not touch each other. Cover carefully with another sheet and place them in the press, between the sheets of card or between the pages of the book. Tighten the screws, press the card down with weights or absorbent paper; you may need to do this two or three times if the material is very moist. Leave for about six months; the longer the specimens are left, the less likely they are to fade when exposed to light.
Preserving in Oil, Vinegar or Salt
By storing herbs in oil, you not only preserve the herbs but also create wonderful fragrant oils for use in cooking or cosmetics. You can also preserve herbs in vinegar, creating aromatic herbal vinegars for use in sauces, salad dressing, pickles and chutneys (pg 16).
Large leafed herbs, such as sage, can be stored layered in a jar with course salt. They will keep for several months and impart their own flavor to the salt.
Preserving with Glycerine
Preserving plant stems in glycerine solution is suitable for some herbs, such as bay and sorrel. The technique darkens the leaves and makes them soft and pliable with lovely sheen.
Pick perfect twigs in summer when the new shoots are growing. Whisk one part glycerine with two parts very hot water until thoroughly blended and then pour the solution into a vase. Stand the twigs in the solution, making sure they reach the base of the container and leave them undisturbed for about two weeks until the tips of the leaves are brown and glossy. When they are ready, you can paint them with a varnish or spray with hair lacquer to help to preserve them. Strain the solution and use it again.
Learn to Create Your Own Backyard Herb Garden Here!
Kali S. Winters
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Preserving Herbs
Fragrant Oils
Natural oils which encapsulate the fragrance of the flower or herb form the essence of many cosmetics.
Concentrated herbal oils can be purchased from a herbalist or chemist as there is great skill in preparing such items. However, the following instructions will enable you to create light floral oils with scented flower petals. Use a measuring cup to weight the petals.
Ingredients:
1 ¼ cups Almond Oil
2 ½ quarts Flower Petals
1 tsp Liquid Storax
1 tsp Tincture of Benzoin
Directions:
Warm the oil in the top of a double saucepan over simmering water. Add 2 cups of petals, stir, cover and leave over a low heat for 2 hours, checking regularly to ensure that the pan does not boil dry. Strain and reserve the flowers. Add another 2 cups of flowers to the oil and repeat the process until all the flowers have been used.
Pour the oil and all the flowers into a large pan, bring to a boil slowly then simmer gently for 40 minutes. Strain the oil through muslin (cheesecloth), pressing to extract all the oil form the petals. Stir in the liquid storax and tincture of benzoin to fix the fragrance, pour into bottles, seal, label and store in a dry, dark place.
For a relaxing and fragrant bath oil, mix one part homemade floral or herbal oil with three parts almond oil for an oil which will float on the water, or with Turkey red dispersing oil. Pour the oil into bottles, seal, label and store. These bath oils make excellent gifts. Only a teaspoonful is need in the bath.
To counteract the dry nature of soap, add a cupful of herbal vinegar to your bath water.
Learn to make your own natural Shampoos and Conditioners Here!
Kali S. Winters
Herbal Sauces, Butters and Jellies
Herbs form the basis of many raw sauces as well as flavoring cooked sauces. Almost any chopped herb can be added to a basic white sauce, while a handful of blanched and chopped parsley, tarragon and watercress will completely transform an ordinary mayonnaise to serve with salads, fish, chicken or vegetables.
Pesto Sauce
This is a classic Genoise sauce used for pasta and flavoring. It freezes well. Makes about 1 ¼ cups
2/3 cups Basil leaves
6 Garlic cloves
½ cup Pine nuts
1 cup Grated Parmesan cheese
¾ cup Olive oil
Salt and Pepper
Purée the basil, garlic, pine nuts, parmesan cheese and a little of the oil in a food processor or use a pestle and mortar. Add the remaining oil gradually, processing or pounding until the sauce emulsifies. Season with salt and pepper.
Herb Butters
Make herb butters with chervil, lovage, parsley, mint, coriander (cilantro), basil, tarragon or blend together a selection of herbs. A little parsley and lemon juice makes garlic butter less pungent.
Chop 3 tablespoons of fresh herbs and blend them with 1 cup of unsalted butter. Roll into a cylinder on waxed paper, twist the ends and chill, or wrap in foil and freeze. Serve on frilled (broiled) meats or fish or use to top new potatoes or fresh vegetables, or to spread on crusty whole-wheat bread.
Herb Butter for Topping of Vegetables
Soften butter to room temperature. Combine with mixed dry herbs allowing ½ to 1 teaspoon of herbs per tablespoon of butter. Prepare as needed or in large amounts, whap in foil and store in refrigerator. At serving time remove 1 to 2 tablespoons of seasoned butter from the packet to place on top of each cup of hot vegetables. A pinch of nutmeg or dried mustard, a drop of hot pepper sauce or ¼ teaspoon of lemon juice can be added to each tablespoon of butter as well.
Tomato and Thyme Sauce
You can vary this basic tomato sauce by adding your favorite herbs.
Makes about 2 cups
2 tablespoons Butter
1 tablespoon Olive oil
2 Shallots, chopped
3 Garlic cloves
1 lb Tomatoes, skinned, seeded and chopped
2 tablespoons Tomato paste
2 tablespoons Chopped thyme
Salt and Pepper
Heat the butter and oil and fry the shallots until soft. Add the garlic, tomatoes and tomato paste. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the thyme, season with salt and pepper and simmer for a further 5 minutes.
Mint Jelly
This traditional mint jelly makes a refreshing change form mint sauce to serve with roast lamb or other grilled or boiled meats. You can also make a similar jelly with parsley, thyme or tarragon.
Makes about 4 ½ lb
5 lb Cooking apples
4 ½ cups Water
4 Mint sprigs
4 ½ cups Distilled white vinegar
Granulated or preserving sugar (Stevia, a natural sugar herb)
1 ½ cups Chopped mint
Wash the apples and cut them into chunks, without paling or coring them. Place them in a saucepan with the water and mint, bring to a boil, cover and simmer for about 35 minutes until soft and pulpy, stirring occasionally. Add the vinegar and boil for 5 minutes. Pour the mixture into jelly bag and leave to drain overnight without pressing or the jelly will be cloudy.
Measure the juice and add 2 cups sugar for each 2 ½ cups juice. Stir over a low heat until the sugar has dissolved, then boil vigorously for about 8 minutes until setting point is reached. Test for setting by cooling a spoonful of the jelly on a chilled saucer; the jelly should wrinkle when pressed. Skim, if necessary, then stir in the chopped mint, pour into sterilized jars and label.
Salads and Vegetables
Use different vegetables in salads, not just salad leaves. Potato salad can be dressed with chive flavored mayonnaise; sliced beetroot is delicious topped with sour cream mixed with chopped dill. Use herb oils or vinegars for salad dressings or mayonnaise as an instant way of adding flavor and interest. Courgettes (zucchini) taste wonderful sliced in julienne strips and marinated in herb mayonnaise for several hours.
Vegetables too cry out for herb dressings, sauces or a few herbs in the cooking water to enhance the flavors. Potatoes go well with mint, chives or leeks; thyme goes well with aubergines (eggplants) courgettes (zucchini) or carrots; parsley enhances the flavor of parsnips.
A few whole herb leaves such as chervil, basil, tarragon, parsley, mint, sorrel or comfrey, give a new flavor to a green salad or you can create an unusual and colorful salad with a few crisp lettuce leaves, tomato and cucumber slices with some apple mint, sorrel, sweet cicely and marigold leaves, nasturtium flowers and violets, tossed in a herb vinaigrette dressing. Be adventurous with your combinations.
Use herb butters to garnish steamed or boiled vegetables, mixing in a little lemon juice for a sharper taste. Below is a a favorite recipe:
Herb Butter for Topping of Vegetables
Soften butter to room temperature. Combine with mixed dry herbs allowing ½ to 1 teaspoon of herbs per tablespoon of butter. Prepare as needed or in large amounts, whap in foil and store in refrigerator. At serving time remove 1 to 2 tablespoons of seasoned butter from the packet to place on top of each cup of hot vegetables. A pinch of nutmeg or dried mustard, a drop of hot pepper sauce or ¼ teaspoon of lemon juice can be added to each tablespoon of butter as well.
For an appetizing courgettes (zucchini) dish, soften a sliced onion in olive oil, then fry some sliced zucchini with a generous sprinkling of snapped chives until tend and golden.
Potatoes baked in their jacket can be made into a delicious light meal. Scoop out the potato flesh and mash it with a dab of butter, a beaten egg, some snipped chives, chopped mint or parsley and grated strong cheese. Pile the mixture back into the potato shells and cook on a hot grill until golden….
Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have fresh herbs readily available at your fingertips…whether they are planted in containers inside the home or out….Holistic Herbs ~ A Guide to Herb Gardening will teach you all the tricks to start your herb garden today!
Successful Gardening
Kali S. Winters
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Preserving Herbs
The most common way to preserve herbs is to dry them. This method is perfect for many common herbs. There are other techniques, however, which are more appropriate to particular herbs to preserve their qualities more effectively.
Drying in Trays
Drying eliminates the water in the herb but retains its essential oils. Whichever drying method you use, herbs should be dried quickly at an even temperature, out of direct sunlight. The air must be able to circulate around the herbs and it is best to keep individual herbs separate as they are drying.
To dry herbs naturally, spread the herb sprigs, roots, petals or seed heads evenly over trays lined with sheets of absorbent paper, such as newspaper. For larger leafed plants, such as lovage and comfrey, remove the leaves form the sprigs before you dry them. Leave the herbs for a week or so until completely dry, turning them regularly and replacing the paper if it absorbs too much moisture. Roots will take a little longer.
If you dry herbs regularly, it is worth making a drying frame. Stretch muslin (cheesecloth) or fine netting over a rectangular wooden frame and lay the herbs on the frame to dry. The frames can be stacked on top of on another as long as there is about 2 inches between them. Place newer herbs on top of the drier ones as the moisture will rise.
You can speed up the drying process by placing the trays or frames in a warm airing cupboard for three or four days. Alternatively, you can dry them in the plate-warming section of a cooker or at the bottom of a conventional over with the door agar, leaving the oven on its lowest setting for a few hours. If you have a traditional fuel-burning stove, you can dry the herbs in the slow oven.
One modern method is to use the microwave, which I tend to not recommend due to the uneven drying process..However, if you would like to try this method, spread out the herbs on three layers of paper towels and cover with another sheet of paper towel. The herbs will take only 2-3 minutes on high, but will be ruined if you leave them too long. Therefore it is best to microwave for 30 seconds, check and turn them over, then continue in short bursts until they are dry.
The most modern method is the dehydrator, which I tend to use most often in the winter months. You will want to remember to check your herbs frequently and rotate the trays accordingly.
Drying in Bunches
Herb flowers, such as chamomile, feverfew, lavender, sorrel or tansy, sprigs such as rosemary, sage or bay, or seed heads such as fennel, can be air-dried in bunches. Tie four or five herb sprigs loosely into a bunch by the stems and hang them upside-down in a dry, well-ventilated room where the temperature remains constant, keeping them out of direct sunlight. A spare room, dry attic or a bedroom are all suitable.
When drying herbs with large flower heads, such as chives, the flowers must rest on a wire mesh screen with the stems hanging down, as the drying stems cannot stand the weight of the flower heads. Large seed heads, such as fennel, lovage, caraway or chervil, or large herbs such as angelica, can be dried upright in empty vases.
Preparing and Storing Dried Herbs
Once the herbs are dry, they will feel crisp and papery and will snap easily between finger and thumb. Then remove the leaves from small-leafed herbs, run your fingers down the stalks and the leaves will rub off. For herbs, the larger leaves, you may need to hand-pick the leaves from the stalks then crumble them between your fingers, or place the leaves in a paper bag and crush them with a rolling pin. Another method is to rub the herbs through a fine mesh before discarding the stems.
Dried herbs must be stored in airtight containers, preferable in a dark cupboard. The containers should be labeled wiht the name of the herb and the date of preserving. Even dried herbs will not keep indefinitely so do not dry in larger quantifies than you are likely to use.
Seeds can simply be shaken off the dried flower heads then sieved or hand-picked to remove unwanted chaff. If you are storing them for planting the following season, wrap them in foil and then seal in an envelope labeled with the name of the seed, the date of collection and any other details such as the variety or flower color. Seeds for culinary use can be stored in an airtight jar, labeled with the name of the seed and date of preserving and kept in a dark cupboard.
Using Desiccants
To preserve complete flower heads for dried arrangements or to garnish potpourri, desiccants are used; these are crystals that absorb moistures from a flower while preserving its shape. The easiest to use is silica gel, which you can buy from the most craft stores. Grind it down in a food processor or with a pestle and mortar until it is as fine as caster (superfine) sugar.
Spread a layer of desiccant in the bottom of a plastic box. Arrange the flower heads on the surface and cover with desiccant gently, sprinkling it between the petals. Dry bell-shaped flowers upside down so that the bells fill with desiccant. Seal the box and leave it undisturbed for five days, during which time the silica crystals will turn from blue to pink. Brush off a little of the desiccant and if the flowers are dry and make a rustling, papery sound when moved, remove them from the box and brush them clean.
Bend a small hook at the end of a piece of florist’s (floral) wire and push it through the flower head, pulling it back to secure it. Wind gutta-percha tape diagonally around the stem to cover the wire and store the delicate flowers upright in dry florist’s foam (Styrofoam).
Reactivate the desiccant by spreading it on a baking sheet and placing it at the bottom of a low oven until its color turns back to blue. Sieve it to remove any particles and store for future use.
Learn How to Build an Herb Garden Here
Successful Gardening!
Kali S. Winters
Potpourri Recipes
Keep potpourri in bowls topped with dried flower buds or in pretty glass jars with a lace covering, in little sachets of lace or special potpourri containers.
The simplest way to make potpourri is to dry fragrant leaves and petals until they are crisp, blend them with fixatives to absorb and preserve the scent and seal them in an airtight container for about four weeks to mature, shaking the mixture occasionally. A few drops of essential oil adds that final touch. Essential oils can also be used to liven up potpourri as the fragrance fades.
For color, use herbs such as roses, marigolds with garden flowers such as pansies, lily of the valley, orange blossom, hyacinth or cornflowers. Many herb leaves and flowers provide fragrance: bergamot, basil, bay, thyme, rosemary, lemon balm, camomile or lavender with garden flowers such as jasmine, mimosa, honeysuckle, carnation or pinks. A little spice, either cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, ginger, mace or citrus rind, adds sharpness and interest.
As a rough guide, mix about 3 ¾ cups of flower petals and herb leaves with 2 tablespoons of spices and 4 tablespoons of fixative. There are many fixatives you can use but ground orris root is simple and effective. This mixture will need two or three drops of essential oil. Here are some suggestions for potpourri recipes:
Recipe 1:
1 cup each Lemon verbena and lemon balm leaves
1 cup each Forsythia, marigold and camomile flowers
A few thin strips of lemon rind
¼ cup Ground orris root
A few drops of lemon verbena oil
Recipe 2:
1 cup each Thyme, rosemary and mint leaves
2 cups Lavender flowers
2 tablespoons Tansy leaves
2 tablespoons Ground cloves
¼ cup Ground Orris root
A few drops of lavender oil
Recipe 3:
1 cup Lavender flowers
2 tablespoons each Thyme and mint leaves
1 tablespoon each Ground cloves and ground caraway seeds
More on Natural Potpourri Here!
Oil and Vinegar
By storing herbs in oil, you can preserve the herbs and create a fragrant oil at the the same time. Herbal vinegars are simple to make and an excellent way of using your garden herbs.
Herbal oils can be used for both culinary and cosmetic purposes. Most aromatic herbs are suitable; basil, tarragon, thyme and rosemary are particularly popular choices.
Half fill a sterilized bottle or jar with fresh herb leaves, then fill to the top with a good quality olive or sunflower oil. Stir the herbs to release the air bubbles, making sure that the herbs are completely covered in oil. Seal the bottle or jar and stand it on a sunny windowsill or over a radiator for two weeks, shaking daily. Strain the oil, using the herb sprigs for cooking if you wish. For a stronger flavor, add fresh herbs to the strained oil and store for a further two weeks, then stain again. Bottle the oil with a fresh herb sprig, cover and label and store in a cool, dark place.
You can make delicious mixed herb oil with a few sprigs each of tarragon and thyme, plus a clove of garlic, a dried red chili pepper and a few black peppercorns. Goats’ cheese can be marinated in this oil and used in salads of crisp lettuce and sorrel leaves.
White or red wine vinegar or cider vinegar can all be flavored with herbs and used in salad dressings, cooked recipes or to make cosmetics. Basil, chervil, marjoram, mint, tarragon, sage or thyme are all-suitable, as are dill sprigs or seeds. Purple sage will impart a lovely color to the vinegar and so do chive flowers. You can use combinations of herbs; equal quantities of mint, chives, basil and borage are effective.
Place about 1 cup of lightly bruised, fresh herbs in a sterilized jar. Bring 1 ¼ cups of wine or cider vinegar to a boil, pour over the herbs, seal and leave to stand on a sunny windowsill for two weeks, shaking occasionally. Strain the vinegar through muslin (cheesecloth) or paper coffee filters into another sterilized jar, add a fresh herb sprig, seal and store in a cool, dark place.
Use the following with an oil and vinegar base or with any mildly seasoned dressing. Add the herb blend sparingly at first (about 2 teaspoons per head of lettuce or greens)
Salad Herb Blend:
2 cups parsley
1 cup each tarragon, basil and thyme
For other salad taste treats, add a teaspoon of basil, savory, or marjoram to a tossed salad; or try a 1/2 tsp of all three together.
If you are a cottage cheese devotee, you can serve it often with different herbs, either as a salad by itself or whirled in your blender (with 1 or 2 Tbsp milk) to make a dip for raw vegetables or munchies.
Basic Herb Vinegar Salad Dressing:
1 cup oil, preferably olive oil
1/2 to 1 cup herb vinegar of choice
2 Tbsp dried herbs, or herbs preserved in vinegar
Salt and Pepper to taste, if desired*
Combine all ingredients in a glass cruet
*Herb vinegars enhance the flavor of salads without added salt.
DO ENJOY!
Discover How to Build an Herb Garden
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Herbal Skin Lotions
Herbal lotions can be used for washing, added to bath water, hair rinses or to scent water for washing clothes and laundry.
Pour boiling water over 1 cup of fragrant herbs – bergamot, lavender, lemon balm, sage, camomile, marjoram, mint, rosemary, sweet cicely or thyme – so they are just covered, simmer over a low heat for 10 minutes, let stand until cool then strain. Equal quantities of water and wine vinegar with sage and rue leaves and 1 teaspoon of ground ginger, make an unusual toilet water.
For an instant herbal bath, place a few herbs in a muslin (cheesecloth) bag with a spoonful of oatmeal to soften the water and hang the bag beneath the hot tap of the bath.
Herbal vinegars can be added to bath water, washing water, hair rinsing water or water used to wash clothes.
Camomile flowers make a delightful foam bath. Crush 4 tablespoons of dried camomile flowers and mix with 1 ¼ cups of milk and chill overnight. The moisturizing milk is then ready for use but must be stored in the refrigerator.
A tablespoon of herbal vinegar added to 2/3 cup of water or rainwater makes an excellent toner for greasy skin. For normal or dry skin, use 2/3 cup of rose water, 3 tablespoons of orange flower water and 3 tablespoons of glycerine to make a soothing skin tonic.
Mint has many cosmetic uses, including a skin toner. Infuse 2 tablespoons of chopped apple mint in 3 tablespoons of white wine vinegar for a week, shaking daily, then strain the vinegar and pour on 1 ¼ cups of boiling water. Leave to cool, then bottle, seal and label. Mint also makes a refreshing facemask. Simmer 4 tablespoons of chopped mint with 4 tablespoons of water for 5 minutes then remove form the heat and stir in 1 tablespoon of clear honey, 3 tablespoons of milk and 2 tablespoons of fine oatmeal. Leave to cool then apply to the face and leave for at least 15 minutes before rinsing off with lukewarm water.
More Herbal Skin Lotions Here!
Successful Gardening ~
Kali S Winters
Herbal Drinks
Herbal tisanes have long been drank both for pleasure and for their medicinal properties. Rather than buying expensive herbal teas from health food shops, make your own herb teas, refreshing iced herbal drinks or traditional wine cups.
Wine Cups
Borage or Chive flowers, or sprigs of fresh herbs such as mint – whether fresh or frozen into ice cubes – make attractive garnishes for wine cups. Experiment with ingredients when you make your own wine cups. Start with a bottle of dry white wine and add a few tablespoons of brandy and ¼ cup of herb sugar. Float a thinly sliced orange, apple and lemon in the wine and chill for 1 hour. When you are ready to serve the cup, add a bottle of sparkling rose’ wine 4 1/2 cups of lemonade (soda) and stir well. Float some fresh apple mint sprigs and borage flowers in the wine just before serving.
You can flavor your own liqueurs to make original drinks or unusual gifts. Crush or purée 3 tablespoons of peppermint or lemon thyme leaves and add them to 2 1/2 cups of wine or brandy with a few strips of orange rind. Make a honey syrup by boiling 5 tablespoons of water with an equal quantity of clear honey until well blended. Add this to the liqueur. Cover and leave to stand for three weeks. Strain the liqueur, bottle, seal and label.
Herbal Teas
Herbal “infusions’ are made by steeping fresh or dried herbs in boiling water, “Decoctions’ are made by boiling the herbs for a few minutes before steeping. What we now call herbal teas are becoming increasingly popular and can easily be made with the leaves of sage, marjoram, borage, summer savory, thyme, rosemary, mint or lemon balm or with camomile or elder flowers.
To make herbal tea, steep 2 tablespoons of the fresh herb of your choice in 1 cup of boiling water for a few minutes then strain. You can flavor the tea with clear honey or flower honey and float a slice of orange or lemon in the cup. Herbal seed teas made from fennel, caraway or dill seeds need only 1 tablespoon of the crushed seeds but should be left to infuse for 5-10 minutes.
Iced Teas
Many herb teas, such as thyme and mint, taste excellent when flavored with clear honey and chilled. Traditional tea can also be flavored with herbs to make an aromatic and refreshing drink. Pour 2 ½ cups of strong hot tea into a jug and add two bruised sprigs of mint and the juice of half a lime. Leave to infuse for 30 minutes, then strain and chill. Sweeten with clear honey and serve with ice, mint sprigs and time slices.
For a fragrant marjoram drink, dissolve 2 tablespoons of sugar in 1 cup of water then boil for 5 minutes to a syrup. Leave it to cool then chill. Process a handful of marjoram leaves with 4 tablespoons of water and add the juice of a lemon. Stir into the syrup, cover and chill for at least 1 hour. Stir 2 cups of chilled, fizzy, mineral water and serve with borage-flower ice cubes.
Successful Gardening!
Kali S. Winters
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Herbal Crafts
Herbs are not only valuable in the kitchen
Herbs can be made into decorative and fragrant arrangements either alone or with other garden flowers. Rosemary, sage, borage, feverfew, marjoram, lemon balm, thyme, chives, mint, camomile and parsley are all attractive either in leaf or in flower, while seed heads of fennel, caraway or dill add contrast and interest.
A limited color range often works best; include variety of texture as well as of leaf shape. Most containers can be used but country-style pottery looks particularly attractive, especially as informal arrangements suit herbs best. Evergreen herbs, such as sage and rosemary, make excellent foliage backgrounds for brighter flowers, especially in the winter when options for fresh arrangements are limited. Use dry florist’s foam (Styrofoam) held in place with a spike or tape, to help you shape your arrangement.
Posies of fresh herbs make delightful gifts or table decorations. Tie a few herb sprigs into a posy, sit a small doily to the center and wrap it around the back of the posy to resemble a lace frill. Finish with a pretty ribbon. A handful of posies in a basket makes a pretty and fragrant table- center decoration.
Dried Herb Arrangements
Herbs make excellent additions to your dried flower arrangements, whether you use seed heads, flower stems, leaves or grasses. Follow the same design principles as you would when creating a fresh arrangement. For dried arrangements, your choice of containers is unlimited as they do not need to be watertight and baskets really come into their own. If the materials are fragile, wire the stems or wire bunches of stems together.
Dried herbal wreaths can be made using a florist’s foam (Styrofoam) ring, available from good florists, or you can bind thick twine or straw around a circle of wire. Use dense leaves, such as bay to form a dark background then gradually build up a pattern of sprigs of lavender, rosemary, sage and other herbs. You can vary this idea by making dried arrangements on spheres of dry florist’s foam (Styrofoam).
Lavender Bottles
Traditionally used to scent linen drawers and keep away moths, lavender bottles require long stemmed lavender flowers, picked just as they come into flower. Tie together a bunch of about 20 stalks just below the flower heads, then bend the stalks up and over the flower heads and tie again above the flowers so that they are enclosed in the stalks. Trim the ends. Weave a fine ribbon in and out of the stalks to enclose the flower heads.
Scented Sachets
Sachets made of cotton lawn, tied at the top and decorated with a ribbon bow, make lovely gifts or are also nice to keep for yourself! Use 1 cup each of dried lavender flowers and dried rosemary and mix with 1 cup each of ground orris root and a few drops of oil of roses or with a few tablespoons of crushed cloves and a tablespoon of powdered fried orange rind.
Pressed Herb Crafts
Pressed herbs can be used to make bookmarks, greeting cards and pictures or even to decorate jars for gifts of homemade herbal cosmetics or preserves. Collect together all your materials before you start: a soft paintbrush, rubber-based glue, the pressed petals and leaves and the item you wish to decorate.
Sketch your design roughly then practice positioning the herbs, moving them with a paintbrush until you have a pleasing arrangement. Your designs should be simple until you have gained a little experience and confidence; try reproducing a simple flower, banquet or arrangement.
When you are happy with the design, lift the pieces and apply some glue with a cocktail stick (toothpick). If there are several layers to the design, let one layer dry before adding the next. Cover flat designs with a sheet of glass or board and weigh down with books overnight so that the herbs dry flat. Cover designs on glass or jars with adhesive film or glass, or paint with lacquer to protect them. Pressed flower pictures should be kept out ot direct sunlight so that they do not fade.
Learn to Grow Your Own Herbs At Home Here!
Kali S Winters
Herbal Cosmetics
Originally toiletries and cosmetics were, of course, all made from local, natural ingredients. Today cosmetics abound in chemists, department stores and specialist shops. But it is very satisfying to create effective and natural cosmetics of your own. What is more, herbal preparations have many beneficial qualities in addition to their distinctive fragrances. Lavender and camomile are relaxing, comfrey regulates ageing skin, sage gives relief from aching muscles, spearmint and thyme are refreshing, rosemary and angelica are stimulating, while lovage is supposed to make you more lovable!
You can add the herbal fragrance of your choice to unperfumed castile soap by grating the soap and melting it in the top of a double saucepan over simmering water. Stir in a teaspoon of almond or vegetable oil and a teaspoon of honey and stir over the heat for 5 minutes. Stir in a few drops of essential herb oil and leave the soap to cool and harden.
Soap used to be made with tallow but you can substitute vegetable oils and make your own soap, following the recipe below. Take great care when using the caustic soda. Vary the herbs you use, add honey or oatmeal and use a variety of different shaped molds such as jelly molds, yogurt pots or baking dishes.
Ingredients:
1 ¼ cups Water
4 Tbsp Caustic Soda
3 Tbsp Sunflower Oil
5 Tbsp Olive Oil
2 tsp Herbal Oil
3 Tbsp Chopped Marjoram
Directions:
Place the water in a glass bowl, add the caustic soda and stir with a wooden spoon until it is dissolved. The soda will heat spontaneously. Set aside until lukewarm. Meanwhile, warm the oils to the same temperature. Pour the oil slowly into the soda, stirring continuously, then add the marjoram and beat unti lthe mixture thickens and turns opaque. Pour into molds, stand on a cooling rack and leave in a warm, dry place for 24 hours until set. Removce from the molds, wrap in wax paper and leave in a col plac for 2-3 weeks to harden.
Natural oils which encapsulate the fragrance of the flower or herb, form the essence of many cosmetics. Concentrated herbal oils must be purchased from a herbalist or chemist as there is great skill in preparing such items. However, the following instructions will enable you to create light floral oils with scented flower petals. Use a measuring cup to weight the petals.
Ingredients:
1 ¼ cups Almond Oil
2 ½ quarts Flower Petals
1 tsp Liquid Storax
1 tsp Tincture of benzoin
Directions:
Warm the oil in the top of a double saucepan over simmering water. Add 2 cups of petals, stir, cover and leave over a low heat for 2 hours, checking regulary to ensure that the pan does not boil dry. Strain and reserve the flowers. Add another 2 cups of flowers to the oil and repeat the process until all the flowers have been used.
Pour the oil and all the flowers into a large pan, bring to a boil slowly then simmer gently for 40 minutes. Strain the oil through muslin (Cheese Cloth
For a relaxing and fragrant bath oil, mix one part homemade floral or herbal oil with three parts almond oil for an oil which will float on the water, or with Turkey red dispersing oil. Pour the oil into bottles, seal, label and store. These bath oils make excellent gifts. Only a teaspoonful is needed in the bath. To counteract the drying nature of soap add a cupful of herbal vinegar to your bath water. Brush on skin after each bath…store in a dry place.
Herbal Powders
Make small quantities of fragrant powders to brush lightly on the skin after a bath – all you need to do is grind the following ingredients together until they are very fine. Mix ¼ cup each of dried rose petals, lavender flowers and ground orris root with ¼ cup of cornflour (cornstarch).
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Kali S. Winters
Using Kitchen Herbs
There are lots of interesting recipes available plus many more ideas to encourage you to experiment by adding herbs to your favorite recipes.
With a little imagination, you can find all sorts of ways to use herbs in your cooking, supplementing home-grown herbs with fresh herbs from the supermarket if necessary.
Fragile herbs-parsley, chervil, tarragon, mint and basil- are all best used coarsely chopped as their leaves bruise easily. They are frequently used raw or added at the end of cooking as their flavor is lessened by heat. More robust herbs—rosemary, bay, sage and marjoram—are generally used cooked and they also dry more successfully than fragile herbs. Herbs should be chopped with a sharp knife until they are the texture you require, or they can be ground with a pestle and mortar or in a food processor to release their essential oils.
Herbs in Soups and Starters
Many plain soups can be given extra flavor with the addition of a few fresh herbs; chives or lemon balm are excellent in a potato or leek soup, sprinkle borage in a tomato soup, or add coriander (cilantro) seed to give extra spice. Parsley is often used to garnish soups but will release more flavor if it is stirred in just before serving or sprinkled in the soup. Croutons are tasty when they are fried with chopped garlic and a few chopped herbs.
Light vegetable starters will benefit from herb sauces: lemon thyme or lemon balm can be added to a white sauce made with a mixture of milk or stock to create a light, lemony sauce to coat vegetables such as broccoli. Prawn can be served on cucumber slices with a minty or chervil flavored mayonnaise, or tossed in flour spiced with ground coriander seed and fried quickly. Fish pâtés benefit from the addition of a little dill or parsley.
Herb Combinations
A fresh bouquet garni takes only moments to prepare: simply tie together sprigs of thyme of parsley and a bay leaf. You can vary this traditional mixture by substituting sage or basil, rosemary, marjoram, tarragon or dill for either the parsley or thyme. Leave a length of string to tie on to the handle of the saucepan or casserole dish so that the bouquet garni can be easily removed before serving.
To make a bouquet garni with dried herbs, place spoonfuls of dried herbs in the center of a circle of muslin (cheesecloth), gather up the edges and tie them into a sachet. A few sachets of bouquet garni in an attractive box makes a useful gift.
Take equal quantities of finely chopped fresh herbs – tarragon, chives and chervil, sometimes with parsley – and add to savory dishes at the end of cooking.
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Kali S. Winters
Harvesting Herbs
It is important to harvest your herbs at their peak so that you can preserve the maximum of their essential fragrances and flavors. Whether your are going to use them fresh in a salad, or dry them for crafts or culinary use. They should be at their best.
Using Fresh Herbs
Fresh herbs have only a limited life span before they begin to lose their qualities, so if you have herbs in the garden, only pick what you need when you need it. Use a sharp pair of scissors so that you do not damage the plant; most garden herbs will benefit from such regular trimming.
If you need to store fresh herbs, wash them gently, taking care not to bruise the leaves. Shake them dry, then place them in an unsealed polythene bag and keep at the bottom of the refrigerator; they will last for about a week.
Leaves & Flowers
When you are harvesting herbs for preserving, pick them at their most aromatic. Choose a dry day, as the herbs need to be as dry as possible when you pick them and be up early; harvest in the morning when the dew has dispersed, before the midday heat.
Leaves should be harvested just before the herb comes into flower. Snip off sprigs about 10cm/4 inches long, using sharp scissors so that you leave a clean cut and do not damage the tender stems of the plant. Flower heads should generally be harvested when the flowers have just opened and are in perfect shape; lavender flowers, however should be slightly immature.
Deal with small quantities at a time for the best results and collect only the plants that are healthy, well established and free from disease or pests. Handle the herbs carefully as they bruise easily and bruising will affect their flavor and aroma. Never leave cut herbs lying around waiting to be prepared, as they will rapidly deteriorate; deal with them as quickly as possible.
Roots and Seeds
Roots are usually lifted in autumn at the end of the growing season, when they are mature and richest in stored food. Lift the whole root with a fork, being careful not to puncture the skin. Shake off excess soil and carefully wash the roots. Cut off the top growth and fibrous rootleys then cut the root into section or slices.
Seed heads are ready for harvesting when the seeds are ripe and brown, just before the plant is ready to shed them. Check the seed heads by rubbing one between your palms; the seeds should shed easily. Put a muslin (cheesecloth) or paper bag over the seed head and secure with a twist-tie or twist of wire. Now the seed heads can be snipped off without losing any of the seeds.
Learn to Grow your Own Herbs Here!
Kali S. Winters
Articles of Interest:
Harvesting and Drying Herbs
Preserving Herbs
Pressing Herbs
Herbal Shampoo
Use camomile for fair hair, rosemary or sage leaves or lavender flowers for dark hair and marigold petals for red hair. Eggs add protein to the shampoo and make it richer; for greasy hair, use egg whites only.
Ingredients:
7 cups Boiling water
1 cup Herbs or petals
5 Tbsp Grated Castile Soap
2 Eggs (optional)
Directions:
Pour the water over the herbs or petals, stir well, cover and leave to infuse for 2 hours. Strain into a saucepan, pressing all the moisture from the herbs. Stir in the soap and whisk in the eggs, if using, pour into bottles and label. Shake the bottle well before using and rinse thoroughly after use.
Conditioners & Rinses
The herbs suggested for shampoos for different hair colors can be used in conditions and rinses as well, or you can try peppermint or nettle leaves, elder or yarrow flowers or fennel seeds. As a scalp conditioner, mix equal quantities of almond oil and herb oil and warm them slightly. Rub the oil into the scalp, wrap a warm towel around your head and leave for 15 minutes before shampooing and rinsing. For a richer conditioner, mix a teaspoon of fragrant oil and an egg into 4 tablespoons of plain yogert and apply in the same way.
Add a few spoonfuls of herbal vinegar to the final rinsing water for healthy, shinning hair or make specific herbal hair rinses. For a lemon hair rinse for greasy hair, mix the grated rind of 2 lemons, 2 tablespoons of chopped lemon balm leaves and 2 ½ cups of water in a saucepan, bring to a boil, then simmer for 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and leave to infuse for 2 hours. Strain well then stir in the juice of 2 lemons, pour into bottles, seal and label.
Rosemary hair rinse is said to stimulate the scalp and help to prevent dandruff. Place 1 ½ cups of rosemary sprigs and 4 ¼ cups of water in a saucepan, bring to a boil and boil for 15 minutes. Strain, stir in 5 tablespoons of white wine vinegar and 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and store in an airtight jar.
Kali S. Winters
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