Now of course there are all types of herbs that you could have on hand. Personally I have savory herbs like rosemary, thyme, oregano and sage, as well as non-edible medicinal herbs like comfrey. Decide how you’re going to use your herbs, and plan accordingly. It won’t do me any good to make a comfrey salt, when I need comfrey as a salve or tincture.

1. Preserve herbs in sugar

Yes, I know sugar is bad for you and all that. However sugar also makes an excellent preservative for many things, including herbs. It combines really well with florals, like rose and lavender, or even peppermint. We don’t use sugar very often, only on occasion as a special treat. Having an herbal sugar on hand really enhances the flavor of things and also adds nutritional value.

To make an herb infused sugar

I normally use rapadura or coconut sugar, but their flavors are too heavy and hide the flavors of the herbs here. This organic, white sugar is what I’ve used before. You can choose from sweet, spicy or even savory herbs, but lavender, mint or rose are my personal favorites. You could also try violets, basil, chamomile, or rosemary.

• Organic white sugar
• Herb of your choice

1. In a wide mouth glass jar pour 2 T. of your sugar evenly on the bottom.
2. Add a thin layer of your fresh herbs, then another 2 T. of sugar.
3. Continue layering until the jar is full, but be sure that all of the herbs are covered in a top layer of sugar that’s ½ inch thick. Cap your jar, and allow the flavors to infuse for at least 4 weeks.
4. Before using your herbal sugar, give it a few pulses through your coffee grinder or food processor to break up the herbal matter.

To use

• Replace part or all of the sugar in a recipe with your infused sugar.
• Sprinkle over top of dishes as a pretty and fragrant garnish.

2. Preserve herbs in salt

This method is great for savory herbs like chives, basil, rosemary and thyme, but it can also taste good with sweeter herbs. The method is the same as preserving in sugar, however here we’re using salt. I like to use a course sea salt, like celtic sea salt, but you could also use Himalayan or Real Salt.

• Sea salt
• Herb of your choice

1. In a wide mouth glass jar pour 2 T. of your salt evenly on the bottom.
2. Add a thin layer of your fresh herbs, then another 2 T. of salt.
3. Continue layering until the jar is full, but be sure that all of the herbs are covered in a top layer of salt that’s about ½ inch thick. Cap your jar, and allow the flavors to infuse for at least 4 weeks.
4. Before using your herbal salt, give it a few pulses through your coffee grinder or food processor to break up the herbal matter. Since I use Celtic sea salt, I like to really finely grind it in my coffee grinder.

To use:

• Use like you would regular salt, to season savory dishes, like soups or meats
• Sprinkle on top of foods as a vibrant and flavorful garnish

3. Preserve herbs in butter or oil

This is one of my favorite ways to preserve herbs for cooking. I usually stick to savory herbs, but sweeter herbs are nice for spreading on bread, raspberry banana muffins and pancakes. You can use a savory butter on this gluten free cornbread or your favorite bread recipe.

• About 1 cup of fresh herbs of your choice, firmly packed
• 1 cup Butter, coconut or olive oil

1. If you’re using a solid fat like coconut oil or butter, then place the herbs and fat of choice into a food processor and pulse to combine. If you don’t have a food processor, then finely chop your herbs, and stir into room temperature butter or coconut oil. If you’re using olive oil, then put the ingredients in the blender and pulse a few times.
2. Pour your herb mixture into an ice cube tray, and put it in the freezer until solid. I really like using these silicone trays, since I’ve found that fats are really hard to get out of the plastic ones.
3. Pop out your herb butter/oil cubes and store in a freezer safe bag for up to 6 months or so.

To use:

• Drop a block into a meal that you’re cooking to add a boost of flavor
• Allow the herbal butter or coconut oil to warm at room temperature and spread on baked goods

4. Preserve herbs in raw honey

Raw honey is good for so many things. I use it in my soothing throat spray once a scratchy throat hits, I’ll put some in my morning superfood vanilla latte, or use it to make naturally sweetened caramel. It’s also a great way to preserve herbs though because of it’s anti-microbial properties. Archeologists have even found 4,000 year old honey in an Egyptian tomb that was still good! I like using both sweet and savory herbs in herbal honeys. You can use them for adding flavor to your foods, or for medicinal purposes. Garlic and honey make a great cough syrup.

• Herbs of choice
• 2 cups raw honey

1. If your honey has solidified, then warm the jar in a pan of hot water on the stove until it’s liquid again.
2. Pack a glass jar full of your desired herb, then pour the honey over it. You want to make sure that the honey is completely covering the herb though.
3. Allow the herbal honey to infuse for at least 4 weeks. You can then strain the honey out, but I prefer to just spoon some out as needed.

To use:

• Spread on baked goods
• Stir into tea or coffee
• Use to soothe a sore throat
• Replace ½ of the honey in a recipe with your herbal honey

5. Preserve herbs in an herbal vinegar

Vinegar adds just a bite of acidity to perk up dishes. I use it in recipes like my roasted bacon Brussel sprouts, but it’s also handy to clean with. You can see how to infuse an herbal vinegar for cleaning and how to use it here. I prefer to stick with herbs that pair well with savory dishes like oregano, dill, rosemary and marjoram when doing an herbal vinegar.

Herbal vinegars are also useful for skincare. You can use rosemary and/or sage infused vinegar as a hair rinse for healthier hair, or you can use peppermint to make a facial toner, like this here.

• Herbs of choice
• White vinegar

1. Fill a glass jar ¾ full of your fresh herbs, then pour vinegar over the top until full. Try to make sure that the vinegar is completely covering your herbs.
2. Store in a cool, dark place for 2-4 weeks, shaking daily, then strain the herbs from your vinegar once infused.

To use:

• Replace the vinegar in a recipe with your herbal vinegar
• Add a splash to your soup, stir fry or veggies
• Use it in salad dressings or marinades

How do you like to enjoy herbs during the winter months? Share in the comments below!

The post 5 easy ways to preserve herbs for winter appeared first on The Herbal Spoon.

Something I look forward to the most every July is sumac season. These brightly colored, tart berries not only make a delicious lemonade, but they’re also loaded with vitamin C. So brew a batch and sip away!

Isn’t it poisonous?!

You may have only ever heard the word sumac in conjunction with the phrase “poison sumac,” but this is grossly misleading. Poison sumac has off white berries and can only be found in very wet, marshy areas, so it takes some trying just to even find it. Staghorn and other varieties have red berries and aren’t at all poisonous.

How to harvest sumac

Even if you’re not a pro at identifying wild plants, it’s super easy to tell the two apart. I’ve never actually seen poison sumac myself, even though I’ve seen hundreds of staghorn sumac trees. Just look for the distinct red berries from June to August. You’ll want to harvest them before the rain, as this will wash off the flavor.

There are many different varieties of edible sumac. You can see some of the most common ones and how to identify them here. In my area of the Midwest, the staghorn sumac is what’s available, while in the south, shining sumac is more common.

Health benefits of Sumac

So now that we’ve clarified it’s definitely not going to kill you and how to find it, let’s talk about what makes it so good for you. If you get the juice from the berries on your fingers, you’ll notice a distinct sour taste, which is because of the malic acid on the berries. This acid is tangy, but it’s also great at boosting the immune system.

Sumac is high in antioxidants that help fight inflammation in the body and disease causing free radicals. All parts of the plant can be used medicinally. The bark and leaves are both astringent due to the amount of tannins, while the berries are high in Vitamin C. It was used by the Native Americans as a gargle for sore throats, other natural remedies, and as a tea.

“It was also used medicinally by North American native people in the treatment of bacterial diseases such as syphilis, gonorrhea, dysentery, and gangrene.” (source)

Confession time

I can attest to the fact that sumac really does work well as an immune booster and cold fighter. When I was working as a nanny full time, I felt a cold coming on, but didn’t have any of my usual remedies with me that day. I walked across the street and gathered some sumac to make lemonade. After 3 quarts of the stuff, I felt fantastic, and that cold never did rear it’s ugly head!

How to make sumac lemonade

There are a few different ways to make sumac lemonade, but this method is my favorite. You don’t want to use water that is too hot for this, or it will release the tannins, making your lemonade bitter.

1. Start with clean sumac berries. You can remove them from the stems, or just use the whole head. I don’t bother removing the berries to save on time. You’ll want to use about 5 medium sumac clusters for every ½ gallon of water.
2. Heat your water just until it’s warm, then remove from the heat and add in the sumac clusters. Use a potato masher or a wooden spoon to smash them apart in the water. Cover with a lid and let it steep for 15 minutes or so.
3. Strain the berries from the water. I like to use a large colander, and then a smaller sieve to get out the smallest pieces.
4. Sweeten to taste with raw honey, maple syrup or stevia and serve cold.

How to preserve sumac for later (3 ways)

Since the berries are only available for a short time, you’ll want to preserve a few for a refreshing winter lemonade.

1.You can hang the sumac clusters upside down by their stems in a cool dark place for a few weeks until completely dry. Be sure to store these in an airtight container away from moisture and heat.

2. You can also remove the berries from the cluster, and spread them out on a tray to dry in a dehydrator.

3. Another method that makes for faster sumac lemonade, is to freeze some concentrated sumac lemonade into ice cube trays. Then store the ice cubes in a freezer safe bag in your freezer. Drop a few into a glass of warm water, and voila, sumac lemonade.

Resources:

• More than just native lemonade
• Native plants to know
• The health benefits of sumac spice

Have you ever enjoyed sumac before, or would you like to try it? Tell us about it in the comments below!

The post Sumac lemonade and why it’s so good for you appeared first on The Herbal Spoon.

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Every summer, I love to spend as much time as humanly possible outside. With gardening, evening walks and the occasional trip to the beach, my skin can soak up a lot of sun. For those days when I’ve had a little too much sun though, then I turn to this soothing sunburn spray to help relieve damaged skin.

I’m a big advocate for getting some safe sun exposure and soaking up all those lovely rays to boost my natural Vitamin D levels. And for the times where I know I’ll be in the sun all day, like at the beach, I like to take along some natural sunscreen with me. Sometimes though, I don’t always think ahead and my skin ends up a touch too red and I know I’ve overdone it. And while sun is good for you up to a point, burning is definitely not good and can do some serious damage to your skin.

What I used to use for sunburn

We used to use the bright blue aloe vera gel from the drug store every time we had a sunburn. I hated the slimy, sticky feel of the goop on my skin. A few years ago I actually took a look at the ingredients list, and it wasn’t something that I felt good about using anymore, now that we’re using non-toxic and all natural products. I like the first 2 ingredients, but then it goes downhill from there.

Water, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice , SD Alcohol 40-B (12.2% v/v) , Propylene Glycol , Glycerin , Polysorbate 20 , Carbomer , Triethanolamine , Diazolidinyl Urea , Disodium EDTA , Tocopherol , Blue 1 (source)

Yikes! So what’s a safe and healthy option instead of the blue goop?

An all natural solution

You know how much I love all things herbal, and a soothing after sun spray is no different. Herbs like calendula and lavender have skin regenerating properties, while chamomile is deeply soothing.

• Calendula – antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, demulcent
• Lavender – anti-inflammatory, anti-histamine, analgesic (relieves pain)
• Chamomile – antispasmodic, anti-inflammatory, analgesic (relieves pain)
• Peppermint essential oil – contains soothing menthol to cool skin down

I usually use an herb infused salve when my skin needs some extra care, but in this case, a salve can make the skin feel too hot. A cooling mist is the perfect option since you don’t have to touch the damaged skin, further irritating it. I like keeping this in the fridge so it feels extra cooling and soothing.

Soothing after sun spray

• 1 tsp lavender flowers – get it here
• 1 T. chamomile flowers – get it here
• 1 T. calendula flowers – get it here
• 4 drops peppermint essential oil
• 2 T. pure aloe vera gel – get it here
• 1 T glycerin –get it here
• ¼ tsp non-gmo vitamin E (helps extend the shelf life and protects skin) – get it here
• 7 oz Distilled water
• 8 oz spray bottle or mister – get some here

1. In a clean saucepan with a lid, heat the water until it starts to boil. Turn the heat off and then add the herbs. Let the mixture steep for 5 minutes before carefully straining the herbs out.
2. Pour the herb infused water into your spray bottle and allow it to cool to room temperature. You can place the bottle in the fridge to speed up the process.
3. Next, add the aloe vera gel, vitamin E oil, glycerin and the peppermint essential oil. Shake well to combine.
   Store any extra in the fridge and use liberally on skin that’s had too much sun.

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The post Soothing After Sun Spray appeared first on The Herbal Spoon.