Simple Herbal Remedies

Storing And Preserving Your Herbs

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How To Dry Herbs

Bay Leaf

The bay is a well known evergreen shrub or small tree, in this country it is most often kept as a neatly trimmed bush in a pot on a patio. The bay has aromatic spear shaped light green or silvery green leaves with a matt surface and slight crinkles round the leaf edge. (it is not to be confused with others in the laurel family which have larger glossier leaves and are poisonous.)
You can find bay in gardens and parks all over the world, it does not like cold wind and although the bay is an evergreen in its natural environment, our winters can make it lose its leaves. Bay can grow up to twenty metres tall in ideal conditions and male and female flowers are produced on separate trees.
The name of the bays species 'laurus,' meaning 'praise', was given by the Romans who used the leaves to crown emperors, poets, artists and other great people.

How to gather and store: Gather the leaves of the bay in the summer from the young branches, you can dry the leaves and store in an air tight jar.
Alternately if you have the space you could grow your own, it is best to grow bay in a pot on a patio as then it can be taken indoors during winter.

What to use it for: We know bay for its use in the kitchen, it is one of the ingredients of a bouquet garni and is a great compliment to stews, fish dishes, pasta dishes and even sweet dishes like rice pudding or custard. Medicinally, bay is useful in the treatment of stomach bloating and digestive problems, it is antiseptic, toning and can help relieve inflamed gums, mouth ulcers and general aches and pains of the body.

Natural Medicine Using Bay Leaf

Toning bay bath: Simply tear up three to four bay leaves and add to your bath, lie back and let the bay sooth away aches and pains and tone the body.

Stomach calming bay tea: Tear up a bay leaf and place in cup, add boiling water, cover and leave to infuse until cool, strain and drink.

Did You Know?

Blackberry Bramble

This thorny climbing bush grows prolifically, it is found almost everywhere, in hedgerows, woods, bordering fields, in the garden, in parks, ditches, on farmland and waste ground.
The blackberry is one of our most familiar of wild foods and is used extensively in cooking and wine making. It has simple, pretty, white or pink blossoms which appear from the end of May to July, these are followed by the tasty berries which appear from late august to October, it is the leaves of the plant that are mostly used in natural remedies.

How to gather and store: Gather the young leaves in the spring, while they are tender and before the plant flowers, it is advisable to wear thick gloves as the thorns are also present on the undersides of leaves. The leaves can then be dried, fragmented and kept in an air tight jar or washed chopped, and frozen.
Berries can be gathered in the autumn, discard any that are too hard or too squishy, the berries can then be washed and kept in the freezer until use.

What to use it for: The Blackberry leaf is useful for the treatment of diorreah, it reduces blood sugar levels, strengthens capillaries, is antibacterial, anti fungal and useful in promoting the healing of wounds in humans and animals. The berries contain vitamin C and fibre and are good for treating mouth ulcers and sore throats.

Natural Herbal Remedies Using Blackberry

Soothing throat syrup: Take 2 cups of blackberries, place in a pan and pour on boiling water until berries are just covered. Bring to the boil and simmer until the blackberries are soft. Add four tablespoons of sugar and simmer until sugar is dissolved. Strain and decant into a jar, take a spoonful of this mixture four times a day.

Diarrhoea preparation: Place two tea spoons of blackberry leaf into a cup, pour on boiling water and leave to infuse until cool, strain the mixture and drink in the morning and evening.

Healing wound treatment: Take four tablespoons of blackberry leaf and put in a pan, add one and a half pints of boiling water, bring to the boil then simmer for ten minutes, remove from heat, cover and leave to cool. Soak a cloth or bandage in the mixture and lay it over the wound for ten minutes, do this in the mornings when you wake up and at night before going to bed.

Did You Know?

Blackcurrant Bush

The blackcurrant bush is grown in gardens and smallholdings all over the world for its tasty berries. It is a deciduous shrub with aromatic leaves and woody stems. The blackcurrant bush can grow up to one metre high and flowers from May to August, the flowers hang in sparse bunches and are small and green in colour. These flowers are followed by small, round, shiny, purple-black berries.

How to gather and store: Gather the leaves of the bush in spring before it goes into flower, use fresh or dry and store in an air tight jar. Gather berries in late summer when ripe, berries can be frozen for future use, as they are hard to dry with out rotting occurring.

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What to use it for: Blackcurrants are extremely tasty little berries and have had their use in the kitchen for hundreds of years, they contain high levels of vitamin C in fact weight for weight, they have four times the amount of vitamin C found in oranges!
The blackcurrant bush has anti-inflammatory properties and is good for helping combat a sore throat or sore gums, symptoms of flu and colds. It is also beneficial in the treatment of rheumatic pain and improving the circulation of blood. Certain pigments in the skins of blackcurrants have been observed to inhibit the growth of bacteria in the stomach, which make blackcurrants good for calming diarrhoea, wind and upset stomachs.

Natural Medicine Using Blackcurrant Bush

Cleansing blackcurrant leaf tea: Take a level teaspoon of fragmented blackcurrant leaves, place in a small pan and pour on a pint of boiling water, cover pan and leave to infuse for up to ten minutes, strain and drink in the mornings and evenings to combat a urine infection.

Blackcurrant syrup: take a cup of blackcurrants, place in a pan with just enough water to cover the berries, heat until blackcurrants are soft, add half a cup of sugar or honey and stir until mixed and dissolved. Pour mixture into a jar label and when cool store in the fridge for up to three months. Take a tablespoonful or dissolve it in some hot water and drink, to sooth sore throats, sore gums and cold and flu symptoms and also symptoms of an upset stomach.

Did You Know?

American Elderberry

The elder bush/ tree is found in fields, hedgerows, woods, by ditches and river banks, on waste ground and in parks.
Elder has rough light grey bark and is easy to recognise especially when in flower or fruiting, its large fragrant, cream coloured, flat flower heads are picked in May and are used to make delicious elderflower wines and cordials. The berries that follow in the autumn also make a delicious wine, both the flowers and berries are used in natural medicine.

How to gather and store: Gather the flowers in may, remove from the stalks and dry, dried flowers can be kept in an air tight tin.
Harvest the berries in September when ripe and dark purple, remove from the berries from their stalks and freeze or dry.

What to use it for: Elderberries are a mild laxative and contain beta carotene, folic acid, and vitamins A and C. Elderflowers have tannins, potassium and flavanoids, and have anti inflammatory properties. Both the elderflower and the elderberry are used for treating many of the same ailments, such as colds, flu, sore throats and sore gums.

Natural Herbal Remedies Using American Elderberry

Elderberry throat syrup: place 2 cups of elderberries in a pan, add just enough boiling water to cover them, bring to a boil and simmer until berries soften, remember to top up the water to avoid burning them. When soft add a cup of sugar, and simmer whilst stirring to dissolve the sugar. Take off the heat after about ten minutes, strain and decant into a clean jar. This syrup can be kept in the fridge for up to five days, take a spoonful of this three times a day.

Elderflower sore gum reliever: Put half a cup of elderflowers into a pan with two pints of boiling water, boil for five minutes, then leave to cool and infuse. Put into a jar or jug and keep in the fridge for up to three days. To use swill the mixture round your mouth, as you would mouthwash. Do this in the mornings, before bed and after meals.

Elderberry hair tint for dark hair: Put two cups of berries in a pan, add one and a half pints of water and a tablespoon of cider vinegar, bring to the boil and simmer until berries are soft. Leave to cool for a while, then strain. After you have washed your hair, pour the elderberry mixture over it and leave to dry.

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Common Lavender

The common lavender is a well known and well loved beautifully aromatic perennial found in gardens, parks, and public spaces. It is also occasionally found in the wild close to habitation and it is still farmed here in some areas.
The lavender plant grows to a woody many stemmed bush, it has longish spear shaped silver grey leaves. Delicate purple flowers appear from May to September, these are the parts used in natural medicine.

How to gather and store: Gather the flower buds in May or June before they open, dry the flowers, they can then be kept in an air tight jar for future use.

What to use it for: Lavender is perhaps most well known in this country as a scent, couples used to give each other bags of lavender as tokens symbolising remembrance and love, Charles the second would take such bags, tied up with pretty ribbons, and give them to his mistress Nell Gwyn at their secret meetings.
Medicinally it is useful in the treatment of tension headaches, insomnia, stress and anxiety. Lavender can help aid digestion, combat flatulence. It is antiseptic and antibacterial, it calms burns, bites and skin complaints.
Lavender does have uses in the kitchen, it can be used as a garnish for drinks, flowers can be added to a salad or it can be used in jam making, (it is best to make an infusion of lavender first and use that in your jam.) In some areas lavender cakes are made.

Natural Medicine Using Common Lavender

Calming lavender tea: Take two teaspoons of lavender flowers and place in a pan, pour on a pint of boiling water, cover and leave to infuse for ten minutes. Strain into a mug and sweeten with honey, (any mixture spare can be kept in the fridge for up to three days,) drink in the mornings and evenings and between meals to help calm mild anxiety and feelings of stress.

Upset stomach preparation: Take a teaspoon of lavender flowers, place in a mug and pour on boiling water, cover and leave to infuse for five minutes, drink in the mornings and evenings.

Soothing lavender bath: Add a handful of lavender flowers to your bath to help ease rheumatic pain and general aches and pains of the body.

Did You Know?

Common Sage

Common sage is a well known herb that is found in gardens and also in the wild, if given the space and time to grow, a sage plant will grow into an attractive aromatic bush. Flowers on long stalks are produced in May and are a beautiful purpley blue colour.
It is the leaves of the common sage that are mainly used in natural medicine. Its species name translates as 'healing plant.'

How to gather and store: Sage can be easily grown in the garden or in a pot on a balcony or if a young small plant, a windowsill. Collect the leaves in spring before the plant has flowered, dry them and store in an air tight jar.

.What to use it for: In this country sage is mainly known for its use in cooking and for its pretty flowers, in other cultures it has been used for thousands of years as a herb, a medicine and in witchcraft and shamanistic rituals.
Sage was a very precious herb in the east, it was believed that sage prolonged life and slowed down the aging process. The Chinese thought sage so important that early traders would swap four pounds of tea for every pound of sage that the Dutch brought to China.
Sage is good for fighting fatigue and calming anxieties, it has anti-inflammatory properties which make it useful for calming a sore throat or sore gums. Sage reduces sweat secretions and is helpful in combating night sweats and hot flushes. It helps improve digestion, which in turn breaks down certain fats in the body, improves circulation and helps to breakdown and eliminate cellulite.

Natural Herbal Remedies Using Common Sage

Sage and thyme tonic tea: Take four or five sage leaves and a the same amount of thyme leaves, place in a mug and pour on boiling water, cover and leave to infuse for five to ten minutes, strain and drink one to two cups a day to act as a general pick me up and to combat fatigue, cellulite and excess sweating.

Sage gum soothing gargle: Take a hand full of sage leaves, add to a pan and pour on a pint of boiling water, boil for a few minutes the take off the heat, cover and leave until cool. Strain the mixture and use as a gargle or a swill to sooth sore gums or a sore throat.

Sage tonic tea: Take four sage leaves, place in a mug and pour on boiling water, cover and leave to infuse for five to ten minutes, strain and drink after meals to help ease symptoms of a bad digestion.

Did You Know?

Dog Rose

This bushy shrub can be found commonly in woods and along hedge rows in most of thetemperate areas of the world.
The dog rose produces an abundance of lovely scented pink or white flowers from May to early July. After the petals have fallen the reproductive part of the flower ripens and turns into a bright red seed pod, this is called a rose hip and is the part we use in natural medicine.

How to gather and store: Gather the ripe rosehips from August to November, avoid any hips which are under-ripe or over-ripe and mushy, as these will have less vitamin C, (ripe hips are a glossy red and firm to the touch.) You might want to wear thick gardening gloves when collecting rosehips as dog rose has dense thorns.
You can dry the rose hips and keep them in an air tight jar until use, rosehips can also be frozen.

What to use it for: Rosehips have a very high vitamin C content, they are used as a pick me up, to combat fatigue, boost the immune system and help increase resistance to colds and flu. The tannins in the rosehips have soothing properties, which ease diarrhoea, and the organic acids found in the hips calm a troubled digestive system.
Rosehips also contain pectin, which makes them very good for use as a setting agent in jam making.

Natural Herbal Remedies Using Dog Rose

Invigorating tea: Take twelve rosehips, cut them open and place in a pan, pour a pint of boiling water over them then wait until the water has cooled. When almost cold strain the mixture, sweeten with a bit of honey and pour into a receptacle. This tea can be kept in the fridge for up to three days and can be drunk cold with ice or warmed up.

Diarrhoea decoction: Tear up twenty rosehips and place in a pan, add two pints of boiling water, gently boil for five minutes, remove from heat then leave to infuse for a further fifteen minutes. Strain into a receptacle and take half a cup at regular intervals throughout the day. As with the tea this decoction can be kept in the fridge for up to three days and taken hot or cold.

Did You Know?

Hops

Although the days of hop cultivation on farms are very much declined, you can still find wild hops trailing in the hedgerows. This perennial climber takes its name from the Anglo Saxon word 'hoppan' which means, to climb. Male and female flowers are borne on separate plants, it's the cone shaped female flower that is used in natural medicine.

How to gather and store: Hop flowers ripen in September and should be a greenish yellow colour with a papery feel, when picked. Hops can be dried and stored in an air tight jar.

What to use it for: Hops are known for their sedative properties, in fact clinical trials in Germany have proved that hops are as effective in helping sleep disorders. Hops are also useful in combating nervous problems such as stress and anxiety. The bitter elements of the hop help the digestive system work more effectively
Hop sprouts are a surprisingly tasty vegetable, (hops are easy to grow from cuttings and unless you can identify a hop sprout in the wild, I'd advise you to grow your own.) Take the young sprouts that appear from the ground in spring, boil them as you would asparagus and serve drizzled with butter or olive oil and a little salt. Hop sprouts purify the blood and are a good source of fibre?

Natural Medicine Using Hops

Calming hop tea: Take four hop flowers and place in a cup, pour on boiling water, cover leave to cool and infuse for up to fifteen minutes. Drink a small cup twice a day between meals to combat stress and anxiety.

Relaxing hop bath: Take two handfuls of hop flowers and add to a pan with a three pints of boiling water, cover and leave to infuse for at least thirty minutes, add to bath water before bed to relax your muscles and to combat insomnia.

Insomnia beating hop pillow: You will need quite a lot of hops for this (about 2 carrier bags,) the quickest and easiest way to make a hop pillow, is to take an old pillow case and stuff it with hops (you could add valerian, lavender or any other herbs conducive to sleep to your hop pillow,) when your pillow is nicely stuffed with hops etc, just sew up the open end and pop it inside a pretty pillow case.

Peppermint

The peppermint plant thrives in this country and is a favourite plant in gardens, it's a bushy plant with a clumping habit and will spread quickly if left to grow, peppermint has long purpley stems with highly aromatic oval leaves that are sharply pointed at the end. The mint plant flowers in Late May to July and its flowers are reddish pink in colour.
The Romans cultivated mint for use in cooking and medicine, the type they grew was water mint, most of our hybrid garden mints have one parent that is water mint. You can find water mint commonly all over the United Kingdom along with our many other species of wild mint. Water mint has the much same medicinal properties as peppermint.

How to gather and store: Gather the leaves in summer while the plant is in flower, use fresh, chop up and freeze or dry and keep in an air tight jar.
Alternately grow your own peppermint (or water mint if you have a pond) peppermint does not do too well indoors and prefers to be outside, plant it in a large container to keep it from taking over your garden.

What to use it for: Peppermint is used widely around the world as a flavouring for confectionary, a scent in the cosmetics industry and for its use in the kitchen as a herb, it is particularly nice when used to flavour new potatoes, (just throw a sprig into the pan with the potatoes whilst they are boiling.)
Medicinally peppermint is good for the treatment of digestion problems such as bloating, wind, stomach cramps and other symptoms. Its menthol component is great for easing decongestion and colds. Peppermint is also beneficial for toning the skin, soothing skin irritations, headaches, sore throats and gums.

Natural Herbal Remedies Using Peppermint

Pore tightening facial rinse: Add 1 a tsp parsley, 2 tsps of mint, and a pint of boiling water to a pan, heat for five minutes then take off heat, cover and leave to cool. Wash and rinse your face as normal then splash your mixture over face and pat dry. Mixture can be kept up to 3 days in the fridge.

Mint tea: place I tsp of mint in a cup, pour on boiling water, cover and leave to infuse until cool, strain and drink twice a day to combat wind, bloating, stomach cramps and other symptoms of a bad digestion.

Soothing mint mouthwash: make tea as above, when cool swill mixture round your mouth as you would mouthwash, do this morning and night to sooth sore gums and mouth ulcers.

Did You Know?

Raspberry Cane

Raspberry is a popular plant grown in gardens and smallholdings for its sharp, tasty fruit.
The raspberry is a deciduous shrub with finely spined, woody stems called 'canes', it can grow up to two meters high and produces small white or pinkish flowers in May, these flowers are followed in June and July by large, cone shaped, red-pink berries.

How to gather and store: Raspberry can be easily grown in the garden and will produce an abundance of fruit.
Gather the leaves of the bush in spring before it goes into flower, use fresh or dry and store in an air tight jar. Gather berries in late summer when ripe, berries can be frozen for future use as they are hard to dry without rotting occurring.

What to use it for: We have been using raspberries in the kitchen for centuries, they are extremely tasty and contain high levels of vitamins A, B,C and E, they also contain a component which helps eliminate harmful cancer causing carcinogens. Raspberries are mostly enjoyed alone with cream and sugar or used as a component in desserts but in-fact they are also a great accompaniment to meats, especially pork.
We are familiar with the use of raspberry in this country as a natural medicine, perhaps the best known use of it was in raspberry leaf tea, which has been used to aid a poor digestion, ease diarrhea and act as a tonic for the female reproductive system for hundreds of years. Raspberry is also useful in the treatment of skin irritations, sore throats and gums and fluid retention.

Natural Medicine Using Raspberry Cane

Did You Know?

Rosemary

In the olden days rosemary was known as the symbol of consistency and longevity in love. This is because when cut rosemary stays fresher and more fragrant than any other plant.
Rosemary is found frequently in this country, in gardens and public spaces such as borders and parks, it has been used in cooking, beauty treatments and medicine for thousands of years.

How to gather and store: The rosemary leaves are evergreen so can be gathered at any time of year, if you have or live near a rosemary bush you will be able to pick as required.
For those who wish to keep and store rosemary for future use it might be a good idea to preserve the leaves by scalding with hot water then drying, the dried leaves can then be stored in an air tight jar.

.What to use it for: Rosemary stimulates circulation by strengthening the capillaries and improving blood flow. It is useful in calming the stomach and digestive tract and easing constipation, bloating and stomach cramps. Rosemary combats fatigue, improves concentration and the memory, eases headaches and is said to help restore hair growth! It is a very good anti inflammatory agent and has antibacterial properties which make it most effective in the treatment of ear, nose and throat infections. Rosemary is also known to have a detoxifying effect on the liver.

Natural Herbal Remedies Using Rosemary

Soothing rosemary tea: This tea is used to combat constipation, bloating, stomach irritation and is also useful in soothing ear, nose and throat problems. Take a sprig of rosemary and place in a cup or mug, pour boiling water over it and leave to infuse for ten minutes. Drink this tea three times a day.

Toning bath tonic: Take two cups of rosemary leaves, place in a pan with a litre of boiling water, boil for five minutes then take off heat, cover and leave to infuse for at least twenty minutes, add to bath, lie back and relax.

Rosemary honey: Fill a clean jar with three quarters honey and one quarter rosemary flowers, leave to stand in the sun somewhere (on a windowsill perhaps) for about a month. The honey will then be flavoured by the rosemary and have a tonic and strengthening effect on the body.

Did You Know?

Stinging Nettle

Easily recognisable and one of our most common wild plants, the stinging nettle has been used for thousands of years in medicine. Nettles are perennial and grow abundantly in most places, on waste land, at the edge of fields, in gardens, woods, meadows, parks, hedgerows and ditches. Stinging nettles do not sting after they have been cooked.
The word nettle comes from the Scandinavian 'noedl' which means needle. For anyone who has fallen into a nettle patch this needs no explanation!

How to gather and store: Pick the tender, light green, young nettles in spring. Young nettles have less of a sting and are not tough and bitter like mature nettles. It is a good idea to wear thick gloves whilst gathering nettles as they can and will sting.
You can use nettle fresh, or dry them, nettle leaves can also be chopped and frozen.

What to use it for: Nettle is beneficial in the treatment of fatigue, poor appetite, rheumatic pain and arthritis. It is a diuretic and contains iron, calcium, potassium, vitamin C, and beta carotene. Nettle can also be used to treat dandruff, acne, and eczema, it is good for combating greasy skin and hair
Nettle is one of natures vegetable and the leaves and tender stalks can be boiled and added to flans, mashed potato, soups and quiches, it can also be enjoyed simply steamed and served like any other leafy veg. In the country people have enjoyed nettle tea and nettle beer for hundreds of years. It is said that if you hang a bunch of fresh nettles in the kitchen or larder it will keep flies away.

Natural Medicine Using Stinging Nettle

Nettle tea: Use to ease fatigue, stimulate a poor appetite and promote passing of urine. Take a bunch of fresh nettle leaves or 10g of nettle powder, add to a pan and pour on 2 pints of boiling water, bring to a boil and simmer for five minutes. Remove from heat and strain. Drink two to three cups a day

Clear skin nettle wash/ nettle dandruff preparation : Take a cup of nettle leaves, or a tablespoon of dried leaves, add to a pan and pour on a pint of boiling water, boil for five minutes then remove from heat, cover and leave to infuse until cool. When cool, soak some cotton wool in the mixture and dab onto face. A preparation to help dandruff is made in the same way, use it when it is luke warm and instead of dabbing with cotton wool pour the mixture onto your scalp using a jug.

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