Custom Blending herbs, teas and spices is one of the many cool and creative things I get to do for The Herbal Sage Tea company.
This week we began to harvest Spicebush Berry for a new custom blend. Spicebush Lindera benzoin also called wild allspice is an abundant understory plant in SE Ohio.
Years ago one of the old timers showed me how he and his family would harvest the twigs and soft branches during the fall season to make a tea. He also would pick a few twigs and chew on them. Though I like the gentle spice from the branches of this plant, I prefer to harvest the berries, dry them, then add then to herb blends. My current custom blend request is from Denison University located an hour or so north of The Herbal Sage Farms. They wanted a BIG RED blend, we'll also be adding our native Elderberry fruit to their blend , more on amazing elderberry next time!
I think these berries qualify for a BIG RED theme, don't you?
Finally a reprieve in our winter storms, at least for a few hours. David and I have been checking on our young elderberry plants (Sambucuscanadensis) throughout these winter months and have a few images to share. For those of you familiar with Herbal sage Farms or have seen our talks at @MotherEarthNews these images will be more of an update.
Early summer 2013, we were able to harvest 80% of the mature rootstock from a local winery which was no longer going to grow elderberry for their wine. From the plants themselves we planted 139 cuttings. In the fall of 2013 we realized that we had a success rate on these starts of about 75%, which is quite good. As fall turned to winter, our protective fencing was not good enough to keep the deer out and we had plenty of deer damage.
The last image shows a start that had developed quite a number of buds before winter arrived and remained untouched by the deer. This will be our comparison start to see how the others do.
Elder elderberry growers ( nice play on words, yes?) assured us that this damage would not affect the starts come spring 2014.These wise elders told us that elderberry is very hardy in this area and would recover by putting out plenty of new shoots as the warm weather arrives.
Stop back for updates, we'll keep you posted as the warm weather arrives...it will arrive won't it?
It's frustrating to me, as a formulator, when certain herbs are inaccessible. When formulating, I often create the blend in my mind initially, then work towards accessing specifics herbs and teas to create my finished project/product. I imagine what each herb will add to the recipe and which herb or herbs will help to make this new blend both effective and pleasant in taste.I dream big at these times.
Yet, I realize that this frustration is an example of my unwillingness, to realize at all times, that I am working with the natural world. I get wrapped up in the idea of what I want to make a certain blends.I often am asked "Why can't you just make such and such blend?", my answer is "That plant is not available right now". Their questions act as a reminder to me.The lack of understanding by many people is key here. I take time to explain that we do not work with flavorings, or artificial ( natural) ingredients, we cannot generate our ingredients by a whim. There are seasonal changes and many factors that relate to the unavailability of specific herbs.Loss of natural habitat, crop failure experienced by growers, natural resources that may make it unaffordable for herbs to be grown in a region where they once thrived. Many, many variables exist..
When I find myself wresting with frustration, I am motivated to grow more of the herbs that I need.
The fact that were are losing plants at a record rate, encourages me to get busy, put seed and plants in the ground. Learn how to grow, harvest and create with those plants, that are grown by us, at Herbal Sage Farms. We cannot grow everything we use in our blends, but we can make a difference by growing those that we can.We can add to the plant population of our planet, not just glean from others.
Perhaps a field trip to the land would help folks understand the reality of REAL..
Real food, real plants, real herbs. REAL.TEA..
thanks for listening, time to water the seed beds and get these plants ready to flourish!
Today is one of those days when I realize the tapestry of life is woven deeply thru so many of us, connecting us in ways that we could have never imagined.
In my senior year at my hippie high school I was introduced to Richie Havens, his music, his poetry of song and sound was ever etched in my mind and heart. He embodied to me the essence of a real man. His tonality struck me, his words moved me, how I heard him, in my own way, gave me hope. And I needed hope during those years, thank you for that Mr. Havens.
I also viewed the images from that famous event called Woodstock, for the first time during my senior year. Hendrix, Jefferson Airplane, Mountain, Janis Joplin, Joe Cocker, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, Their music, created a road to freedom for me. They fed into a sense of freedom that I longed for. I ate it up.
Many years later , I reflect on that freedom, the style of life that I led then, and the incredible need to be true to myself, still year after year. By following my heart and lots of hard work I find myself full circle with a few of those individuals that gave me that sense of hope, thru their music, when I needed it most.
Jefferson Airplane, and in particular Jack Casady from the Jefferson Airplane band is a person who is currently woven into the tapestry of my life.
Organic full leaf green tea with chia for Jack Casady
I am working closely with Jack to create a custom Green Tea blend specifically for his tastes.
Yes, that's true!
I met Jack thru his friend Jorma Kaukonen years ago, down at Jorma's Fur Peace Ranch. Seems that music camp that Jorma and his wife built is close to Herbal Sage Farms...go figure.
Jack and I have worked on other organic tea blends and now I have the pleasure of creating another tea for him. Jack loves full leaf organic sencha green tea, I do too. It's a mild green tea, yet full bodied a with just the right amount of astringency. Jack is into chia seeds right now, so I added some organic chia seeds with the sencha leaf. Its an amazing blend actually smooth tasting and very ,very healthy.
So we never know how things will work out, or how folks will work into our lives. I for one, feel blessed and grateful for this twist of fate.
Like Richie Havens who sang so often about Freedom, I feel I can only be free when my heart is open to experience whatever it is that is put in front of me. How my life has evolved to this place in time, where I can share my art of blending with someone who shared their art of music, with me so many years ago, is a mystery to me.
All I can say is , YES, and clap my hands, clap my hands... RIP Richie Havens
Last month I had the opportunity, again, to listen to my friend Rosemary Gladstar talk about using herbs for nutrition and health. She was speaking at The Mother Earth News Fair and I was an exhibitor there.Rosemary is one of the matriarchs of the herbal world. She has been creating effective and great tasting herbal formulas for over 4 decades. I am honored to know her and feel blessed too, of having her support and encouragement over the years. Her belief in me, as I grew The Herbal Sage Tea Company,inspired me to become a better formulator. Rosemary has a great way of reaching out, she makes it look so easy! I was sent this prompt today, this is a new venue for Rosemary, using the Internet to share her story. Take a moment and join her, and I know you will enjoy her as much as I have over the years!
This is the first blog on my series entitled, "Foods that Heal". My focus is on herbs and their therapeutic effects, with the idea that herbs are not only something to add to water to make a tissane or tea, but something to add to your meals or use to create a meal. I will be interviewing Athens,Ohio area growers, producers and foodies for this series and allow them to share with you their favortie Foods that Heal.
Today's herb is one such herb,it is one of my favorite herbs for health.Nettles ( Urtica dioica),also known as Stinging Nettle are best harvested in spring, when the leaves are fresh and full of healthful juices.They are considered a spring remedy and a general detoxifying herb for the whole body. Nettle has Vitamin C, protein and fiber. It also works in creating relief of allergy symptoms as Nettle is a source of quercetin which is a flavonoid that inhibits the release of histamine. Many find that by drinking Nettle tea consistently they exhibit less allergy problems. Nettles are nutrient dense and contain the minerals calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, selenium, sulfur and zinc, as well as vitamins B-1, B-2, B-3, B-5, C, E, K and folate. In addition, Nettle contain numerous phytochemicals, including lycopene and beta-carotene.Nettle is also a diuretic,helping to rid the body of excess fluid and toxins.
If you choose to harvest Nettle yourself, be sure to wear gloves as Nettle has fine hairs on the leaves and stems that contain chemicals that sting and burn when it comes in contact with the skin.Folk remedy suggests that stinging yourself with Nettle will relieve pain associated with arthritis. I just find it uncomfortable if I harvest without wearing gloves. When the leaves are steamed in tea or cooked, the stinging will not occur.Nettle also looses much of its sting when dried.
It is most often prepared as an infusion, pouring a cup of boiling water over 1-2 teaspoons of the dried herb and leaf to infuse for 10-15 minutes I make it into a tea and also use the leaves as food. Nettle is nourishment, simple yet effective, nourishment.
. Today, I have chosen to make a batch of Nettle sun tea, which after steeping for the entire day, I will strain and put into the frig for refreshing cups of Nettle tea for a few days! We served Nettle to everyone at Athens Farmers Market on Saturday and converted many naysayers to the wonderful taste of Nettle tea.We brewed it hot, then cooled it and sampled it as Iced Tea. It was wonderful!
Here in Tealand we handcraft our blends. Working closely with healing herbs has allowed us to become very familiar with each one.Sometimes we use the flowers, or berries.Other times the whole plant,and with some herbs, we work with the roots or bark. Slippery Elm Bark is one of these.We blend with slippery elm utilizing the inner bark of the tree. This mucilaginous part of the tree offers the utmost in healing.It not only soothes an achy throat, but it has been traditionally used to help soothe the entire digestive system. Generally we blend using the cut inner bark, it is very fluffy and somewhat stubborn in blending well with other herbs. We had an idea, why not use the powdered slippery elm bark? We add the powdered version of this healing tree to our Essiac formula and it works well with the other powdered herbs. Well... the answer is in the photo. Do you see that shine to the blend once water has been added? This blend was allowed to steep for 10 minutes, and when we began to strain it, well, the healing ,soothing, muscilaginous nature of slippery elm bark slowed the straining process almost completely to a halt! WOW! We were surprised at the thickness that the powder produced compared to the cotton cut version of the inner bark.Remember this is the same herb, the same part of the tree, only cut differently!The taste was somewhat altered as well, we think a bit smoother, much like one of Thayers throat lozenges, made from slippery elm bark. The recipe stayed the same except for this, what we thought,would be a minor change. Many of you may like this new version, and if so grab a package of Calm Your Cough Tea now, as this blend is a once in a blend situation.On a side note, if you don't like it and picked up a package please send us an e-mail and we'll ship you out our traditionally blended Calm Your Cough Tea!
I found this plant while biking on Pine Island Florida this week. It is called Kalanchoe delagoensis. Common names are Mother of Thousands or Chandelier Plant. Although not a native plant,I have seen it blooming this week in Pine Island Sound and along the Manasota Key area. I was told that it was brought here as a house plant years ago and has since gone invasive on Florida's coast. The bright colored coral tubular flowers hang together, hence the name chandelier plant. The two places where I found it were near old home sites, long since abandoned. I was also told that it takes 2-3 years before the plant flowers, but once it starts to grow it is very invasive.I was on a mission to find the Beach Elder or Marsh Elder, native to Florida when I found this beautiful plant. The Beach or Marsh Elder is not a true Elder (Sambucus), but nonetheless I was intrigued when I was told that elder grew amongst the ocean areas.I have a real affinity for elderberry and love to use it when I can in my blends. When I travel to SW Florida yearly I bring extract made from elderberry that grows in SE Ohio known as Sambucus nigra (black elderberry) for some local friends. The health benefits are far reaching with a focus on supporting one's immune system and helping to fight off the flu. At The Herbal Sage Tea Company we make a highly concentrated extract with the elderberry fruit, as well as adding these powerful antioxidants to our Family Health Tea with elderberry. Thanks for reading this blog and I will share new plants that I discover as I travel the way of the Herbal Gypsy.
The whole world stands still for us when we see the elderberry beginning to fruit. Watching the bushes as they grow taller and taller, sometimes out of our reach, umbels cascading with green, semi-green and then deep purple fruit, give precedence to our days here in Tealand in SE , Ohio.
A storm blew thru night before last and as it woke me, thunder crashing, my first thoughts were to the elderberry fruit. How are they handling this wind and rain? Knowing that many "seeds" were dropping to the ground, beginning growth for next season, I hoped Mother Nature would leave enough on the bush for harvesting.
Our harvesting this year is leading us deeper into overgrown areas. The vines, thistle, multi floral rose,poison ivy and snakes creates an exciting and challenging wild crafting adventure. This type of work, I must admit, is my favorite part of being an herbalist. Working and harvesting in the field allows me to feel the presence of Mother Nature. I could do without the possible snake sighting, but we watch were we walk, when we can see the ground and hope for the best!
Some of the berries will be dried and added to our Family Health Tea, the rest will be made into an extract and be made available on line and at our local farmers market. I've added a link for more information about the healing qualities of elderberry.
As early as 2007, research studies have found that black elderberry to be effective in shortening the duration of influenza A and B.Elderberries are unusually rich in the phytochemicals known as flavonoids. Among all fruits, elderberries are the most concentrated source of anthocyanins, a class of flavonoids that act as powerful antioxidants to boost the immune system.
The rural ways of the entrepreneur can be quite basic and driven by necessity. When I drive by signs such as this one I try and imagine who is this business person. Not only what is it they are selling but who are they? Why here? Why are they here, down this country road and what is it that keeps them here?
This particular sign on a bend in the road in Meigs County has grown since early spring. Cookies have recently been added to the inventory as well as business hours. I suppose they had folks stopping by at all times trying to purchase goods. One knows that although a buying customer is a good customer a browsing customer can waste allot of one's time.
Perhaps because I too sell, that I can relate to an enterprising soul. The growth of this sign assures me that this grower, baker, chicken handler is destined to prosper. I wonder if pumpkins will be added come October? I'll keep you posted!
Today I brewed up Sassafras root,added organic cane sugar to the tea after it steeped for 10 minutes.It is now in the frig, cooling down and will be served over ice tomorrow at my farmers market.Sassafras was used by Native Americans and is a native tree in this region.It is a refreshing tea and has been used as a tonic. I've been a part of the Athens, Ohio Farmers Market for over 10 years. I feel blessed, prosperous even, to be associated with such a great market. The market itself is over 30 years old, with some of the initial farmers still selling. Everyone at the market must either grow their wares, or be a processor, someone who "makes" something having to do with food. I create tea blends, wildcrafting some of my herbs and spices but mostly buy from growers and wildcrafters all over the world. I make up some great tasting brews. Another processor and I spoke today about the market.We both enjoy our community and feel secure in the abundance of our resources here in SE Ohio. Tomorrow will be another opportunity to try some locally grown strawberries, fresh greens and my favorite thing about the market, surprise pizza made by either Avalanche Pizza or Crumbs Bakery.We never really know what will be on the pizza slices each Saturday, but each Saturday countless numbers of us test our fate, smiling all the way! Athens Farmers Market in on East State Street in Athens Ohio. We start selling at 10 am and sell til 1 pm or when we run out. Stop by!
