Chelsea Physic Garden ~ The Herb Almanac: A seasonal guide to medicinal plants

 

Since the last cookery book was Healing With Plants ~  The Chelsea Physic Garden Herbal, I thought I would share what I believe to be its companion, The Herbal Almanac: A seasonal guide to medicinal plants. This is a much smaller book compared to the other book which was a bit more text book in size and volume. However do not let its size fool you. It gives a detailed guide to 50 herbs, including seasonal wild and garden herbs. You do not necessarily need the other book to comprehend or appreciate this book. Together they undoubtedly carry a wealth of information, creating such a compelling reading combination, but separately they are just as enlightening.

Briefly you can discover tips for growing healing herbs and how to forage for wild herb harvests. There are lovely hand drawn illustrations, some recipes, along with folklore, herbal symbolism, the meaning behind their names and a history of how some of these herbs or rather natural medicines were discovered and used. 

The book is divided into the four seasons: Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter and each herb is categorized into a season; which makes it more concise and handy to flip through and randomly engage any time you wish. It is all about reconnecting with the natural world. 

I will share the recipe for dandelion honey and a couple of home remedies from the book, as printed in the book.

Dandelion Honey

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"A syrup that looks and tastes similar to runny honey, and is suitable for vegans. If you want to make it set like a jelly, add pectin with the sugar (following the packet directions). "

Pick off the petals, weigh them and transfer to a saucepan. Add an equal weight of cold water - 100ml (3 1/2 fl oz) water for 100g (3 1/2 oz) of petals - and a slice or 3 of lemon. Cover and bring to a simmer. 

Simmer gently for 15 minutes, then take off the heat and set aside overnight. Strain and squeeze the liquid through a muslin - lined sieve or jelly bag, and measure the liquid. Return it to a clean pan with the same weight of golden caster (superfine) sugar - 100g (3 1/2 oz) of sugar for 100ml (3 1/2 fl oz) of liquid. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Simmer uncovered and stir frequently until it reaches a syrupy consistency (it will thicken further as it cools). Pour hot mixture into sterilized jars and leave to cool. 

In the kitchen and medicine cabinet

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Lavender: 

"The essential oil is widely available and can be added to moisturizing and/or calming skin balms and oils, dabbed undiluted onto insect stings or mixed into an evening bath. Dried flowers can be used in baking and cooking (try roasting lamb in lavender and hay)."

Nettles:

"Infused in water with a little vinegar and other herbs, nettles can be used as a final rinse for the hair, to add lustre and strength. The chlorophyll in nettle leaves produces a green dye also commercially used as a food colouring, and the roots make a yellow dye,"