Traducteur

Jun 17, 2018

Vitamin Water Infusions


 
Creating your own vitamin water is one of the simplest things to do! All you need is some fruit, herbs and water and you are set. Don't settle for the "vitamin waters" you might notice in grocery stores. Those waters are full of artificial chemical flavourings, plenty of refined sugar and bone dissolving acids all of which promote illness and disease. 
Making your own vitamin water infusions is quick and easy! They are packed with natural vitamins and minerals (not synthetic alterations of them) and thus they are better recognized and utilized in the body. Make sure to create larger batches so that these waters will last you all throughout the week!
Directions:
1. Pick a non-citrus fruit - I like to pick things like berries, kiwi, mango or pineapple. 
2. Pick a citrus fruit - you can choose from orange slices to lemon or lime slices!
3. Add herbs - choose things like mint, rosemary, basil or other favourite herbs
Once you have decided on the combination you want to use (and you may add as little or as much as you please of each - I like to add in about 1/2 cup of each fruit and 1/4 cup of herbs for 2 litres of water), put them into a large jug of water and let them soak in the water in a fridge overnight. In the morning you will have yourself a wonderful vitamin infused water that you can enjoy over the day!
Favourite combinations of mine:
1. Strawberry, lemon, mint
2. Lemon, lime, mint
3. Kiwi, lemon, lime, mint
4. Pineapple, lemon, basil
5. Mango, orange, rosemary
*You may also choose to add some ice to your water for an even cooler treat!

Jun 16, 2018

Fruit Cordials


I found these wonderful recipes in the Herb Mentor website.
Check them out You will find many good tips about Herbs over there!
There are three main steps to making cordials.
Steeping - in this step, the ingredients are steeped in the alcohol (usually vodka or brandy, but you can try anything you like).
Sweetening - typically a sugar syrup is used, but maple syrup is a great substitute.  Honey can also be used.
Aging - The flavors all improve tremendously with age.  Generally 2 to 4 weeks is good.  I like to leave mine longer, if possible.
 
Here are some recipes to get you going:
 Wild Blackberry Cordial- Christy Sarles (radicalweeds.com)
Pick enough berries to fill a clean glass jar in the size of your choice at least a third, and up to a half, full. I use about two quarts of berries for a gallon of cordial. If those lovely wild blackberries don't grow in your neighborhood, you can substitute raspberries or blueberries. The little wild blueberries will give your cordial a more intense flavor than the larger cultivated ones, but either way blueberries are relatively tough-skinned and you will need to macerate them - crush or grind coarsely - before adding the other ingredients.
Fill the jar to the top with equal parts of maple syrup and brandy. I usually use E&J brandy, but any decent variety of 80 proof brandy will do fine. As for the maple syrup, I like the dark, late-season Grade B syrup because it has the strongest maple taste and contains more minerals than the three lighter Grade A syrups produced earlier in the sugaring season. You can use whatever grade of maple syrup you prefer, but please make it real. Don't use the artificial stuff!!
Put the cover on the jar and shake to mix. Label, date, and leave the fruit to infuse for at least 10 days, and up to 6 weeks. Shake occasionally when you think of it. Strain out the fruit (marvelous over ice cream) and decant the cordial into glass jars or bottles. Keeps for years without refrigeration - but I guarantee it won't last that long!
Peach Cordial, Christy Sarles
Cut unpeeled peaches in quarters, and add them to a wide-mouth glass jar. Pits optional. Fill the the jar with brandy, to cover the fruit. (I use E&J brandy, which has no preservatives,although as a child of the 60s it still galls me to buy Gallo...). Anyway, let it sit, shaking it up occasionally, until the peaches lose their color and start looking mushy. Then, depending on where you are in the season, you can either proceed to the sweetening stage or strain and pour the brandy over a new batch of fresh peaches (and pits) for a more intense peach flavor.
When you're ready to sweeten and bottle, strain out the fruit and add the ginger syrup -- a quart per gallon, or more to taste. Start with a basic simple syrup recipe -- 2 parts water to 1 part sugar (demerara is my preference). Add sliced, unpeeled ginger to taste. I like it HOT, so I use LOTS of fresh ginger -- at the very least a cup.
Simmer/boil for 15 minutes or so til it thickens up, let it cool with the ginger in it, then strain and add to the peach brandy. Decant to smaller bottles as needed.
Pear Cordial, Christy Sarles
Use the basic fruit/brandy/maple syrup cordial recipe with either peaches or pears (or any other fruit), using 1/2 fruit and the rest equal portions of brandy and maple syrup -- or more or less of either one depending on how sweet you like it. I always look out at yard sales for pretty little bottles to fill up with summer cordials for winter solstice gifts -- a little bit of midsummer in midwinter!
Kahlua Recipe, Susanna Reppert (therosemaryhouse.com)
  • 2 C water
  • 2 C sugar
  • 1/2 C dry instant coffee (a dark roast is best)
  • 1 fresh vanilla bean, chopped
  • 1-1/2 C vodka
Slice open and scrape the vanilla bean into the water. The more you scrape/chop the bean the more flavor you will release. Boil the water, sugar and vanilla bean together for 10 minutes. Turn off heat and slowly add the instant coffee and keep stirring.
Allow to cool and combine this sugar/coffee/vanilla syrup with the vodka. It tastes yummy right away but improves and mellows as it ages. If you want a cleaner product strain out the vanilla particles. If you want an even smoother taste add 1 t glycerin to the finished blend. Yield: about 4 cups.
Tip: Drizzle over ice cream. Oh my goodness....
 
Tea Liqueur, Susanna Reppert
  • 1 T good quality tea leaves, we like earl grey or darjeeling
  • 1 ½ C vodka
  • ½ C sugar syrup
  • Steep the leaves in the vodka for 24 hours only.
  • Strain, filter, and add sugar syrup. Ready in 24 hours!
It's Berry Good, Susanna Reppert
  • 10 oz package of berries, strawberry, raspberry or any berry (fresh or frozen)
  • 1 ½ C Vodka
  • ¼ C sugar syrup
  • Steep berries and the juice in the vodka for one week.
  • Strain and filter.
  • Taste and add sugar syrup as needed.
Note: Many frozen berries are pre-sugared.
And some of my own personal favorites:
Elderberry Cordial
  • 1pint fresh elderberries OR 1 cup dried berries
  • 1 pint 80 proof brandy
  • 1 pint Maple syrup
  • 3-5 cinnamon sticks
  • a few slices of fresh ginger
  • 2 cardamom pods
  • the zest of one lemon
Put elderberries in a quart jar & muddle well.  Add cinnamon sticks.  Then add equal parts brandy & maple syrup until the jar is full.  Cover tightly.  Macerate for 6 to 8 weeks, shaking gently every few days.  Strain & bottle.
Chocolate Cherry Cordial
  • 2 pints pitted sour cherries
  • 1/2 cup cacao nibs
  • 1 vanilla bean
  • 1 qt brandy
  • 1 qt maple syrup
Muddle cherries in 1/2 gallon wide-mouth jar. Add cacao chips, brandy & maple syrup.  Stir well.  Put on the lid and wait.  This needs to age for 6 weeks.
Nectar of Venus Cordial
This beverage needs to be made up early in January for use mid- February, but it will be worthwhile. The flowers give it a beautiful deep pink color, and can be served with ginger ale and lime slices.
The following ingredients should be placed in a ½ gallon jar with a tight fitting lid that allows for shaking. Be sure to label and date the jar. Put out of sunlight while it sits for 1-6 weeks. Shake occasionally. All herbs and flowers are dry.
  • 1 fifth of good quality vodka ½ c red rose petals
  • ½ c hibiscus flowers ½ c rose hips
  • ½ c spearmint ¼ c granulated orange peel
  • ¼ c cinnamon bark chips
After sitting this mixture is ready to decant. Strain through fine cheesecloth or muslin into a pitcher large enough to also hold the additional 5 cups of Grand Marnier and simple syrup (below).
  • 1 c Grand Marnier
  • 4 c simple syrup made from 2 c water, 2 c sugar.
  • 1 T either rose water or orange blossom water.
 
Add these ingredients to the vodka mixture and blend well. Allow this to rest for a couple of weeks so that the flavors can become well acquainted. Pour into beautiful bottles, cork, label, and enjoy.
Lavender Limoncello
  • Zest from 10 lemons
  • 1 fifth vodka
  • 1 cup lavender buds
  • 3 cups sugar
  • 4 cups water
  1. First infuse the lavender in the vodka for 24 hours.  Strain.  If you leave the lavender longer, it gets too medicinal for my tastes.
  2. Next, infuse the lemon zest in the vodka for one week, and strain.
  3. Make a simple syrup with the sugar and water, boiling gently for 15 minutes without stirring.  Cool well, and add the infused vodka.  Allow this mixture to steep together for at least 2 weeks.  Serve ice cold.
  4. Substitute rose geranium leaves for lavender buds for a real treat!
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Jun 15, 2018

White tea health benefits

Jun 6, 2010 Deanna Lynn Sletten
White tea comes from the same species of plant (Camellia sinensis) as green, black and oolong tea but is processed differently to give it a softer, smoother flavor. Although fewer studies have been done on white tea as compared to green tea, the studies on white tea have shown it to be more effective in preventing certain diseases as well as being an overall healthier choice.

Why White Tea May be Healthier than Green Tea

White tea is produced mainly in China from the Camellia sinensis plant but this particular species contains more buds than leaves. The buds and young leaves are picked, steamed immediately and dried, allowing for the freshest tea possible. The processing of green tea involves the picking of mature leaves that are then steamed or fried and then rolled. The extra processing of the green tea leaves is believed to take away from its health benefits. Researchers from Oregon State University who studied the health benefits of white tea for cancer prevention believe that it is the combination of the young buds and leaves of the white tea as well as the way it is processed that allows it to maintain a higher concentration of polyphenols (catechins) than green tea that protect against some diseases.

White Tea and Cancer Prevention

In March, 2000, the first ever study of white tea for cancer prevention was presented at the national meeting of the American Chemical Society. In the wake of reports on the cancer-fighting ability of green tea, researchers at Oregon State University wanted to find out if white tea possessed the same antioxidant levels as green tea. They tested four different varieties of white tea and found that white tea inhibited DNA mutations, the earliest steps leading to cancer, more effectively than green tea. While white tea has the same types of polyphenols as green tea, it was found that it contained different proportions.


Read more at Suite101: White Tea: Health Benefits May be More Effective than Green Tea http://www.suite101.com/content/white-tea-health-benefits-may-be-more-effective-than-green-tea-a245646#ixzz155bsASUF

How to soothe your stomach troubles with medicinal thyme


Popular in Greek cooking, thyme also has a long history as a healing plant — its essential oil is a powerful antiseptic, which is why soldiers used to bathe in thyme tea to soothe wounds and clean cuts and scrapes. Modern science has confirmed that thyme kills fungus and bacteria that can cause infections. The herb can also be found in stomach tonics thanks to its soothing antispasmodic effect, which helps muscles — including stomach muscles — relax.

Here are six reasons to make like the Spartans and get some thyme into your diet.

1. Thyme is antibacterial: Thyme contains an essential oil called thymol, which can be used as a surface antibacterial agent. It's also a great natural addition to your first-aid kit as an antiseptic and digestive aid.

2. This herb is high in antioxidants: Thyme contains some of the highest levels of natural flavonoids and polyphenols, beating out other herbs like oregano, marjoram and basil. Try adding some fresh thyme to your salad, steak or smoothie to boost antioxidants and keep your skin looking youthful.

3. It could help prevent food poisoning: Thyme has the ability to help preserve meat against bacterial overgrowth, drastically reducing the chances of decomposition and thus illness when you eat it.

4. Kill pesky parasites with thyme: Many herbs can kill parasites, and thyme is no exception! Adding thyme and other herbs to dishes is a great trick for when you are travelling abroad to prevent coming back with a nasty bug.

5. It's an astringent and an analgesic: This means that thyme has the ability to prevent the production of excess mucous, bile or stomach acid, as well as to relieve pain. This can come in handy if you deal with increased acid production in your stomach and suffer from heartburn as a result.

6. Thyme can kill certain tumor cells: Recent studies have shown that active components of thyme can kill tumor cells that have otherwise been resistant to chemotherapy. The studies are still in animal trials, but they have shown promising results.

Thyme for kale salad


Kale grows so fast this time of year that the bunches sold at the farmers market are triple the size you would get in the winter. Kale is one of the world's richest sources of vitamin K, which works with calcium to build strong bones. As for thyme, there are more than 60 varieties of this herb. At the farmers' market this week, Vikki’s Veggies had a wonderful English thyme that complements kale beautifully.

Ingredients:
1 onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, finely sliced
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/8 tsp sea salt
8 cups kale, stems removed
1 yellow pepper, julienned
1/2 cup fresh thyme, stems removed
1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped

Dressing:

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp maple syrup
to taste sea salt

Directions:
1. Saute onions, garlic, olive oil and sea salt for 3-4 minutes on medium heat until onions soften.

2. Meanwhile in a large pot, steam kale for 3 minutes until just soft. Drain well and place back into pot.

3. Place onion medley, pepper, thyme, and basil into the kale pot.

4. In a separate bowl, mix dressing ingredients well and pour into kale pot.

5. Mix until all ingredients are coated well and serve.
Makes 10 servings

Nutritionist Julie Daniluk hosts Healthy Gourmet, a reality cooking show that looks at the ongoing battle between taste and nutrition. Her soon-to-be-published first book, Meals That Heal Inflammation, advises on allergy-free foods that both taste great and assist the body in the healing process.

For more amazing recipes visit
Chatelaine.com's recipe section. antiseptic, herbs, kale, medicinal, stomach, stomach acid, thyme

Herbal-Waters

From Herb Companion newsletter

Try These Floral Waters and Colognes:
Eau de Cologne
Rosewater
Quick and Easy Rosewater
Lavender Water Voile
Summer Garden Cologne
Hungary Water Cologne


Creating your own lightly scented waters and colognes is as easy as picking your favorite flower. Scented waters are some of the oldest toiletries created to stimulate, please and entertain our sense of smell. Ancient Egyptians used scented oils to perfume their bodies and lift their spirits. In the 10th century, the practice of oil distillation was perfected and the perfume industry took shape.

Scented oils are simple to create. You can distill your scent, capturing the essential oils from fresh flower petals on your stovetop. Or you can mix your favorite essential oils with water to create a light and delicate scent. Use these scented products alone as a perfume or as an addition to your favorite bath or beauty recipe. Fresh rosewater makes a wonderful addition to a favorite cream and lavender water can be splashed all over your body after bathing to relax your spirit and refresh your body.

Always use fresh, organic blooms when making scented waters and colognes. Your flowers should be free of pesticides and chemicals. If you do not have any flowers in your garden, check with a local grower. Pick your flowers in the morning, about two to three hours after sunrise for best results. Blossoms that have been in the hot afternoon sun may not be as fragrant. Use only fresh petals and remove all leaves and stems. Wash your petals gently right before using. Here are a few simple recipes and techniques to get you started. Enjoy!
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Read more: http://www.herbcompanion.com/body-care/body-and-soul-how-to-create-floral-waters-and-colones.aspx#ixzz1Vtst3AHA