Past to Present Apothecary

🗺Significance Saturday:

🌿Herbs have been utilized since before recorded history. Throughout that time they have served a range of purposes. Added in culinary dishes, used to create an array of herbal remedies, added into cosmetic and cleaning products, and adorned as symbolic statements.

🌿🌶It's important to distinguish the difference between herbs and spices. Herbs are green- leaves, stems. Spices range in color- seeds, roots, flowers, bark. Spices tend to be more pungent smelling and hold more flavor. An example is dill w**d (leafy greens) and dill seed (spicy seed).

⏳️Around 1550 BC the Ebers Papyrus was written on a scroll in Egypt and contained detailed information on herbal remedies. Containing 700 formulas for different ailments it shows how in depth the spice trade truly was. At the time of its discovery there was debate of authenticity and it was ultimately found to be real. This provides a direct link to the spice trade that lasted over 4,000 years.

🗺Without the spice trade, herbalism may not look the same way it does today. As soon as the United States joined in the spice trade it began to dominate the market. In the early 90’s the US imported an average of 500 million pounds of herbs and spices totaling to around $370 million. Herbs and spices in today's global market are worth upward of $30 billion. This further provides products to areas of the world that would otherwise be without.

❔️❓️Are there any herbs that you have to source from another country? What are your favorite herbs to work with that are local to you?

📷 Pictured is a rosemary shrub from my herb garden and an over loaded cayenne pepper plant from this years garden. They are both great for circulation! One is an herb- one is a spice.

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Apologies for my extended absence! I'm back!!!

I look forward to creating more, and providing more in depth information on herbs and similar topics. I also have new products available!

If there are any specifics you are interested in learning about, drop a line and let's talk about it! I look forward to hearing from you all.

As always like, comment, follow, and share

📷Image is of my rosemary plant. The only herb to survive this years horrible drought conditions.

✨️🌿Goldenrod -

Goldenrod is a perennial plant with toothed leaves and groups of yellow flowers. Growing up to 7ft tall, there is a wide variety of different types of goldenrod. Pictured and found locally to me is Canada Goldenrod (S. canadensis). These brightly colored yellow flowers are what gives our pollinators their last meals before fall. It also serves a great purpose in herbal wellness.

❗️Many in the past have accused goldenrod of causing hayfever, however that is not true. The pollen produced by goldenrod is simply too large to float around through the air. Ragw**d is the cause, and is usually found near goldenrod as they share similar habitats.

⚠️There is caution when using goldenrod, and or handling the plant. If you are allergic to latex, goldenrod can cause a reaction. If you are sensitive to the asteraceae or compositae family of plants do not use goldenrod as it can cause a reaction.

✨️Constituents:
-Saponins (anti-fungal)
-Diterpenes
-Phenolic glucosides
-Acetylenes
-Cinnamates
-Flavonoids
-Tannins
-Hydroxybenzoates

✨️Key uses:
-Antioxidant
-Diuretic
-Astringent

Goldenrod has been known to help with urinary tract infection, nephritis (kidney infection) and cystitis (inflammation of bladder). It can help to flush out bladder and kidney stones. It has been known to help vaginal and oral thrush, sore throat, catarrh(build up of mucus in nasal passage), and diarrhea.

The pictured Canada Goldenrod is used to help with colds, fevers, and inflammation and pain. You can harvest the plant in late summer from August-October. It can be dried in salves, ointments, tinctures, tea infusions and more.

⚠️Always consult with a health care provider if on medications before taking any herbal remedy.

☀️This summer has been anything but the norm.

😩With drought consuming everything & high temperatures (99° and up), my growing season almost didn't happen. I was only able to harvest cayenne and Pablano peppers 🌶-

🌿My herb garden has dried up almost completely- the rosemary is hanging on for dear life. Our water use outdoors has been limited, because it's drying up. Trees are dying, no wild flowers bloomed past July.

😓🤞I hope there is relief in the future- something to help nourish the ground, and bring life back to everything. I can't even imagine how horrible this has been for farmers and homesteaders. How the animals are handling it. I know my chickens have struggled.

🤍Thinking of anyone who has been affected by the staggering weather patterns.

📸 My spiral garden dried up with all the dead fallen leaves 🍂-

❓️What is the best way I found to dry my cayenne peppers 🌶?

✨️Hanging them up! There is always the option to dehydrate them, however I want to seal in all of that capsaicin and the other constituents.

There are 2 ways I utilize these after they are dry.
1.Grind to a powder for a kitchen spice.
2.Grind down and use in an oil infusion and then make a topical salve with it.

⛑️Cayenne is more than just something to season food with, it also acts as an analgesic. Helping with rheumatic limbs and areas affected by arthritis.

📸I will be showing how to process all of it in the near future- until then- here are some pictures of the cayenne peppers 🌶! So stunning 😍 ✨️

✍️Dear followers & supporters,

I appreciate you all! Thank you for always supporting my content and continuing to be a part of my little community.

🫠I struggle to keep up- with all of life's needs and wants. Who else feels like this?

🌿🤍This page is immensely important, and I will be putting more time into it. If you have any suggestions on things you want to learn more on comment them. 💬

✨️I know this isn't "herbal" content, but it is my life's content && proof I'm real 😂 so enjoy seeing me and my new puppy- along with our first dozen eggs and a cool looking cayenne 🌶.

💧🫖Water extraction

⏳️Sometimes you simply cannot wait for a tincture/glycerite to sit and extract. With water you have the ability to extract in a number of ways, and get faster results.

🌿Every herb is made up of different constituents. Some water soluble constituents include volatile oils, mucilages, flavonoids, alkaloids, and tannins. The way you decide on your extraction method is by understanding how the different constituents interact with water.

🔥💧Hot water infusion/Tea (10-15min steep): best for dried or fresh leaves/stems/flowers, and some roots. This method will extract alkaloids(caffeine), aromatic volatile oils, and tannins(antioxidants). Keep in mind that dried herbs tend to have a higher concentration of volatile oils than fresh herbs. To execute this you can use a covered tea pot, french press, or coffee mug with a cover of some kind. Steep, strain if needed, and enjoy. A few ideal plants include chamomile, cayenne, green tea, ginger, mints, lemon balm and more.

🫕Decoction (30-45min simmer): best for roots, barks, berries, and dense herbs. This method will extract tannins, saponins, minerals, and glycosides. To execute, coarsely grind up contents for more surface area coverage and add to a pot. Cover the contents with cold water and bring to a simmer over med-low. Let simmer per recipe or standard for herbs being used. Strain and discard left over plant materials. Drink decoction as you would tea, or you can go on to make a more potent tincture with it, known as a double or dual extraction. Most mushrooms work in decoctions as well as, blackberry roots, elderberries, echinacea root, willow bark and more.

❄️💧Cold water infusion (2-10 hours steep): best for fibrous plants, barks, and some flowers. Certain plant material/constituents will break down and dissolve in high temperatures. Antioxidants, crucial vitamins and minerals can all be lost in heat. Choice herbs to use for cold extraction are chamomile, crampbark, nettle, uva ursi and marshmallow root. To execute this method simply add the coarsely ground contents to cold water and let sit refrigerated for the needed time.

♨️🫙Hydrosols (20 min-3hr) best for aromatic herbs, leaves, and flowers. This method is used to capture the aromatic volatile oils of plants. A way to harness those powerful scents and combine them into cosmetics, culinary dishes, or use as is topically and internally. The process uses steam distillation for extraction. This is more complex than the others and requires more in depth explanation. I will make a separate post soon. The best plants to use in hydrosols are rosemary, rose petals, lavender, lemon balm, and orange blossoms.

⁉️All of these methods are great to learn and remember in a pinch. I love to make a warm cup of tea before bed to get relaxed. What is your favorite form of water extraction?

🪔Clove, Eugenia caryophyllata

🌿Clove is a dried unopened flower bud that comes from an evergreen tree. The tree grows up to 49ft in height and is highly aromatic. It originated in Indonesia and Southern Philippines. In today's world the tree is grown mostly in Tanzania and Madagascar. The unopened flower buds are picked twice a year and dried in the sun.

⏳️Clove was one of the original spices, with records of it dating back to the Han Dynasty in China, around 200 BCE. This incrediblely aromatic spice is used for culinary dishes as well as herbal remedies. I have seen an abundance of clove pictured in decorations, preparing food, and herbal remedies.

✨️Key constituents:
Volatile oil - eugenol (most active component)
Flavonoids
Tannins
Triterpenes

✨️Key actions:
Antiseptic
Stimulant
Analgesic
Prevents vomiting
Eliminate parasites

🫙You can utilize this spice in a few ways. Tinctures, tea infusions, and essential oil. In times of a toothache you can bite a whole clove and keep near the ache for about 30 min then spit out. In culinary dishes it can add a sweet & savory flavoring and is added to curries, pies, pies, drinks and in hams.

⛑️Cloves uses:
Toothache
Flatulence
Colic
Aphrodisiac
Skin ulcers
Styes
Relieves cough
Eases muscles spasms

✨ In tropical Asia cloves have been used to treat viral infections such as cholera, malaria, and some parasites like scabies. It has also been used in the past to help prepare women for childbirth by strengthening the uterine muscles.

🍊You can create a strong repellent for moths and mosquitoes. In the Indonesian islands oranges with cloves stabbed into them are used to keep insects away.

✨️Wellness Wednesday✨️

🌿Rosemary, Rosmarinus Officinalis

🍃Rosemary is a fantastic herb to keep on hand. For use in the kitchen as well as for medicinal reasons. This gorgeous aromatic shrub is one of my favorites! It was the first herb I learned about and the first one I trusted myself to try as a tincture.

📖A part of the Lamiaceae family, rosemary holds a long list of constituents. A study performed in 2017 showed that rosemary can be used to help boost memory, reduce anxiety/ depression, and improve sleep quality. It is also known to aid in recovery of chronic illness.

✨️Key constituents:
-Rosmarnic acid
-Tannins
-Volatile oils (camphene, cineole & more)
-Diterpenes (canosol, carnosic acid)
-Flavonoids (apigenin, diosmin)

✨️Key actions:
-Anti-aging
-Anti-inflammatory
-Antidepressant
-Circulatory support
-Neuroprotective
-Antiseptic

🗒It helps with your circulatory system which in turn helps your memory and focus. Rosemary has also been known to alleviate asthma, allergies, ease agitation, and can possibly aid in nerve repair. Used in the UK as a warming tonic which aids in blood flow. This can relieve headaches/migraines and raise low blood pressure.

🪔The list of benefits is long and worth giving this beautiful herb a try. Used in tinctures, infusions, hair oil, food flavoring and more.

⚠️Check with your physician if you take prescription medications. Especially blood pressure medications and blood thinners.