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Hi'iaka's Healing Herb Garden : Column Index : 2005 : Feb05
Coming Soon...
Eat Those Herb Flowers and Other Herbal Q & A Tidbits
If you're a newcomer to our island, or malihini, I welcome you and thank you for reading the Journal and my column! If you're a kama`aina, I thank you as well. Because I often get asked the same questions about herbs and plant healing, I thought that this month I would re-cap some questions and answers from past columns that you might not have seen, or might not remember.
Q: Do I need to dry my plants before I make tea from them?
A: I always tell visitors to my garden that "fresh is best." There's no need to go to the extra time and trouble to dry plant material before you use it in a tea, tincture, herbal oil or anything else, unless you want to preserve it and save it for a "rainy day" when the particular plant is out of season or has died after its annual lifespan. Herb tea is so simple to make, why spend money on bottled teas when you can make fresh ones as easily as boiling water? Here's my recipe for fresh herb tea:
Make certain the herb has not been sprayed with any pesticides or herbicides. Use your imagination and creativity--it's fun and tasty to combine herbs, such as peppermint with ginger root. Rinse your herbs thoroughly and place about 1/2 cup of chopped herbs in a 4-cup teapot (or use a couple of tablespoonfuls for a single cup). Boil water in a teakettle and pour over your herbs. Most herbs only need about 5 minutes. Then you can strain it and enjoy it hot or serve it over ice.
Q: Can I use the flowers as well as the leaves of herbs?
Yes, yes, yes! The flowers are the tastiest part of the plant, as many of the essential oils are contained in these reproductive organs. The general rule is that if you can eat the leaves of a plant, it's OK to eat the flowers.
Q: Which wild plants can I eat raw?
A: Many plants that we often consider to be weeds are edible and/or medicinal, but to be on the safe side, make certain that you correctly identify a plant before you dine on it. For example, I was recently asked about the "clover" that is a weed in my garden. I explained that I probably would not choose to eat this because it is actually a member of the Oxalis family, and contains oxalic acid, which is a diuretic (makes you urinate more). The Physician's Desk Reference for Herbal Medicines reports "oxalic acid poisonings could occur only through the ingestion of very large quantities of the leaves, as in salad." I often advise people to "know what you're taking and why you're taking it." I recommend the book Hawai`i's Poisonous Plants by Dr. Roger Baldwin.
Q: Is noni really that good for you?
A: Noni, or Morinda citrifolia, the Indian mulberry, is truly a wonder plant. I tell people that it is "anti" everything bad (such as anticancer, antiarthritic, antibacterial, antimicrobial, antiparasitic, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antihypertensive) and "pro" everything good (it fights respiratory conditions such as tuberculosis, the flu, asthma, coughs, colds, sinusitis, and sore throat; digestive disorders such as diarrhea, constipation, indigestion, gastric ulcers and intestinal parasites). Here's my recipe for a super tasting elixir that you can take every day to maintain your good health:
1. Wash and chop the noni fruit. Put the pieces in a clean jar, about 1/3 full. Add other fruit such as mango, dried apricots, etc. to improve the taste, and cinnamon sticks, cloves, or other good-tasting ingredients. You can fill the jar, but don't pack the ingredients down because you must leave room for the liquid, which follows.
2. Cover the chopped fruit with vodka or brandy. You can use vegetable glycerin and/or cider vinegar in place of alcohol.
3. Close the jar tightly and store it out of direct sunlight.
4. Shake your mixture every day for 4 weeks. Then strain it and add a little molasses, bottle it (preferably in dark glass), and store it in a cool, dark place.
Dosage: Normally, tinctures come in a small brown bottle with a dropper. For many herbs, take a fairly large amount 2 to 3 times each day until your symptoms are gone. For example, take 2 to 4 FULL droppers 2 or 3 times daily. Taking a couple of drops comes from homeopathy and is not correct for this type of preparation. You also do not need to ingest it under your tongue. Do not use this herb if you are pregnant or nursing, since noni is also an emmenagogue (promotes menstruation).
Q: Why are tinctures made with alcohol?
A: Alcohol such as vodka and brandy is commonly used as an extractive agent for herbal medicines. Although you can make tinctures with vegetable glycerin or cider vinegar, the concentration of herbs will not be as strong. If you're concerned about the alcohol, remember that you will be taking it in very small quantities. But if you want to get rid of the alcoholic content, simply pour boiling water over your tincture and the alcohol will evaporate, leaving only the benefits of the plant that was steeped in it.
Q: Should I build a greenhouse to grow herbs in?
A: No. I believe that we should be growing plants that are suited to the environment without having to create special conditions for them. If a particular herb does not thrive in your microclimate (such as mint in my hot, dry lowland elevation), you can easily find another similar plant that likes your weather. And I do not believe in ripping, or breaking up, the lava flows that dominate our landscape. If you simply fill in the cracks and small valleys with a mix of volcanic cinder and mac nut compost, and/or topsoil or potting mix, you'll wind up with an attractive garden space that works with the naturally occurring landscape instead of fighting against it.
Eat Those Herb Flowers and Other Herbal Q & A Tidbits
If you're a newcomer to our island, or malihini, I welcome you and thank you for reading the Journal and my column! If you're a kama`aina, I thank you as well. Because I often get asked the same questions about herbs and plant healing, I thought that this month I would re-cap some questions and answers from past columns that you might not have seen, or might not remember.
Q: Do I need to dry my plants before I make tea from them?
A: I always tell visitors to my garden that "fresh is best." There's no need to go to the extra time and trouble to dry plant material before you use it in a tea, tincture, herbal oil or anything else, unless you want to preserve it and save it for a "rainy day" when the particular plant is out of season or has died after its annual lifespan. Herb tea is so simple to make, why spend money on bottled teas when you can make fresh ones as easily as boiling water? Here's my recipe for fresh herb tea:
Make certain the herb has not been sprayed with any pesticides or herbicides. Use your imagination and creativity--it's fun and tasty to combine herbs, such as peppermint with ginger root. Rinse your herbs thoroughly and place about 1/2 cup of chopped herbs in a 4-cup teapot (or use a couple of tablespoonfuls for a single cup). Boil water in a teakettle and pour over your herbs. Most herbs only need about 5 minutes. Then you can strain it and enjoy it hot or serve it over ice.
Q: Can I use the flowers as well as the leaves of herbs?
Yes, yes, yes! The flowers are the tastiest part of the plant, as many of the essential oils are contained in these reproductive organs. The general rule is that if you can eat the leaves of a plant, it's OK to eat the flowers.
Q: Which wild plants can I eat raw?
A: Many plants that we often consider to be weeds are edible and/or medicinal, but to be on the safe side, make certain that you correctly identify a plant before you dine on it. For example, I was recently asked about the "clover" that is a weed in my garden. I explained that I probably would not choose to eat this because it is actually a member of the Oxalis family, and contains oxalic acid, which is a diuretic (makes you urinate more). The Physician's Desk Reference for Herbal Medicines reports "oxalic acid poisonings could occur only through the ingestion of very large quantities of the leaves, as in salad." I often advise people to "know what you're taking and why you're taking it." I recommend the book Hawai`i's Poisonous Plants by Dr. Roger Baldwin.
Q: Is noni really that good for you?
A: Noni, or Morinda citrifolia, the Indian mulberry, is truly a wonder plant. I tell people that it is "anti" everything bad (such as anticancer, antiarthritic, antibacterial, antimicrobial, antiparasitic, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antihypertensive) and "pro" everything good (it fights respiratory conditions such as tuberculosis, the flu, asthma, coughs, colds, sinusitis, and sore throat; digestive disorders such as diarrhea, constipation, indigestion, gastric ulcers and intestinal parasites). Here's my recipe for a super tasting elixir that you can take every day to maintain your good health:
1. Wash and chop the noni fruit. Put the pieces in a clean jar, about 1/3 full. Add other fruit such as mango, dried apricots, etc. to improve the taste, and cinnamon sticks, cloves, or other good-tasting ingredients. You can fill the jar, but don't pack the ingredients down because you must leave room for the liquid, which follows.
2. Cover the chopped fruit with vodka or brandy. You can use vegetable glycerin and/or cider vinegar in place of alcohol.
3. Close the jar tightly and store it out of direct sunlight.
4. Shake your mixture every day for 4 weeks. Then strain it and add a little molasses, bottle it (preferably in dark glass), and store it in a cool, dark place.
Dosage: Normally, tinctures come in a small brown bottle with a dropper. For many herbs, take a fairly large amount 2 to 3 times each day until your symptoms are gone. For example, take 2 to 4 FULL droppers 2 or 3 times daily. Taking a couple of drops comes from homeopathy and is not correct for this type of preparation. You also do not need to ingest it under your tongue. Do not use this herb if you are pregnant or nursing, since noni is also an emmenagogue (promotes menstruation).
Q: Why are tinctures made with alcohol?
A: Alcohol such as vodka and brandy is commonly used as an extractive agent for herbal medicines. Although you can make tinctures with vegetable glycerin or cider vinegar, the concentration of herbs will not be as strong. If you're concerned about the alcohol, remember that you will be taking it in very small quantities. But if you want to get rid of the alcoholic content, simply pour boiling water over your tincture and the alcohol will evaporate, leaving only the benefits of the plant that was steeped in it.
Q: Should I build a greenhouse to grow herbs in?
A: No. I believe that we should be growing plants that are suited to the environment without having to create special conditions for them. If a particular herb does not thrive in your microclimate (such as mint in my hot, dry lowland elevation), you can easily find another similar plant that likes your weather. And I do not believe in ripping, or breaking up, the lava flows that dominate our landscape. If you simply fill in the cracks and small valleys with a mix of volcanic cinder and mac nut compost, and/or topsoil or potting mix, you'll wind up with an attractive garden space that works with the naturally occurring landscape instead of fighting against it.
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