A slightly different post today. I will talk about medicinal plants that are my favorites. I will present only a few of them, if you like such topics I will be happy to share more with you.
All the plants I will mention can be found in nature. I have always loved going out into nature, and I am even more fascinated by all these plants that cure so many different diseases. As they say in our country, "for every disease, a flower grows"
Well, let's start.
Spruce tops🌲
When nature starts to bloom, I immediately went to pick up the spruce tops. The tops of all edible conifers belong to traditional herbalism and are useful in the fight against colds. Not only are the tops medicinal, the young needles can also be collected and saved for tea. The good news is that lung patients recover best in spruce and pine forests - precisely because of the air. In fact, the most important thing is to harvest them in a clean environment, shade or sun when they are young is not so important. The difference is that they grow faster in the sun and are no longer the cute little ones we love for syrup. I prepare the syrup as follows: For syrup from spruce tops, we need young spruce tops and sugar. Put the collected spruce tops in layers (a layer of tops, a layer of sugar) in a glass jar up to the top. Place the jar in the sun for 40 days to dissolve the sugar. Strain and put into glasses. Place the closed jars in a cool and dark place. The syrup can be used as a juice when mixed with water, for expectoration or to sweeten tea.
Calendula oil☀️
Next, calendula oil is obtained by macerating the flowers in olive oil, which is why it can also be prepared at home. The production process is quite simple, as we only need healthy and high-quality marigold petals and cold-pressed olive oil. Quality oil can be recognized by its characteristic orange color and mild smell, while the taste of the oil is somewhat bitter. It is quite sticky. Calendula oil is an excellent skin care agent as it has anti-inflammatory and anti-fungal properties. As it acts as a moisturizer, it is an excellent care product for dry and chapped skin. It can help us eliminate bruises and swellings and skin inflammations. Many people use it to get rid of varicose veins and leg ulcers. Because it is gentle, it can also be used to treat diaper rash in babies. It is an inflamed skin in the inguinal area caused by the presence of moisture. Antiseptic and antimicrobial action also contribute to faster healing of skin wounds, which is why the oil is suitable for acne and wound care. Since calendula oil also disinfects the skin, it reduces the risk of wound infection. It can also be used locally to treat eczema, psoriasis and atopic dermatitis. All we have to do is fill a glass pickling jar with dried marigold flowers and pour olive oil over them. Let the preparation stand for about 1 month in a sunny place, but make sure to shake the jar well every day. After one month, the oil can be strained using a strainer or a slightly older method of filtering (using a sock). The oil is also squeezed out of the flowers.
Saint John's wort🍃
St. John's wort is a very medicinal and useful plant, which, with some knowledge and practical instructions, can be turned into oil, tea or used as a tincture for a home pharmacy. It is the best natural remedy for wounds, relieving pain and stopping inflammation. Soak freshly picked St. John's wort flowers in olive oil. Close the bottle tightly and place it on the window.
Let it stand for about 3-4 weeks. Do not place the bottle in a place where there will be strong sunlight during the day.
After the time has passed, strain the oil through a strainer or through a cloth. Dilute the strained oil with an additional 0.5 l of olive oil.
Tea
Finally, I have tea made from daisies, hawthorn, elderflowers, thyme and nettles. I collect all these plants fresh, when I get home I arrange them on homemade grates so that they can dry completely - this is very important because if we pack the still damp plants they can mold. My favorite combination is with elderflowers and nettle. Which one is your favorite?
It's really nice to drink a cup of tea in the evenings. I hope you liked the post.
See you in the next one,
Maja