Preserving a Peck of (Jalapeño) Peppers: 5 ways
We were blessed with a bumper crop of hot garden peppers this season, particularly jalapeños. Yesterday, we picked several pounds of peppers off a single plant! So what do you do with so many jalapeños coming at you all at once?
A Pinch of Lov(age): Preserving Herbs with Salt
If you found yourself with the happy problem of having an abundance of fresh garden herbs this season, you might be scrambling to find ways to use or store them before the cold weather rolls in.
Air drying, freeze drying and freezing are common ways to preserve fresh herbs, but there’s another way. An easy way… herb-infused salts!
Stocking Your Herbal Apothecary
For the majority of our history, we’ve relied on the inherent wisdom of plants for both medicine and nourishment. Even as modern pharmaceuticals become widespread, nature continues to provide a plethora of safe, effective remedies to those who know where to look.
Dabbling with Dragon’s Blood
Dragon’s blood is a plant resin that’s been used for various purposes — including skincare — for centuries. From Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) as far back as the Han Dynasty (206 BCE – 220 CE) to Dioscorides and Pliny the Elder to modern day, dragon’s blood has been employed for its medicinal properties.
When Life Gives You Sumac… Make Sumac Pink Lemonade
Let’s make some super-easy sumac pink lemonade! A cold-water infusion of the ripe berries produces a nutritious and refreshing lemon-like beverage known as “sumac-ade” or “poor man’s lemonade.”
Mint-Infused Honey (Plus a Mocktail Recipe!)
There’s nothing quite like fresh mint. It’s chock full of benefits all by itself, but paired with raw honey it becomes a therapeutic (and delicious) powerhouse!
Fermented Foods Rock (& Why You Should be Making Your Own)
By now, most of us have at least a general understanding that maintaining healthy gut bacteria is pretty darn important to our overall health. But what exactly does that mean?
Irish Moss as a Gelling Agent (Plus an Easy Hydrogel Face Mask Recipe!)
The ocean has a (beauty) secret. Irish moss has a long history of traditional use in Ireland and other coastal communities. It’s been harvested for various purposes over the years, including a food source, a remedy for respiratory ailments and a thickening agent in culinary and medicinal preparations. It also happens to be a terrific choice for water-based skincare formulations where a gel-like texture is desired. Thanks to its high mucilage content, Irish moss is a top-notch natural gelling agent capable of adding texture and viscosity to skincare formulations — without the need for added gums!
Water Kefir SOS: Troubleshooting Your Brew
Making your own probiotic-rich water kefir can be a rewarding and cost-effective hobby, but as a living culture, it can sometimes throw you a curveball. Room temperature, water quality and inadequate nutrition are just a few factors that can influence the health of your kefir grains and the quality of your water kefir.
More Than Just a Pretty Face: Tincturing with Self-heal
Prunella vulgaris, commonly known as self-heal, is charming little purple flower that never fails to make me smile. But it’s so much more than just a pretty face. Self-heal possesses potent medicinal qualities, offering both topical and internal benefits, from wound healing to immune support.
