Passiflora

01/03/2024

A beautiful post from The School of Evolutionary Herbalism about herbs that can bring a bit of lightness and ease at this time. Contact [email protected] if you would like me to make a tincture or tea with these herbs to your specific wellness goals. Light a candle, take an epsom salt bath, drink a cup of warm herbal tea, read a good book...and savor Wintering.

The winter solstice marks the shortest day of the year in the northern hemisphere. Once it passes, the days grow brighter and longer. However, the long winter nights can still weigh heavy on the hearts of many. By using herbs that uplift the heart and soothe the mind, you can diffuse a bit more suns...

12/30/2022

I was first introduced to Fire Cider about a decade ago by a friend who had been making it for four years and in that time had not had a single cold. I personally have a “hot” constitution so I am not one of those people who can take it daily. But if I feel a wet, cold condition coming on (fire cider is very drying), I will take it a few times and usually within a day it knocks out the infection.

I make it fresh every fall with my students and they say its one of their favorite classes. When the yearly batch has finished steeping, I strain out the vegetables and spices and I use them in a stir fry with carrots and cabbage. I have used fire cider to baste chicken and have added it to salads in the dead of winter as a spicy and warming vinegar.

Here is my basic recipe. Note that with astragalus, you should look for the yellow roots (not the pale white or beige ones) those are the good ones.

Ellen’s Adaptogenic FIRE CIDER

• ½ cup grated ginger root, including the peel
• ½ cup grated horseradish root
• 4 fresh turmeric roots, chopped
• 1 burdock root, chopped
• 2-3 slices (lengthwise) astragalus root
• 2 tablespoons cut-and-sifted Siberian ginseng (eleuthero)
• 2 tablespoons elderberries
• 2 tablespoons rose hips
• Zest and juice of 1 lemon
• Zest of 1 orange
• 1 onion, chopped
• 12 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 hot peppers, minced
• ½ teaspoon black peppercorns
• ¼ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
• Apple cider vinegar
• ¼ cup honey (preferably raw and local)

Put all the roots, fruits, herbs, and spices in a glass jar and pour in enough apple cider vinegar to just barely cover everything. Screw on a non-metallic lid (or a metal lid covered with waxed paper to keep the vinegar away from the metal), shake well, and let the jar sit in a cool, dark place. Shake every few days to distribute the ingredients. After the fire cider steeps for a month, strain out the solids and stir in the honey.