The Village Apothecary

The Village Apothecary The Village Apothecary is a home-based, one-woman herbal care business in Portland, Oregon. Learn more at www.theevillageapothecary.com

Herbalist and retired midwife Katrina Bubas Stevens carefully crafts each product in small batches.

New product dropping next week!
12/20/2024

New product dropping next week!

The beauty of the waxing moon after a beautiful healing session in το Άδυτο / the Sanctuary. Did you know I provide iatr...
12/08/2024

The beauty of the waxing moon after a beautiful healing session in το Άδυτο / the Sanctuary. Did you know I provide iatromantic healing sessions ie incubation? Learn more about my Services here: https://www.theevillageapothecary.com/services.html

Back on the East Coast visiting family. Got to harvest some fresh grapes and elderberries from my Mother’s garden. I’m b...
09/11/2024

Back on the East Coast visiting family. Got to harvest some fresh grapes and elderberries from my Mother’s garden. I’m brewing up a decoction right now, and will strain it and add honey for a syrup. I miss you Mom. I hope the gorgeous aromas swirled in the steam from this brew reach you, wherever you are. Thank you for this medicine 🙏❤️😔

08/03/2024

Intentional land management by the indigenous peoples of this land. ❤️

"Reciprocity: Northwest tribes manage land by putting First Foods first"

Organic Oregon Oregano. Try saying that 10 times fast! Spiced up my afternoon with a beautiful oregano harvest from the ...
07/02/2024

Organic Oregon Oregano. Try saying that 10 times fast! Spiced up my afternoon with a beautiful oregano harvest from the garden.

My homegrown version of Gather Victoria's "Summer Solstice Black Balsam." If you're making it too, share your recipe in ...
06/22/2024

My homegrown version of Gather Victoria's "Summer Solstice Black Balsam." If you're making it too, share your recipe in the comments below! Here's where you can find Gather Victoria's recipe and beautiful background info: https://gathervictoria.com/2023/06/20/summer-solstice-black-balsam/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR0FbuTAKzY447Mj4YkERKH8gy8pPcjNPCgMg1xt9B7PRxjFQsnlJJ4pdq4_aem_5EC7cUHaDaA859QX9SAXqg

My recipe:
1 cup packed fresh St. John's wort flower tops
1 cup packed fresh organic rose petals from my Midnight Blue and Wedding Cake pink roses (be sure your roses are organic! Roses are highly sprayed if not organic and not safe to consume)
1 cup loosely packed fresh homegrown raspberries
1/4 cup loosely packed fresh homegrown jasmine flowers (these will be the bitters in the recipe. I'm hoping the fragrance will infuse, too)
about 9 fresh homegrown California poppy flowers
a few sprigs fresh homegrown Chamomile
a few sprigs fresh homegrown Spearmint
a few sprigs fresh homegrown Lemon balm
a few sprigs fresh homegrown Lemon Verbena
3 fresh Evening Primrose flowers that opened under the full moon last night
1 tablespoon dried organic Sweet Cinnamon Chips (C. verum)
1 tablespoon dried ground Vanilla beans
16 oz organic Grape neutral spirits (95% alcohol)
24 oz filtered spring water
8 oz Greek thyme honey

Normally I chop all my herbs finely before macerating* them in liquid, but I intuitively left them whole this time. I don't know why, it just felt right😆. I added all the plant material into a half-gallon mason jar. I blended all the liquids including the honey before pouring it over the herbs in the jar. I gave the jar a good shake. After a few moments, I noticed that some of the plant material was poking up above the liquid (shown in the pics). Since this can cause spoilage, I used a fermenting weight (this one is from Masontops) to help keep the plant material in the liquid. Also, because we are having a heat wave right now, I am macerating this in the fridge for a week instead of in the sun for a few days as the original recipe states, as I'm concerned it will ferment with the honey in it. If you like fermented beverages, you could put yours in the sun to steep, but I would recommend using a piece of cheesecloth tied to the mouth of the jar instead of an airtight lid, as the jar could explode if it ferments intensely.

Once I strain it and taste it, I'll update this post below with tasting notes.

*Macerate: to soften or become softened by soaking in a liquid. -Google dictionary

Address

Portland, OR

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm
Saturday 9am - 5pm
Sunday 9am - 5pm

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