A History of Thievery: Making Medicinal Vinegars

Death Plays with Medicine, Hartman Schedel, 1493 via Histoire de la Medecine

What is full of essential amino acids, vibrant enzymes, vitamins, and minerals and balances the bodies acid/alkaline state and tastes good?

Apple cider vinegar!

 In the body, apple cider vinegar diminishes thirsts, helps to relieve feelings of restlessness, manages fevers, and has an overall cooling effect. Externally, apple cider vinegar keeps skin smooth, treats sprains and bruises, checks perspiration odor, and relieves inflammation and itching.  Making medicinal vinegars is abundantly easy. They are great alternatives to alcohol and glycerine based extracts and have a long history of use in western herbalism. Ever heard of the infamous Four Thieves Vinegar?

One version of the legend has it that four thieves were robbing the dying or dead during the height of the European plague and when they were finally caught they made a deal with their captors. In exchange for freedom they would reveal the secret that kept them from succumbing to the deadly disease. Four Thieves Vinegar was the recipe that was revealed.

Want to make some Four Thieves Vinegar of your own?
It's easy!

First, find yourself some good, unpasturized (raw), preferably local, apple cider vinegar. Delight in its golden glow!

Next, you will need equal parts of the following dried herbs for your thieving vinegar of health and wellbeing:

• Sage (Salvia officinalis) 
• Lavender (Lavandula officinalis)
• Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis)
• Rosemary (Rosemarinus officinalis)
• Thyme (Thymus vulgaris)

It is important to use dried herbs for this recipe, with the exception of our next ingredient, to reduce the possibility of spoilage with the addition of any water content to the recipe. In my experience, vinegar is an excellent and trusted preservative, but it is always best to  use caution.

Our next ingredient is fresh garlic and a small onion, both excellent and zesty foods for colds and the 'flu.

Combine equal parts of each of the herbs and mix them into a course powder with a mortar and pestle, electric grinder or willpower. Place all herbs, garlic, and onion into a clean jar and cover with raw apple cider vinegar. Shake!

Let all the contents settle and top off with more apple cider vinegar, if necessary, so there is an inch of vinegar resting above the herbs. Cap tightly (put a wax paper between jar and cap if using a metal lid to prevent erosion), label with the ingredients and date made as well as the date it should be decanted, shake and sing to daily. In about three weeks time your brew will be ready. Strain the herbs from your vinegar and enjoy your super vinegar elixir! You can take one teaspoon up to four times daily when feeling sick or to prevent feeling like you have the plague. You can also add some to your salads as a dressing which is one of my favorite ways to get my daily dose of medicinal vinegar.

Above all, be generous and share with your friends and family.  They'll probably think you're clever - stealing away their health woes with your charmed bottle of vinegar.

P.S. Let's protect our herbal heritage, including medicinal vinegars, from thievery - be sure to support the FREE FIRE CIDER movement!

Tea for Two: Herbs Through Your Pregnancy

Have a cup of tea - or two or three! During your pregnancy tea can be a wonderful ritual of mindfulness helping us remember to nourish our bodies, spirit, and mind. Herbs such as Red Raspberry leaf(Rubus idaeus), Nettles (Urtica dioica), and Oats (Avena sativa) are particularly suited for nourishing, supporting, and preparing the body for birth as well as supporting you postpartum. So why these three herbs? Glad you asked!

raspberry leaf  by author

Red Raspberry leaf(Rubus idaeus) is a wonderful herb to take during pregnancy, labor, and postpartum because of qualities as a uterine toner. Red Raspberry leaves contain fragrine which is an alkaloid that tones the muscles of the pelvic region without causing contractions by stimulating the uterus. For those concerned about miscarriage, Red Raspberry leaves are very valuable because they so effectively support the uterus. What Red Raspberry leaf does is help the uterus work more effectively – during pregnancy, labor, and postpartum. Raspberry leaves can also help to alleviate morning sickness, assist in the production of breast milk, and reduce pain during labor and after the birth.

nettle leaf photo by author

Nettle leaves (Urtica dioica) are gorgeous wild greens just dancing with all the vitamins and minerals they contain. Some of the vitamins and minerals found in Nettle leaves are vitamins B, C, E, K as well as iron, calcium, silica, magnesium, protein, and potassium. Nettles both nourish and restore the body and because of their high iron content they are especially useful for women who are anemic or have a low iron count. Not only can they be enjoyed as a tea, but fresh Nettles can be prepared much in the same way as spinach for a delicious and nutritious meal. Nettles help to reduce cramping and muscle spasms, eases pain during labor and after birth, and prevents hemorrhaging.

photo from uky.edu

Oats (Avena sativa) are modest powerhouses of nourishment. Oats help to increase energy, strength, and a sense of calmness during pregnancy, labor, and postpartum because of their unwavering support of the nervous system. Silica, selenium, manganese, potassium, iron, zinc, beta-carotene, and B vitamins are some of the nutrients found in Oats. Pregnancy, labor, and after birth can all feel very overwhelming at times, and Oats can be used to address headaches from stress and worry, heart palpitations, mental exhaustion, and cases of mild depression.

To truly benefit from these herbal pregnancy partners, I suggest drinking 2-4 cups daily of herbal tea, rotating between Raspberry Leaf, Nettles, and Oats every 2 or 3 weeks. I also encourage experimentation with combining them to find a blend that is the most delightful to your senses.

A Strong Brew: Making Medicinal Tea

There is more than one way to make tea.  Tea can be made with carefully heated water to the right temperature with a specific allotment of time for steeping.  Some teas are loose leaf, some are bagged; some left to steep for five minutes, others until the drinker remembers to remove the tea from cup or pot.  Making medicinal tea does not require any skills beyond making a regular cup of tea, except, perhaps, more patience and more tea. First, let's figure out why you would make a medicinal tea versus a daily cup of tea.  Medicinal teas are often for acute conditions such as a cold, sore throat, upset stomach, or headache.  A daily cup of tea, on the other hand (or in the other cup!), would usually be for tonifying the body, nervous system support, general stress relief, and nutritive value.  While I might take an adaptogenic herb such as Sacred Basil Ocimum sanctum daily for its ability to normalize body functions and keep me in balance, I would take an herb like Elder flower Sambucus nigra for a short period when I felt the onset of a cold to help stimulate my immune system with its antiviral actions.

The primary differences between a daily cup and a medicinal cup of tea is dosage and length of brewing.  While the general recommendation for a regular cup of tea is 1 teaspoon per 1 cup of water, for a medicinal dose we would use a tablespoon per cup.  Also, for a medicinal cup we steep herbs for 6 to 8 hours to allow for a greater degree of constituents of the herbs to be pulled out into the water.  I like to make a medicinal jar of tea (about 3 to 4 cups) before I go to bed, drinking it throughout the next day.  After straining out the tea, if making loose leaf, or removing the tea bag, you can choose to reheat the tea.

Drinking 3 to 4 cups daily for up to a week and sometimes longer is generally recommended for medicinal teas, but pay attention to specific instructions that may come with your tea, your neighborhood herbalist or your own research.  You might try preparing the following herbs as medicinal teas for the colds that may come our way this fall season:

Elder flowers and berries Sambucus nigra: Antiviral and good for the first-stage symptoms of colds and the 'flu.

Fennel Foeniculum vulgare: For colds, coughs, congestion, and asthma.  Also useful as a laxative and general relief of indigestion.

Blue Violet leaf Viola odorata: Anti-inflammatory and good for coughs, bronchitis, and asthma.  A good respiratory tonic.

Sage Salvia officinalis: Great for sore throats and also useful for digestive issues.

How To Make Tea

Taking time for tea is an important daily ritual at the Apothecary.  Learning to make loose leaf tea is a magickal process requiring us to slow down and invite time in as a friend to share a cuppa.

Bring fresh, cold water to a boil in your kettle on the stove, over a fire or with the sheer force of your fiery will.  Once the water has boiled pour some in your teapot and swirl it about to warm the pot up before you put your loose tea in it.  This will help keep your tea warmer for a longer period.  (It also makes me feel very grown-up and responsible - who knew it was so easy?)

For most loose leaf teas the measurement is one teaspoon to one cup of water.  In later posts we’ll discuss medicinal dosages, but for daily teas a teaspoon per cup should do.  Let the tea steep in the pot for at least 15 to 20 minutes if it is an herbal tea. For most black, green, and white teas you only want to steep them for 3-5 minutes, otherwise they will get bitter.

Enjoy your tea with company, alone or somewhere between.  The joy of tea comes not only from its taste and the ways it supports our beautiful bodies, spirits, and minds, but also from its scent, color, and warmth.  Learn to experience tea just as you would a good book, conversation, compelling dream or vision – it honors the spirit of the tea you are drinking and enlivens your spirit, too.