| Author |
Project Discussions:  All things herbs  |
|
|
nndairy
True Blue Farmgirl
1387 Posts
Heather
Wapakoneta
Ohio
USA
1387 Posts |
 Posted - Jul 30 2023 : 6:10:17 PM
|
| There seems to be a bit of interest in herbs. I thought it would be fun to learn together - for those who are interested. Unfortunately it's getting late and I need to finish up supper, and my sister and her family are coming down from MI tomorrow and spending a few days so I'm probably not going to be on here for a little bit. As soon as I get a chance I'll post some pictures of the books I have (and which I use the most) and tell you all about my herbs. In the meantime, let me know where you are in your herbal journey, any questions you have, what you'd like to see here, etc. I'm no expert but I'd love to share what I know and learn from everyone else! |
~Heather
I would rather be on my farm than be emperor of the world. George Washington |
|
|
debbieklann
True Blue Farmgirl
2743 Posts
Debbie
Madras
OR
USA
2743 Posts |
Posted - Jul 30 2023 : 6:12:38 PM
|
| Thank you, Heather!!! I would love learning about anything herbal that you would like to share!!! |
Debbie Klann
Farmgirl Sister #770
2018 Farmgirl Sister of the Year
January 2020 FGOTM
"Well behaved women seldom make history"...
Laurel Thatcher Ulrich |
 |
|
|
MaryJanesNiece
True Blue Farmgirl
176 Posts
Krista
Utah
USA
176 Posts |
Posted - Jul 31 2023 : 2:36:46 PM
|
I am in!! I am at the very very beginning. So I am here to learn anything and everything. Thanks for starting this Heather!
Krista |
|
|
|
Dreamer42
True Blue Farmgirl
202 Posts
April
Central
Oregon
USA
202 Posts |
Posted - Aug 05 2023 : 09:43:06 AM
|
| I'm a beginner herbalist, have a small herb garden out back. I'm starting to learn about their culinary and medicinal uses, so interesting. I grew up drinking sage tea when we got sick, always helped soothed the sore throat. I still drink it. I love herbal teas, but have not yet ventures to create any of my own. I also love apple cider vinegar refreshers... not really herbal, but medicinal and I love the flavors. So, yes, Heather, I would love to hear about the books you use, the knowledge you can share! |
Dreamer42
Farmgirl Sister #7038 |
|
|
|
Wanda Sue
True Blue Farmgirl
881 Posts
Wanda
Murrells Inlet
SC
USA
881 Posts |
Posted - Aug 05 2023 : 09:46:16 AM
|
| I too am interested in learning about herbs. |
A day hemmed in prayer is less likely to unravel.
Wanda Sue
Farm Girl #3677
Farmgirl of the Month-August 2022 |
|
|
|
debbieklann
True Blue Farmgirl
2743 Posts
Debbie
Madras
OR
USA
2743 Posts |
Posted - Aug 05 2023 : 6:45:20 PM
|
| The ACV refreshers sound interesting, April! What flavors do you like? |
Debbie Klann
Farmgirl Sister #770
2018 Farmgirl Sister of the Year
January 2020 FGOTM
"Well behaved women seldom make history"...
Laurel Thatcher Ulrich |
|
|
|
Dreamer42
True Blue Farmgirl
202 Posts
April
Central
Oregon
USA
202 Posts |
Posted - Aug 05 2023 : 6:47:57 PM
|
| My two favorites are the honey ginger / grape hibiscus. The cherry pomegranate is good too. The citrus and lime was a little hard for me to get down. Those are the only flavors I've tried to date. I grew up with making our own with a glass of water, honey and 2 tbs of cider vinegar, always loved them. Their prices have gone up from 2.99 each to $4.29 at freddies. So, they are a splurge these days! :-) |
Dreamer42
Farmgirl Sister #7038 |
|
|
|
Blessed in Colorado
True Blue Farmgirl
4158 Posts
Debbie Fischer
Coos Bay
OR
4158 Posts |
Posted - Aug 06 2023 : 10:42:12 AM
|
| My knowledge is very limited so I too am interested in learning Wildfllowers. |
Big Hugs,
Debbie
Farmgirl if the Month for:
September 2012, February 2018 and September 2022
My altars are My Mountains and the Ocean. Lord Bryon
When I am old I am wearing Purple. I am Old!!
|
|
|
|
nndairy
True Blue Farmgirl
1387 Posts
Heather
Wapakoneta
Ohio
USA
1387 Posts |
Posted - Aug 07 2023 : 1:12:05 PM
|
I'm so glad that you're all interested! I'm no expert but I'll gladly share what I can :) My herbal journey began when my mother in law asked if I wanted to go to the greenhouse with her a couple years ago. I thought I was going to get some flowers. When I saw the sign that said herbs I went to investigate. I was excited that there were chives - they're one of my favorites! So I got some chives, oregano, basil, parley, peppermint, and this stuff that was called lovage. I had no idea what lovage was - turns out it looks like parsley only a bit bigger and tastes just like celery. It didn't survive the winter and the greenhouse has never had it again so I only grew it once. I've added to my collection over the years and this year I have regular chives, onion chives, garlic chives, oregano, basil, parsley, rosemary, thyme, cilantro, sage, lemon balm, borage, dill, peppermint, spearmint, pineapple mint, horehound, calendula, chamomile, feverfew, and I think echinacea. A few are planted in the garden, some in flower beds, some in pots, etc. The thing I'm really wanting to do is identify the wild herbs growing in the fields and pastures, fence rows, woods, along the creek, etc. For the wild crafting I've got plantain, dandelion, purple dead nettle, wild violets, blackberry leaves, and I'm not sure what else without looking. I'm running low on time so I'm going to try and get my books pictured and then I'll talk about the herbs another time.
My favorite book is this one:
I know there are other books for different regions of the US, this is just the region for where I live. The book gives pictures of each herb, tells you how to identify it, what it's uses are, and how it's best used (tea, tincture, etc.) This is the book I find myself flipping through in my spare time to try and figure out what all the flowers are that I see blooming. I wish I had more time to take it and walk around our property.
If there's something in particular I'm wanting - be it a use for a specific herb or what herbs are best for a specific ailment I use these 3 books:
They aren't as good as the first one for identifying things but they're much better for how to use the herbs. I just got them for Christmas last year so I haven't made a bunch of stuff yet.
I'm not sure how many picture I can put in one post so I'll post this and do one more quick before milking.
|
~Heather
I would rather be on my farm than be emperor of the world. George Washington |
|
|
|
nndairy
True Blue Farmgirl
1387 Posts
Heather
Wapakoneta
Ohio
USA
1387 Posts |
Posted - Aug 07 2023 : 1:28:46 PM
|
I have quite a few bookmarks in this book for things to make (just need the time LOL!) What I love about this one is that I have a lot of the herbs or they're easy to get. I have a book by Rosemary Gladstar but most of the recipes in that book would require me to buy a lot of herbs and I don't want to do that right now.
I get plants in the spring from the greenhouse for parsley, basil, etc but I got some seeds for Christmas last year for the things like horehound, calendula, feverfew, etc. If you're interested in getting some seeds I suggest looking now. A lot of seed companies will be having sales to clean out their stock. I personally like Annie's heirloom seeds. They have individual seed packets, and some seed collections - I believe there's an herbal tea collection, a medicinal herb collection, a medicinal flower collection, and my "one day" want - the Apothecary garden collection. They also have a nice selection of books (some are going on my Christmas list this year LOL!) I know that Baker creek also has some herb seeds. If you know of others please post about them. I have to get around for milking now. I'm hoping to have more time to get on here but things are crazy right now so please be patient. If there's any thing you want to know ask away. If not, I plan to tell you about my herb collection and what I do with it next time I get a few minutes. |
~Heather
I would rather be on my farm than be emperor of the world. George Washington |
|
|
|
Wanda Sue
True Blue Farmgirl
881 Posts
Wanda
Murrells Inlet
SC
USA
881 Posts |
Posted - Aug 07 2023 : 5:26:56 PM
|
| Thank you Heather! |
A day hemmed in prayer is less likely to unravel.
Wanda Sue
Farm Girl #3677
Farmgirl of the Month-August 2022 |
|
|
|
debbieklann
True Blue Farmgirl
2743 Posts
Debbie
Madras
OR
USA
2743 Posts |
Posted - Aug 07 2023 : 9:22:53 PM
|
| Horehound?? I never knew it was an herb! Actually, I guess I never thought about what it was except that it works great in the fishermans friend cough drops. |
Debbie Klann
Farmgirl Sister #770
2018 Farmgirl Sister of the Year
January 2020 FGOTM
"Well behaved women seldom make history"...
Laurel Thatcher Ulrich |
|
|
|
Blessed in Colorado
True Blue Farmgirl
4158 Posts
Debbie Fischer
Coos Bay
OR
4158 Posts |
Posted - Aug 09 2023 : 07:58:57 AM
|
| I have never grown more than just a few of my favorite Herbs but always wanted to plant so many more. Heather maybe this is the motivation I need to get started and learn more about them. We can all learn together! |
Big Hugs,
Debbie
Farmgirl if the Month for:
September 2012, February 2018 and September 2022
My altars are My Mountains and the Ocean. Lord Bryon
When I am old I am wearing Purple. I am Old!!
|
|
|
|
nndairy
True Blue Farmgirl
1387 Posts
Heather
Wapakoneta
Ohio
USA
1387 Posts |
Posted - Aug 09 2023 : 1:52:44 PM
|
I have an e-mail that says all of Annie's seeds are 25% off if there's anything you're interested in trying. If I get anything about a book sale I'll let you know.
This is the first time I've ever grown horehound. (Honestly all the herbs I planted from seed are not doing so great this year. We had a tough spring and then it was super dry. Even the garden struggled so I know it's not just me LOL!) In one of the books is a recipe for some cough drops or syrup - I can't remember which - that uses the horehound. My Grandpa used to love horehound candies (they were hard like lemon drops). As a kid I didn't like them at all. Plus Grandpa would say "they're good for you! They put hair on your chest!" That sealed the deal for me - I didn't want any hair on my chest LOL!
What are your favorite herbs Debbie?
Most of my herbs get dried and stored in the freezer. The weather is all over the place here in Ohio and I don't have a basement or even AC so the humidity will quickly ruin my dried stuff. So - the freezer it is! Mostly I use my dehydrator, but I really need another one so sometimes I have to use my oven. If I use the oven I put it on warm and stick a wooden spoon handle in the door to keep it open a bit. One day I want a freeze dryer, but those things are crazy expensive!! Next up on the want list will be a metal dehydrator instead of the plastic one I have. |
~Heather
I would rather be on my farm than be emperor of the world. George Washington |
|
|
|
MaryJanesNiece
True Blue Farmgirl
176 Posts
Krista
Utah
USA
176 Posts |
Posted - Aug 09 2023 : 2:41:27 PM
|
Heather, I dream about owning a freeze dryer. Those things are amazing, but so expensive.
Krista |
|
|
|
nndairy
True Blue Farmgirl
1387 Posts
Heather
Wapakoneta
Ohio
USA
1387 Posts |
Posted - Aug 23 2023 : 1:32:03 PM
|
| I'm hoping to make some more herb infused oil this weekend. It was so good it's gone already!!! I want to take pictures and show you all how easy it is so hopefully you'll want to try it :) |
~Heather
I would rather be on my farm than be emperor of the world. George Washington |
|
|
|
nndairy
True Blue Farmgirl
1387 Posts
Heather
Wapakoneta
Ohio
USA
1387 Posts |
Posted - Aug 31 2023 : 1:21:43 PM
|
I have my oil made but my sister and her family are coming down tomorrow so I don't have the pictures uploaded yet.
I also took some pictures of plantain. It's one of my favorite free herbs - it grows everywhere around here! It's in my yard, the pasture, the hay fields, and even in the woods! When I get a chance I'll show you and tell you what I do with it :) |
~Heather
I would rather be on my farm than be emperor of the world. George Washington |
|
|
|
MaryJanesNiece
True Blue Farmgirl
176 Posts
Krista
Utah
USA
176 Posts |
Posted - Sep 01 2023 : 1:32:57 PM
|
Heather, I would love to hear more about your herb infused oil. That is on my list of things to try.
Krista |
|
|
|
nndairy
True Blue Farmgirl
1387 Posts
Heather
Wapakoneta
Ohio
USA
1387 Posts |
Posted - Sep 06 2023 : 5:46:31 PM
|
Making herb infused oil:
The simplest way to make infused oil is also the way that takes the longest. Simply put some dried herbs into a jar, pour oil over herb(s) making sure they're covered completely, stir to release any air bubbles, cover it with cheesecloth (not a tight fitting lid to allow any condensation to evaporate) and sit it in a sunny windowsill for 3-6 weeks. Strain out the herbs and then seal with a tight fitting lid. I have used this method for some plantain oil that I'll discuss later. The jury is still out on using fresh herbs this way. Some say never do it, some say wilt them (let them sit and dry for 24 hours) first, some say use them fresh, and I even read that one person floats an inch of alcohol (vodka) on top and when the alcohol is evaporated the oil is ready to strain. The problem with fresh herbs is that the moisture in them can cause the oil to go rancid. I've had success with fresh herbs and I've had some failures. My advice is to stick with dried herbs to avoid the frustration of a rancid batch.
The new method I discovered and really like is much faster. For this method everyone says use dried herbs. First chop up the dried herb(s) and place into a jar. I use canning jars.
Pour oil over so that the herbs are completely covered. Stir to release any air bubbles. Cover with a tight lid - I use canning lids.
Place the jars in your crock pot on the keep warm setting and fill with water. Do not put the lid on.
Not the best picture - it is not steaming even though it looks like it. You just want the oil slightly warm, if it gets too hot it will ruin the benefits of the herbs. I don't have one but there are articles where some have used an insta pot for this, or a yogurt maker.
Depending on what you're infusing you can leave the jars in the warm water for a couple hours up to 72 hours. For the first batch I tried (just for eating) they were in for just under 3 hours. I pulled them out and set them on the counter to cool while I was milking (about 3 hours). When I came back in I strained them:
don't be afraid to give it a little squeeze to get all the oil out:
Then put it in pretty jars from your grandma (or canning jars work fine too) and label it:
I'm not a big fan of olive oil so I was greatly surprised how much I liked the first batch I made! My favorite was the rosemary, sage, and thyme oil. It goes great on potatoes and green beans. I made a "bread dipping oil" from the mix of herbs I had. Every year I dry all my herbs and keep them separate. When the next years herbs are ready I take everything I have left over and mix it together - that's what I used for the bread dipping mix so I can't really duplicate it or tell you how to make it. This second batch of oil I made was rather disappointing. I've discovered it's the olive oil. The first batch was made with a "light tasting olive oil" and this second batch was organic extra virgin olive oil my mother in law got me from sams club. This batch tastes like olive oil and not the herbs. I'm going to try putting more herbs in them and put them back in the crock pot until I get to town and get some more light tasting oil. I'll let you know how it goes. |
~Heather
I would rather be on my farm than be emperor of the world. George Washington |
|
|
| |
Project Discussions: All things herbs |
|
All things herbs
