This is what I'm talking about!! Today while out taking a look at the river, which was running very high, I found a windfall! A small Poplar tree had recently fallen down across the path, and I harvested a nice pocket full of leaf buds, which I brought home and have begun infusing, by putting them in a jar, filling it with Olive oil. Right now, there is a pint jar with Poplar buds and Cedar tips infusing in the yoghurt maker, and it is starting to smell very good. I will probably combine these two in a larger jar, and infuse for several weeks. Not everyone leaves the mix to ripen as long; you can simply warm the oil and buds for several hours on the stove (low heat).
It's helpful to have a notebook handy in the kitchen; be sure to make a journal entry, so you know when you picked your buds and when you started infusing. I also label the jar with the name of the herb or mix of herbs, and both the starting date and the projected finish date. By the way, Poplar buds are so loaded with resins that they are sticky and brown. They will stain your hands and clothes. But the fragrance is so lovely! Poplar, as I mentioned before, is analgesic like Willow, and good for temporary pain relief and reduction of inflammation, which makes it a wonderful choice for massage. It's great for general skin care as well; I use a good food grade Olive oil.
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Friday, December 10, 2010
Vinegar and Water
My friend I.E. grew up in Switzerland, and came to America with her husband in about 1960. She was trained as a nurse. We have had some great conversations about herbs, and today, she shared with me a very simple poultice wrap. Her ankle is bruised, with a little bit of swelling, and she is treating it with an Vinegar and Water wrap.
She mixes 1/2 vinegar and 1/2 water in a small bowl, and soaks a wash cloth in it. Then she wrings it out, wraps her ankle with it, wraps a dry hand towel around that, and then secures the whole thing with an ace bandage. She lets this work for about 20 minutes, and then takes it all off, and yes, the ankle was less swollen and felt better to her.
She also shared with me how she treated her husband for a very high fever with the same treatment, only instead of wrapping his foot, she wrapped his whole body, and she refreshed the vinegar and water every 20 minutes, unwrapping him and resoaking the wrapping sheet in the vinegar and water. She said that in three hours' time, her husband, who had been delirious with fever, regained a normal temperature and lucid awareness.
I was honored to hear this story! If you have neighbors or relatives that grew up in other parts of the world, or even in wilder parts of America, don't fail to ask them about how they treated with ailments and mishaps, you could pick up some interesting information.
She mixes 1/2 vinegar and 1/2 water in a small bowl, and soaks a wash cloth in it. Then she wrings it out, wraps her ankle with it, wraps a dry hand towel around that, and then secures the whole thing with an ace bandage. She lets this work for about 20 minutes, and then takes it all off, and yes, the ankle was less swollen and felt better to her.
She also shared with me how she treated her husband for a very high fever with the same treatment, only instead of wrapping his foot, she wrapped his whole body, and she refreshed the vinegar and water every 20 minutes, unwrapping him and resoaking the wrapping sheet in the vinegar and water. She said that in three hours' time, her husband, who had been delirious with fever, regained a normal temperature and lucid awareness.
I was honored to hear this story! If you have neighbors or relatives that grew up in other parts of the world, or even in wilder parts of America, don't fail to ask them about how they treated with ailments and mishaps, you could pick up some interesting information.
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Poplar Bud Oil
A year ago December I found a windfall on my walk along the river; a Poplar had dropped a large branch, and I was able to break off two whole pocket-fulls of sticky brown buds. I brought them home, put them in a quart jar, filled it with Olive oil and settled it in my yogurt maker, where it sat for the next six weeks, on during the day and off at night. I stirred it with a chopstick. The smell of Poplar Bud is just wonderful. It is slightly spicy and earthy and reminds me of walks along the river.
The chopstick became coated with resin. I strained off the oil and saved it in a pint jar in the refrigerator. Now I use it for massage. The buds were then distributed into other jars of oil.
Poplar Buds are analgesic, which means, they relieve pain. Poplar Bud, like Alder and Willow, has salicylates, like aspirin, which was originally derived from Willow. An analgesic will not necessarily cure anything, but it will soothe and mask pain for a while, relieving inflammation. And the oil smells good! The buds also work to preserve fat, which is very useful if you have limited refrigeration. Now, how simple is that?
The chopstick became coated with resin. I strained off the oil and saved it in a pint jar in the refrigerator. Now I use it for massage. The buds were then distributed into other jars of oil.
Poplar Buds are analgesic, which means, they relieve pain. Poplar Bud, like Alder and Willow, has salicylates, like aspirin, which was originally derived from Willow. An analgesic will not necessarily cure anything, but it will soothe and mask pain for a while, relieving inflammation. And the oil smells good! The buds also work to preserve fat, which is very useful if you have limited refrigeration. Now, how simple is that?
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