Herb Tips

Every professional chef and every household cook recognizes the importance of fresh herbs to their culinary creations. No diner would quarrel over this either. However, whether you buy your herbs fresh or dried, there are problems. When you buy fresh, you usually have to buy more than you require and they are comparatively expensive, whereas, if you buy them dried, they could be old and dried herbs lose their strength over time.

Why then is it that most home cooks use fresh or dried herbs from the supermarket? Ease, probably. We lead busy lives and it is easier to get a few boxes of dried herbs at the supermarket along with your groceries than it is to grow your own.

Not that it is difficult to grow your own herbs and even spices, but you have to purchase the seeds, plant them and remember to water them. You can minimize the problem of trying to remember to water them very easily, by growing your herbs in a window box or in trays on your patio or deck, so that you notice them every time you take a break on your patio. You will also remember to bring them in if frost looks likely.

If you have children, growing herbs and spices in window boxes or trays can be a good induction to gardening for them. Herbs take very little looking after really, just needing watering every day. They are pretty tough and fertilizer is not necessary as most herbs have a fairly short life. Maybe only a month or two in some cases. Others last a lot longer.

First decide how many varieties you want to grow. How much room do you have for instance? The best way to start is look in your cupboard and see which herbs you use most frequently. Are any of them seeds? You could have a go at sowing these. Look them up in a book or on the Internet.

Sometimes it is better to soak the seeds first before planting them, others do not require this handling. Second, which herbs have you read about that you would like to use but never seem to have in the house? Try planting those too.

If all that does not sound like fun, then you can buy small herb plants in the garden nurseries. Most of them stock the most common herbs in Spring. Whichever way you go, read up on how to cultivate the herbs you have chosen. I promise you, it will not be a long read, as they really do take care of themselves except for the watering. if you buy seeds rather than seedlings, all the details you need will be on the seed packet and such packets are very cheap to buy.

The advantages of having your own herb garden are diverse, but you will be teaching gardening to your kids or grandkids, you will have fresh herbs for cooking and you will have beautiful aromas floating around your patio or deck.

Owen Jones, the writer of this piece, writes on many topics, but is currently involved with outdoor heat lamp. If you are interested in patio heaters too, please click through to Residential Patio Heaters.

If you have more than a small town garden, then landscaping your garden will probably be one of your considerations. If you have just acquired the property, or you think that it is time for a garden make-over, there are methods of going about it. The easiest technique of going about planning a garden, is to first take a good look at the landscape of your garden. This can be difficult if the garden is established and in full bloom.

Therefore, it can be better to wait until autumn or winter, so that you can see the true lie of the land. You could make a plan of the garden on graph paper and take a load of photos too. Identify the photos on the back of them and relate them to the grid on your graph paper. There may be bumps and hollows, potholes, rocky areas and even a marsh or a pond to cope with.

These are almost certainly natural features and if you want to change them, you will have to tackle the fundamental cause. The feature is only the symptom. Like freckles or spots! If you look at the state of affairs in this way, it makes planning simpler.

For example, a rocky patch probably means that the Earth is pushing stones up slowly but surely and if you want to clean it up, you will be picking up stones for the rest of your life. Likewise, if your wet patch is the result of natural drainage from higher ground, you will have to drain it and put in permanent drainage, since it is not going to stop raining for you.

So, you can either work with nature or you will be working against it for the rest of your life. Either that or paying someone else to do it for you. Another issue is that the wildlife that uses your locale does so because of how it is. If you alter the landscape, your current range of wildlife might move on or just die. A lot depends on how much land we are talking about, but in general, I would say that the larger the area, the more you should leave it alone.

On the other hand, you can add features more easily than remove them. For instance, if you have an area with poor soil, you could improve it with compost or put a pond there. Shade and existing fences or sheds should also be noted on your graph paper, although being man-made, these are simpler to remove or alter.

Next you should decide what type of garden you want, within the constraints of the existing landscape, how much work you are prepared to put into it and how much money you want to pay out on it. Enhancing the natural elements of the land is the easiest way of landscaping your garden.

If you have a marshy area, why not put a low wall around it and turn it into a pond? If you have a rocky patch, why not collect up the stones and create a rockery? If you have a few trees, try growing wisteria, honeysuckle or vines through them.

If you are in the shade, buy flowers that prefer the shade and vice-versa. It is a effort to go against nature and unless you have a good cause to do it, it is not really worthwhile. Then build a patio or deck and sit outside and enjoy all the landscaping that you have saved yourself in your garden.

Owen Jones, the author of this article, writes on many topics, but is currently involved with outdoor heat lamp. If you are interested in patio heaters too, please click through to Residential Patio Heaters.

The phone rang, it was Linda and she was in tears describing how the previous night her and her husband had to sleep with their son between them, holding his arms so he would not scratch his skin off as he slept. Linda, my best friend, needed help and she needed it now. Traditional medication was not helping her son’s eczema, she was desperate and her desperation made me intent on finding effective eczema herbal remedies to help my friend and her suffering son.

After Linda’s call to me I got to work looking for any thing that would give their family relief. What I found was astounding and saddening. Eczema sufferers can live in a world of hell as they go from one treatment to another, always searching for, yet never finding the treatment that will stop the itching. Just do an online search for eczema images and you will be overwhelmed at the sheer volume of skin disorders you will see. Eczema can affect young and old alike, including little babies.

Through my research, it quickly became obvious that for eczema herbal remedies to be effective, I needed to find something that could be applied topically for instant relief of swelling and itching as well as taken internally to promote a permanent cure. I often find that treatments for body ailments need a multi-pronged approach. In other words, one treatment will not do the trick. For example, in the case of eczema you may need to use a topical treatment, detoxifier and change your diet.

The following is the regimen that was developed for Linda’s son.

Topically: Pau D’Arco in tincture form. The astringent compounds in this herb will shrink inflammation bringing relief to swollen, itchy areas. This was applied to the affected skin areas with a cotton ball several times a day. Of special note is that Pau D’Arco is not the only herb that can be used topically for eczema. You can also use burdock root, nettle leaf powder and kelp powder in eczema herbal remedies.

Internally: I knew the blood needed to be cleansed. We use an effective eczema herbal remedies combo of 10 different herbs; yellow Dock, Dandelion, Burdock, Licorice, Chaparral, Red Clover, Barberry, Cascara Sagrada, Yarrow and Sarsaparilla. To use these herbs, mix together in equal parts and run them through a coffee grinder. Typically, I recommend adults put the powder into gel capsules. However, Linda’s son was too young to swallow a gel capsule, so she would add the powdered herbs to his breakfast smoothie every morning.

Additional: It was very important that we took note of all that was coming in contact with Linda’s son. Of course, she had already done the leg work on this. They were using all natural soaps, cleaners, detergents, etc. During the time of my research I also suggested they go completely organic with food.

Does this story have a happy ending? Yes, it does! In this situation it seemed that we had to come up with our own eczema herbal remedies “recipe” for this little boy to receive his cure. The topical Pau D’Arco tincture brought immediate relief of the inflammation and swelling. Being consistent with the herbal combo, natural cleaning products and organic diet took a few weeks to work, but the results were drastic and have been long lasting. Linda’s son is eczema free for the first time in three years.

If you need have eczema and nothing is working eczema remedies will definitely help you with all of your herbal remedy needs

Acne can certainly be a trying time for teens and adults. One of the most effective methods of battling acne in our family is with herbal acne remedies. Our quest for a natural way of dealing with acne came about quite by accident. I never really thought of dealing with acne in a natural, homeopathic way, but after watching what my nephew went through with traditional methods of acne management, I knew we needed to find a better way for our family when the time came.

My nephew struggled with severe acne, to the point of needing an antibiotic to control the infections that had been caused by acne. Then he had a reaction to the antibiotic. It was really heartbreaking to watch his struggle week after week. His struggle prompted me to start researching natural acne treatments. I knew there had to be a better way for him and I wanted to be prepared for my daughters when they reached their teen years.

One of the great things about a natural alternative to acne treatment is the gentleness of the treatment. There are no major side affects, the herbs just seem to naturally and easily take care of the problem without causing dry skin, rashes, etc.

There are three main herbal acne remedies that I recommend. The first is a honey and cinnamon paste. Mix three tablespoons of honey and one teaspoon of cinnamon, this will make a paste. Apply the paste on your face right before you go to bed and wear overnight. In the morning wash it off with warm water. If you can do this for two weeks consistently, you will see your acne disappear!

The second herbal acne remedies treatment, burdock root, can be taken orally or used as a wash, like a toner. Some herbs, when taken orally, act as a blood cleanser. This is what burdock root is well known for; it’s a good blood cleanser. Sometimes if you can get the blood cleaned up and detoxified, you can clear up acne. This herb can be taken orally with no problems. However, you can also make a tea out of it and apply it to the affected areas with a cotton ball.

Before I give you the next natural treatment, I want to mention one thing; when recommending herbal acne remedies, I usually start with the easiest and move on to the more complex. The third acne treatment does require a few different herbs and this can be overwhelming for those who have never used herbal treatments before. If you are just starting out with herbal treatments, I suggest you try the honey and cinnamon paste or the burdock root first. If you are familiar with herbal remedies, you may have most of the required herbs for the following treatment in your home already.

The third herbal treatment for acne is what I like to call the acne combo. Like Burdock root, the acne combo is a blood cleanser or purifier. Use the following herbs: Barberry, Burdock, Cascara Sagrada, Chaparral, Dandelion, Licorice, Red Clover, Sarsparilla, Yarrow and Yellow Dock. These can be ground together in a coffee grinder and put into gel capsules.

Overall, our family much prefers herbal acne remedies over traditional medication. If used consistently and as directed, we find these treatments to be effective and well worth the effort.

If you need have eczema and nothing is working acne remedies will definitely help you with all of your herbal remedy needs

We all know the symptoms; sore or scratchy throat, aches, chills, stuffy nose, cough, fatigue and headache..they all point to the flu. Sometimes you can develop a fever and nausea/vomiting as well. It is a difficult time for the sufferer and the caretaker. Did you know there are many flu herbal remedies available? All those over the counter so-called flu medications sure can get expensive and quite frankly, they never really worked that well on me and my family.

A few years ago I began researching more natural ways to deal with flu symptoms. I was thrilled to find that there really are cost effective flu herbal remedies that can quickly alleviate the discomfort of the flu. I’m not saying these remedies will cure you, but they will lessen the severity of the symptoms and the length of time you will feel lousy.

One of the first signs of the flu can typically be a cough. At the fist sign of a cough, place one dropper full of Echinacea (alcohol-free, of course) in your mouth for five to ten minutes. You can repeat this every hour for three to four hours. If you have congestion, put five drops of Eucalyptus oil in a hot bath or, if you don’t feel like or are incapable of getting into the bath tub, just pour six drops of the Eucalyptus oil in a cup of boiling water, then put a towel over your head and inhale the vapors.

Cayenne, also known as capsicum, will keep the mucus flowing which will help with congestion and also headaches. Yes, this is the same cayenne we use in cooking and it can also be used in flu herbal remedies. Cayenne can be bought and taken in capsule form or you can add it to soups or other foods. However, eating food may not be something you feel like doing while suffering from the flu, so I suggest adding the cayenne to your soup or broth.

Extract of Elderberry contains antiviral properties. For this reason, it can actually reduce the flu symptoms. An easy way to use Elderberry in flu herbal remedies is to make a tea, simply simmer 1 tablespoon of dried berries in two cups of hot water for 15 minutes. You should have this tea three times a day to be effective. Alternatively, you can use elderberry in tincture or capsule form.

Tea is very soothing during times of illness or stress so it is one of my preferred flu herbal remedies. Making a basic tea for the flu is easy. The following blend will soothe the symptoms of flu as well as a cold by fighting viruses and bacteria. This mixture can be made and stored away from heat and light in an airtight container for up to one year. Mix: cup dried peppermint leaves cup dried lemon balm leaves cup dried elder flowers cup dried yarrow flowers

To brew tea: Bring 1 cup water to a boil and remove from heat. Add 1-2 teaspoons of the tea blend and teaspoon freshly grated ginger. Steep for 5 to 10 minutes, strain and add honey and/or lemon juice if desired. It is no fun to get the flu, but I hope this article has shown you the flu herbal remedies can be an effective alternative to the traditional over-the-counter medicines. Being prepared by having the suggested herbs in your home and available to use when needed is a good idea because when you are not feeling well, you definitely will not want to go to the store to buy anything. Be prepared and have them readily available.

If you need have the flu and nothing is working flu remedies will definitely help you with all of your alternative medicine needs

Herbs: Understanding the Different Kinds of Herbs and What These Herbs are Good for

Herbs can be considered one of the most important products in the world today, and for many different reasons. Herbs can be used for many different purposes, and for most of the part, they are plants that are grown for culinary, medicinal, or in some cases, even spiritual value. Basically, what happens is that the green and leafy part of the medicinal plant is typically used for all of these purposes.

Culinary herbs are basically distinguished from vegetables in that they are used in smaller quantity, and they also provide flavor, rather than substance, in our food.

With regards to the actual history of herbs, they have truly played an important part in man’s life for thousands of years, and some herbs were actually given magical properties in some traditional rituals, and this was probably in part due to the fact that herbs are considered as having medicinal purposes; in fact, in France during the Middle Ages period, babies were actually rubbed with Artemisia juices in order to protect them from the cold (which can be deadly then).

Mint is one of the most popular herbs of today, and Greek athletes actually used to use bruised mint leaves as an after-bath lotion, and as well, in the Middle Ages, mint was considered as being extremely important as it was used as a cleansing agent. Mint was later even used to purify water that had turned stale on long voyages.

More About Types of Herbs

There is truly a multitude of herbs that are out there, some discovered and some still lying inside some jungles. Some of the herbs includes the following: Ajwain, Allspice, Aloe Vera, Ambrosia herbs, Anise, Apple mint, Arrowroot, Annatto, Avens, Balmony, Basil, Bison grass, Bistort, Bitters, Blue Cohosh, Boldo, Bush tomato, Caper, Caraway, Cinnamon, Chickweed, Centaury, Cayenne pepper, and many more.

If you are interested in growing your own herbs for consuming, then you can easily do so in your own garden. However if you wish, you can also just go to your local grocery store to pick up these same herbs easily, however they will taste much better if you grow them yourself, or at least buy them when fresh.

It is overall easy to see how important herbs are, as well as how many uses that they have; herbs are used for so many things, not only in the olden days but in the present time as well, and so it is incredibly important to recognize and realize this. It is through preservation of our forest that we can continue to discover more herbs.

An organic herb farm can be rewarding financially, physically, and emotionally. Even a small organic herb farm can produce a good harvest. You can use the herbs yourself, or sell them for profit at a farmer’s market. You will want to plan, of course. You will need to learn a number of things before getting started with an organic herb farm.

Organic Herb Farm Plans

Organic herb farm plans begin with determining how large a space you will allot to growing organic herbs. Herbs do not require as much space as many organic vegetables require. You can reap a good harvest in a small space.

You will want to plan, too, what types of herbs you will plant. There are three main categories.

1. Culinary – herbs valued for their taste
2. Medicinal – herbs valued for healing power
3. Scented – herbs valued for their fragrance

Organic herb farm plans often use all three, but some limit the farm to one type. Some organic herb farms grow only one herb. Think about whether there are any organic herbs you consider “must-haves” and whether there are some you really do not want to grow.

Once you have decided on space and the type of organic herbs you will grow, you need to test your soil. Is it chalky, clay, loam, or sandy? The type of soil you have will play a part in your organic herb farm plans. Test it, or have it tested so that you know. Determine whether the soil is well drained. Is the location sunny, shady, or mixed sun and shade? Will parts of your organic herb farm be exposed to wind?

Organic Herb Farm Layout

Your organic herb farm plans will need to include a layout. Use graph paper, or a computer program with a graph. On your graph paper, mark north and south. Then draw in the basic shape of your planned farm. Use a key. For example, 1 square on the graph equals 1 square yard. Draw any buildings, walls, ponds, streams, trees, or other obstacles. Indicate how tall the trees are, since this will affect sunlight. Indicate areas that are especially damp or dry.

Use your farm layout to select seeds or healthy herb plants. You can buy bulk organic herb seeds, sometimes at wholesale prices. Consider your soil and climate in selecting plants or seeds. Most nurseries or farm suppliers can give you guidance in these matters.

You may want to arrange plants according to color, If soil, sun, shade, and wind conditions allow. Or you may group organic herbs that offer benefits to one another on the farm. Here are three examples of good groups.

1. Germander, lavender, rosemary, sage, and thyme
2. Cilantro, lemon balm, lemon verbena, oregano, parsley, and thyme
3. Basil, mint, oregano, and thyme

Organic herbs are among the most beneficial plants you can grow. The plants will attract insects to your organic herb farm. Count on the help of bees, birds, and butterflies to enhance pollination and increase harvest.

Your organic herb farm plans should take advantage of the fact that those who grow organic herbs create a beautiful landscape, teeming with wildlife.

Italians insist upon fresh ingredients in their food, and their herbs are no exception. There are a variety of fresh herbs common in Italian cooking. Most people are familiar with the little bottles of dried herbs from the grocery store, but if you haven’t prepared food with fresh herbs, you really need to give it a try.

What’s the distinction between an herb and a spice?

Spices are made from the seeds, root, fruit or barks of aromatic plants, while the herbs primarily consist of the leaves and stems. Herb plants contain oils which are very fragrant and add the distinctive aroma and flavor that Italian food is known for. A few of the most common herbs are basil, oregano, parsley, rosemary, sage and thyme.

Basil is a member of the mint family, and like all mint herbs, it is extremely fragrant when picked fresh. Basil leaves blacken when exposed to metal, therefore it is common in Italy to tear the leaves by hand before throwing the basil into a sauce or onto a dish. Basil is the primary herb for the famous pesto sauce.

Oregano is another popular herb in both Italian and Greek food. Most people are familiar with this herb in tomato based pasta sauces and with meats.

Italian Parsley, also known as flat-leaf parsley, is readily available in most grocery stores and is easy to distinguish it from the curly variety frequently used as a garnish. Italians favor this parsley for cooking because it has a much better flavor, while the curlier variety is best saved for garnishing your dish.

Rosemary is another widely available herb and resembles a little branch from an evergreen tree. This is one of the most fragrant of all the fresh herbs and it will retain its flavor and aroma when dried. It’s excellent with vegetables and is often cooked into the dough of breads like focaccia.

Sage has long, broad leaves and is the herb which flavors the traditional Italian Saltimbocca dish. Sage is also very fragrant so be sure you don’t use too much and overwhelm your meal.

Thyme is another herb of the mint family, but in contrast to the other mints, it has tiny leaves that can easily be thrown whole into your sauce or dish. I use this herb frequently because its mild flavor goes well with everything and won’t overshadow the rest of your dish.

There are some basic rules for cooking with fresh herbs. Fresh herbs are more delicate than dried and can lose some of their flavor when cooked too long. For slow cooked sauces and meats, you can add the fresh herbs at the last minute keeping their flavors and aromas intact. On the other hand, the oils in dried herbs are concentrated requiring a smaller amount of than fresh herbs in your recipes. A good general rule of thumb is to use one tablespoon of fresh herbs for every 1 teaspoon of dried herbs needed in a dish. But remember, cooking is an art and you can use as much or as little as you like.

The next time you want to spruce up an everyday meal, throw in some fresh Italian herbs.