Tag Archives: herbal remedies

Golden Honey

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november bee

I couldn’t believe my eyes, while walking the land the other day, ~ I spotted some Goldenrod (Solidago spp.) blossoms! It was quite remarkable considering it was early November. The pollinators were happy too. It was a rather brisk day and the little guys were hanging out on the blossoms, though a little sluggish; actually they were barely moving. I decided to take just a couple blossoms to infuse into honey, since I wanted to leave most of them for the pollinators, as they needed to load up for the long winter ahead.

Goldenrod and raw honey are a winning combination. Goldenrod has antiseptic, antimicrobial, and analgesic properties, while raw honey contain propolis, a compound that can kill bacteria. Combined they make a very soothing remedy for scratchy and sore throats. Goldenrod infused honey is also useful for reducing congestion and postnasal drip from a bad cold.

Goldenrod honey is very easy to make and as we approach cold and flu season it is a wonderful addition to anyone’s apothecary.

How to make Goldenrod Honey:

  1. Collect fresh Goldenrod blossoms (when collecting any herb, make sure the area hasn’t been sprayed with chemicals and is not growing along roadways)
  2. Separate the florets
  3. Fill clean/dry jar ¼ – ½ with blossoms.
  4. Fill jar with raw honey (I prefer a light honey like apple blossom or wildflower).
  5. Fill sauce pan with about 2 inches of water.
  6. Put jar of herbal honey in pot of water (double-boiler method).
  7. Simmer water, temperature should never get higher than 110° as it will kill the medicinal qualities of the raw honey.
  8. Stir honey with a chopstick to disperse blossoms in honey.

warm goldenrod and honeySome people strain the blossoms out before eating but I leave them in and take pleasure in the herbs along with the honey.

golden honeyTake a spoonful for a sore throat or add to tea. YUM!

All information is shared for educational purposes only and has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.  This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

 

 

 

When you just have to stop the bleeding

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The other day I was washing my herbal press. Unbeknownst to me at the time, it had very sharp edges. I found this out when all of a sudden there was blood flowing with the water in the sink. I had sliced my index and pinky finger. It was not bad enough for stitches, but neither was wrapping a cloth around it good enough. I actually became rather excited about the fact that I had two similar cuts at the same time. See, I love teachable moments and testing herbs. I had always wondered which herb was a better styptic (contracting tissue to seal injured blood vessels) ~ Goldenrod (Solidago spp.) or Yarrow (Achillea millefolium). Both herbs have a long history of the being superstar first aid herbal remedies. Achilles kept Yarrow on hand during the Trojan Wars and the Ancient Germans always gathered Goldenrod before heading into battle.

Yarrow stopped the bleeding

Yarrow stopped the bleeding.

styptic goldenrod

Goldenrod stopped the bleeding.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So I went outside, collected and bruised some Goldenrod and Yarrow leaves, before wrapping the Goldenrod around my index finger and Yarrow around my pinky. I left them on for five minutes. Both herbs stopped the bleeding completely. The only difference I noticed was that there was some dried blood on the index finger (Goldenrod) and the pinky was clean (Yarrow). From my little experiment, I can easily surmise that both herbs are excellent styptics but Yarrow leaves a cleaner wound. So folks, if you ever need to stop bleeding quickly, pick whichever herb is closer.

What herbs do you use to stop bleeding? Please share and I will continue to share.

All information is shared for educational purposes only and has not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration.  This information is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.