Tag: immunesupport

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Sea Buckthorn Aronia Berry Ginger Thyme Spruce Oxymel

Sea Buckthorn, Aronia Berry, Ginger, Thyme, Spruce Oxymel. This was an experiment that turned out tasting pretty good. Tangy, Pungent, Savory, Sweet. I wanted to work with Sea Buckthorn because I read they have the highest nutrient content of all wild berries, especially high in vitamin C, E and essential fatty acids. But their taste is so sour! They need to be mixed with other flavors to mellow out their intensity. So I mixed 1 cup smashed Sea Buckthorn berries with 1 cup smashed Aronia berries, thumb sized fresh ginger sliced, 1/2 cup dried thyme, 2 cups apple cider vinegar, 1 and 1/2 cups spruce sprout infused honey. Mix together and let sit in refrigerator 2 weeks. Shake daily. Strain. Pour into clean bottles and keep refrigerated. I use oxymels as food and pour on top of vegetables or whatever food I’m eating to give the food some extra exciting flavors. And oxymels have the added benefit of supporting respiratory health and have been used since the times of ancient Greece for congestion, cough & bronchitis. You can take a teaspoon several times a day and evening for mild respiratory symptoms or just use as a tangy food seasoning. Enjoy!

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Finnish Forest Tonic Soup

Finnish Forest Tonic Soup… I wanted to make a Finnish version of the Chinese tonic soups I eat during cold months and this turns out really well! When choosing ingredients for the soup, I wanted to stick with local herbs that have a ‘tonic’ or fortifying and strengthening quality. There are Nettle seeds to tonify kidneys, Chaga & Forest Mushrooms to tonify immune system, Roseroot is an adaptogen tonic, Oatstraw tonifies Qi Blood Essence & Yang, Red Clover is also classified as an adaptogen by many herbalists and is a phytoestrogen, Bilberries nourish liver yin & eyes, Iceland Moss also moistens & nourishes liver Yin and tonifies digestive Qi, Chicory Root nourishes liver Blood & Liver Yin, Yellow Dock Root nourishes Blood. I also added Garlic & Chives to warm and expel wind cold, Lovage to add warmth, Juniper Berry for warmth and to expel Wind Damp Cold, Carrot & Celery & Chicken & Goatpipe for added nutrition and Pine Needles for vitamin C and flavor. I referred to Peter Holmes book Energetics of Western Herbs to research many of the energetic properties. The soup is cooked in a crockpot or on a very low heat for several hours. The base of the soup is skinless chicken with bones plus water which forms a nourishing bone broth as it cooks over time. This soup is one of many things I try to do to feel healthy during these long dry cold Finnish winters. And I will soon be offering packets of dried Finnish Tonic Soup for anyone interested in giving this Finnish Tonic Soup a try!

Some Finnish Tonic Herbs
Warming & Tonifying
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Nourishing Seaweed Milk

Seaweed milk. Seaweeds are yin nourishing, moistening, nutritive & cooling. Moistens dryness & cools inflammation. I’ve added cinnamon, ginger & cardamom to warm it up a bit. And a pinch of fennel & licorice for added flavor. I used oat milk because its much less damp than cows milk. These seaweed milks are traditional beverages in many parts of the world. The seaweed I used is Irish Moss (Chondrus crispus) and this recipe is based off a Jamaican recipe I learned while living in Florida. The recipe is very similar to Irish Moss drink recipes from Ireland too. Irish Moss looks like the branches inside of lungs, and has traditionally been used to heal lung disorders such as bronchitis & tuberculosis. Irish Moss drinks moisten a dry cough and have also traditionally been used to heal an inflamed or ulcerated digestive system. According to Chinese Medicine, autumn is the season of the Lungs and Large Intestine. And since Irish Moss drinks moisten and sooth both Lungs and Intestines, I think this is a great beverage for Autumn especially. But this drink is nourishing for any season that you are feeling dry. However do add warming herbs such as cinnamon or ginger to balance the cooling effect of the seaweed. Traditionally these seaweed beverages have some warming spice added. Also, Irish Moss drinks are so nourishing that they have traditionally been given to elderly folks or those recouvering from prolonged illness who are still weak, as well as children who have lost weight due to illness and need to put weight back on.

Here is the recipe I used: 10-14 grams Irish Moss soaked in water 20 minutes, drain. Place in pot 10-14grams soaked Irish Moss plus 1 cup water plus some warming spice such as cinnamon and bring to a boil. Then simmer 20 minutes. Let sit until it is cooled to room temperature. It forms a “jelly”. Then add 1 TBSP “jelly” to 2 cups oatmilk and blend in blender. If you want you can add half a teaspoon of vanilla extract or a teaspoon of honey. Traditionally honey is added. Keep extra jelly stored in the refrigerator and use within 1-2 weeks. Yum. Salty Sweet!

Irish moss Gel
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Fire Cider

Fire Cider. My first year in Finland I had the flu 3 times! But this 2nd year I haven’t gotten sick at all, and I think its mostly because I stopped eating dairy during cold months and I drink shots of Fire Cider if I start feeling cold. If you’ve never made Fire Cider, try it, its delicious! Its warming to the digestive system and stimulates your immune system by making you sweat. This is great for early stages of cold trying to enter your body. When digestion is weak & cold your body produces Dampness which can lead to mucous and runny nose. Dairy is cold and damp, so further weakens a weak digestive fire. This is why avoiding dairy and drinking Fire Cider helps someone like me (tendency to feel cold with weak digestion) during cold months. If you are someone who has a hot firey constitution then Fire Cider might be too warming for you. There are many variations on recipes but here is the recipe I use: 1/2 cup fresh ginger root, 1/2 cup fresh horseradish, 1 onion, 12 garlic cloves, 1 fresh lemon juiced, 2 TBSP dried rosemary, 1 TBSP tumeric powder, apple cider vinegar. Let sit one month in refrigerator and shake daily. Strain and add honey to taste. YUM.

Ingredients for Fire Cider
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Thyme & Pine Steams

Thyme steams are powerful medicine. Antimicrobial to the respiratory tract and clears mucous out of the sinuses. Just boil water in a pot, add a handful of thyme. Take off stove, put your face over the pot & put a towel over your head to catch all the steam. Breath deeply 10-15 minutes. Your sinuses will drain and you will feel so much better afterwards! Good as preventative medicine or if you have a runny nose. You can add other herbs too such as rosemary, lavender, mint, ground ivy, pine. After the steam I simmer the herbs on low to disenfect the air in the house. Smells clean & fresh. This is grocery store backyard medicine that most of us have access to! (To be safe, pregnant women should avoid strong volatile oils in thyme steams.)

Pine needles
Place a towel over your head to capture the steam rising from the pot.
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Thyme Aronia Berry Oxymel

Thyme Aronia Berry Oxymel.. Oxymels have been used as far back as ancient Greece for the treatment of respiratory symptoms such as congested coughs. Oxymels combine herbs, honey & vinegar, they taste delicious & can be mixed with water to drink or added to veggies for flavor. Thyme is warm & drying which helps drive out cold damp mucous in the sinuses & lungs. Thyme is also antitussive (helps stop cough spasms), antibacterial & antifungal. Honey is moistening & antimicrobial. And you can use any berry, they are full of vitamins & nutrients and burst with flavor. You will love the way this tastes, heres the recipe: 1 cup berries mashed, 1/4 cup dried thyme, 1 cup apple cider vinegar, 1/2-3/4 cup honey. Keep in fridge. Shake daily. Ready after 2 weeks. Strain into a bottle. Enjoy! *I found this recipe years ago on the internet and I wish I could credit the herbalist who originally posted this recipe but I cannot find the recipe again. But whoever that great herbalist woman is, Thank You so much for sharing! Because this recipe is one of my absolute favorites. I have always got a bottle of this oxymel in my refrigerator!

Thyme Aronia Berry Oxymel
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Onion Honey Cough Syrup

Onion Honey Cough Syrup.. I learned this recipe from Rosemary Gladstar but evidently this folk remedy goes waaaaay back. So simple, just peel & slice an onion into half moons, put in a pot and pour raw honey over until just barely covered. Stir & heat gently on the stoves lowest setting for 30 minutes. Pour into a clean jar. Keep refrigerated. Take teaspoons throughout the day to thin mucous and help expectorate for a more productive cough. It tastes sweetly pungent, yummy. Keep refrigerated and use within 3 months time.

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Black Currant Syrup

I learned from Finns that hot black currant juice is an old folk remedy for colds & flu. And during flu season when half the world is taking elderberry syrup, I thought I would try making black currant syrup. Because I have yet to find elderberries growing in Finland. But black currants grow abundantly here! Well this syrup tastes delicious. I added a little angelica and ginger to help support lung and respiratory health. You can take teaspoons of the syrup as medicine or just eat it as a food. I pour it on warm breads, mix with apple sauce or pear sauce, mix with oat yogurt, or even mix with sparkling water. Recipe: 3.5 cups water, 200g fresh or frozen black currants, 1/4 tsp pure vanilla bean powder, 2 thin slices ginger root, 1/2 tsp angelica leaf or root, 1 cup honey. Put all ingredients in a pot except the honey. Stir. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer for 1 hour until the liquid is reduced by about half. Cover while simmering. Remove from heat and let cool until luke warm. Smash the berries in the pot. Strain out the liquid. Stir in the honey. Stir well until thoroughly blended. Pour into clean glass jar and keep refrigerated. Use within 2 weeks. Enjoy!

Black Currant Syrup