thyme | Metsäntaru

Posted on April 17, 2020October 9, 2020 by Sandy Evans — Leave a comment

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!

Posted on April 16, 2020October 9, 2020 by Sandy Evans — Leave a comment

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.)

Place a towel over your head to capture the steam rising from the pot.

Posted on April 16, 2020October 9, 2020 by Sandy Evans — Leave a comment

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!

Posted on April 15, 2020October 9, 2020 by Sandy Evans — Leave a comment

Drippy Nose Care

Drip, drip, drip… icicles slowly melt & drip, just like Sanni’s nose…drip… Spring is sloooow to arrive in Finlandia and winters chill has been a constant presence in the forest. Perhaps it was the penetrating cold, perhaps it was because Sanni had not spent enough time by the fire, or perhaps it was all the snowcones she had eaten lately, but her nose was dripping like an icicle! Clear thin mucous, a sign that the cold had managed to penetrate.
So Sanni made her way back to Noita (witch) who sat her by the fire and gave her a big mug of Drippy Nose Care Tea.
Warming & drying herbs like Wild Thyme, Ground Ivy, Goldenrod, Hyssop, Anise, Nettles with a touch of honey to moisten & balance the tea. Yuuummmm… deliciously warming. Sanni could feel her nose dripping less & less as she drank the tea. Noita continued to nurse Sanni with broth, lämmintä mustaherukkamehua (warm black currant juice) and other teas too. But she always looked forward to that savory sweet taste of Drippy Nose Care Tea with honey. ..