China Bayles' Book of Days (64 page)

BUNDLING YOUR BOUQUETS

• To bundle fresh and dry herbs, tie stems with a string, leaving a 6-8 inch tail that can be tied around the pot handle.

• Bags are useful for bouquets that include seeds, spices, or herbs that are likely to disintegrate. Cut a 4×4-inch cheesecloth square, add herbs, gather and tie. Paper tea bags (heat-sealed) hold up well and can be discarded without guilt. Moisten in hot water before adding to the cook pot. Or use a large (2-inch) stainless steel tea ball.

• You can make up your favorite bouquets in advance. Be sure to label! And do make extras for friends.

Explore the mysteries of Provencal cookery, rich in herbs:

Cooking with Herbs: The Flavor of Provence
, by Michel Biehn

NOVEMBER 8

The juice of marigold [
calendula
] petals mixed with vinegar to be rubbed on gums and teeth becomes a soveraigne remedy for the assuaging of the grievous pain of the teeth.

—GARDENERS LABYRINTH, 1577

Smile!

From the super-whitened teeth evident everywhere today, it’s evident that people are paying a lot more attention to their smiles than they have in the past. But it’s not necessary to be tooth-obsessed, or spend hours with home bleaching kits and other chemicals, to have a healthy mouth. Here are some herbal options that will combat bacteria, sweeten your breath, help keep you smiling—and even help you out in an emergency.

• Tea tree oil (
Melaleuca alternifolia
). This is a powerful antibiotic infection-fighter. For a mouth rinse, use 3 drops in ½ cup of water. Swish and spit.

• Sage (
Salvia officinalis
). Astringent, antibacterial. Brew a strong tea (2 teaspoons sage per cup of boiling water, steep 10 minutes). Cool and use as a mouth rinse.

• Peppermint (
Mentha x piperita
). The menthol sweetens breath and combats bacteria. Brew a strong tea, or add 2 drops essential oil to a glass of water as a mouth rinse.

• Clove oil (
Syzygium aromaticum
). Got a toothache? Use a cotton swab to dab on a few drops of clove oil until you can see the dentist. The oil will numb the pain enough to tide you over.

• Aloe (
Aloe vera
). The leaf gel has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties that help to heal mouth and gum ulcers and canker sores. Apply directly to the infected area.

MINT TOOTHPASTE

Mix together 3 teaspoons baking soda, ¼ teaspoon salt, 2 teaspoons glycerin, and 10 drops peppermint essential oil. Store in a small lidded container. Refreshing!

The young branches [of dogwood,
Cornus sp.
] stripped of their bark, and rubbed with their ends against the teeth, render them extremely white. The Creole . . . who inhabit Norfolk, in Virginia . . . are in constant practice of using dogwood twigs in cleansing their teeth; the striking whiteness of these, which I have frequently observed, is a proof of the efficacy of this practice. The application of the juice of these twigs to the gums, is also useful in preserving them hard and sound.

—WILLIAM P.C. BARTON, 1817

NOVEMBER 9

China Bayles Wins Big in Jelly! by Fannie Couch, special to the Pecan Springs
Enterprise

The Myra Merryweather Herb Guild put on its herbal holiday exhibition last week, featuring a juried competition in herbal jelly-making. The judges awarded the hotly contested first prize to China Bayles, for her Reasonable Doubt Ginger-Mesquite Jelly. Ms. Bayles is the proprietor of Thyme and Seasons Herbs and an active member of the Guild. She was recently recognized as Pecan Springs’ Citizen Crime Fighter of the Year for her help in solving the murder of a well-known high school coach. When asked why she named her jelly “Reasonable Doubt,” she countered, “Why not?”

Bertha Rae Biggens won second prize for her Go-Go Garlic Jelly. Third place went to Jimmie Lee Jergens, for Hotsy-Totsy Apple-Chipotle Jelly. All three winners were awarded a ribbon rosette and a tumbleweed made of wire coat hangers, contributed by the Herb Guild’s very own Harold Thompson.

REASONABLE DOUBT GINGER-MESQUITE JELLY

2½ quarts ripe mesquite pods
¾ cup chopped ginger
1 package powdered pectin
4½ cups granulated sugar
4 tablespoons lemon juice

Pick the mesquite pods when they are plump and tan-colored, and break them into small pieces without shelling out beans. In a large pan, cover broken pods and chopped ginger with water. Bring to a boil, and simmer until pods are soft. Mash with a potato masher (ginger may not mash well—don’t worry about it). Simmer a few more minutes, then strain. Continue to cook until ginger-mesquite juice has been reduced to three cups. Place in a large kettle, add pectin and sugar and bring to a full boil. Stir and boil until the syrup sheets from a metal spoon (about 2 minutes). Remove from heat and skim off foam. Add a drop of red or yellow food coloring to give the jelly more color, if desired. Pour immediately into hot, sterilized jars. Cover with melted paraffin or (if to be used in a short time) a tight-fitting lid. Good as a tasty brush-on for grilled pork chops, chicken. Makes about 3½ cups of Reasonable Doubt.

NOVEMBER 10

Sniffle, Sniffle, Sneeze

When I was growing up, Vaporub was my mother’s staple cold medicine. When my brother or I began to sniffle and sneeze, out came that little blue bottle, and when bedtime rolled around, we were put to bed with Vicks on our chests. At the time, of course, we had no idea what was in the stuff, only that it smelled good, it cleared our heads, and we could sleep the night through. It wasn’t until much later that I learned that it was herbal medicine that did the trick: the magic of eucalyptus and menthol, blended with petroleum jelly. With winter upon us, it’s a good time to stock up on these two helpful herbs.

•
Eucalyptus
. In its native Australia, leaves from the eucalyptus tree (
Eucalyptus sp.
) have been an important herbal medicine. Vapor from boiling leaves was used as an inhalant for colds and asthma. The leaves were rolled cigar-style and smoked to treat bronchitis. The plant contains a chemical, eucalyptol, that has a powerful decongestant action, loosening phlegm so it can be more easily coughed up. Eucalyptus oil is used in a variety of commercial cold preparations. Eucalyptol is also antibacterial and antiviral; after minor wounds have been washed, the oil or clean crushed leaves can be applied to help prevent infection. Never ingest the oil; it is highly toxic.

•
Menthol
. Menthol is a constituent of peppermint (
Mentha piperita
) and provides a cooling sensation in the nose, relieves nasal congestion, and relieves sore throat and cough by a local anaesthetic action. Its antimicrobial activity may also help to reduce infection. Never ingest oil of peppermint; it is highly toxic.

EUCALYPTUS-PEPPERMINT TEA

To brew a pleasant-tasting medicinal tea, use 1-2 teaspoons of dried, crushed eucalyptus leaves and 1 teaspoon dried peppermint per cup of boiling water. Steep 10 minutes. Drink up to 2 cups a day, or use as a gargle.

EUCALYPTUS-PEPPERMINT INHALANT

Boil a handful of eucalyptus and peppermint leaves in water, put a towel over your head, and inhale the aromatic steam.

ENERGIZING EUCALYPTUS BATH SOAK

1 cup Epsom salts
8-10 drops essential oil of eucalyptus
8-10 drops essential oil of peppermint
5 drops essential oil of rosemary

Mix together and store in a lidded jar. Use
to ½ cup per bath. Energizing and invigorating.

More Reading:

The Eucalyptus: A Natural and Commercial History of the Gum Tree
, by Robin W. Doughty

NOVEMBER 11

November’s theme garden: a Scripture Garden.

And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good.

—GENESIS 1:12

Herbs and Plants of Scripture

People have for centuries been fascinated by the plants of the Bible, and there are many Biblical theme gardens. (For an updated list of gardens to visit, check this website:
www.biblicalgardens.org
.) As you think ahead to next summer, consider creating a special corner for Biblical plants, so that your garden can enlarge and enrich your understanding of Scripture. Here are a few plants you may want to include.

• Castor bean (
Ricinus communis
). Jonah 4:6-7. The “vine” that sprang up to shelter Jonah was most likely the herb we know as the castor bean, which grows rapidly to 12 feet (40 or more in the tropics). The Hebrews used the oil in their ceremonial rites. Castor oil has been used to treat ringworm and itching, as a treatment for stomach cancer, and as a laxative. Be sure to keep children away from the poisonous seeds.

• Cumin (
Cuminum cyminum
). Matthew 23:23. Cumin is an annual member of the parsley family, used for seasoning An important economic crop in Biblical times, it was heavily taxed.

• Mustard (
Brassica nigra
). Matthew 17:20 and Luke 13:9. The mustard was cultivated in Palestine for its oil. The leaves may have been among the bitter herbs eaten at Passover.

• Myrtle (
Myrtus communis
). Isaiah 41:19 and 55:13. A fragrant myrtle oil was used to celebrate the Feast of the Tabernacles, for the Hebrews used branches of myrtle to shade the huts that were part of the original celebration. It represents peace and joy.

• Rue (
Ruta graveolens
). Luke 11:42. By New Testament times, the plant was subject to taxation under Talmudic law. Rue has a peppery, bitter taste and was used for seasoning and medicinal purposes.

• Wormwood (
Artemisia arborescens, A. judaica, A. absinthium
). Proverbs 5:4 and Lamentations 3:15. Bitter-tasting wormwood appears frequently in Scripture as a symbol of repentance, punishment, and suffering. The plants were used medicinally, as an antiseptic and as a vermifuge.

For the Lord thy God bringeth thee into a good land. A land of wheat, and barley, and vines, and fig trees, and pomegranates; a land of oil olive, and honey . . .

—DEUTERONOMY 8:7-9

Read more about Biblical gardens:

Bible Plants for American Gardens,
by Eleanor Anthony King

NOVEMBER 12

Where Bayes still grow (by thunder not struck down),
The victor’s garland and the poet’s crown.
—WILLIAM BROWNE (1590-1645)

Like a Green Bay Tree

The sweet bay or bay laurel (
Laurus nobilis
) is another of the Scriptural plants, growing wild in the Mediterranean region in Biblical times and so admired for its luxuriant evergreen growth that it became a symbol of prosperity and power. Greek and Roman poets, priests, heroes, and athletes wore wreaths of bay, and it was a mark of distinction for those in political office. It was used as a wedding and a funeral herb, churches were decorated with it, and (like rosemary) it was an herb that people employed throughout their lives: “From the cradle to the grave we have still use of, we have still need of it,” Thomas Parkinson wrote in 1640.

But since the bay was so persistently successful, it seemed to have supernatural powers. It was supposed to lend prophetic power to poets and soothsayers. It warded off wizards and witches; it guarded against misfortune and protected people and houses from lightning. “Neyther falling sickness, neyther devyll wyll infest or hurt one in that place where a bay-tree is,” Lupton asserted confidently in 1575.