Rockport Herbies

2012-02-10T07:41:00.000-06:00

We had a lively meeting on Wednesday with lots of input from everyone on the topic of Artemisia. Here are my notes from the program...

Artemisiais a large, diverse genus of plants with between 200 to 400 speciesbelonging to the daisy family Asteraceae.

Itcomprises hardy herbs and shrubs known for their volatile oils. Theygrow in temperate climates of the Northern Hemisphere and SouthernHemisphere, usually in dry or semi-dry habitats. The fern-like leavesof many species are covered with white hairs.

Commonnames used for several species include mugwort, sagebrush, sagewort,and wormwood, while a few species have unique names, notably Tarragon(A. dracunculus) and Southernwood (A. abrotanum).

Occasionallysome of the species are called sages, causing confusion with theSalvia sages in the family Lamiaceae.

Mostspecies have strong aromas and bitter tastes from terpenoids andsesquiterpene lactones, which exists as an adaptation to discourageherbivory. The small flowers are wind-pollinated.

Thearomatic leaves of many species of Artemisia are medicinal,and some are used for flavouring. Most species have an extremelybitter taste.

Wormwood has been used medicinally as a tonic, stomachic,febrifuge and anthelmintic- to destroy parasitic worms.

Artemisia vulgaris(mugwort or common wormwood)

isone of several species in the genus Artemisia which have common namesthat include the word mugwort. This species is also occasionallyknown as Felon Herb, Chrysanthemum Weed, Wild Wormwood, Old uncleHenry, Sailor's Tobacco, Naughty Man, Old Man or St. John's Plant(not to be confused with St John's wort).

Itis native to temperate Europe, Asia, northern Africa and Alaska andis naturalized in North America, where some consider it an invasiveweed. It is a very common plant growing on nitrogenous soils, likeweedy and uncultivated areas, such as waste places and roadsides.

Itis a tall herbaceous perennial plant growing 1–2 m (rarely 2.5 m)tall, with a woody root. The leaves are dark green, pinnate, withdense white tomentose hairs on the underside. It flowers from Julyto September.

TheMugwort is closely allied to the Common Wormwood, but may be readilydistinguished by the leaves being white on the under-surfaces onlyand by the leaf segments being pointed, not blunt. It lacks theessential oil of the Wormwood.

Mugwortoil contains thujone, which is toxic in large amounts or underprolonged intake. Thujone is also present in Thuja plicata (westernred cedar), from which the name is derived. Mugwort herb contains avery small percentage of oil, so is generally considered safe to use.Pregnant women, though, should avoid consuming large amounts ofmugwort. The species has a number of recorded historic uses in food,herbal medicine, and as a smoking herb.

Middle Ages

In the European Middle Ages,mugwort was used as a magical protective herb. Mugwort was used torepel insects, especially moths, from gardens. Mugwort has also beenused from ancient times as a remedy against fatigue and to protecttravelers against evil spirits and wild animals. Roman soldiers putmugwort in their sandals to protect their feet against fatigue.

The leaves and buds, bestpicked shortly before the plant flowers in July to September, wereused as a bitter flavoring agent to season fat, meat and fish.

It has also been used toflavor beer before the introduction of or instead of hops.

Medicinal

Themugwort plant contains essential oils (such as cineole, or wormwoodoil, and thujone), flavonoids, triterpenes, and coumarin derivatives.It was also used as an anthelminthic, so it is sometimes confusedwith wormwood (Artemisia absinthium). The plant, called nagadamni inSanskrit, is used in Ayurveda for cardiac complaints as well asfeelings of unease, unwellness and general malaise.

Since it also causes uterinecontractions, it has been used to cause abortion.

Germany

In Germany, known as Beifuß,it is mainly used to season goose, especially the roast goosetraditionally eaten for Christmas.

Japan

Mugwort or yomogi is used ina number of Japanese dishes, including rice cakes.

In some regions in Japan,there is an ancient custom of hanging yomogi and iris leaves togetheroutside homes in order to keep evil spirits away. It is said thatevil spirits dislike their smell. The juice is said to be effectiveat stopping bleeding, lowering fevers and purging the stomach ofimpurities. It can also be boiled and taken to relieve colds andcoughs.

Allergen

Mugwort pollen is one of themain sources of hay fever and allergic asthma, in North Europe, NorthAmerica and in parts of Asia. Mugwort pollen generally travels lessthan 2,000 meters. The highest concentration of mugwort pollen isgenerally found between 9 and 11 am.

Cooking is known to decreasethe allergenicity of mugwort.

Artemisia absinthium (Absinth Wormwood, CommonWormwood) was used torepel fleas and moths, and in brewing (wormwood beer, wormwood wine).The aperitif vermouth (derived from the German word Wermut,"wormwood") is a wine flavored with aromatic herbs, butoriginally with wormwood.

The highly potent spiritabsinthe also contain wormwood. Absinthe was highly intoxicating andaddictive due to thujone.

Whatis thujone? Thujone is an organic compound found in varying ratios indifferent plants. Plants such as cedar leaf, sage, tansy,thyme, rosemary and wormwood known to contain thujone. It is beleivedthat Thujone is used in several modern products including AbsorbineJr.®, Vicks Vaporub,.

Some have taken driedWormwood, placed it inside a coffee filter to form a sort of "pod"and then placed them under furniture and such as a natural way ofrepelling fleas from their home.

From Mrs. Grieve's A Modern Herbal

The Common Wormwood held ahigh reputation in medicine among the Ancients. Tusser (1577), inJuly's Husbandry, says:

'While Wormwood hath seed get a handful or twaine

To save against March, to make flea to refraine:

Where chamber is sweeped and Wormwood is strowne,

What saver is better (if physick be true)

For places infected than Wormwood and Rue?

It is a comfort for hart and the braine

And therefore to have it it is not in vaine.'

Besides being strewn in chambersas Tusser recommended, it used to be laid among stuffs and furs tokeep away moths and insects.

According to the Ancients,Wormwood counteracted the effects of poisoning by hemlock, toadstoolsand the biting of the seadragon. The plant was of some importanceamong the Mexicans, who celebrated their great festival of theGoddess of Salt by a ceremonial dance of women, who wore on theirheads garlands of Wormwood.

With the exception of Rue,Wormwood is the bitterest herb known, but it is very wholesome andused to be in much request by brewers for use instead of hops. Theleaves resist putrefaction, and have been on that account a principalingredient in antiseptic fomentations.

Wormwoodleaves’ primary use is to stimulate the gallbladder, help prevent,and release stones, and to adjust resulting digestive problems.Clinical studies with volunteers proved that wormwood does

effectivelyincrease bile.

Itexpels roundworms and threadworms. It is also a muscle relaxer thatis occasionally added to liniments, especially for rheumatism.

Wormwoodis an extremely useful medicine for those with weak and under activedigestions. It increases stomach acid and bile production andtherefore improves digestion and the absorption of nutrients, makingit helpful for many conditions including anemia.

Italso eases gas and bloating, and if the tincture is taken regularly,it slowly strengthens the digestion and helps the body return to fullvitality after a prolonged illness. Use as a weak infusion taken 2 –3 times daily. Can be used as a compress for stings and bites.

Artemisia arborescensTree Wormwood, is avery bitter herb indigenous to the Middle East that is used in tea,usually with Mentha also known as mint. In small quantities (in tea)its believed to have medicinal properties, pacifying various kinds ofdigestion turmoils. In larger doses it may have some hallucinogenicproperties. In Israel Artemisia is sometimes referred to by the name"Shiva", the Queen of Sheba.

Artemisia abrotanum Southernwood is a flowering plant.

The plant is a member of thegenus Artemisia, along with mugwort and wormwood (an ingredient inabsinthe). Southernwood has a strong camphor-like odor and washistorically used as an air freshener or strewing herb.

It forms a small bushy shrub,which is widely cultivated by gardeners. The grey-green leaves aresmall, narrow and feathery. The small flowers are yellow. It caneasily be propagated by cuttings, or by division of the roots.

Southernwoodis antiseptic and kills intestinal worms.[citation needed] It wasused to treat liver, spleen and stomach problems and was believed bythe 17th century herbalist Culpeper to encourage menstruation.

Itis seldom used medicinally today, except in Germany, where poulticesare placed on wounds, splinters and skin conditions and it isemployed occasionally to treat frostbite.

Its constituents have beenshown to stimulate the gallbladder and bile, which improvesdigestion and liver functions. The leaves are mixed with other herbsin aromatic baths and is said to counter sleepiness. An infusion ofthe leaves is said to work as a natural insect repellent when appliedto the skin or if used as a hair rinse is said to combat dandruff.

It can be very useful whengrown in a chicken run as it helps to keep the chickens in tip topcondition and helps to prevent them from 'Feather-Picking' (which canbe lethal as they can very quickly become cannibalistic) as it helpsto prevent infestation of mites and other insects that pesterchickens.

Sweet Annie- A. annua

SweetAnnie is very easy to grow, in fact, some might even call itinvasive, and it is considered a noxious weed in some places. You cantry and deadhead the blooms to keep it from reseeding, but in myexperience, this is very difficult because the blooms are sonumerous. I love it, though, and don't mind where it comes up on itsown... but then my "garden" is anything but organized andformal!

This Artemisia will grow in sun to shade here inTexas. It will reach a height of about 4 or 5 feet in one season. Itis not particular about soil type and needs very little water once itstarts to gain some size. It looks good in containers, too. In fact,some people grow it in pots and shape it for a Christmas Tree.

Theseeds are small, so if you purchase seed or harvest some and want tosow them yourself, just sprinkle the seed on the surface of the soilor potting medium and keep them moist. They should germinate within 2weeks.

Sweet Annie, known in China asqing-hao, has been used in treating malaria and fever since theseventh century. Western herbalists, too, have used the plant forthis purpose, and value it also for its effectiveness againstdiarrhea, indigestion, and certain bacterial diseases. In the past 20years, scientists in Beijing have isolated a substance from sweetAnnie (found only in this herb) which they have used to treatquinine-resistant malaria in thousands of patients, with nearly 100percent success.

Because allergic reactions are common, medicinal useof this herb should be undertaken only under the supervision of aqualified health practitioner.

February, March, April and May Programs!!!

2012-01-31T13:02:00.000-06:00

SUBJECT: "The many faces of the herb Artemisia- varieties, uses, growing" presented by Cindy Meredith

WHEN: Second Wednesday of every month, next meeting February 8,2012 at 10:00 a.m.

WHERE: ACISD Maintenance Department (Formerly RockportElementary), 619 N. Live Oak Street,Room 14, Rockport, Texas

Cindy Meredith has agreed to give a talk on the Artemisia Family. Pat Baugh is doing the March program on "Starting withSeeds". I'll do something in April unless someone wants to volunteer; Iwas thinking Roses. And Mary Ann Davis is giving the May program on Potpourri.

So we need to get the remainder of the year's programs filled up! I'll pass the sign-up sheetaround next week so have your program title ready to put on paper! Thanks!

New USDA Hardiness Zone Map

2012-01-30T17:24:00.000-06:00

New USDA Hardiness Zone Map!!

In one of my nursery magazines today, I learned we now have a new, updated USDA Hardiness Zone Map!!

The old map has been in place since 1990. Now, you can focus on your state up close. Here's what the USDA has to say:

"This is the most sophisticated Plant Hardiness Zone Map yet for the United States," said Dr. Catherine Woteki, USDA Under Secretary for Research, Education and Economics. "The increases in accuracy and detail that this map represents will be extremely useful for gardeners and researchers."

Here's the link to the new map: http://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/PHZMWeb/#

Check it out!!!

Herb Cottage Newsletter: Winter Gardening!

2012-01-27T20:21:00.001-06:00

I thought that you might enjoy reading Cindy's Herb Cottage Newsletter: Winter Gardening!. Check it out for some good recipes including KALE SOUP WITH SORREL! It sounds so good!

Cindy's Newsletter and January 11, 2012 Program

2012-01-04T14:10:00.002-06:00

Hey Everyone!

I know that all of us with the Rockport Herb & Rose Study Group wish you a Happy 2012 New Year!! In the meantime, you can check out Cindy's latest December 2011 newsletter.

Spring brings thoughts of new growth, little green shoots peeking out from melting snow or winter mulch and that first tomato plant in the ground. But, as we know, gardens, whether in the ground or containers, don't happen overnight. Preparation is needed.

Click on the December 2011 newsletter noted above for the rest of the article!

And don't forget our January 11, 2012 program! Cindy is presenting a program on Cocoa/Chocolate- What makes the ’new’ super-food so good for you… or is it?? History, Lore and more on Chocolate. Samples and tasting, too!! So plan on attending the program on January 11 at 10:00 a.m. at ACISD Maintenance Department (Formerly Rockport Elementary), 619 N. Live Oak Street, Room 14, Rockport, Texas.

Happy Gardening!

DECEMBER, CHRISTMAS AND WINTER HOLIDAY HERBS

2011-12-06T09:48:00.001-06:00

Here it is December, and I'm too lazy to write a new article. So here is the link to last year's DECEMBER, CHRISTMAS AND WINTER HOLIDAY HERBS.

Enjoy!

TURKEY DAY FOODS & HERBS—OLD AND NEW

2011-11-18T08:19:00.001-06:00

OK, this is a repost from November 2010, but with Turkey-Day coming soon, I thought that it might be enjoyed by some readers.

TURKEY DAY FOODS & HERBS—OLD AND NEW

Every year in the U.S.A. we celebrate Thanksgiving Day on the fourth Thursday of November with a dinner consisting of a wonderful array of foods, including turkey, stuffing, corn casseroles, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie to name just a few. Oh, and of course family, friends, parades and FOOTBALL!

Keep reading TURKEY DAY FOODS & HERBS—OLD AND NEW.

Did Ben Franklin bring invasive tallow tree to Texas?

2011-11-15T10:37:00.001-06:00

I was reading an article in the Houston Chronicle this morning by Kathy Huber, Gardening in Houston. You might be interested in reading her article Did Ben Franklin bring invasive tallow tree to Texas?

Founding Father Ben Franklin introduced the Chinese tallow tree to this country. But we can’t blame him for the exotic’s invasion — and destruction – of coastal prairie from Florida to Texas.

Science has cleared his name.

Genetic tests on Chinese tallow trees from the United States and China prove the statesman did not import the tallows overrunning habitats along the Gulf Coast. Rice University’s Evan Siemann, co-author of a study in the July issue of the American Journal of Botany, says descendants of Franklin’s trees remain in a few thousand square miles of coastal plain in northern Georgia and southern South Carolina. The majority of troublemakers are linked to seeds brought to this country by federal biologists in the early 1900s.

Franklin, who also introduced soybeans and kale, had no clue of the huge tallow problems ahead. He sent tallow seeds to a farmer friend in Georgia in 1772 to be grown as a cash crop. The waxy white tallow that coats each seed is used to make a cooking oil, soap and candles.

In the early 1900s, the U.S. Department of Agriculture planted tallows in Texas to study their commercial use. In 1949, thousands more were planted along the Gulf as a possible oilseed crop.

Read the rest of the article for more information. Although after reading the article, I still feel that he is probably partially responsible! What do you all think?

Wilderness Survival Foods

2011-10-30T17:27:00.001-05:00

UPDATE:

It turned out I used this as the basis for our next herb club program on November 9th. You can see what I added at the end of the post.
I ran across this article on a totally unrelated blog I was reading, but being the herbie that I am I had to read it, then of course, to share.

What is the universal edibility test?
by Charles W. Bryant

What is the universal edibility test?Getting lost or stranded in the wilderness is serious business, and you need to make sound decisions to give yourself the best chance at survival. It also helps to know some basic wilderness survival skills. To make sure you're safe from the elements, you'll need to know how to build a shelter. To provide you with an opportunity to cook food, boil water and send a rescue signal, you should learn how to build a fire without a match or lighter. The other crucial component to survival is finding water in the wild. People can live without food for up to a month, but water is necessary to keep us alive.
But just because you can live without food doesn't mean you should. Going without food will leave you weak and apt to make poor decisions, which could endanger your life. Being able to identify edible plants in the wilderness is a good skill to have under your belt. The problem is, there are more than 700 varieties of poisonous plant in the United States and Canada alone, so unless you have a book that clearly identifies edible species, it's nearly impossible to determine whether or not a plant will make you sick with absolute certainty.
It's dangerous to eat a plant you're unsure of, especially in a survival scenario. It's better to be hungry than to poison yourself. Some poisonous plants look a lot like edible plants. Some plants have parts that are edible and parts that are toxic. Some are only edible for certain periods throughout the year. You can see where mistakes can easily be made.
If you're in a survival situation and you don't have a book on local edible plants, there is a test you can perform to give yourself a good shot at eating the right thing. It's called the universal edibility test, and we'll cover it in this article.

Universal Edibility Test: Separate, Contact, Cook and Taste

The universal edibility test requires breaking down the parts of a plant and testing them individually over a period of 24 hours. In a survival situation, you don't want to go through this trouble if there isn't a lot of the plant you're testing. If there are only a few sprigs of what you think might be the colorful and edible borage, it won't help you much even if you find that it is the cucumber-like herb. Find something near you that's growing in abundance. To prepare for the test, don't eat or drink anything but water for at least eight hours beforehand. If you're lost or stranded in the wild without any food, this should be pretty easy to accomplish. Now it's test time:

Separate - Because only some parts of the plant may be edible, separate it into its five basic parts. These are the leaves, roots, stems, buds and flowers. There may not be buds or flowers. Check out the parts for worms or insects -- you want a clean and fresh plant. Evidence of parasites or worms is a good sign that it's rotting. If you find them, discard the plant and get another of the same variety or choose a different one.

Contact - First you need to perform a contact test. If it's not good for your skin, it's not good for your belly. Crush only one of the plant parts and rub it on the inside of your wrist or elbow for 15 minutes. Now wait for eight hours. If you have a reaction at the point of contact, then you don't want to continue with this part of the plant. A burning sensation, redness, welts and bumps are all bad signs. While you wait, you can drink water, but don't eat anything. If there is no topical reaction after eight hours, move along to the next step.

Cook - Some toxic plants become edible after they're boiled, so get out your apron and start cooking. Your goal is to test it how you would eat it, so if you don't have any means to boil the plant part, test it raw. Once you've boiled it, or if you're going raw, take the plant part and hold it to your lip for three minutes. If you feel any kind of burning or tingling sensation, remove the piece from your lip and start over with a new part. If there's no reaction, press on.

Taste - Pop the same part in your mouth and hold it on your tongue for another 15 minutes. If you experience anything unpleasant, spit it out and wash your mouth with water. You're looking for a similar burning or tingling as you did on your lip. It may not taste great, but that doesn't mean it's toxic.

If there's no adverse reaction in step four, keep on truckin' to the following page for the next steps.

Now I am not going to copy the whole article, you can read the rest here. But I will tell you this,
I hope you have some fat on you cause this is going to take a little time and you will be hungry before the tests are completed.
Update:
Also notice it is on the How Stuff Works website. A very interesting place to browse.

For more information onwilderness survival, please put down that carrot root and click forward to thenext page.

Plant Warning Signs

Aside from the universaledibility test, there are a few other tips on what kinds of plants youshould avoid. These tips may rule out some plants that are edible, but it'sbetter to do that than to risk getting poisoned.

$ Nevereat plants with thorns.

$ Steerclear of plants with shiny leaves.

$ Don'teat mushrooms. Many are safe to eat, but many are highly toxic andeven deadly, so it's not worththe risk.

$ Umbrella‑shapedflowers are a bad sign. Stay away from these plants.

$ Don'teat plants with white or yellow berries.

$ Ifthe plant's sap is milky or discolored, leave it alone.

$ Avoidbeans or plants with seeds inside a pod.

$ If ittastes bitter or soapy, spit it out.

$ Avoid anythingthat smells like almonds.

$ Sameas poison ivy, stay away from plants with leaves in groups of three.

Lots More Information http://adventure.howstuffworks.com/universal‑edibility‑test3.htm

"Teas: Sassafras and Sarsaparilla" presented by Pat Baugh

2011-10-19T10:31:00.000-05:00

Our Rockport Herb & Rose Study Group program for September 14, 2011 was "Teas: Sassafras and Sarsaparilla" presented by Pat Baugh. She had some good information which I will post along with some websites for more information! Thanks Pat for a great program!

Did you know…?

Sarsaparilla has long been used as a blood purifier and tonic that boosts stamina and energy. Although there is no definitive evidence, many body-builders strongly maintain that Sarsaparilla (or Smilax) helps to build Muscle mass, while avoiding the harmful side effects of anabolic steroids. Sarsaparilla is considered a fine tonic herb, an antibacterial and anti-inflammatory, and the herb may even act as an aphrodisiac. Perhaps this is the reason that the "Good Guys" of the Old West, who disdained whiskey in favor of Sarsaparilla, always seemed to have that extra edge.

Facts:

Sarsaparilla contains vitamins A, B-complex, C and D. Also the minerals iron, manganese, sodium, silicon, sulfur, copper, Zinc, and iodine. It contains the amino acids methionine and cysteine. It also contains diogenin, a saprogen which in turn contains the female hormone progesterone and the male hormone testosterone. Sarsaparilla helps strengthen the nerve fibers and tissues of the brain, spinal cord, lungs, and throat. Sarsaparilla is especially good for removing heavy metallic contaminants from the blood, which are received through the nostrils in the foul, smog-filled air of urban areas. Sarsaparilla root, which contains testosterone, will help hair regrow.

History:

Sarsaparilla is a perennial, climbing vine, native to the rain forests of Central and South America, Jamaica and Caribbean regions, and also grows in other temperate zones such as Southeast Asia and Australia. The root is long and tuberous and supports a ground-trailing evergreen vine that may reach fifty feet in length, and the fragrance of the root (which has been used for centuries in herbal medicine) is spicy-sweet and it has a pleasant taste. Its name is derived from two Spanish words, sarza, meaning "bramble" and parilla, meaning "vine."

The indigenous tribes of Central and South America used Sarsaparilla for centuries for sexual Impotence, rheumatism, skin ailments and as a tonic for physical weakness. New World traders of the 1400s and 1500s soon discovered and adopted the herb and introduced it into European society, where physicians there considered it a fine tonic, blood purifier, diuretic and diaphoretic, as well as a strong remedy for syphilis and other sexually-transmitted diseases. Since that time, Sarsaparilla has gained popularity for its medicinal effects, and it became registered as an official herb in the United States.

Pharmacopoeia as a treatment for syphilis from 1820 to 1910. Some of the constituents included in Sarsaparilla are beta-sitosterol, starch, fatty acids, calcium, cetyl-alcohol, chromium, cobalt, Glucose, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, resin, saponin, silicon, sitosterol-d glucoside, tin, Zinc, B-vitamins and vitamins A, C and D.

Conditions:

Sarsaparilla is considered to be a fine tonic and blood purifier that is said to attack and neutralize toxins (including environmental poisons) in the blood. In addition, the herb also promotes urination and sweating; and that action is believed to further rid the body of toxins through bodily secretions. It also helps to cool the body and break intermittent fevers.

As an antibacterial, Sarsaparilla has been used internally and externally to counteract infections of all kinds. Internally, the herb is said to attack microbial substances in the blood and also counteract Urinary Tract Infections. It was used for centuries as a treatment for syphilis, gonorrhea, and other sexually transmitted diseases, being officially listed in both the United States Pharmacopoeia and the United States Dispensatory for those ailments. Externally, it is said to treat psoriasis, leprosy, boils, abscesses, skin diseases, wounds and Eczema. Conventional medicine recognized Sarsaparilla's value in treating skin conditions in the 1940s, when The New England Journal of Medicine officially praised it for treating psoriasis.

Sarsaparilla is an anti-inflammatory that is believed to ease rheumatism, Arthritis and other inflammatory conditions. Because of its diuretic properties, the stimulation of urine production increases the excretion of uric Acid, which also helps to relieve Gout; and although it does not relieve acute cases of Gout, its use may prevent attacks when taken over a period of weeks or months.

There is much mystique and controversy surrounding Sarsaparilla's hormonal properties in both men and women. In men, the herb is said to stimulate production of natural hormones (testosterone), which may help to restore both sexual interest and erectile function. This action is different from many other male aphrodisiacs that act by increasing blood to the Penis, which also carries the risk of creating high Blood pressure. In women, hormonal production is also said to be encouraged, which may not only boost diminished Sex Drive, but may also help to alleviate the symptoms of menopause.

Bodybuilders claim that the natural steroidal glycosides in Sarsaparilla help to build Muscle mass, while avoiding the harmful side effects of anabolic steroids, although there are no clinical results to prove this. Additionally, they maintain that use of the herb boosts energy and stamina, and eases the inflammatory conditions brought about by strenuous exercise.

Sarsaparilla is said to be a fine tonic and "alterative," an agent that may favorably alter an unhealthy condition of the body with the tendency to restore normal bodily function. The herb is also thought to help keep the glandular system in balance.

Courtesy of website: http://www.herbalist.com/wiki.details/82/category/11/start/0/

Here are some more websites to check out:

A Guide to Wild Edible Plants for Parents and Teachers to Use with Children http://www.wildmanstevebrill.com/Plants.Folder/Sassafras.html

Texas Native Plants
http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/ornamentals/natives/sassafrasalbidum.htm

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center
http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=SAAL5

Tree ID from Virginia Tech
http://dendro.cnre.vt.edu/dendrology/syllabus/factsheet.cfm?ID=84

http://botanical.com/botanical/mgmh/s/sassaf20.html

http://www.na.fs.fed.us/pubs/silvics_manual/volume_2/sassafras/albidum.htm

http://www.sfrc.ufl.edu/4h/Sassafras/sassafra.htm

http://glenbrookfarm.com/herbs/sassafras.htm

HUMMERS & BUTTERFLIES

2011-09-19T09:07:00.000-05:00

From an old newsletter!
Hello Herbies! At our March 9 meeting, we discussed "Planting Herbs for Butterflies and Hummingbirds". The program was presented by Linda Collins and Pat Baugh.

Pat presented the following information regarding butterflies which was in Michael Womack’s column in the Corpus Christi Caller-Times, March 15, 2003, and I have added a couple more herbs myself.

Eastern Black Swallowtails feed on fennel, parsley, dill, carrot, parsnip, and rue.

Gulf Fritillary and Zebra Longwings are common on passion vine.

Monarch butterflies love plants in the butterfly weed family and fennel.

Queen butterflies also munch on the milkweeds.

The Giant Swallowtail prefers citrus and rue.

Painted Lady larvae love borage and members of the thistle family and sunflower.

Pat also presented some valuable information which she obtained from The Butterfly Book: An Easy Guide to Butterfly Gardening, Identification, and Behavior by Donald and Lillian Stokes and Ernest Williams.

Pat reported that that the favorite colors of butterflies in order are:

• Purple
• White
• Yellow
• Pink
• True blue
• Red

And the top ten nectar plants for butterflies are:

• Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia spp.)
• Joe-Pye Weed (Eupatorium spp.)
• Liatris (Liatris spp.)
• Corespsis (Corespsis spp.)
• Pentas (Pentas Lanceolata)
• Aster (Aster spp.)
• Butterfly Weed (Asclepias tuberosa)
• Lantana (Lantanca camara)
• Purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea)
• Butterfly bush (Buddlea spp.)

Butterfly and Hummingbird Herbs
by Juli Kight

Create a healing space using herbs which attract butterflies and hummingbirds. This can be a space in your garden or a space created by a container herb garden. A few years ago while living in Minnesota I had been planting various and unusual herbs, roses and growing geraniums into standards. We had two warm seasons and had been seeing a lot of unusual life in the garden that I normally had not seen including hummingbirds. One early morning after putting the dog out, I stood on the porch among the plants and saw what I thought was a really unusual hummingbird. Then I noticed the antenna, and really had to look closer to make sure that is what I was seeing, and was captivated. Apparently we were being visited by some sort of hummingbird or Sphinx Moth and I have not seen one since. Now that I live in Central Texas and still very much a novice at this, I have noticed huge amounts of butterflies and moths as well as hummingbirds and have decided to add more plants to attract them.

Butterfly plants provide nectar for adult butterflies and food for the offspring. It is important to learn how to garden organically to make it a safe haven and supporting area for these little life forms. Many nectar plants are shared by both the butterfly and hummingbird. According to Hummingbirds.net hummingbirds lack the sense of smell and go by "visibility and nectar production". I had noticed they seem attracted to reds especially.

Find out which butterflies and moths are native to your area. You can do this by going to the Butterflies of North America web site. This site offers distribution maps, butterfly and moth identification by region and information on the species. For hummingbirds visit Hummingbirds.net Species list by state.

For selecting plants for butterflies, visit the Butterfly Website which offers a list by species, then gives both nectar and host plant suggestions. Some easy herb selections include:

• Lavenders
• Thyme
• Sassafras
• Savory
• Yarrow
• Nasturtiums
• Catmint
• Sages
• Oregano
• Echinacea
• Hyacinth Bean Vine
• Bee balm
• Joe Pye Weed
• Goldenrod
• Nettle
• Fennel
• Parsley
• Hypericum frondosum (Golden St. John's Wort)
• Cilantro

Hummingbirds

• Bee Balm
• Nasturtiums
• Salvias
• Digitalis (Foxgloves)
• Yucca
• Hamelia patens (firebush, scarlet bush, hummingbird bush)

Butterflies and hummers also like:

• Hibiscus coccineus 'Texas Star'
• Cypress vine (Ipomoea quamoclit)
• Almond verbena (Aloysia virgata)
• Trumpet Vine
• Cape Honeysuckle
• Bottlebrush Plant
• Lavender
• Rosemary
• Anise Hyssop (Agastache foeniculum)
• Lion's Ear (Leonotis nepetifolia)
• Mints, especially Purple Horse Mint (Monarda punctata )
• *Salvias (Sages) especially Hummingbird Sage (Salvia guaranitica), Autumn Sage (Salvia Greggii) and Pineapple Sage (Salvia elegans) which is a good substitute for Scarlet Sage, a/k/a Texas Sage (Salvia coccinea) which can be rather invasive.

Also for more information on butterflies check out Butterflies, flowers work together to complete life cycle Butterflies.

And I’ll add my "recipe of the month" for hummingbirds:

Feeders can be easily purchased and kept full with a sugar water solution. Glass feeders last longer and are more easily cleaned. You should never use a dye to the solution because it can make the birds sick. The red color of the feeder is enough to attract the birds. The solution for the feeders is 1 part sugar to 4 parts of water. Boil the water and then add the sugar and stir to dissolve. Let it cool before placing it in the feeders. While extra solution can be kept in the refrigerator for two weeks, it is best to make smaller amounts more often. The feeders should be cleaned with hot water (no soap) every three days in hot weather. The feeder should be placed in an open, shady spot where the hummers will have easy access. Every now and then when the feeders get really dirty, clean them with a bleach water mixture of one part bleach to ten parts water and let soak, rinse with lots of fresh water and let dry thoroughly before refilling.

And the most important thing is to keep your feeders clean. In Texas, where it is so hot, do not allow your solution to be in the feeder for more than three days. A fungus will start to grow in the solution which causes for the hummers to get a chronic respiratory infection. The hummers do not know that the fungus is in the solution and will continue to feed from it. So make sure you keep your feeders clean.

Until next month, great gardening!!

Linda

For butterflies check out The Cockrell Butterfly Center Cockrell Butterfly Center and Butterfly Plants.

Our Next meeting is Sept. 14th!

2011-09-01T17:42:00.001-05:00

Hey Herbies!

Rockport Herb & Rose Study Group program for Wednesday, September 14, 2011 will be "Teas: Sassafras and Sarsaparilla" presented by Pat Baugh. We will meet at 10:00 a.m. at our usual location, i.e. ACISD Maintenance Department (Formerly Rockport Elementary), 619 N. Live Oak Street, Room 14, Rockport, Texas.

Hope to see everyone there! If you have any questions, give me or Pat a call! Also, we are keeping our blog updated, so check it for lots of great information!

Linda

Rose named Herb of the Year for 2012

2011-08-31T07:13:00.000-05:00

Here is a link to lots of info about the Rose, Herb of the Year for 2012.

http://herboftheyear.blogspot.com/

We need to dust off our pruners and rose gloves and do some programs on the rose- its uses, growing info, etc.

FDA moves closer to criminalizing herbs, vitamins, and minerals!

2011-08-28T16:03:00.001-05:00

Ruth just posted this on her Facebook account, and I think that we need to spread the word. It's really scary what the government is trying to do to us. My feelings are that "Big Brother is alive, well and stronger than ever"! It is from the blog Friends Eat.

FDA moves closer to criminalizing herbs, vitamins, and minerals

As of April 2011, herbal medicines will require full licensing throughout the European Union. And in any European country after this date it will be illegal to sell or supply any herbal medicine that has not been licensed.

Of the hundreds of herbal remedies under threat of being classified as a controllable medicinal herb are Cascara bark, Pau D’Arco, winter cherry, Skullcap, Meadowsweet, Horny goat weed, and even peppermint.

Read FDA moves closer to criminalizing herbs, vitamins, and minerals for the rest of the article!

The Herbal IQ Program August 10, 2011

2011-08-11T13:14:00.000-05:00

This is basically from the website What Grandma Knew, but links are given to all the other sites quoted in the answers.

1. Which spice is harvested from the stamens of a beautiful purple crocus? Hint: it is also the most expensive spice in the world.
Saffron

http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/Articles/Exotic-Herbs-Spices-and-Salts-639/saffron.aspx

Saffron comes from Western Asia and most likely Persia. The crocus was cultivated in ancient Europe. The Mongols took saffron from Persia to India. In ancient time saffron was used medicinally and as well as for food and as a dye.

How To Buy and Store Saffron

Unless you use saffron frequently it is best to purchase in small amounts like .5 or 1 gram at a time. You can view the chart below to see equivalents and about how much is used in common recipes. If you use saffron frequently then you may want to invest in a one ounce tin. (See Where to Buy)

Threads vs Powder
Like most all spices and herbs, "whole" is more powerful than ground. Whole saffron must be prepared before use, sometimes soaked, sometimes toasted and ground. If that's too much fuss for you then you may want to purchase ground. Buy ground saffron in small amounts and use within 3 to 6 months. Purchase saffron from a reliable shop and be particularly careful when buying powdered saffron as it can be "cut" or diluted with turmeric or other additives.

Storage
Saffron must be stored in a cool dark place. It is customary to wrap saffron in foil and place in a tin or jar with a tight fitting lid.

Shelf-Life
Properly stored you can keep saffron for minimally three years. It won't "go bad" but the flavor will diminish as it ages.

2. Cilantro comes from which type of seed, also commonly used to flavor food?

http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-coriander.htm

Coriander is a spice made from the seed of the Cilantro plant. The plant, which is also called the Coriander plant or Chinese Parsley, is a member of the carrot and parsley family. The seeds are small and round, with a brown or yellowish-brown color.
Both the seeds and leaves of the Cilantro plants are edible, but they have very distinct flavors and uses. Coriander has a light and fresh flavor, tinged with lemon. It is commonly used in curries or in other Asian cuisines and is often combined with ginger. Coriander is also used to flavor sausages and is even used in manufacturing some cigarettes. Cilantro leaves have a very pungent flavor; people generally love or hate the taste of Cilantro.
The Cilantro plant has been grown in India, China and Egypt for thousands of years. Coriander is believed to be one of the earliest spices used by man. There are references to the spice in early Sanskrit documents, the Bible and ancient Chinese and Middle Eastern stories. It gained an early reputation as both an aphrodisiac and an appetite stimulant. More recently, it has gained popularity in Western and Southwestern cuisine. Today, Spain and Morocco are some of the leading producers of coriander.
Cilantro is easy to grow and it develops quickly. It can be grown indoors or in most warm climates, but it is especially suited for environments with dry, hot summers. The coriander seeds usually ripen in late summer and should be dried thoroughly before they are used. Dry the seeds by cutting the stems and hanging the plant cuttings upside down. Do not use hot air to dry the seeds since it will detract from the delicate flavor of the spice.
Coriander seeds can be used whole or ground. One unit of ground coriander can be substituted for one unit of coriander seeds in many recipes. Try sprinkling the whole seeds over salads or roasting meats. The ground spice is ideal for creating spicy rubs and is often used in marinades.

3.Which North American herb was named for the gold color of its rhizome?

Goldenseal root http://wondrousroots.com/goldenseal.html
Also known as
Hydrastis canadensis, Orange Root, Yellow Root, Yellow Puccoon. Ground Raspberry. Wild Curcuma. Turmeric Root. Indian Dye. Eye Root. Eye Balm. Indian Paint. Jaundice Root, and Warnera.

Introduction
Goldenseal root has a long history of medicinal use among Native American tribes of the northeast, its native habitat. The plant was first described to the outside world in the 1700s and was greeted with such enthusiasm as a virtual cure-all that exports of the native American plant reached 200,000 to 300,000 pounds annually. Among the maladies that goldenseal root was said to be an effective treatment for were upper respiratory infections, catarrh, intestinal infections, infections of the mucous membranes, diabetes, yeast infections and thrush. Recent research has isolated constituents in goldenseal which have broad spectrum antibiotic properties, as well as astringent and anti-inflammatory actions, giving credence to many of the traditional uses of the herb.

Constituents
Hydrastine, Berberine, berberastine, canadine, candaline, and hydrastinine, fatty acids, resin, polyphenolic acids, meconin, chlorogenic acid, phytosterins and a small amount of volatile oil

Parts Used
Root

Typical Preparations
In tea as an infusion or decoction, in capsules, as a poultice and in liquid extract form.

Summary
Goldenseal root is considered to be an effective broad spectrum antibiotic, and is very much in demand worldwide. Its antibiotic and anti-inflammatory properties have led researchers to study goldenseal root as a possible alternative to chemical antibiotics. Goldenseal also appears to promote healthy glandular function, and may have a tonic and detoxifying effect on the entire system.

Precautions
Because berberine can stimulate contractions, goldenseal root should not be used by pregnant women. Goldenseal may raise blood pressure and should not be used for extended periods of time by those with heart conditions.

4.What herbal liqueur has been credited for the birth of the Impressionist art movement?
Absinthe http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Absinthe

It is an anise-flavoured spirit derived from herbs, including the flowers and leaves of the herb Artemisia absinthium, commonly referred to as "grande wormwood", together with green anise and sweet fennel. Absinthe traditionally has a natural green colour but can also be colourless. It is commonly referred to in historical literature as "la fée verte" (the "green fairy" in French).
Although it is sometimes mistakenly called a liqueur, absinthe is not bottled with added sugar and is therefore classified as a spirit.^[5] Absinthe has a very high level of alcohol by volume but is normally diluted with water when consumed.

5. Which herb provides the salicylic acid from which aspirin was originally synthesized?
White Willow Bark http://wondrousroots.com/whitewillow.html
Also known as- Salix alba, Willow and Willow bark.

Introduction
Native to North America, northern Asia, and much of Africa, the white willow is a low-growing deciduous tree bearing long, green, tapering leaves and catkins in spring. Bark is tripped from young trees in the spring for use in herbal medicines.
Willow bark is the grandmother of aspirin and many other medications for arthritis and rheumatism. Almost two thousand years ago, the Greek physician Dioscorides used willow bark to sooth the pain of inflamed joints. Native American healers used willow bark long before Columbus„or the Vikings„landed.
The conversion of willow bark to aspirin began in 1828 when a German chemist isolated the active ingredient and named it salicin. In 1899, the Bayer company began manufacturing and selling a modified form of the willow bark chemical acetylsalicylic acid, or aspirin. This first of the modern miracle medicines has been a mainstay in the treatment of joint pain ever since. Willow bark is a proven painkiller appropriate for colds, fevers, minor infections, headache, arthritis, and pain caused by inflammation.

Constituents
Salicin, tannins.

Parts Used
Bark.

Typical Preparations
Most commonly used in tea preparations, and equally convenient as a capsule or extract. Also used to make lozenges, and salicin tablets.

Summary
The analgesic action of willow bark depends on symbiotic or "friendly" intestinal bacteria to digest is components into painkilling forms. Aspirin does not require digestion by intestinal bacteria, and works more quickly. Willow bark, on the other hand, continues to provide pain relief longer than aspirin.
Unlike aspirin, the salicylates in willow bark do not increase the risk of bleeding. They do not usually irritate the lining of the stomach. For these reasons, willow bark may be useful for people who have chronic joint pain but cannot take NSAIDs or COX-2 inhibitors.

Precautions
Native American herbal medicine used willow bark to diminish sexual desire. Long-term, daily use of willow bark will reduce sexual desire, although it will not alter sexual performance in either men or women. Do not use willow bark if you are allergic to aspirin, and do not give willow bark to a child under sixteen years of age who has symptoms of any kind of viral infection, especially flu or chickenpox.ow bark

6. Which herb has notoriously stinky fruit?
Ginko biloba http://altmedicine.about.com/cs/herbsvitaminsek/a/Ginkgo.htm

Alternate names: Maidenhair tree, Kew tree, Japanese silver apricot

Ginkgo is one of the oldest living tree species. The extract of ginkgo leaves is used medicinally in North America, where it's one of the most popular medicinal herbs, and many other countries around the world. In traditional Chinese medicine, the seeds of the ginkgo tree are used.

Why Do People Use Ginkgo?

To improve mental function
Alzheimer's disease
Age-related memory loss
Macular degeneration
Sexual dysfunction
To enhance blood circulation

Ginkgo leaves are believed to contain compounds that thin blood and help to improve muscle tone in the walls of blood vessels. This may enhance blood flow.

What are the Safety Concerns?

Constituents in ginkgo leaves may affect blood clotting, so ginkgo leaf extracts shouldn't be used by people with bleeding disorders. People with epilepsy (or anyone with a history of seizures) should avoid ginkgo, because it may increase the frequency of seizures.

Ginkgo leaf products may affect blood sugar levels, so people with diabetes should only be used under the supervision of a health care provider.
The safety of ginkgo in pregnant or nursing women and children isn't known.

What are the Side Effects of Ginkgo?

Side effects of ginkgo leaf include excessive bleeding. Rarely, seizures have been reported in people using either the ginkgo leaf or seed. Other side effects include digestive problems, headaches, allergic skin reactions, or muscle weakness.
People should not consume fresh ginkgo seeds. Roasted ginkgo seeds may cause diarrhea, nausea, indigestion, vomiting, or allergic skin reactions. Side effects of fresh ginkgo seeds or over 10 roasted ginkgo seeds may include difficulty breathing, seizures, unconsciousness and death.

Possible Drug Interactions

Ginkgo can increase the effect of blood-thinners (antiplatelet or anti-clotting drugs), such as clopidogrel, ticlopidine (Ticlid), warfarin (Coumadin), heparin, and aspirin, which may result in uncontrolled bleeding or hemorrhage. Certain herbs, such as danshen, devil's claw, eleuthero, garlic, ginger, horse chestnut, papain, red clover, and saw palmetto, can also increase the risk of bleeding if combined with ginkgo.
Ginkgo has been found to interfere with the metabolism of drugs processed by an enzyme called cyp3A4. Ask your doctor to check if you are taking medications of this type.
Ginkgo may increase the risk of seizures if combined with other drugs or herbs that do the same, such as antidepressants, bupropion (Wellbutrin, Zyban), certain antibiotics such as penicillin and cephalosporins, Corticosteroids, fentanyl (Actiq, Duragesic), theophylline, methylphenidate (e.g. Concerta, Ritalin), drugs that suppress the immune system, such as azathioprine and cyclosporine, borage, evening primrose, and wormwood.
Ginkgo shouldn't be used with the drug cyclosporine (used to suppress the immune system), because it has been found to decrease the effect of that drug. Theoretically, ginkgo may have the same effect with other immunosuppressant drugs.
Ginkgo may interact with insulin and other drugs for diabetes, such as metformin (Glucophage), glyburide (Glynase), glimepiride (Amaryl), and glipizide (Glucotrol XL). It shouldn't be used with medications to prevent seizures.
There have been some cases of high blood pressure in people taking ginkgo and thiazide diuretics, such as chlorothiazide, chlorthalidone, hydrochlorothiazide, metolazone, and polythiazide.

7. Which herb was regarded as a symbol of immortality by the Greeks and Romans?

Tansy http://www.herbs2000.com/herbs/herbs_tansy.htm

COMMON NAMES

Arbor Vitae
Buttons
Hineheel
Scented Fern
Stinking Willie
Tansy

Known to botanists as Tanacetum vulgare L., family Asteraceae, tansy has a long history of use in folk medicine. This strongly aromatic herb, which reaches a height of up to 3 feet and produces bright yellow flowers, is native to Europe but is naturalized and widely cultivated in the United States.
The dried leaves and flowering tops of tansy have been employed, usually in the form of a tea, as an anthelmintic (expels worms), tonic, stimulant, and emmenagogue (promotes menstrual flow-often a euphemism for promoting abortion). Tansy also makes a flavoring in cakes and puddings, especially those eaten at Easter. And it enjoys a considerable reputation as an insect repellent, especially for flies.
Thujone is a relatively toxic compound, capable of inducing both convulsions and psychotic effects in human beings. There are far more effective and much safer medicines than the thujone-containing tansy for expelling and destroying intestinal worms - the principal use of the plant in folk medicine. In this enlightened era, there is absolutely no reason to utilize a potentially dangerous, toxic material of this sort as an emmenagogue-abortifacient. As a matter of fact, since more effective insect repellents are readily available, there is no real reason to use tansy for anything. Well, perhaps there is just one. Tansy is used as a flavoring agent in certain alcoholic beverages, including Chartreuse, but the resulting product must be thujone-free.
The very name tansy, herbalists declare, is a corruption of the Greek word for immortality - athanasia.
Because of its strong smell, tansy is a natural insect repellent. In the Middle Ages dried tansy was one of the "strewing herbs" scattered across floors to keep pests away. Housewives also hung it from rafters, packed it between bed sheets and mattresses, and rubbed it on meat to discourage lice, flies, and other vermin. In more recent times, they have used tansy to repel moths and get rid of fleas.
Tansy also has a long history as a seasoning and medicinal plant. In England, the leaves were once used to flavor small tansy cakes eaten during Lent - their bitter taste symbolized Christ's suffering. A tea from the leaves was once commonly taken for colds, stomachaches, and intestinal worms. Folk healers also made a poultice from the leaves to place on cuts and bruises.
Tansy has been used in the past as a carminative to aid digestion. However it is not used much today because of its potential toxicity. When the plant is taken, it is chiefly in order to expel intestinal worms and to help stimulate menstrual bleeding. Tansy may be used externally to kill scabies, fleas, and lice, but even external application of tansy preparations carries the risk of toxicity.

CONSTITUENTS

Tansy contains volatile oil containing thujone; bitter glycosides; sesquiterpene lactones; terpenoids; flavonoids; tannin.

USUAL DOSAGE

Infusion: pour a cup of boiling water onto 1 teaspoonful of the dried herb and leave to infuse for 10 - 15 minutes. This should be drunk twice a day.
Tincture: take 1 - 2 ml of the tincture three times a day.

COLLECTION AND HARVESTING

The leaves and flowers are collected during the flowering time between June and September.

COMBINATIONS

For intestinal worms tansy may be used with wormwood and a carminative such as chamomile in conjunction with a purgative like senna.

8. Other than catnip, what is the other herb that sends cats into pure ecstasy?
Valerian Root http://whatgrandmaknew.weebly.com/a8-valerian.html

Also known as- Valeriana officinalis. Common Valerian, European Valerian, Valeriana and Allheal.

Introduction
Valerian is a perennial plant native to northern Europe and central Asia. Growing four feet (120 cm) tall, it ears pin-like leaves and pink flower heads.
Valerian root is used in herbal healing. The root must be dried at temperatures below 105 degrees F (40 degrees C) for its medicinally active compounds to form. In teas, it tastes sweet and spicy if somewhat bitter, but its odor is unpleasant. Ancient medical texts acknowledge the odor of the herb by calling the plant phu.

Constituents
Acetic acid, ascorbic acid, beta-ionone, calcium, caffeic acid, magnesium, manganese, quercitin, valeric acid.

Parts Used
Dried root.

Typical Preparations
Teas, tinctures and capsules. The chopped herb is combined with St. JohnÍs wort. Valerian powder is mixed with hops and/or lemon balm. Because of its often expressed unpleasant taste, most prefer to take it as a capsule or extract.

Summary
Valerian is a calmative and tranquilizer. It has been used at least since the time of Hippocrates (460-377 B.C.E.) for treating headaches, insomnia, nervousness, restlessness, menstrual problems, nervous stomach, and hysteria.
Clinical trials have confirmed the use of valerian for treating insomnia, especially the insomnia that accompanies menopause. The advantage of valerian over tranquilizers such as Valium and Xanax is that it reduces sleep latency, the time required to fall asleep, without a period of bedtime drowsiness and without creating a "hangover" or grogginess the next morning.
Valerian has greatest effect in treating chronic insomnia, rather than short-term sleeplessness. It also soothes the digestive system and may prevent cramping caused by irritable bowel syndrome.

Precautions
If you use valerian for several months, you may experience withdrawal symptoms (headache, insomnia, racing heart, and general grouchiness) if you stop using the herb abruptly. Reduce dosage of a period of about a week if you wish to discontinue using the herb. Valerian itself does not cause side effects, but it may increase the side effects of some of the older medications for insomnia, such as Ativan (lorazepam), Valium, (diazempam), or Xanax (alprazolam).

9. What herb comes from the pimiento plant?
ALLSPICE http://www.herbs2000.com/herbs/herbs_allspice.htm

Pimenta dioica, Pimenta officinalis

10. The Aztecs made hot chocolate using powdered Cacao beans, and which spice?
CHILI PEPPERS http://whatgrandmaknew.weebly.com/a10-chilis.html

Also known as- Capsicum annum, Capsicum frutescens, Capsicum spp, Sweet Pepper, African Pepper, Hot Pepper

PLEASE NOTE! Cayenne and Chili are the same thing and contrary to popular myth, the difference in their names has nothing to do with either their heat units or origins.

Introduction
The Capsicum family includes bell peppers, red peppers, paprika, and pimento, but the most famous medicinal members of the family are cayenne and chile. The tasty hot peppers have long been used in many of the world's cuisines, but their greatest use in health comes from, surprisingly, conventional medicine.

Constituents
1,8-cineole, 2-octanone, alanine, alpha-carotene, alpha-linoleic acid, alpha-phellandrene, arginine, ascorbic acid, beta-carotene, betaine, campesterol, capsaicin, capsanthin, carvone, fiber, folacin, glutamic acid, hesperidin, isoleucine, isovaleric acid, kaempferol, manganese, myrcene, p-coumaric acid, potassium, proline, quercetin, scopoletin, solanine, thiamin, thujone, tryptophan, valine, zeaxanthin, zinc.

Parts Used
The fruit, fresh or dried, chopped or powdered.

Typical Preparations
Widely used in cooking. Most often compounded as a cream for external use, rarely brewed into a tea for internal use.

Summary
The burning sensation of hot peppers is a reaction of the central nervous system to capsaicin; unlike horseradish, wasabi, garlic, ginger, and mustard, capsaicin only causes the sensation of damage, not real damage to tissues. This sensation of pain, however, depletes a chemical called substance P, and when substance P is used up, the ongoing tissue damage of arthritis, shingles, cluster headaches, fibromyalgia, or lower back injury does not result in pain.
Eating hot peppers can also deplete pain chemicals in the stomach. Peppers do not actually cause heartburn or ulcers. They merely cause the sensation of pain, depleting substance P, so other conditions cannot cause pain. Eating foods seasoned with cayenne or chile may even protect the stomach against damage by aspirin, ibuprofen, or other NSAID pain relief medications.
Capsaicin creams can also reduce itching in psoriasis.

Precautions
Don't touch your eyes with your hands after you have handled capsaicin cream. Excessive use internally may result in gastro-intestinal upset.

Good Article by The Herb Companion

2011-08-01T11:07:00.002-05:00

This is a good article about Osteoporosis or Osteopenia which refers to bone mineral density (BMD) that is lower than normal peak BMD but not low enough to be classified as Osteoporosis.

Preventing Osteoporosis with Better Bone Health.

Researching herbs on the web

2011-07-13T19:59:00.000-05:00

I am posting the links we used in the program today. But you will notice many of them are already posted on this blog. Remember you do not have to be a Facebook member to view our Facebook page.

Links to start your internet searching.

“In Our Coastal Gardens” Recommended Local Plants | Aransas/San Patricio Master Gardeners

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rockport-Herb-and-Rose-Study-Group/247306168615626?ref=hnav

Rockport Herbies

The Herb Cottage

Cindy’s website

Aransas/San Patricio Master Gardeners

HerbNET - Herb Uses – AB a must for all the links within the site

Growing Herbs Richter’s, there are many links to the different herbs and plants on this site.

Herb Companion Magazine

Dave’s Garden forums, blogs, journals, etc.

Herb recipes

Herb or Spice Infused Oil Recipe

Free Herb Recipes - Lingles Herbs

Guidelines For Making Herb Vinegar - Ethel’s Guidelines

How to Make Herbed Vinegar Recipe About.com

Homemade Herb Vinegar Recipes | datSplat!

Biblical Herbs and references

The Biblical Herb Garden –Mountain Valley Growers

Bible Herbs South Texas Unit of the Herb Society

Conroe,TX actually a prayer garden design for Biblical herbs

Miscellaneous sites of interest

Erowid Psychoactive Plant & Fungi Vaults self explanatory

My Grandfather's Earthworm Farm a sweet story of a fertile, self-contained farm, just nice to read.

Growing Basil Blog

Meeting July 13, 2011!

2011-07-12T16:01:00.001-05:00

News Flash......

We will meet at the Dairy Queen in Rockport. I was not able to get hold of anyone at the Rockport Elementary office to see if they had wi-fi or internet service. I made an executive decision, the library was already booked but suggested the Dairy Queen. Yay!! They have the party room we can use.

I booked it from 9:30 to 11:30.

Ruth

Ancient Roman Shipwreck has herbal medicine remedies

2011-07-10T15:08:00.000-05:00

This is amazing. We knew they used them but who knew someday they would be found intact.

Roman-era shipwreck reveals ancient medical secrets
A first-aid kit found on a 2,000-year-old shipwreck has provided a remarkable insight into the medicines concocted by ancient physicians to cure sailors of dysentery and other ailments.
A wooden chest discovered on board the vessel contained pills made of ground-up vegetables, herbs and plants such as celery, onions, carrots, cabbage, alfalfa and chestnuts – all ingredients referred to in classical medical texts.

The tablets, which were so well sealed that they miraculously survived being under water for more than two millennia, also contain extracts of parsley, nasturtium, radish, yarrow and hibiscus.
They were found in 136 tin-lined wooden vials on a 50ft-long trading ship which was wrecked around 130 BC off the coast of Tuscany. Scientists believe they would have been used to treat gastrointestinal complaints suffered by sailors such as dysentery and diarrhoea.
"It's a spectacular find. They were very well sealed," Dr Alain Touwaide, from the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute in Washington DC, told The Sunday Telegraph. "The plants and vegetables were probably crushed with a mortar and pestle – we could still see the fibres in the tablets. They also contained clay, which even today is used to treat gastrointestinal problems."

The pills are the oldest known archaeological remains of ancient pharmaceuticals. They would have been taken with a mouthful of wine or water, or may have been dissolved and smeared on the skin to treat inflammation and cuts.

What fun to know we are working to pass on that knowledge of what herbs can do for us.

July meeting program is "Researching Herbs on the Internet" by Cindy and Ruth

2011-07-10T11:16:00.000-05:00

Hello Herbies!

If any of you are interested in Cindy bringing down some herbs for our upcoming meeting, please let me and/or Cindy know.

Also, I've been gone, so I'm just now getting out the notice about our next meeting.

"Researching Herbs on the Internet" by Cindy and Ruth

10:00 Wednesday July 13, 2011 at the ACISD Maintenance Department (Formerly Rockport Elementary), 619 N. Live Oak Street, Room 14, Rockport, Texas.

Hope to see everyone there!

Mulch, mulch, mulch by Cindy Meredith, proprietor of The Herb Cottage

2011-07-03T10:03:00.005-05:00

Be sure to check out Cindy's blog about mulch!

Sunday, July 3, 2011
Mulch, mulch, mulch

I know all good garden writers espouse the merits of mulch. Mulch in the winter to keep the ground from heaving and pushing your bulbs and perennials out of the ground if you live where the ground freezes. In hot, dry climates mulch your beds to conserve water and keep the soil from getting too hot.

To read the rest of the article go to website:

http://networkedblogs.com/jWDHZ.

Smart water use keeps lawns green

2011-06-08T08:08:00.007-05:00

Here is an article by Michael Womack that was published in the Corpus Christi Caller-Times.

Saturday, August 18, 2001
Smart water use keeps lawns green

This week the city imposed restrictions on lawn watering to once every five days. It is important, now more than ever, to make every drop count.

Grass is the first order of business. Turf areas can be one of the greatest water users. Adjust your mower to a higher setting and mow less frequently. Even allowing your grass to grow a half-inch taller or going a few extra days between mowing cycles will help to reduce watering due to reduced soil evaporation and transpiration, water loss through the leaves.

Another tip is to decrease watering frequency while increasing the duration of each watering.

Increasing the time between watering will allow the grass to develop a deeper root system. Be careful to watch for runoff. It may be necessary to water your lawn, section by section for a shorter duration, maybe 15 minutes, then go back later and run through the irrigation cycle again. The second watering will allow more water to be absorbed into the soil as opposed to simply running off.

Remember that grass will let you know when it needs water. The blades will fold or close up and the green color will become dull. Another sign is that grass will not immediately bounce back when you walk across it.

Use large droplet sprinklers. The larger drops actually weigh more and are more likely to reach the soil than fine mists. Mists quickly evaporate and should be avoided.

Another irrigation chore is to inspect the system for leaks and broken sprinkler heads. Mis-adjusted sprinkler heads can also waste water by delivering water to cement rather than to plants.

For potted plants, remember these hints. First, smaller pots and hanging baskets will dry out faster. Also, root-bound plants will not hold as much water in the pots. Keep plants in pots that will allow roots to expand. Also, if potted plants do dry out, remember that you will have to water the plants several times to break the water tension of the soil and allow it to become fully saturated.

Reducing fertilization will also help to decrease water demand. You can decrease the amount of fertilizer at each application or increase the duration between fertilizer applications.

This practice will prevent lush, vigorous growth and reduce the water needs of the plant.

Adding mulch to flower beds will help to reduce soil surface evaporation, cool the soil and reduce weeds. Organic mulches like pine bark or cypress mulch are more water-wise than gravel or rocks. Organic mulches, however, will break down over time and must be supplemented. Inspect beds to ensure that there is still at least 3 inches of organic mulch to maximize the benefit.

Whenever possible, keep potted plants out of direct sun to reduce water consumption. Grouping potted plants together will also help to keep them from drying out quite as fast.

Another suggestion is to avoid putting plants on cement or in front of brick or stucco walls. These surfaces reflect heat and cause the plant to use more water.

Remember that the new restrictions do not allow watering between the hours of 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. when prime evaporation conditions exist. Also, lawns may only be watered once every five days based on your street address. Shrubs and trees can still be hand-watered more frequently, but only in the early morning and evening.

Water lawns less often but for a longer period of time!

2011-06-03T15:43:00.006-05:00

With our drought, lots of homeowners are watering their lawns. This is good, but most homeowners that I've talked to are watering daily for only a short period of time. This is not a good idea because the water isn't going into the soil deeply enough to encourage good roots. So start by watering slowly and deeply to encourage roots to travel deeper.

Here is a good article about Water wisely to pull lawn through this drought by Kathy Huber with the Houston Chronicle.

She states:

When grass blades look dull, roll and fold and don’t bounce back, water slowly and deeply to encourage roots to travel deeper, away from the quickly drying, hot soil surface. If we don’t get much-needed rain, repeat weekly to help get your turf through this extremely dry period.

“Contrary to popular belief, lawns do not need frequent waterings,” says Doug Welsh of the Texas AgriLife Extension Service.

St. Augustine and zoysia need ¾ to 1 inch a week to stay green. Bermuda requires ½ inch a week.

Apply an inch of water and you’ll wet our typical clay soil about 6 inches down, Texas A&M experts say. This is adequate for grass roots.

Be sure to read the rest of the article for more good information!

More Herb Information coming sooon!

2011-05-24T06:29:00.014-05:00

I am working on some new articles to post. Two that will be posted soon are on:

I. Bay: Basically, there are five different trees that are referred to as bay trees.

1. Laurus nobilis, which is what we consider to be the "true bay", is also known by the common names of bay laurel, sweet laurel, laurel, or sweet bay.

2. Umbellularia californica, also known by the common names California Bay or Oregon Myrtle, is often sold by spice companies as California bay and is a substitute for the L. nobilis.

3. Persea borbonia, also known as Red Bay, is what we see growing here on the coastal bend.

4. P. borbonia var. pubescens, is known as Swamp Bay, and it also grows here on the coastal bend.

5. Magnoliaceae virginia, also known as Sweet Bay, is in the Magnoliaceae family and produces a beautiful white flower very similar to the Southern Magnolia flower. It grows in acidic soil and is found in East Texas.

and

II. Luffa gourds a/k/a Loofahs with origins in Asia. They have about 8 species and belong to the Cucurbitaceae family which also includes squash, pumpkin, cucumber, and many types of melons. Be sure to check out the GOURDS PROGRAM presented by Pat Baugh for more information about lots of other gourds!

Until then, Great Gardening!

SWEET ANNIE- Under-used plant in the Artemisia family

2011-05-24T06:20:00.004-05:00

Be sure to check out Cindy's May Newsletter about Sweet Annie!

It is a sweetly scented herb, as the name suggests. From the large Artemisia family, Sweet Annie is one of the few annuals in the group.

For the rest of the story, click on the following link:

http://theherbcottage.com/5-11_sweet_annie.html

HERBAL SALT PROGRAM May 11, 2011 presented by Linda T. Collins

2011-05-23T11:49:00.018-05:00

1. WHAT IS SALT?

Salt = sodium chloride Notes: Most recipes that call for salt are referring to table salt, which has additives like iodine (to prevent a thyroid disease), and an anti-caking agent so the salt won't get lumpy in humid weather. Salt connoisseurs, though, often prefer to use Kosher salt for cooking, and sea salt for table use. They claim that both have a softer flavor than table salt. Exotic salts include the expensive French and Hawaiian sea salts, the smoky, sulfuric Indian black salt, and the intensely salty Korean bamboo salt. Specialized salts include pickling salt, which is free of the additives that turn pickles dark and the pickling liquid cloudy, and rock salt, used primarily to de-ice driveways and make ice cream.

Halite, commonly known as rock salt, is the mineral form of sodium chloride (NaCl). Halite forms isometric crystals. The mineral is typically colorless or white, but may also be light blue, dark blue, purple, pink, red, orange, yellow or gray depending on the amount and type of impurities. It commonly occurs with other evaporite deposit minerals such as several of the sulfates, halides, and borates.

From the Greek words, halos, meaning "salt.", and lithos for "rock."

Description and Occurrence

Halite is an evaporite, which means it forms when water evaporates and leaves behind dissolved solids. It usually occurs as cube-shaped crystals, often with concave faces. The crystal habit may be massive, granular, or compact. Halite may be colorless, white, gray, yellow, red, or blue.

As table salt, halite is an important component of the human diet. In the chemical industry, it's used in the extraction or production of caustic soda, chlorine, sodium, and hydrochloric acid.

Halite forms in shallow desert lakes and can be found in dried up lakebeds and inland seas. Large concentrations of halite have been found in Germany, Poland, and various parts of the United States. In this region, halite can be found at the Salton Sea in Imperial County, and Searles Lake, a dry lake in San Bernardino County.

Field Notes: Halite is very soft, tastes salty, and dissolves easily in water. The crystals glow under fluorescent light.

2. HISTORY OF SALT

Salt has influenced human existence virtually from the beginning. Neolithic settlements were at salt springs. Caravans trekked deserts trading salt ounce-for-ounce for gold.

Most cultures have folklore and art forms based on salt. And many cultures share traditions such as offering bread and salt to welcome visitors.

Salt’s economic and military significance produced trading partnership or armed combat. And economies and cultures ranging from the Sahara in West Africa to the Himalayan peaks of Nepal gives a glimpse of the salt trading culture of centuries gone by.

Religious texts and liturgy frequently employ salt metaphorically (e.g. “ye are the salt of the Earth”).

Roman soldiers were paid partly in salt, their salarium, today’s “salary.” Medieval Europe was forever changed when fishermen were able to salt the cod caught off North America’s Grand Banks, preserving them for sale in Europe.

Salt was involved in such historic events as the building of the Erie Canal, the French Revolution and the drive for India’s independence from British colonial rule.

Wars have been fought and won over salt. Mahatma Gandhi famously launched his first nonviolent protest by taking a pinch of salt from the sea, breaking the law that made it illegal to acquire salt from any source other than the British government. During the American Civil War, the Union army strategically destroyed the salt mines of the South in an effort to cripple the Confederacy. And lately, government health agencies have declared war on the salt in our nation’s beloved processed foods.

Yet at the same time, we’ve seen a dramatic increase in consumer interest in expensive gourmet salts. Even with the economic problems of the last couple of years, HimalaSalt, the leading seller of the popular pink salt from the Himalayan mountains, expects to see a 130 percent growth in sales this year. The company’s founder, Melissa Kushi, attributes this phenomenon to that “part of America that is beginning to look at food the way Europeans, Japanese and other cultures have for hundreds if not thousands of years. Where food comes from and in what season, how it’s produced, how far it traveled, who grew it or made it, and all the gorgeous ways to prepare it—the deeper the education, the higher the quality of ingredients to be found in their cupboards,” she says. “Artisan salts are a natural extension of that education—they’re flavorful, sensual and transforming to any dish.”

The upsurge in the popularity of healthy, sustainable, local and artisanal foods in recent years has resulted in a mind-boggling array of colorful, chunky salts at specialty food shops throughout the country. Keith Berner was a member of a community-supported agriculture (CSA) program in Vermont that supplemented farm-fresh produce with sea salt harvested in New England. “It tasted richer and had more depth than the other stuff, and it taught me how artisans can be involved in providing something as prosaic as salt, which I had never considered before,” Berner says.

But is the higher price tag worth it? And is there really something special about these salts of many colors?

3. SOME USES FOR SALT

• Adding salt to water will raise the temperature at which it boils and lower the temperature at which it freezes.
• Though we need some salt in our diet, most Americans consume much more than necessary. Too much salt can lead to high blood pressure.
• Salt is a terrific flavor enhancer, helping to reduce bitterness and acidity, and bringing out other flavors in the food.
• Adding salt to bread dough controls the action of the yeast and improves the flavor. Bread made without salt will have a coarser texture and a blander flavor than bread made with salt.
• Try sprinkling salt on citrus fruit, melons, tomatoes, and even wine to enhance flavor.
• Adding a little salt balances the flavor of sweets like cakes, cookies, and candies.
• Boiling eggs in salted water makes them easier to peel.
• Adding a pinch of salt (preferably non-iodized) to cream or egg whites before they're whipped increases their volume and serves as a stabilizer.
• Salt is a mineral, so it can be stored indefinitely without going stale. It won't taste any fresher if you grind it with a salt mill.
• Salt has been used for millennia as a preservative for meats, fish, cheese, and other foods. It works by absorbing moisture from the cells of bacteria and mold through osmosis, which kills them or leaves them unable to reproduce.
• Salting slices of eggplants helps draw out the bitter juices.
• Sprinkling salt on meat before broiling or grilling it draws moisture from the center, making it browner on the outside, but less juicy on the inside.

Salt Uses & Tips: In the Kitchen

Boiling Water - Salt added to water makes the water boil at a higher temperature, thus reducing cooking time (it does not make the water boil faster).

Peeling eggs - Eggs boiled in salted water peel more easily.

Poaching eggs - Poaching eggs over salted water helps set the egg whites.

Testing egg freshness - Place the egg in a cup of water to which two teaspoonfuls of salt has been added. A fresh egg sinks; a doubter will float.

Preventing browning - Apples, pears and potatoes dropped in cold, lightly salted water as they are peeled will retain their color.

Shelling pecans - Soaking pecans in salt water for several hours before shelling will make nut meats easier to remove.

Washing spinach - If spinach is washed in salted water, repeated cleanings will not be necessary.

Preventing sugaring - A little salt added to cake icings prevents them from sugaring.

Crisping salads - Salting salads immediately before serving will keep them crisp.

Improving boiled potatoes - Boiled potatoes will be given a fine, mealy texture by sprinkling with salt after draining, then returning them to the pan and shaking them back and forth quickly to get rid of the excess moisture.

Cleaning greasy pans - The greasiest iron pan will wash easily if you use a little salt in it and wipe with paper.

Cleaning stained cups - Rubbing with salt will remove stubborn tea or coffee stains from cups.

Cleaning ovens - Salt and cinnamon take the "burned food" odor away from ovens and stove burners. Sprinkle spills while oven and burners are still hot; when dry, remove the salted spots with a stiff brush or cloth.

Cleaning refrigerators - Use salt and soda water to clean and sweeten the inside of your refrigerator. It won't scratch enamel either.

Extinguishing grease fires - Salt tossed on a grease fire on the stove or in the oven will smother flames. Never use water; it will only spatter the burning grease.

Improving coffee - A pinch of salt in coffee will enhance the flavor and remove the bitterness of over-cooked coffee.

Improving poultry - To improve the flavor of poultry, rub the fowl inside and out with salt before roasting.

Removing pinfeathers - To remove pinfeathers easily from a chicken, rub the chicken skin with salt first.

Cleaning tarnished silverware - Rub tarnish with salt before washing.

Cleaning copper pans - Remove stains on copper pans by salting area and scouring with a cloth soaked in vinegar.

Cleaning coffee pots - Remove bitterness from percolators and other coffee pots by filling with water, adding four tablespoons of salt and percolating or boiling as usual.

Removing onion odors from hands - Rub fingers with salt moistened with vinegar.

"Sweetening" containers - Salt can "sweeten" and deodorize thermos bottles and jugs, decanters and other closed containers.

Cleaning sink drains - Pour a strong salt brine down the kitchen sink drain regularly to eliminate odors and keep grease from building up.

Brightening cutting boards - After washing them with soap and water, rub cutting boards with a damp cloth dipped in salt; the boards will be lighter and brighter.

Fixing over salted soups - If soup has been over salted, cut up a raw potato or two and drop into the soup. The potato will absorb the salt.

Cleaning dried-on egg - Salt not only makes eggs taste better, but it makes "eggy" dishes clean easier. Sprinkle salt on dishes right after breakfast; it makes them a whiz to clean when you have time.

Preventing food from sticking - Rub a pancake griddle with a small bag of salt to prevent sticking and smoking. Sprinkle a little salt in the skillet before frying fish to prevent the fish from sticking. Sprinkle salt on washed skillets, waffle iron plates or griddles, heat in a warm oven, dust off salt; when they are next used, foods will not stick.

Preventing mold - To prevent mold on cheese, wrap it in a cloth dampened with saltwater before refrigerating.

Whipping cream and beating egg whites - By adding a pinch of salt, cream will whip better and egg whites will beat faster and higher.

Keeping milk fresh - Adding a pinch of salt to milk will keep it fresh longer.

Setting gelatin - To set gelatin salads and desserts quickly, place over ice that has been sprinkled with salt.

Salt Uses & Tips: Cleaning

Cleaning brass - Mix equal parts of salt, flour and vinegar to make a paste, rub the paste on the brass item, leave on for an hour or so, then clean with a soft cloth or brush and buff with a dry cloth.

Cleaning wicker - To prevent yellowing, scrub wicker furniture with a stiff brush moistened with warm saltwater and allow to dry in the sun.

Cleaning grease spots on rugs - Some grease spots can be removed with a solution of one part salt and four parts alcohol and rubbing hard but carefully to avoid damage to the nap.

Extending broom life - New brooms will wear longer if soaked in hot saltwater before they are first used.

Removing wine stains - If wine is spilled on a tablecloth or rug, blot up as much as possible and immediately cover the wine with salt, which will absorb the remaining wine. Later rinse the tablecloth with cold water; scrape up the salt from the rug and then vacuum the spot.

Removing rings from tables - White rings left on tables from wet or hot dishes or glasses can be removed by rubbing a thin paste of salad oil and salt on the spot with your fingers, letting it stand an hour or two, then wiping it off.

Restoring sponges - Give sponges new life by soaking them in cold saltwater after they are washed.

Settling suds - If a washing machine bubbles over from too many suds, sprinkle salt on the suds to reduce them.

Brightening colors - Wash colored curtains or washable fiber rugs in a saltwater solution to brighten the colors. Brighten faded rugs and carpets by rubbing them briskly with a cloth that has been dipped in a strong saltwater solution and wrung out.

Removing perspiration stains - Add four tablespoons of salt to one quart of hot water and sponge the fabric with the solution until stains disappear.

Brightening yellowed cottons or linens - Boil the yellowed items for one hour in a salt and baking soda solution

Removing blood stains - Soak the stained clothing or other cloth item in cold saltwater, then launder in warm, soapy water and boil after the wash. (Use only on cotton, linen or other natural fibers that can take high heat.)

Removing mildew or rust stains - Moisten stained spots with a mixture of lemon juice and salt, then spread the item in the sun for bleaching; and finally, rinse and dry.

Color-matching nylons - Good nylons that don't have a match can be made the same color by boiling them a few minutes in a pan of lightly salted water.

Fixing sticking iron - Sprinkle a little salt on a piece of paper and run the hot iron over it to remove rough, sticky spots.

Cleaning fish tanks - Rub the inside of fish tanks with salt to remove hard water deposits, then rinse well before returning the fish to the tank. Use only plain, not iodized, salt.

Salt Uses & Tips: Health & Beauty

Gargling - Stir 1/2 teaspoon salt in an 8-ounce glass of warm water for use as a gargle for sore throats.

Cleaning teeth - Mix one part salt to two parts baking soda after pulverizing the salt in a blender or rolling it on a kitchen board with a tumbler before mixing. It whitens teeth, helps remove plaque and it is healthy for the gums.

Washing mouth - Mix equal parts of salt and baking soda as a mouth wash that sweetens the breath.

Bathing eyes - Mix 1/2 teaspoon of salt in a pint of water and use the solution to bathe tired eyes.

Reducing eye puffiness - Mix one teaspoon of salt in a pint of hot water and apply pads soaked in the solution on the puffy areas.

Relieving tired feet - Soak aching feet in warm water to which a handful of salt has been added. Rinse in cool water.

Relieving bee stings - If stung, immediately wet the spot and cover with salt to relieve the pain.

Treating mosquito and chigger bites - Soak in saltwater, then apply a mixture of lard and salt.

Treating poison ivy - Soaking the exposed part in hot saltwater helps hasten the end to poison ivy irritation.

Relieving fatigue - Soak relaxed for at least ten minutes in a tub of water into which several handfuls of salt has been placed.

Removing dry skin - After bathing and while still wet give yourself a massage with dry salt. It removes dead skin particles and aids the circulation.

Applying facial - For a stimulating facial, mix equal parts of salt and olive oil and gently massage the face and throat with long upward and inward strokes. Remove mixture after five minutes and wash face.

Removing tattoos - Called “sal abrasion”, this technique involves rubbing salt on the tattoo and requires several treatments. Healing is required between sessions, but there is virtually no scarring. CAUTION: This is a medical procedure that can be done only by a physician.

Salt Uses & Tips: Household

Extinguishing grease fires - Keep a box of salt handy at your stove and oven and if a grease fire flares up, cover the flames with salt. Do not use water on grease fires; it will splatter the burning grease. Also a handful of salt thrown on flames from meat dripping in barbecue grills will reduce the flames and deaden the smoke without cooling the coals as water does.

Drip-proofing candles - Soak new candles in a strong salt solution for a few hours, then dry them well. When burned they will not drip.

Removing soot - Occasionally throw a handful of salt on the flames in your fireplace; it will help loosen soot from the chimney and salt makes a bright yellow flame.

Invigorating goldfish - Occasionally add one teaspoon of salt to a quart of fresh water at room temperature and put your goldfish in for about 15 minutes. Then return them to their tank. The salt swim makes them healthier.

Cleaning flower vases - To remove deposits caused by flowers and water, rub with salt; if you cannot reach the deposits to rub them, put a strong salt solution in the vase and shake, then wash the vase with soap and water.

Keeping cut flowers fresh - A dash of salt added to the water in a flower vase will keep cut flowers fresh longer.

Holding artificial flowers - Artificial flowers can be held in an artistic arrangement by pouring salt into the container, adding a little cold water and then arranging the flowers. The salt will solidify as it dries and hold the flowers in place.

Keeping patios weed-free - If weeds or unwanted grass come up between patio bricks or blocks, carefully spread salt between the bricks and blocks, then sprinkle with water or wait for rain to wet it down.

Killing poison ivy - Mix three pounds of salt with a gallon of soapy water and apply to leaves and stems with a sprayer.

Keeping windows frost-free - Rub the inside of windows with a sponge dipped in a saltwater solution and rub dry; the windows will not frost up in sub-freezing weather. Rubbing a small cloth bag containing salt that has been moistened on your car's windshield will keep snow and ice from collecting.

Deicing sidewalks and driveways - Lightly sprinkling rock salt on walks and driveways will keep snow and ice from bonding to the pavement and allow for easy removal. Don't overdo it; use the salt sensibly to avoid damage to grass and ornamentals.

Deodorizing shoes - Sprinkling a little salt in canvas shoes occasionally will take up the moisture and help remove odors.

4. HOW SALT IS MADE?

The basic types of salt: table salt (is mined salt), mined salts, sea salts and kosher salt. All culinary salts are derived by evaporation.

Table salt is made by driving water into a salt deposit (in a mine). This process forms a brine which is then evaporated leaving dried "cube-like crystals that look like granulated sugar". The salt is then refined.

About 100 years ago, the Morton Salt Company fixed its place in our kitchens by adding an anti-caking agent to table salt, creating a perfectly pourable, uniform product, hence the slogan, “When it rains, it pours.” They also included iodine, because many people were deficient in this natural element. (Hardly anyone is anymore.) And to mask its mineral aftertaste, they added a form of processed sugar. Mark Bitterman, co-owner of The Meadow, an artisan food shop in Portland, Oregon, never uses common table salt. “The salt shaker filled with artificially refined, chemical-laden table salt is the ultimate symbol of the chemical industry’s triumph among industrialized food producers,” he says. Even if you don’t take his hard-line approach, mixing salt with sugar might not be the way to go, particularly now that there are so many tasty options.

Mined salts, also called rock salts, are extracted from the earth like other precious mined commodities, and are generally processed by being boiled in brine from which the liquid evaporates, leaving mountains of chunky salt crystals behind. Some of these crystals are actually slabs, which are large enough that you can bake or grill foods directly on them, seasoning the food with a luscious natural brine. Before it is processed, table salt is a mined salt.

Kosher salt can be mined or from the sea. Its structure—tiny, stacked pyramids —is what makes it so valuable. Its shape helps it dissolve much better than common table salt, and it’s easy to pick up by the pinch. Plus, the large surface area of the crystals imparts a lot of flavor, so you can use less. Relatively inexpensive kosher salt is the everyday cooking favorite of chefs and food lovers. It is made in a similar fashion except the brine is raked continually during the evaporation process. The resulting product has a light and flaky texture.

Sea salt is formed when salt water evaporates from pools and cliffs. The crystals are then carefully scraped off. There’s a lot of variability in the structure of salts left behind by sea water. Fleur de sel, or “the flower of salt,” is the caviar of all sea salts. Its lacy “flowers” form only on warm days when the winds are calm on the Brittany coast of France. It is evaporated sea water. All salts are nutritionally the same. Sea salt has trace amounts of minerals not found in mined salt.

6. WHAT SALT MEANS FOR YOUR HEALTH

Almost all Americans consume too much salt. In fact, the average American eats about seven pounds of salt each year, and that’s about double what health experts recommend. Avoiding processed foods is one way to reduce sodium intake. Salting after cooking is also an obvious sodium reducer. Relying on a bounty of herbs and spices for flavor is another fantastic way to cut down on that seven pounds. But there’s nothing quite like salt for great cooking.

Salt wears many hats:

• It elicits wonderful, flavorful compounds from every food you may want to eat.
• It preserves many of those foods as well.
• It amplifies and elevates flavors in a way that simply makes things taste more like themselves.
• It keeps colorful foods colorful.
• And it helps to combine and seal in flavors as nothing else does. Salt makes foods sing, period.

Gram for gram, fancy gourmet salts contain just as much sodium as common table salt. According to Marion Nestle, nutrition, food studies and public health professor at New York University, “Sea salts may taste better than regular salt, but they only have a health advantage if they are used in smaller amounts.” And that’s exactly why some people prefer sea salts—you really can use less and taste more. When gourmet salts are combined with flavor-boosting herbs and spices, and especially if they’re used primarily as a finishing flavor, it’s possible to reduce your sodium intake dramatically. In addition, you may benefit from the trace minerals and elements present in salts from various parts of the globe, and you won’t find any of those nutrients in regular salt.

7. DIFFERENT TYPES OF SALTS

As we browse recipes it is common to see other types of salts besides common table salt in the ingredient list. The most common variations are Kosher and Sea Salt.

Bamboo salt = parched salt = jukyom = jook yeom Notes: This is made by roasting sea salt in bamboo cylinders plugged with yellow mud. The salt absorbs minerals from the bamboo and mud, which in turn leach the salt of impurities. Look for plastic bags of it in Korean markets. Substitutes: sea salt.

Black salt = kala namak = sanchal Notes: Look for this in Indian markets, either ground or in lumps. It's more tan than black, and has a very strong, sulfuric flavor. Substitutes: table salt. Black salt named Kala Namak in India, is really a blend of minerals characterized by a strong sulfur odor. It is commonly used in snack foods in North India. Black salt = kala namak = sanchal Notes: Look for this in Indian markets, either ground or in lumps. It's more tan than black, and has a very strong, sulfuric flavor. Substitutes: table salt.

Butter salt Notes: This salt has extremely fine grains. It's used to salt butter.

Coarse salt = coarsely-ground salt = coarse-grain salt = gros sel Notes: Most recipes calling for salt intend for you to use finely ground salt, though coarse salt is better for certain things, like making beds for oysters and salt crusts on meat or fish, or for lining baking dishes or the rims of margarita glasses. Many professional chefs like to cook with it because they can measure it more easily with their fingers. Kosher salt and sea salt often come coarsely ground.

Fine salt = finely-ground salt = fine-grain salt = fin sel Notes: This is salt that's been ground into small grains. Most recipes calling for salt intend for you to use finely ground salt, though coarse salt is better for certain things, like making beds for oysters and salt crusts on meat or fish, or for lining baking dishes or the rims of margarita glasses. Table salt usually comes finely ground. Substitutes: coarse salt (Grind it using a salt mill, mortar & pestle, or rolling pin.)

Curing salt = tinted curing mixture = TCM = Prague Powder #1 Notes: This is used to cure meats and fish. It's usually dyed pink so that it won't be mistaken for ordinary salt. It consists of 93.75% table salt and 6.25% sodium nitrate.

French sea salt = sel marin This expensive French salt comes from sea water that's pooled into basins and then evaporated. Unlike most American sea salts, it's unrefined, so it retains more of the minerals that naturally occur in seawater. There are several varieties. Gray salt = grey salt = sel gris gets its color from the clay lining the basins. La fleur de sel (the flower of the salt) is whiter, but has a similar flavor.

Those trendy gourmets are willing to shell out $5 for a small packet of French sea salt drives chemists crazy, since almost all of it is just plain salt, sodium chloride, NaCl. Salt aficionados counter that French sea salt has a much softer and fresher flavor than ordinary table salt, and that the difference is worth it.

These salts come either coarsely or finely ground. Since salt is an inorganic mineral, there's no point in grinding large crystals with a salt mill so they'll be "fresh." Salt, unlike pepper and spices, never goes stale. It's best to use these salts after the food is cooked, or their subtleties will be lost. Substitutes: sea salt OR kosher salt OR sea vegetables (even richer in minerals)

Fleur de Sel de Guérande is the premier quality of Grey Sea Salt from France. Before the evaporation process is complete a light film of salt forms. This is harvested and sold as Fleur de Sel. (See more about Grey salt below).

Grey salt (sometimes sold as "gray" salt) sel gris is organic sea salt from the coastal area of Guérande, Brittany, France. The salt is "moist" and unrefined. It remains a light grey, almost light purple color because of the clay from the salt flats where it is collected. The salt is not collected by machine but by hand using traditional Celtic methods. It is available in coarse or stone-ground fine grain. It is considered by many to be the best quality salt available. This salt has really gained fame in the main stream culinary world in the last few of years.

Hawaiian Black Lava and Red Alaea Sea Salt natural sea salt has a unique combination of taste, mineral content, intriguing varietals, while still being reasonably priced. The black lava salt and the red alaea clay salt have a delicious unique flavor, in addition to their dramatic presentation. Both salts are coarse in grain size.

This Hawaiian sea salt is harvested from salt farms on the tiny island of Molokai. There is a very good reason why it tastes so delicious, which is quite logical when you think about it: The Hawaiian Island archipelago is extremely isolated from other land masses. Within the Hawaiian Islands, the island of Molokai is the least developed, which means that the lifestyle is rural and slow paced, there is virtually no industry and with no industrial or sewage runoff, the delicate balance of ocean water remains unpolluted.

In addition to the starting point of harvest, the sea, the method of harvesting the salt is also of an extremely high standard. The salt is dried inside of a high-tech, custom designed solar evaporator. The food grade solar pans are hermetically sealed to allow slow evaporation, which leave the beautiful salt crystals intact. This also keeps all the valuable trace minerals and electrolytes intact. (Most salt processing destroys these or removes them.) The salt yield is about 84% sodium chloride and 16% naturally occurring minerals, which are very good for the human body.

The resurgence of salt harvesting on the island of Molokai has brought new life to the economy of the island. The black has a somewhat nutty flavor while the red presents a nice sweet finish. Both are full of flavor, sparkling in presentation and quite dramatic.

Percent Sodium: Red - 35.94%; Black - 36.08% Sodium per teaspoon

Hawaiian salt = alaea salt = Hawaiian sea salt = 'alaea sea salt Notes: This unrefined sea salt gets its pinkish-brown color from Hawaiian clay, called 'alaea, which is rich in iron oxide. The clay also imparts a subtle flavor to the salt. The salt is expensive, and hard to find on the mainland. Substitutes: French sea salt OR sea salt OR kosher salt. Hawaiian sea salt is produced from the Hawaiian waters. A natural mineral called "Alaea" (red clay from Kauai rich in iron oxide) is added to the salt to add beneficial trace elements to the product. This natural additive is what gives the salt its distinctive pink color. It is said to have a more mellow flavor than regular sea salt.

Kosher salt Notes: This salt was developed for the preparation of kosher meats, but many cooks prefer it over table salt. It has coarser grains, so it's easier to use if you, like professional chefs, toss salt into pots with your fingers, measuring by touch. Most kosher salt is also flaked, giving each grain a larger surface area. This helps the salt adhere better, so it's great for lining margarita glasses, and for making a salt crust on meats or fish. Kosher salt also is preferred over table salt for canning and pickling. Like pickling salt, kosher salt is free of iodine, which can react adversely with certain foods. Some brands of kosher salt contain yellow prussiate of soda, an anti-caking agent, but unlike the anti-caking additive in table salt, it doesn't cloud pickling liquids. The only drawback to using kosher salt for pickling or canning is that the grains are coarser and flakier, and can't be packed as tightly into a measuring cup as pickling salt. This raises the risk that the salt won't be properly measured. To get around this problem, measure by weight instead of volume. With its large grains, kosher salt isn't a good choice for baking. Look for boxes of it in the spice section of your supermarket. Substitutes: pickling salt OR Margarita salt OR table salt (smaller grains, use half as much; doesn't cling as well to food; iodized salt can cause pickles to cloud.) Kosher salt is an additive-free coarse-grained salt. It is used in the production of Kosher meats to draw blood out of the meat. (Read more about the Koshering process) The salt is also preferred by some chefs because it disperses more readily. By nature of its "flake" texture it melts easily and is lighter (less dense) than table salt.

Margarita salt Notes: This is used to salt the rims of Margarita glasses. To apply, fill a saucer with the salt, then moisten the rim of an empty glass with lime juice and dip it into the saucer. Substitutes: kosher salt OR sea salt OR table salt OR sugar (This is the preferred rim liner for fruit Margaritas.)

Pickling salt = canning salt = canning and pickling salt Notes: This is similar to table salt, but lacks the iodine and anti-caking additives that turn pickles dark and the pickling liquid cloudy. Pickles made with table salt would still be good to eat, but they wouldn't look as appetizing. Pickling salt is available in large bags or boxes in supermarkets, but it's hard to find in cities. In addition to pickling or canning with it, you can also use pickling salt just as you would ordinary table salt, though without the anti-caking agents it may get lumpy if exposed to moisture. To prevent lumps, put a few grains of rice in your salt shaker. To get rid of lumps, spread the salt on a cookie sheet and bake in an oven. Don't substitute reduced-sodium salt for pickling salt when making pickles. Substitutes: kosher salt (Since it's not as dense as pickling salt, you'll need to use more, but how much more varies by brand. 1 cup + 2 tablespoons of Morton Kosher Salt = 1 cup Morton Canning & Pickling Salt. For other brands, it's best to measure by weight rather than volume.) OR table salt (The iodine in table salt may turn your pickles dark, and the anti-caking agents may turn the pickling liquid cloudy.) Pickling Salt - Pickling salt is fine-grained salt that does not contain iodine or anti-caking preservatives which cause darkened pickles and cloudy brine.

Popcorn salt Notes: This table salt has very fine grains, which adhere better to popcorn, potato chips, and French fries. Substitutes: table salt Popcorn Salt - This is just a superfine, flakier crystal version of table salt. We can't think of any real good reason to use it.

Pretzel salt Notes: These opaque salt crystals are used to coat pretzels. Substitutes: kosher salt OR sesame seeds. Pretzel Salt - A large-grained salt that does not melt quickly. The preferred salt for pretzels, salted bread sticks.

Rock salt = ice cream salt = halite = sidewalk salt = land salt Notes: This is the cheap, non-food grade salt that we throw onto icy walkways and use to make ice cream. It doesn't actually go into the ice cream, as some have learned the hard way, but rather into the wooden ice-filled tub that surrounds the bucket of ice cream. The salt lowers the freezing point of the ice, which causes it to melt. As it melts, it absorbs heat from the ice cream, helping it to freeze more quickly. Use a ratio of one part rock salt for every five parts of ice. If you're out of rock salt, other kinds of salt will also work, though you should use less since finer grains of salt can be packed more densely into a cup than large chunks of rock salt. The biggest danger is that you'll use too much salt, which will make your ice cream freeze too fast and become crusty. When using salt other than rock salt, start with a modest amount and check the ice cream after you've churned it for ten minutes. If the ice cream is just beginning to firm up, you have the right amount of salt. If it's not yet firming up, you need to add more salt. If it's crusty along the sides of the bucket, then you've added too much salt. Substitutes: kosher salt (more expensive) OR table salt (more expensive) Rock Salt - Is a large crystal salt that is a slightly grayish color. It is less refined and still contains minerals that are removed from normal table salt. Rock salt is has a few culinary uses such as in mechanical ice cream makers and is sometimes used a bed for serving certain types of shellfish.

Salt substitute Notes: Some salt substitutes are herbal blends, which enhance the flavor of food without salt. You can buy these in the spice section of your supermarket or make your own--the Internet abounds with recipes for homemade salt substitutes. Other commercial salt substitutes, like No Salt®, Salt Substitute®, Cardia®, and Lite Salt®, replace some or all of the sodium chloride (ordinary salt) with potassium chloride, which has a slightly bitter taste. These substitutes are sometimes recommended for people on sodium-restricted diets. It's recommended that you consult a physician before using these products, especially if you have diabetes or kidney disease, or if you're taking diuretics or potassium supplements, or if you're on a potassium restricted diet. Look for them in the spice section of your supermarket, or in pharmacies. Salt substitutes, are available for people on low-salt diets. They contain little or no sodium normally made of potassium chloride. Lite salt is a mixture of salt and another substance such as potassium chloride. Read the label. Don't bother using these products unless you have a medical reason to do so.

Sea salt = bay salt This salt comes from evaporated sea water, and contains minute amounts of magnesium, calcium, and other minerals. Since the government requires that salt sold for table use in the United States contain at least 97.5% pure salt, these minerals don't amount to much, though some pricey French sea salts have higher concentrations. While tossing a teaspoon of sea salt into a half gallon of marinara sauce isn't going to have an appreciable effect on its nutritional value, some gourmets say that they can taste the difference and that sea salt has a cleaner, saltier flavor compared to table salt. Don't use sea salt for canning or pickling--the trace minerals may discolor the food. It's also not the best choice for baking--the grains are too large. Substitutes: kosher salt (cheaper) OR table salt (cheaper) Sea salt is produced by evaporating sea water. This process is more expensive than salt produced from mines. Sea salt comes in fine-grained or larger crystals. Many of these salts are refined and use some of the same additives as table salt. Read labels carefully. The crystal variety can be crushed in a mortar and pestle or a salt grinder.

Seasoned salt is regular table salt blended with other herbs such as celery, onion, and garlic.

Smoked Salt has become very popular in the culinary scene. High quality smoked salt has actually been smoked with specialty woods such as Alder Smoked Salt or Fume de Sel - Chardonnay Smoked Salt which is smoked in old wine barrels. Lower grade salts just have artificially smoked flavoring added. Smoked salt can be used on meats, fish or vegetables.

Sour salt is not salt at all but it is citric acid. It is used to add an extra tart flavor to sour dough and rye breads. It may be used in canning to prevent fruit from turning dark.

Table salt = cooking salt = granular salt Notes: Varieties include iodized salt, which contains the flavorless additive potassium iodide to prevent goiter (an enlargement of the thyroid gland), and non-iodized salt. Some recipes call for non-iodized salt, since iodine can impart a bitter taste and adversely react with certain foods. For example, iodine darkens pickles and inhibits the bacterial fermentation needed to make sauerkraut. Table salt also contains small amounts of calcium silicate, an anti-caking agent, and dextrose, a stabilizer. The anti-caking agent in both iodized and non-iodized salt doesn't dissolve in water, so if you pickle or can with it, it will turn the liquid cloudy or else settle on the bottom of the jar. The preserved food will taste the same, mind you, but it won't look as appealing. This is more of a problem for pickles, which are immersed in lots of liquid, than for other canned goods. To prevent the cloudiness, use pickling salt, which contains no additives? Substitutes: Kosher salt (This is more flavorful, and great for cooking. Since it's less dense, grind it first or use up to twice as much.) OR sea salt (more expensive) Table salt is the most commonly used salt. It is a fine-grained and looks the same in appearance as fine grained sea salt. Iodized salt is just table salt with Iodine added.

8. HERBAL SALT RECIPES

Easy Herb Salt

Making herbal salt doesn’t take much time either! You can make your own gourmet salts easily at home. Once you’ve made some, you can experiment and try lots of different herb blends; some are great on fish, some are better for meats, or stock, or vegetables; favorite is just a simple garlic and onion blend.

You will need:
• coarse salt (sea salt, but use whatever you like)
• fresh herbs – (some good first time blends are garlic and parsley, chives and parsley, or all three herbs together!)
• a blender, OR a coffee grinder, OR a food processor…any one of these will do the job!

Here’s how:
Take a small bunch of your clean and dried herbs; they should not be wet or moist. Use only the leaves and tender parts of the herb. Toss out any tough stems. Process or chop the herbs in the blender/food processor for a few seconds. Add a big handful (or two) of the coarse salt and blend/chop again. Watch to make sure you don’t grind the salt all the way to a powder- just a few pulses, or seconds in the blender should do the trick!

Now take the salt mix and spread it out on a tray or a pan. There is moisture in the fresh herbs and this helps to dry them a bit. The salt will preserve the herbs, but we don’t want our salt absorbing too much moisture and getting hard. In humid regions, put the tray into a ‘barely warm’ (around 200 degrees) oven for 20-30 minutes to help remove any excess moisture from your blend.

Once the salt has dried and cooled, label it and store it in a jar. It will keep for months, and if you store it in the fridge it will last a year or longer.

More Herbal Salts

Herb salt from dried herbs

1 part (by weight) salt
1 part (by weight) dried herb

If you have small amounts you can pound them up with a mortar and pestle. If you have larger amounts blend them in a mixer. Pour into airtight jars, label.

Herb salt from fresh herbs

1 part (by weight) sea salt
4-5 parts (by weight) fresh herb
Chop up herb, mix with salt (use a spoon).

Drying in the oven: pour onto parchment paper (or whatever kind of paper you put under your bread when you bake), put into oven on the lowest temperature on your oven, keeping the oven door open so moisture can escape, and so your herb doesn't get burnt. Let sit in that oven for a few hours or overnight until dry.

Drying in room temperature: cover with another piece of parchment paper, let sit in a shady spot for 7-10 days.

Drying in a dehydrator: use parchment paper that's smaller than the dehydrator trays, let dry on 40 C for 1-2 days.

Drying in a microwave oven: Not recommended.

Once the blend is dry: pour into mixer, blend. Pour into airtight jars, label.
Herbs to use for herb salts

Most commercial herb salts contain celery (leaf and/or stalk). Other popular ingredients are parsley, lovage, and one or the other kind of onion.

Here's a few commercial herb salt ingredient lists:

o Labby's "Yrttisuola", the herb salt of a local biodynamic herb grower:
salt (60 %), parsley, basil, thyme, marjoram, lemon balm, dill, lovage.

o Bioforce's "Herbamare", the herb salt of a large organic Swiss herb house:
sea salt (94 %), celery, leek, cress (watercress? garden cress? another cress? no clue), onions, chives, parsley, lovage, basil, marjoram, rosemary, thyme and kelp.

o Meira's "Yrttisuola", the herb salt of a large local spice house:
salt (85 %), onion, parsley, glucose, celery leaf, marjoram, rosemary, basil, thyme.

o Knorr's "Aromat", the herb salt of a large German food house:
salt (56 %), monosodium glutamate (MSG), lactose, yeast extract, onion, hardened vegetable fat, spices (celery leaf and others), calcium silicate.

When making fresh herb salts, use anything found in abundance in your garden. Try to include at least celery leaf, parsley and lovage (however lovage does not grow in South Texas). In addition, these may or may not get included: chervil, thyme, black currant leaf (has to be Ribes nigrum - the leaf is scented, and tastes great), French tarragon (or Mexican mint marigold for us in the South), hyssop (that's Hyssopus officinalis, not an Agastache), caraway leaf, chives, dill, lemon balm, thyme, etc. or anything found in abundance in the cupboard. You can use dried parsley, lovage, and celery leaf, dried onions and garlic.

CAN MAKE HERBAL SUGAR THE SAME WAY JUST SUBSTITUTING SUGAR FOR SALT.

9. GUIDE TO PAIRING SALT WITH HERBS
Artisanal salts come from all over the globe, and if you’re crazy for fine foods, you can find some pretty rare specimens. But the following are all yummy, and are available widely in specialty food stores.

• Type: Kosher ($)
Origin: various sources
Color: white
Best Uses: Everyday cooking; great texture is easy to pinch and dissolves well; smooth, unaggressive flavor
Herb Pairing Suggestions: complements all herbs and spices

• Type: Gray Sea Salt ($)
Origin: various coasts
Color: gray to gray-green
Best Uses: Cooking and finishing salt; unrefined; mineral content; moist, briny; sometimes harsh flavor works well with meats, veggies and seafood
Herb Pairing Suggestions: garlic, cumin, bay leaves, thyme

• Type: Himalayan ($$)
Origin: Himalayan mountains
Color: pink
Best Uses: Cooking or finishing salt; potent, rich flavor of mineral; great with poultry, fish and in brines and sauces thyme
Herb Pairing Suggestions: rosemary, oregano, basil, garlic, bay leaves,

• Type: Red Alaea ($$$)
Origin: Hawaii red
Best Uses: Great for roasting and grilling, and in rubs; trace minerals; Combined with red clay (‘Alaea’); moist; crunchy texture; color stands out when served; mineral and buttery flavors go well with seafood
Herb Pairing Suggestions: pepper, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, turmeric, saffron, garlic, bay leaves, thyme

• Type: Black Lava, or Hiwa Kai ($$$)
Origin: Hawaii
Color: black
Best Uses: Finishing salt; sulfuric aroma; combined with activated charcoal; silky texture; sharp, earthy flavor is best on sushi and grilled meats and veggies
Herb Pairing Suggestions: pepper, garlic, bay leaves, thyme

• Type: Maldon ($$)
Origin: England
Color: white
Best Uses: Finishing salt; thin, flat crystals dissolve slowly on the tongue like snowflakes; delicate flavor, light taste lemon balm
Herb Pairing Suggestions: delicate flavors such as lavender and

• Type: Sel Gris
Origin: France
Color: gray
Best Uses: Cooking and finishing salt; great mineral content; lower sodium; high moisture; bright mineral flavor
Herb Pairing Suggestions: rosemary, garlic, bay leaves, thyme

• Type: Fleur de Sel, rare byproduct of Sel Gris ($$)
Origin: France
Color: white
Best Uses: The caviar of finishing salts; unrefined, light, moist crystals; violet-like aroma
Herb Pairing Suggestions: great garnish for any herbed dish

• Type: Kala Namak, also known as ‘Indian Black’ or ‘Sanchal’ ($)
Origin: India
Color: light pink with gray tinge
Best Uses: Cooking and finishing salt; strong sulfur odor; common in vegan and Indian cooking
Herb Pairing Suggestions: turmeric, saffron, basil, coriander, cumin

• Type: Applewood Smoked ($$)
Origin: various sources of aged wood
Color: pale orange to light brown
Best Uses: Cooking and finishing salt; sweet, woody, fruity flavor; use with poultry, fish and pork, and in curing meats
Herb Pairing Suggestions: cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, allspice, rosemary, basil, pepper, garlic, thyme, bay leaves

• Type: Hickory Smoked ($$)
Origin: various sources of raw wood
Color: light to dark brown
Best Uses: Cooking and finishing salt; intense smoke flavor; works with red meat and Southern cooking, especially barbecue
Herb Pairing Suggestions: pepper, cinnamon, cloves, allspice, turmeric, saffron, garlic

11. Salt Slabs

Himalayan Salt - Bricks, Plates and Salt Blocks

Searching for an artful new way to cook and serve your favorite dishes? Himalayan Pink Salt Slabs, Plates, and Bricks are nature's cook top and serving platter in one, offering many creative culinary uses while delivering the benefits of natural, pure salt with no chemicals or additives. Heat your Himalayan salt slab, plate, or brick to high temperatures and sear thinly sliced meats, fish, vegetables, seafood and other quick-cooking foods. Or, chill it for use in serving sushi, appetizers, cold meats and cheeses, fresh fruit and vegetables, and even cold desserts.

Himalayan Pink salt slabs, plates, and bricks are harvested from deep within the ancient Himalayan mountain range. There, they have remained protected from pollution and impurities for centuries, making this what many consider the purest, cleanest salt in the world. The salt is mined as large, meteor-like boulders and later sliced into, slabs, blocks, bricks and plates as well as sculpted into bowls. Because Himalayan Pink salt slabs are a natural product, the threshold for high temperatures and pressure may vary, as will the physical characteristics and inclusions which give your salt slab a one-of-a-kind appearance. You'll find that Himalayan salt slabs, plates, and bricks make for an intriguing presentation of both hot and cold foods for your home, restaurant, spa or catering facility. All of our Himalayan salt products are "Gourmet Food Grade" and the very highest quality Himalayan salt available.

Pink Himalayan salt blocks, plates, platters, and bricks can be used for sautéing, grilling, chilling, curing, baking, salting, plating, bathing, and contemplating.

A boulder of Himalayan salt emerges from darkness of a 16th century mineshaft in and explodes into light, catching and refracting the sun in hues ranging from water-clear crystal to clematis flower pink to deep meaty red. The rough salt rocks are then hand cut by local masons into a variety of shapes, providing the foundation for extraordinary new ways to prepare and serve food.

The Himalayan salt deposits, which are believed to be 500 to 600 million years old, have been mined for more than 2000 years in what is now . It is said that Alexander the Great stumbled upon the salt deposits with his army in the fourth century before the common era (B.C.E.). Having taken refuge in some foothill caves, their horses literally licked the crystalline rock in the walls of the cave.

Himalayan Salt Block Recipe & Cooking Ideas

Arrange thinly sliced Carpaccio or sashimi on a cool salt platter and serve. Watch as the food literally salt-cures while at the table, gently cooking the edges and bringing on just a smidge of mineral-rich saltiness.

Place a large square tile of Himalayan salt under the broiler. Wait 30 minutes, then remove the tile with a kitchen glove. Set on trivet at table, and sauté fish, meats, and veggies while your guests or family look on with awe, disbelief, and dawning admiration. While cooking, your food will take on a light saltiness. Note that The Meadow’s larger Himalayan salt tiles will often hold heat long enough for repeated grillings before needing to reheat, but that batches will be successively saltier.

For an out-doorsy variation on the above, place a large platter of our Himalayan salt on the backyard grill, and plank grill a fennel-and-lemon stuffed monkfish, a lime-and-ginger marinated flank steak, or a balsamic and garlic rubbed Portobello mushroom.

For a variation on the wilder side of the out-doorsy, do what our two boys clamor for day in, day out, day in, day out (be forewarned). Heat a large Himalayan salt platter on an outdoor gas grill (best) or an indoor gas stove (use extreme caution). Lightly butter the salt platter, toss on firm bananas, grill 20 seconds on each side. Turn off the grill (important), douse with grappa or bourbon, ignite with a long match, and watch the flambé! Blow out last flames and serve with scoop of vanilla bean ice cream. Barely salted and seductively caramelized, the bananas spring to life against the cool silken contrast of the ice cream.

Freeze a Himalayan salt block or plate for two hours. Remove, and plate up scoops of ice cream or sorbet. More fun yet, warm lightly whipped sweet heavy cream, egg, honey, and aged bitters, and refrigerate. Remove the salt slab from freezer, pour mixture on it, slowly lufting with spatula, for a salt-tinged ice custard you will not soon forget.

Impress your Jewish grandma with Gravlax. Thaw a filet of commercially frozen (for health reasons) salmon, roll in sugar and minced dill, arrange on a Himalayan salt plate, cover with a heavy brick of Himalayan salt, wrap in paper bag and refrigerate for three days, slice, serve with crème fraîche and melba toast or just eat.

Getting back to basics, just use it as a serving platter for butter, cheeses, dried meats, or your daily does of pickled ginger and wasabi. When used as a plate for moist food such as apple slices and mozzarella, the food acquires an enhanced salt and mineral flavoring. One of ours serves as our regular butter dish.

Place our larger platters of the Himalayan salt on the rack of your oven, preheat, and then bake bread, pizza, and savory pastries.

Take a bath, breaking up an old salt plate and tossing it into the tub to serve as an excellent and therapeutic bath salt, and pumice stone.

And check out the following website for a catalog of some of the gourmet salts. Yes, they are expensive, but because you use less and don’t add them while cooking but rather to finish off you meal, and they don’t go bad and will last indefinitely, so I think that they are worth the money.

Website resources:

http://www.saltnews.com/cooking-with-himalayan-salt-plates-blocks-bricks-platters/

http://www.saltworks.us/docs/Wholesale-Gourmet-Salt-Catalog.pdf

http://www.herbcompanion.com/cooking/pairing-herbs-gourmet-cooking-salts.aspx

http://www.herbcompanion.com/print-article.aspx?id=2147487963

http://www.saltinstitute.org/Uses-benefits/Salt-in-history

http://www.saltworks.us/salt_info/salt-uses-and-tips.asp

http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/Articles/Exotic-Herbs-Spices-and-Salts-639/culinary-salt-guide.aspx

http://www.foodsubs.com/Salt.html#salt

http://www.artisansalt.com/products.html

Our May program will be "Herbal Salts"

2011-05-08T10:43:00.000-05:00

Hope to see everyone at our May 11, 2011 meeting at 10:00 a.m. about "Herbal Salts" presented by Linda T. Collins.
Location: ACISD Maintenance Department (Formerly Rockport Elementary), 619 N. Live Oak Street, Room 14, Rockport, Texas.

7th Rockport Herb Festival

2011-04-24T17:31:00.000-05:00

Hello Herbies!

On behalf of all the members of the Rockport Herb & Study Group, I want to extend a big thank you to everyone for participating in our 7th Rockport Herb Festival. We had a very good attendance this year of about 300 to 350 attendees. We also received very positive comments from speakers, vendors and attendees. So here is a big thank you to everyone that helped to make it successful!

Now to let you know that we took a vote prior to our Herb Festival, and we decided that it has become a very large project for a group as small as ours to put on every year. So we decided that this 7th Rockport Herb Festival was going to be our last festival. Several factors were entertained to enable us to reach a decision not to sponsor it again, i.e. the question of whether Paws and Taws will be available next year due to possible renovations of the building, our very limited budget, the time and effort that it takes making all the arrangements for the festival, and the fact that many of us have other personal issues (health, family, travel, etc.) that we are dealing with at this time. We are just tired and worn out!

If anyone is interested in "taking" over the festival, please feel free to contact one of us, and we can give you the basics of what needs to be done! Yes, just what needs to be done in a nutshell! LOL!

We will continue to have our monthly group meetings on the second Wednesday of every month in addition to the occasional field trips.

Hope to see everyone at our May 11, 2011 meeting at 10:00 a.m. about "Herbal Salts" presented by me, Linda T. Collins. Location: ACISD Maintenance Department (Formerly Rockport Elementary), 619 N. Live Oak Street, Room 14, Rockport, Texas.

And continue to keep up with our website and blog for interesting information about herbs.

Again, thank you everyone for your continued support of the festival over the years.

Linda

Linda T. Collins
Rockport Herb & Rose Study Group
Post Office Box 1988
Rockport, TX 78381
361-729-6037
361-729-6058 (Fax)
www.rockportherbs.org
http://rockportherbies.blogspot.com

Chef Kevin Lasagna – Meat and Four Cheese

2011-04-10T08:51:00.006-05:00

Chef Kevin Lasagna – Meat and Four Cheese

Ingredients:

Pasta:
2 cups flour
1 tsp table salt
2 eggs
2 tbs. water

Sauce:
4 tbs extra virgin olive oil
Dried Red Pepper Flakes
1 yellow onion
5 - 10 whole clove garlic
5 to 6 roma tomatoes
1 cup red table wine
Fresh Basel
Fresh thyme
Bay leaves
Salt pepper

Meat:
1 lbs chuck steak with a good amount of fat
1/2 lbs pork chop(if you can't grind your own meat use 80/20 ground beef and ground pork)
1 qt. Low sodium beef broth

Cheeses:
1 lb smoked provolone
1 lb Philadelphia cream cheese
1 lb feta cheese
1 lb mozzarella cheese in liquid

Instructions:

Pasta: To make pasta from scratch, you will need the right equipment. There are pasta makers but I recommend that if you have a kitchen aid, get the attachment. If you don't want to bother with making your own pasta you can use the readymade lasagna noodles (follow the box instructions).

First take 2 cups flour and a tsp of table salt in the standing mixer, mix till combined. Beat the 2 eggs with the 2 tbs of water until combined. Start the mixer on medium speed with the dry ingredients in the bowl with the dough hook attached. Slowly add the egg and water mix to the flour until a dough ball forms, about 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, if the dough hasn’t formed a good ball, DON’T add water. Just take the dough out and finish it on a lightly floured table.

Once it is combined into a ball wrap it tight in plastic wrap and let it rest at room temperature for at least 20 minutes. While dough is resting put a pot on the stove with 1 gallon of water and bring it to a boil. While waiting for the water to boil, start the sauce.

Sauce: Coarsely chop the tomatoes and fine dice the onion, dice the garlic, Basel, thyme, keeping them all separate. Take a 12 inch skillet on the stove top and heat the oil over medium high heat add the red pepper flakes till just fragrant, about 15 seconds. Add the onion and cook till just brown on the edges about 5 minutes. Add the garlic cook till just fragrant about 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes and wine bring to a low boil. Reduce heat till you have a simmer. Add bay leaf and cover till well combined about 30 minutes. While waiting on sauce, start grinding the meat.

Meat: Again if you have a kitchen aid, use the meat grinding attachment. If you don't have the grinder attachment use 80/20 hamburger and mix with fresh ground pork. Cut the steak and pork chop into long strips about an inch thick, run them through your grinder to combine. Bring beef broth to a boil and add ground meat. Cook till slightly pink season with salt and pepper to taste. Put cooked meat into strainer set aside.

Once the sauce is done cooking, remove the bay leave and add the fresh basil and thyme. Combine with the drained meat. Pre heat oven to 350 degrees.

Take your rested pasta ball and divide it into about golf ball size pieces. Run the pasta through the pasta attachment until it has reached number 7 on the dial. Trim into two even pieces, about 2 inches wide and 12 inches long. Place in the boiling water for about 5 minutes then drain water and place pasta in cold water just to stop the cooking process, pull out when just warm.

Mix the cream cheese and the feta together in a bowl and soften in the microwave for about 30 seconds.

To assemble take some of the sauce and coat the bottom of your lasagna pan. Apply a layer of pasta. Then take your cheese mix and place in a piping bag and pipe strips down the length of the pasta. Place a layer of sauce. Apply a layer of provolone then pasta. Repeat two or three more times for the top lay down a layer of sauce and place the mozzarella cheese evenly onto of the lasagna. Cover with tin foil and bake in the oven for 30 to 45 minutes. Remove the tin foil and cook another 15 to 20 minutes till the cheese has browned. Remove from oven and let rest for 20 minutes cut and serve. Enjoy!

SEVENTH ROCKPORT HERB FESTIVAL

2011-04-06T19:15:00.008-05:00

Saturday, April 9, 2011 from 8:30 a.m. until 3:30 p.m.

Paws & Taws Fulton Convention Center, 402 N. Fulton Beach Road, Rockport-Fulton, TX

Presented by the Rockport Herb & Rose Study Group

SPEAKERS

On-going Anita Reeves, A-ReMark-able Experience, Distillation Demonstration

9:00 a.m. Judy Barrett, author of What Can I Do With My Herbs? and What Makes Heirloom Plants So Great? and publisher of Homegrown.

10:30 a.m. Susan Wittig Albert, author of China Bayles series and Cottage Tales of Beatrix Potter series

Noon Chef Kevin Argetsinger, graduate of Del Mar Culinary Art School, presenting a cooking demonstration.

1:30 p.m. Jeff Transeau, Charta Olives, Growing Olives in Texas.

VENDORS

A-ReMark-able Experience
Annette’s Plumerias
Aransas/San Patricio Master Gardeners
Charta Olives
Earthworks Nursery
Garden Charms
Judy Barrett’s Books
Lilling Taylor Herbal Products
Lucia’s Garden
Mary Ware Glassware
Murder by the Book
Nile Valley Herbs
Susan Layman’s Herb Boxes
The Herb Cottage
Todd’s Home Grown Veggies

Our Thanks to: Holiday Inn Express

Filoli- a preserved mansion and grounds from the early 20th Century.

2011-03-30T15:21:00.005-05:00

By Cindy Meredith, Proprietor of The Herb Cottage

In late February I visited my family in California's San Francisco Bay Area. During my stay we visited an early 20th Century mansion called Filoli. The estate is about 30 miles south of San Franciso in a rural community called Woodside. The Mansion itself is open and gives a glimpse of a life of wealth in the first half of the 20th Century. While I'm not so much into looking at furniture, carpets and wallpaper, the grounds of Filoli captivated me. Most of the gardens are formal with long, axial views to a focal point. The eastern slope of the Santa Cruz Mountains forms a rustic backdrop to the place that makes the formality of the grounds even more appealing.

For more information and beautiful photos of Filoli, go to Filoli- a preserved mansion and grounds from the early 20th Century.

CULINARY HERBS FOR SPRINGTIME---

2011-03-13T17:38:00.001-05:00

Click on the link below to get the complete notes for the presentation.

Warm-Weather Herbs for the Texas Gulf Coast--
Notes Prepared by Linda Collins – Presentation given by Cindy Meredith
Planting Herbs (warm-weather herbs vs. cool-weather herbs). Often we buy herbs that give us growing instructions, and we follow the instructions and they die. Why? Because the instructions are for growing herbs up in the north which have mild summers and cold winters. The Texas Gulf Coast is a whole different story for growing herbs. We plant warm-weather herbs in the spring and remove them when they die at the end of their growing period in the fall.
Then we plant cool-weather herbs in the fall, and if we have a mild winter, they should keep growing until it heats up in late spring or early summer. This provides for a year-round herb garden. If we have a mild winter, many of these annuals can become perennials.

CULINARY HERBS FOR SPRINGTIME presented by Linda T. Collins

2011-03-07T17:19:00.000-06:00

SUBJECT: CULINARY HERBS FOR SPRINGTIME presented by Linda T. Collins

WHAT: Rockport Herb & Rose Study Group

WHEN: Second Wednesday of every month, next meeting March 9, 2011 at 10:00 a.m.

WHERE: ACISD Maintenance Department (Formerly Rockport Elementary), 619 N. Live Oak Street, Room 14, Rockport, Texas

WHY: To educate those interested in herbs.

Often we buy herbs that give us growing instructions, and we follow the instructions and they die. Why? Linda will give a list of some of the better culinary herbs to plant for springtime. She is a member of our herb study group and a Master Gardener.

And we will have a business meeting following the program. We need to get the "7th Rockport Herb Festival" plans finalized. It's only a month away. So come prepared, and we can continue our discussions over lunch if necessary!

Come and learn everything you ever wanted to know about herbs. Did you know that there are over 2,000 herbs and that roses are herbs too? And did you know that many of our Texas Native Plants are also herbs? Herbs have been used for centuries for not only culinary purposes, but also for medicinal uses, in cosmetics, cleaning solutions, clothing (one of which is Gossypium cotton), building supplies and art and craft purposes.

Our herb study group was founded in March 2003 and meets the second Wednesday of every month at the ACISD Maintenance Department (Formerly Rockport Elementary), 619 N. Live Oak Street, Room 14, Rockport, Texas at 10:00 a.m. to discuss all aspects of using and growing herbs including the historical uses of the herbs and tips for successful propagation and cultivation. We are open to the public. Some members of the group are available as speakers to other audiences.

The Rockport Herb & Rose Study Group, founded in March 2003, is a non-profit educational organization dedicated to increasing public knowledge and awareness about herbs.

More Herb Information

2011-02-17T10:50:00.007-06:00

According to Deni Bown, author of The Herb Society of America Encyclopedia of Herbs & Their Uses an herb (either the French pronunciation of 'erb or the English pronunciation of herb with the hard H is correct) is:

The term herb also has more than one definition. Botanists describe an herb as a small, seed-bearing plant with fleshly, rather than woody, parts (from which we get the term herbaceous). In this book, it refers to a far wider range of plants. In addition to herbaceous perennials, herbs include trees, shrubs, annuals, vines, and more primitive plants, such as ferns, mosses, algae, lichens, and fungi. They are valued for their flavor, fragrance, medicinal and healthful qualities, economic and industrial uses, pesticidal properties, and coloring materials (dyes).

OK, now for some really good information about herbs, be sure to check out Herbs for the Upper Gulf Coast of Texas a Galveston County Master Gardener publication. Even though the publication is directed for the upper coast, it certainly works for us here on the coastal bend.

Also, if you are a fan of Southern Herb Growing: Growing Herbs in the South by Madeline Hill & Gwen Barclay, you will enjoy the above publication.

Enjoy!

GOURDS PROGRAM: Herb Study Group & Barbra's Cauliflower Salad Recipe

2011-02-10T10:58:00.030-06:00

Hey Herbies!

For those of you that missed yesterday's Herb Study Group on gourds . . . well you missed a really great program presented by Pat Baugh!

A gourd is a plant in the Cucurbitaceae family which also includes squash, pumpkin, cucumber, and many types of melons. I knew that gourds were used for utilitarian uses, but I didn’t know that some of them can be harvested very young and added to stir fries, used in mainly Asian and Indian cooking. Here is a website with lots of good gourd information along with some recipes: http://www.seedtosupper.com/cucumbers.html.

Also bitter gourds have been used as medicinal herbs for ailments including dysentery, colic, fevers, burns, headaches, boils, painful menstruation, scabies and other skin problems.

The Buffalo Gourd C. foetidissima is native to the southwest United States, and it is often recognized by its stinky odor. Despite its odor, various Native American and Mexican tribes have used buffalo gourd for at least nine thousand years. It has been used traditionally in various ways as a food, cosmetic, detergent, insecticide and ritualistic rattle, to name a few. As research discovers the important resources of buffalo gourd’s past, it can be expected this plant will become a valuable asset to the future.
(From website: http://medplant.nmsu.edu/buffalo.shtm).

For more information on gourds, go online and put in a search for gourds. There is lots of information out there on the Internet! I really like this website about gourds: http://www.hort.purdue.edu/ext/HO-135.pdf.

Also you missed a really great salad prepared and brought to us by our member Barbra Fox. For those of you that haven't met Barbra, she and her hubby have a weekend place in Copano Village with their permanent residence being San Antonio. Well the salad was wonderful and here is the recipe.

Barbra's Cauliflower Salad

Sauce:
6 heaping tablespoons of Hellman's Mayonnaise
2 heaping tablespoons of powdered sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons of horseradish

Ingredients:
1 head of cauliflower
1 red bell pepper
1 bunch of bulb onions
3 ribs of celery
1 can of black olives, thinly sliced
20 green olives, thinly sliced
*3 Roma tomatoes, chopped

Directions:
Mix together all ingredients except for tomatoes and put into a large plastic bag and refrigerate at least overnight. Right before serving, *add 3 Roma tomatoes.

After the meeting we were discussing additions and/or variations for the salad. Here are just a few that we came up with:

• finely chopped red onion
• broccoli
• shredded cabbage
• any color bell pepper
• hot peppers (capsicums) for more heat
• shredded or thinly sliced cucumbers
• shredded or thinly sliced carrots
• sliced green onions
• roasted peanuts
• bean sprouts
• fresh herbs, any that you like

And we were discussing that you can use just the sauce for coleslaw. And I was thinking that you could make it as an oriental salad by substituting the horseradish for wasabi (possibly using less depending on your heat level) with a little soy sauce and pouring it over some oriental vegetables such as parboiled sugar snap peas, parboiled snow peas, shredded or thinly sliced cucumbers, shredded or thinly sliced carrots, sliced green onions, roasted peanuts, bean sprouts, etc.

Thank you so much Barbra!

Avocado Beauty Tips

2011-02-02T16:18:00.002-06:00

The following is from Jeanne Rose's Aromatherapy Newsletter. Since lots of us like avocados, I thought you'd find this most interesting:

How To Use An Avocado For Beauty Care

The avocado you use should be fully ripe. If you buy several unripe ones for future use, let them mellow in your fruit bowl (they will ripen more quickly with apples) or put them in a paper bag, or wrap them in foil to hasten the process.

You may store your ripe avocados in the refrigerator, but never put this delicate fruit in the freezer. It might just die of shock. How do you know when the avocado is ripe? Hold it in the palm of your hand and gently press it with your fingers. A ripe fruit will yield to your touch. It will open easily, peel evenly and reveal its glorious green gold interior.

When the beauty formula calls for MASHED, PUREED pulp, the procedure is quite simple. Peel your avocado (or one-half) and remove the pit. Then PUREE or MASH, by using a fork, blender, potato ricer, food processor or the sieve.

The avocado like any other organic matter is perishable. The formulas are designed for ONE TIME USE, and should be freshly made for each treatment. Some formulas may be refrigerated up to 48 hours.

To prevent the avocado or whenever it is with other ingredients from darkening, place plastic wrap directly on the surface of the avocado mixture so as not to expose the mixture to air. The usual method of adding lemon or limejuice for this purpose may be too harsh for skin that is dry or sensitive.

Avocado Facial Cleanser

Beat the yolk of an egg until it is light and frothy, add a half-cup of milk and the mashed half of a ripe peeled avocado. A blender is handy here, but if you do not have one, beat the mixture with a fork until you have a thin cream or lotion-like consistency. Apply on squares of cotton as you would any other cleanser. You may also use this deep cleanser after ordinary soap and water, if your skin is normal. It is quite effective against pollution and grime. Therefore, it is a very pure method of keeping your complexion free of the pollutants that can interfere with normal skin function.

Since the formula is perishable, we suggest making it every other day and storing it in the refrigerator between uses.

California Avocado Moisturizer

The inside of the avocado peel is actually valuable. The peel and the oil hidden in the peel are a wonderful facial moisturizer as well as gentle exfoliant. The peel oil contains a humectant, a substance that holds moisture. Using gentle upward strokes, lightly massage your face with the inside of the peel. Let the oil residue remain on your skin for about 15 minutes. At that time you may either leave the oil on your skin and go to sleep or, if you intend to put on make-up, wash your face gently with three or four rinses of tepid water and pat dry. The oil will be invisible but it is there, ready to hold your foundation or powder in place for hours.

Aztec Mystery Eye Treatment

Nobody really knows WHY this is so effective on under-eye puffiness, but it IS! The procedure is very simple: peel an avocado, remove the pit, and slice a half into quarter-inch crescents. Lie down, secure a few slices under each eye, and rest for about 20 minutes. The result is corrective magic!

Santa Barbara's Dry Skin Masque

Beat the yolk of an egg until it is light and frothy, and then add the mashed pulp of a half avocado, blending it well 4 (you may use a blender at this point). Cleanse your face thoroughly before using this masque (or any masque).

Spread the avocado mixture over the face and neck evenly; relax on a slant board or bed for about 20 minutes.

Remove with clear tepid water and a face cloth, followed by a rinse of cold water or a mild skin lotion. The result should be a marked improvement in skin texture, and all-around revitalizing.

Santa Monica's Oily Skin Masque

Put the white of an egg, a teaspoon of lemon juice, and the mashed pulp of a half avocado into a blender. In seconds, you should have a lovely green mixture. Wash your face and neck thoroughly, then apply masque evenly on those areas. Relax for 20 minutes; remove with tepid water and a face cloth. Follow with cold astringent or skin tonic.

Home Brew for Hands

Cold weather's rapid arrival is bad news for hand texture.

"Make your hand beautifier by mixing a quarter of an Avocado in a small bowl with one egg white, two teaspoons of flaked uncooked oatmeal and a teaspoon of lemon juice. Blend and apply evenly to your hands. Wrap hands in saran wrap and leave on for 20 minutes. Rinse off with warm water."

The result should be luxurious and effective. This treatment is an exfoliating scrub that will leave dry, rough skin noticeably softer and smoother.

--(This tip taken from www.thirdage.com) Reprinted with permission

Avocado Elbow, Heel, and Knee Abrasive

If you have hard horny tissue on any of these places, take a piece of Avocado peel and scrape away the meat. The inner part of the peel contains a potent cosmetic oil, which acts as a humectant. The peel will feel slightly abrasive; rub this on your elbows, knees or heels, wherever there is any horny tissue that needs exfoliation. First, it will feel oily and leave your skin green, and then as you rub it, it will feel more abrasive. The dead skin seems to dissolve and your elbows will feel satiny smooth. Rub any excess oil into the skin as a moisturizer.

—From The Herbal Body Book, with permission

Garden Protector

Mash your fingers into a fresh Avocado before gardening. The flesh will get under your fingernails instead of the dirt.

Avocado Scalp Pack for Dry, Sunburned, and Over bleached Hair

1.Beat an egg to froth in a blender and add 1/2 Avocado until well blended.

2. Apply the green goo, section by section, to your hair, applying from the scalp outward until you reach the end of each strand of hair.

3. Massage completely into the scalp and put on a plastic shower cap, so that the heat from the head will facilitate the absorption of the protein and oils.

4. After 20 minutes, start rinsing off the mixture beginning with cool water, then tepid, and then warm. Never rinse an egg mixture with hot water as it will ‘cook’ and may become like scrambled eggs.

5. Rub your hair dry with a towel or with your hands or with a piece of silk for a glossy finish. Then brush.

—From The Herbal Body Book, with permission

Avocado Hand and Foot Scrub to Carry Away Calloused Tissue

In your hands, mash 1 T. Avocado with 1 or 2 T. Cornmeal. Rub your hands together, squish your fingers about, interlock them and massage each joint —one at a time— with a bit of the meal. Very cleansing and softening.

Avocado Pit Massage

Wash any flesh away from the Avocado pit and use the pit to massage face, throat, chest, or legs. Massage in circular motions everywhere to help break down fat and to firm up flesh. It is also nice to do this massage with anAvocado pit in each hand while you are taking an herbal bath. Start at the toes and work up your legs inside and out, in big revolving circles, around the stomach, abdomen, breasts, and on up to the chest, throat, and face. Finish with a stimulating spray from your shower.

—From The Herbal Body Book, with permission

HORSERADISH- Herb of the Year 2011

2011-01-15T17:23:00.001-06:00

In 1995 the International Herb Association started naming a Herb of the Year. This practice brings focus each year to a particular herb so herb enthusiasts, groups and gardeners can learn more about an individual herb. This year, 2011, Horseradish, Armoracia rusticana, is the herb of the year. So, let's explore this pungent, powerful herb.

Want to clear you sinuses? Prevent scurvy? Bring tears to your eyes? Then Horseradish is the herb for you!
Botanical Info

•Family: Brassicaceae- related to mustard, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kale, and Brussels sprouts.
•Genus and species: Armoracia rusticana
•Other common names: Scurvy Grass, Mountain Radish, Great Mountain Root, Pepperroot

Considered a bitter herb, helping digestion and appetite.

Horseradish is a root crop that is thought to be native to Northern or Central Europe. It is known almost world wide now. It is in the Brassicaceae Family- the same family as broccoli, cabbage, kale and other related vegetables. It is grown for its pungent roots, although the young leaves can be eaten as well. It is a slender, tapered root, white or beige in color with a thin skin.

The name, Horseradish, seems to have come a round about way. In German, the plant is called "meerrettich", sea radish, since it grows well in coastal areas. It is thought the English mis-interpreted the word "meer" thinking it referred to a mare or female horse and called the plant "mare radish". Then, that name was adulterated into "horse", hence the name Horseradish.

HISTORY
In England until the 1600's, Horseradish was only used medicinally although they did note that the Germans used it as a condiment. By the 1600's, however, Horseradish had found its way into the diet of country folk and laborers, as it was thought it was "too strong for tender and gentle stomachs." By the late 1600's, however, it was in common use for all. Roast Beef and Oysters, especially, were routinely accompanied by Horseradish.

Horseradish made its way to America with the earliest European settlers. It was common in the northeast by 1806 or so and escaped from gardens into the wild. By the 1850's commercial production began in the midwest due to the fertile alluvial soil on the Illinois side of the Mississippi River and continues today.

There's even an International Horseradish Festival on the first weekend in June in Collinsville, Illinois, the Horseradish Capitol of the World!

HORSERADISH CULTIVATION
Horseradish is not found in home gardens in the US as much as it used to be. The fact that once established, it's difficult to eradicate, somewhat like Comfrey, may be one reason. A small piece of root will grow a whole new plant. Another reason must be the easy availability of numerous commercially prepared products. Horseradish aficionados will tell you, though, commercially prepared Horseradish is no match for home made.

Growing it is easy. It likes deep, fertile, well-drained soil that is also able to hold moisture. It can grow in full sun to part shade. The leafy part of the plant reaches to about 3 feet high and wide. It is hardy to Zone 5. If your soil is very dense, grow your Horseradish in a large container. It works great that way, and it won't invade your growing area.

Horseradish Plant
Even though the plant is a perennial, it is usually treated as an annual, with the roots dug in late Fall or early Spring. Planting is done in early Spring as soon as the soil can be worked. Fertile soil makes the best roots, so organic amendments are dug into the soil before planting. If you're already growing your own, use the narrow, pencil-thin side roots as planting stock for the following season. Home gardeners can dig the roots as they need them, so long as the soil isn't frozen, of course.

If your soil freezes hard, dig the roots in the Fall and store them in plastic bags in the refrigerator or make it into condiment right away. Save the small side shoots to plant in the Spring. They are best stored in an area with high humidity to keep them from drying out. With the roots in a plastic bag, a root cellar or the refrigerator is fine. Storing in damp sand is another way to keep them. Watch the roots for soft spots and cut out bad spots or remove any roots that go soft, for that will cause the whole root to eventually rot.

For good root production, Horseradish needs a long growing season. Planted in early Spring where Winters are cold, the leafy growth happens during the warm Summer months with adequate moisture. Most of the root growth happens in the cool weather of early Fall after the tops are established. Therefore, Horseradish is generally thought of as a crop for the Northern areas of the US. In the Southern US and other areas where the weather is mild, high elevation will help the crop. And, in the southern parts of Texas and other Gulf States, Horseradish can be planted in the Fall and grown over the Winter, with harvest in mid Spring before the Summer heat sets in.

Horseradish is a heavy feeder and studies have shown that the crop grows best in soil that has been well amended before planting rather than having the crop fertilized during its growth.

Commercial growers may lift the roots during the growing season and trim off the side rootlets and replant to create a larger single root, but this is not done by most home gardeners.

HERBAL USES

Strong diuretic and diaphoretic (inducing perspiration)-. Promotes urine flow and sweating, removing fluids and toxins from the body. Removal of excess fluids can help lymphatic congestion, pericarditis (fluid around the heart) and general edema(accumulation of fluids in tissues that produce swelling. Helps flush impurities and small stones from kidneys, bladder, including uric acid. Uric Acid build up is responsible for gout and possibly arthritis and rheumatism. Increases urine flow which can, along with its antibacterial qualities, alleviate urinary and bladder infections.

In Germany, Horseradish is approved as an add on treatment to prescription drugs for relieving symptoms of bladder infections.

It is believed the chemicals in Horseradish concentrate in the bladder. They may be activate certain enzymes that help keep toxins- including carcinogens, from accumulating in the bladder.

EXPECTORANT- helps break up chest congestion, eliminate mucus and waste fluids from respiratory tract.

Helps alleviate bronchitis, emphysema, persistent coughs, dry cough, whooping cough and symptoms in influenza.

CLEAR SINUSES- because of it pungency, Horseradish can clear sinuses and bring tears to the eyes.

While draining sinuses and lungs, antibacterial properties help inhibit sinus infection and lung infection.

STOMACH TONIC- strengthens and tones the function of the stomach and improve digestion. Acts as a cholagogue- a substance that stimulates bile production in the gall bladder, helping to digest fatty foods. Helps relieve indigestion, colitis, poor appetite and flatulence.

MILD LAXATIVE- eases gastrointestinal problems by speeding food through the digestive system.

Antibacterial and antiseptic qualities further help protect intestinal tract.

Can help expel intestinal worms from intestines.

STIMULATES CIRCULATION- both internally and externally

INTERNALLY- warms and improve peripheral blood circulation, bringing blood to the extremities.

EXTERNALLY- also stimulates circulation and as a topical anti-inflammatory, it reduces inflammation. It is a rubefacient herb, bringing blood to the skin. Effective in poultices and as a massage oil. Relieves muscle aches, arthritic and rheumatic joints.

As external rub, it is used to break up chest congestion and ease pleurisy. Contains high Vitamin C and has been used to prevent scurvy. One of the common names for Horseradish is Scurvy Grass!

CULINARY USES

Most of us are familiar with commercially prepared Horseradish Sauce. It is used with many dishes as a condiment. Its uses are many: roast beef, sauces, mixed with mayonnaise as a spread, mixed with catsup and a little lemon for a seafood dipping sauce or cocktail sauce for shrimp. Fresh oysters are often served with prepared Horseradish on the side. And, to me, a pastrami sandwich isn't complete without Horseradish.

If you grow your own or purchase a fresh root, the preparation is easy. Scrape the skin off the root and then grate the root. Be sure there is plenty of ventilation for you, because Horseradish is very strong. Again.. think onions on steroids! For each cup of grated root, add ? cup white, rice or other light vinegar and a little salt to taste. Store in a tightly closed container in the refrigerator or up to several months. Red Horseradish is made by adding grated raw beets or mustard may also be added. You can freeze the grated root for several months as well to make a fresh sauce when needed.

Although not done much in the US, Horseradish root can be cooked as a root vegetable. The oils that cause the heat are destroyed and it loses it hotness to become rather earthy, nutty and sweet, although some pungency remains. Try adding it to winter vegetable soups and stews. It can also be baked with other root vegetables or winter squash in casseroles.

Here are some various ways to use horseradish root.

I have tried in the past to grow Horseradish in my Texas garden with no success. However, the Aggie Horticulture website says it can be and is grown here. So, I am determined to try it again with my new knowledge of it needs and growing conditions.

QUOTE FOR THE MONTH

I realize that patriotism is not enough. I must have no hatred or bitterness towards anyone. -Edith Cavell, nurse and humanitarian (1865-1915)

Until Next Time,
Good Growing to You,
Cindy Meredith, proprietor
The Herb Cottage
442 CR 233
Hallettsville, TX 77964
phone & fax: 979-562-2153
http://theherbcottage.com/

January 12, 2011 Program: Horseradish by Cindy Meredith

2011-01-04T11:20:00.003-06:00

Rockport Herb & Rose Study Group Meeting for January 12, 2011 Program: Horseradish by Cindy Meredith

Horseradish Armoracia rusticana has been named "Herb of the Year" by the International Herb Association http://www.iherb.org/hoy2011.htm. It is in the Brassicaceae (Cruciferae) Family which also includes cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, turnip, rapeseed, mustard, radish, horseradish, cress, wasabi and watercress. Horseradish is probably native to southern Russia and eastern Ukraine but is cultivated widely in Europe and North America, where it has frequently escaped.

OK, it's a new year and I'm thinking about changing our Monthly Study Group meeting notifications. Suggestions are welcome.

Date: Wednesday, January 12, 2011 at 10:00 a.m.

Regular location: ACISD Maintenance Department (Formerly Rockport Elementary), 619 N. Live Oak Street, Room 14, Rockport, Texas

And remember everyone is always welcome to go to lunch after our meetings. We decide where we want to eat at the meeting.

Hope to see everyone for our January meeting!

And be sure to check our our websites.

I never promised you an "Urb" garden

2010-12-11T15:02:00.001-06:00

But if you read this you just might get one. You never know what you will find from Facebook friends. I have a friend who is living in the Netherlands now. She posted this on her site. I have to admit it is too much trouble for me but if I were younger and had more energy I would surely give it a try. Thank you Gayla.

Herb and Urban Garden makes the Urb Garden
This is the ultimate herb garden. It’s not yet in production, but was designed by Xavier Calluaud and shows lots of promise. It employs drip watering, worms and compost to provide fresh edible plants. The design is named “Urb Garden” and was designed in Australia. The Urb Garden is a vertical garden designed to encourage personal food production in small urban domestic environments.

The vertical garden is compact which is perfect for balconies, courtyards and community gardens.
It’s made from HDPE which is easily recycled and fully weather resistant. Food scraps are then placed into the worm farm which produces liquid fertilizer. Water is then added to the fertilizer and the liquid is pumped up to a holding tank. It then drips down through the growing pods and then drains back to the tank to be recycled through the system. The potting mix can be refreshed with castings from the worm farm before replanting.

For photos and instruction follow the links.

DECEMBER, CHRISTMAS AND WINTER HOLIDAY HERBS

2010-12-04T14:30:00.066-06:00

Over the years, I have done some research on December, Christmas and Winter Holiday Herbs, and here is just a little information that I found about some of these holiday herbs.

December Holiday Herbs and Their Symbolism

· Basil Ocimum basilicum - Love and good wishes, herbs of kings
· Bay Laurel Laurus nobilis - Glory, reward of merit
· Boxwood Buxus sempervirens - Constancy, stoicism, constant love
· Cedar Cedrus, fir Abies, juniper Juniperus, spruce Picea abies - Living presence of the Holy Spirit, prayers ascending
· Costmary Tanacetum balsamita - Bible Herb, Herbes Sainte-Marie, fidelity
· Cypress Cupressus sempervirens - Longevity, eternal life, mourning
· Everlastings Helichrysum (Celosia, Globe, Statice, Amaranth, Strawflower) - Life everlasting
· Holly Ilex - Reminder of the crown of thorns
· Ivy Hedera - Reminds us by its habit of clinging to a strong wall of our Human frailties in need of divine support
· Marigold Tagetes - Mary's plant, friendship flower
· Marjoram Origanum marjorana and Oregano Origanum vulgare - Joy, happiness, kindness
· Mint Mentha - Lady's mint, eternal refreshment, wisdom, virtue
· Mistletoe Viscum - Eternal life springs forth in the midst of seeming death
· Myrtle Myrtus communis - Love, dedicated to Mary, symbol of virginity
· Parsley Petroselinum crispum - Mary's little finger, festivity, feast
· Pennyroyal Mentha pulegium - Manger herb, flee away
· Pine Pinus - Longevity, eternal and vigorous life, friendship
· Pot Marigold Calendula Officinalis - Mary's Gold
· Rose Rosa - Purity, God's love expressed
· Rosemary Rosmarinus officinalis - Mary's tree, remembrance, love, friendship, loyalty
· Rue Ruta graveolens - Herb of grace, virtue, banishes evil
· Sage Salvia officinalis - Immortality, health, happiness
· Santolina Santolina chamaecyparissus - Great virtue, avoids evil
· Statice Limonium sinuatum and Globe Amaranth gomphrena - Life everlasting
· Thyme Thymus - Bravery, a manger herb
· Winter Savory Satureja montana - Interest, spiciness, manger herb
· Wormwood Artemisia absinthium - Life everlasting, absence
· Yew Taxus -Penitence, sorrow, sadness

COSTMARY Tanacetum balsamita--Costmary leaves were used to add spice to holiday ale, or wassail, in old Europe. Ivy and bay laurel were long used, along with other greens, to help celebrate the winter solstice in early Europe, with ivy symbolizing friendship and bay laurel as a reminder that the long winter would soon melt into spring.

ENGLISH PENNYROYAL Mentha pulegium--This perennial herb was said to have been placed in the manger on the night of the Christ child's birth and burst into bloom the moment the child was born. English pennyroyal adds a fragrant aroma to wreaths but can be toxic if ingested, so keep it out of reach of pets and children. It is often used in potpourri and cosmetics and is native to southern Europe and western Asia.

NOTE: Safety/Precautions for Pennyroyal which is a well-known abortificant

Pennyroyal has been used traditionally to induce abortions. Pennyroyal is dangerous and has led to serious adverse effects and death. Therefore, pennyroyal should not be used for this or any purpose.

This is a medicinal herb and should not be taken internally for any reason.

LAVENDER Lavandula--The Virgin Mary is said to have dried her newborn's swaddling clothes by spreading them on a bed of wild lavender. This herb, also of the mint family, grows as a small evergreen shrub. It has grey-green leaves, light purple flowers, and a sweet floral scent. When dried it can be used whole for wreaths and centerpieces or crushed to use in sachets for closets or drawers or to scent a bath.

ROSEMARY Rosmarinus officinalis--One of the most beautiful and fragrant of the seasoned herbs, rosemary, according to folklore, will bring happiness for the coming year to anyone who smells it on Christmas Eve.

Until the 20th century, rosemary was a very popular Christmas evergreen, right up there with holly and mistletoe. A gilded rosemary sprig was a treasured gift. Why it fell out of use is a mystery, but it is starting to make a comeback with the use of rosemary in holiday wreaths and rosemary topiaries as small Christmas trees. Perhaps the use of rosemary, which symbolizes remembrance, can help us to remember the meanings of our winter holidays.

Just a note on those cute little rosemary Christmas trees: They don’t like being pruned up as a Christmas tree, and they don’t like living in the house, so right after Christmas plant them outside and let them grow back to their nature shape, and you will be rewarded with a great culinary herb.

During the flight into Egypt, Mary spread her child's garments on a rosemary plant to dry. The flowers, originally white, turned blue and acquired the sweet scent they have today.

Another legend claims that at midnight on January 5, the "old Christmas Eve," rosemary plants will simultaneously burst into flower in celebration of Christmas. Rosemary plants add attractiveness and fragrance to holiday wreaths and are especially suitable for tussie mussies, which are small bouquets made with dried flowers, doilies, and ribbons for use at individual place settings on the holiday dinner table.

WILD THYME Thymus serpyllum--This pungent herb, a member of the mint family, was collected from the fields outside of Bethlehem to make a soft bed for Mary during the birth of her child. It is thought to have antiseptic properties and was burned as incense later in history by the Greeks. Today thyme is a popular culinary seasoning but can be used in dried flower arrangements, bouquets, and potpourri during the holiday season.

FRANKINCENSE Boswellia sacra and MYRRH Commiphora myrrha--Christianity teaches that frankincense and myrrh were given by the Three Kings along with gold, as gifts to baby Jesus. They were once considered to be rare treasures. Legend has it that both frankincense and myrrh were worth their weight in gold. Also yarrow Achillea, sometimes called the “carpenter’s weed” because of its healing powers, is significant in the holiday tradition because of its association with Joseph the Carpenter. Today there is a blend of frankincense, myrrh and gold yarrow which is named “Potpourri of Three Kings”.

All three of these herbs have been used as medicinal herbs for centuries. Both frankincense Boswellia sacra and myrrh Commiphora myrrha are drought-resident shrubs which grow in the wild in the Middle East and the resins are harvested throughout the year, but the resins collected during the hottest and driest part of the season are considered the best. If you want to try to grow them, they will need well-drained to dry soil and full sun with temperatures being a minimum 50º to 60º. (The above two photos are myrrh trees.)

I FOUND THE FOLLOWING TO BE VERY INTERESTING. It was sent to me by Michael Bettler, LUCIA'S GARDEN, 2216 Portsmouth, Houston, Texas 77098.

THE TRADITIONAL HERBS OF WINTER

The motto of the floral industry is "Say It With Flowers", and out of that expression comes a chronicle of human history's experience with agriculture, horticulture, and floriculture. There are trees that mark our seasons by their green leaves, "evergreens", trees that mark our seasons by their changes of color, such as maples, sycamores, elms, tallows and so many other native and nonnative trees. There are nut trees like the native pecans, fruit trees, berry bushes that give us seasonal fruit. Junipers, ferns and ivy vines serve as natural garlands of color and seasonal food for wild birds and back yard critters alike.

We sing about the traditional Christmas tree, and create garlands of evergreen boughs to decorate our homes, to remind us that even in the dark of midwinter, life continues. If we have a fire place and hearth in our home, a Yule Log serves the tradition of keeping a fire lit during "the longest night" to symbolize a promise that the sun will come tomorrow. Bonfires do the same in fields, kept burning all night to welcome the new day's morning sun. Pomegranates carry on the Greek myth of Persephone and the Persian and Indian seasonal promises of Spring.

From the kitchen, spices such as cinnamon, cloves and allspice scent the house. Mixtures of apples, dried grapes, plums, apricots and citrus peel form the base of a hot wassail to warm us. Bay laurel wreaths hang on the door to remind us of the glory of the season, and bay leaves punctuate the sauces of roast beef and wild game. Sage is mixed with rice dishes and squash. Beans love a bit of thyme and oregano. The food of winter is the joy and celebration of the fall harvest.

There are also the spiritual traditions of winter herbs that are often forgotten but so easily accessible to us. Their symbols are as important and represent another aspect of winter we tend to overlook in all the color and lights, the hustle and gift wrapping of the season. These are the seasonal symbols that can be added to a winter feast bouquet, tucked into napkin rings, added to sprays on side tables and tucked into the ribbons tied on presents as extra gifts from the garden. Rosemary represents remembrance for special friends. Lavender is a fragrant scent of the sweetness of life. Horehound is a wish for health. Marjoram is for the joy of the festivities, as is its cousin Oregano. Mint is a reminder of home. Sage speaks of virtue and long life. Thyme is for courage to face the darkness of the long winter nights. All of these can be made into bouquets or tussie-mussies to be given to friends, hung on the door handles of neighbors' front doors, or the bedroom door handles of visiting house guests.

And there is the story of the three Magi, the three Wise Men and their gifts of "Gold, Frankincense and Myrrh". There is much discussion on whether the "gold" was the metal "gold" or if it was another incense, as are Frankincense (Boswellia sacra) and Myrrh (Commiphora erythraea). Frankincense as an incense was used to purify temples more than 2,000 years ago.

It is still used for that purpose today in much of the world. Myrrh as an incense was used to purify the air in clinics, lodges and inns. Today Myrrh is found in mouth wash and tooth paste.

(The above two photos are a frankincense tree and frankincense resin.)

The "gold", if it was not the metal is thought to be "Aloeswood." (This is not Aloe Vera, a soft-tissue succulent.) *Aloeswood (Aquilaria spc.) is a hard wood that is the most expensive wood in the world. It is still used today as an incense, and a piece of it can cost upwards of hundreds of dollars an ounce, hence its value as "gold". These symbols of the Gifts of the Magi are Gold for Christ the King, Frankincense for Christ the Priest, and Myrrh for Christ the Healer.

If you are not Christian in your beliefs, the word "incense" denotes a material used to produce a fragrant odor, a perfume from spices and tree gums or resins. Incense is universal, and even regional incense varieties exist, such as "Copal" from Central and South America, members of the pine family along with pinon (Pinus cembroides).

Find the "Herbs of Winter" from your family's traditions and continue these in your home during the long nights. Bring loved ones and friends together and renew your belief in the coming of the sun, and keep the cold winter away.

Michael Bettler

*While doing research on Aloeswood, I found where it was noted that it has also been used in nearly every religious tradition. It was aloeswood and myrrh that was burned at Jesus burial ceremony.

ROSEMARY SHORTBREAD COOKIES

8 Tablespoons Butter (1 stick of butter)
½ Tablespoons fresh Rosemary, finely chopped (1 ½ teaspoons)
¼ Cup superfine sugar
1 ¼ Cups all-purpose flour

Sugar (can use red and green colored sugar)

Cream butter and sugar until smooth. Work in the flour and rosemary to make soft dough; shape into a ball. Roll out on a floured surface until ¼ inch thick, cut into rounds with a 2” fluted cutter, or cut into any shape that you like. Bake on a greased baking sheet in a 325° oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until the shortbread changes color. Cool on a wire rack and sprinkle with sugar. Makes about 12 cookies.

Recipe from A Collection of Recipes complied by the Aransas/San Patricio County Master Gardener Association April 1999

Compiled and submitted by:
Linda Turner Collins

Our Annual Christmas Party Wednesday, December 8, 2010

2010-12-02T12:49:00.000-06:00

Meeting will be @ 11:00 a.m.: Marilyn Vaughn has graciously offered her home for our Holiday Christmas Luncheon. We are having a pot-luck luncheon (pot-luck means just that, i.e. SURPRISE!) with dishes using herbs if possible, a $10.00 gift exchange and good company. Linda will try to remember to bring the wine.
Marilyn lives at 330 Spanish Woods Dr. That is the main road through Spanish Woods subdivision. Here is a map
View Larger Map

Hope to see you there.
Lost? Call Marilyn 727-1723; Ruth 230-0332; Linda 729-6037

TURKEY DAY FOODS & HERBS—OLD AND NEW

2010-11-23T18:09:00.010-06:00

Every year in the U.S.A. we celebrate Thanksgiving Day on the fourth Thursday of November with a dinner consisting of a wonderful array of foods, including turkey, stuffing, corn casseroles, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie to name just a few. Oh, and of course family, friends, parades and FOOTBALL!

Now where did we get some of these traditional turkey-day foods? Of course from the English colonists at Plymouth a/k/a Pilgrims and the Wampanoag, the Native American Tribe that occupied the area now known as New England where the Pilgrims settled in December 1620. The Wampanoag were a horticultural people who supplemented their agriculture with hunting and fishing. They taught the Pilgrims how to cultivate corn, beans, squash, pumpkins, melons, Jerusalem Artichokes, groundnut, a potato-like root, and other vegetables, in addition to teaching them hunting and fishing skills.

With few supplies, cold, sick and slowly starving to death, less than half of the original Pilgrims managed to survive the first winter of 1620-1621. However, with the help of the Wampanoag, the remaining Pilgrims had a bountiful 1621 fall harvest. Sometime between September 21 and November 11, 1621, the 52 Pilgrims shared their bounty with the 90 Wampanoag at a three-day harvest feast, now known as Thanksgiving. There were no forks at the time, but rather just knives and spoons, and plates which were usually wooden. They wiped their hands on large cloth napkins which they also used to pick up hot morsels of food. Salt would have been on the table at the harvest feast, and people would have sprinkled it on their food. Pepper was something that they used for cooking but wasn't available on the table.

Items most likely on the menu included the following:

• CORNBREAD: admired by both the English and Native Americans
• ENGLISH CHEESE PIE: cheese was important to the English
• VENISON: five deer were brought by the Native Americans
• DUCKS & GEESE: gathered by the English
• WILD TURKEY: Native Americans and English alike enjoyed this meal
• STUFFING: with herbs, onions and/or oats
• GARLIC AND ONIONS: staples of the diet
• PUMPKIN PUDDING: there wasn't pumpkin pie at the time
• INDIAN PUDDING: can be served as a warm or cold dessert

In September and October 1621, a variety of both dried and fresh vegetables were available to the Pilgrims. The produce from their house-gardens were likely to have a number of herbs which included wild onions, wild garlic, leeks, sorrel, yarrow, lettuce, carrots, radishes, currants, liverwort, watercress, parsnips, collards, turnips, spinach, cabbages, parsley, marjoram, sage, rosemary and thyme. Also it is thought that dried cultivated beans and dried wild blueberries may have been available as well as native pumpkins, grapes, nuts and cranberries which were a favorite of the Wampanoag.

The following is a more detailed list of foods that were available to the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag for their 1621 feast:

• FISH: cod, bass, herring, shad, bluefish, and lots of eel.
• SEAFOOD: clams, lobsters, mussels, and very small quantities of oysters
• BIRDS: wild turkey, goose, duck, crane, swan, partridge, and other miscellaneous waterfowl; they were also known to have occasionally eaten eagles (which "tasted like mutton" according to Winslow in 1623.)
• OTHER MEAT: venison (deer), possibly some salt pork or chicken.
• GRAIN: wheat flour, Indian corn and corn meal; barley (mainly for beer-making).
• FRUITS: raspberries, strawberries, grapes, plums, cherries, blueberries, gooseberries (these would have been dried, as none would have been in season).
• VEGETABLES: small quantity of peas, squashes (including pumpkins), beans
• NUTS: walnuts, chestnuts, acorns, hickory nuts, ground nuts
• HERBS and SEASONINGS: wild onions and garlic, leeks, strawberry leaves, currants, sorrel, yarrow, carvel, brooklime, liverwort, watercress, and flax; from England they brought seeds and probably planted radishes, lettuce, carrots, onions, and cabbage. Salt was available on the table, but pepper was used only during cooking. Olive oil in small quantities may have been brought over, although the Pilgrims had to sell most of their oil and butter before sailing, in order to stay on budget.
• OTHER: maple syrup, honey; small quantities of butter, Holland cheese, and eggs.

Furthermore, it is thought that the Pilgrims used many spices, some of which they brought over to the New World, including cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, pepper, and dried fruit, which was used in sauces for meats. In the seventeenth century, cooks did not use proportions or talk about teaspoons and tablespoons, but rather they just improvised. Also they dried Indian corn, ham, fish, and herbs.

According to some food historians, they can only guess as to what favorite herb seeds and cuttings were brought from the English gardens. Although medicinal herbs would have been a priority, basic culinary herbs in use at the time by English "goodwives" included mint, sage, parsley, thyme, marjoram, tansy, pennyroyal, rosemary and chamomile. Rooted cuttings were most likely stuck into root vegetables to help them survive the 66-day trip.

The local Native Americans taught the Pilgrims about native vegetables and herbs including many different kinds of nuts, berries, greens, and mushrooms which they gathered from the woods. Along with the many herbs especially valuable for medicinal uses, the settlers also learned to use strawberry and blackberry leaves, sassafras root, bee balm, and birch bark for teas.

The following quotes about the gathering of herbs and vegetables by the Wampanoag are from website http://plymoutharch.tripod.com/id74.html:

SEQUAN and AUKEETEAMITCH (March to May) Spring:
Spring greens are probably one of the most important food source used by the Natives at this time of the year. These supplement the dwindling supplies of corn and provide vitamins lacking during the winter. Roots and tubers of plants such as Bulrush, Cattail, Jerusalem Artichoke and Groundnuts are available year round, but were added to soups in the spring. Other plants and plant parts such as Cattail shoots, Fiddlehead Ferns, Milkweed and Poke shoots are only available in the spring, as some of these plants become poisonous later in their growth cycle.

The sprouts from other plants like sumac, raspberry were. . . . Wild onions and garlic would begin to be used in the late spring into summer. Berries would begin to be used in May, towards the middle to the end of the month. Raspberries and Strawberries should begin to fruit and these can be dried or used fresh.

NEEPUN or QUASQUSQUAN (June to August) Summer:
Corn, which Winslow noted was "...very deare to them...” in July, was probably used up around this time, and the beans and squash which may have been present in early spring were definitely gone by summer. Green beans and summer squash do begin to ripen and are collected in July and August. Green corn (also known as corn in the milk) is available in August, which, among the Iroquois, is considered a time of celebration. It is not known if the Wampanoag celebrated the ripening of the corn with Green Corn Festivals the way the Iroquois did, or if they only celebrated the harvest later in the year.

Bulrush and cattail roots and bulrush shoots can still be collected during the summer, and bulrush seeds are ready to be harvested, dried and ground into flour in August and September. Cattail pollen can be collected in late July and can be eaten raw, cooked in soup, or roasted and the seeds can be ground into flour. Onion and garlic can be used, the onion especially with fish. Purslane and goosefoot (Chenopodium) can also be put into soups or more correctly boiled separately and eaten throughout the summer. Beach plums and blueberries ripen in July and can be harvested and dried at this time, while choke cherries ripen in August and can also be dried.

TAQUONCK (September to November) Fall:
In the Fall, subsistence focused on products from the garden and the fall deer hunt. The horticulture which had been practice in southeastern Massachusetts from at least 1100 A.D (900 years ago) provided the people with much of their food in the fall and especially the winter. Corn, which began to be harvested in its milk stage in August, matured in late September and was harvested in October after the plants had died. The corn was thoroughly dried, and some of it was placed in underground storage pits for the winter. Beans were also dried on the vine and stored for the winter, whereas squash may have been sliced in rings or spiral sliced and dried in the sun to use in winter. Small dark green watermelons which are grown in the garden are harvested and eaten as they become ripe. Finally, sunflowers, grown on the edges of the gardens, are harvested now and boiled to remove their oil, which is saved to be used later (See Oils and Grease below).

Certain wild plant species are harvested during the fall as well. Prominent among these are various types of nuts, such as hazel, hickory, beech, butternut, chestnuts and white oak acorns. Some years, more nuts would be harvested than in other years, depending on how well the corn crop had done that year (Williams 1643: 168). The final berries of the season, cranberries and grapes were harvested at this time and eaten fresh or dried.

PAPONE (December to February) Winter:
Winter subsistence continued in much the same way that the fall did. Hunting and fresh water fishing provided meat for the family, while their vegetable needs were the crops which had been dried and stored from the previous years planting season. During the late winter into very early spring, a community may be faced with dwindling food supplies. This would be especially if it was a particularly hard and long winter Corn, beans and squash crops were probably initially cultivated in this area as a way of supplementing the winter food supplies with a reliable and predictable food source. With the approach of spring, families would again begin to look for the spring greens and returning fish as welcome changes from the winter diet, and the cycle begins anew.

Although today our Thanksgiving celebration occurs about two months later in the year than the Pilgrims' celebration, we still season our dishes with many of the same herbs they used, especially sage, thyme and rosemary. These are all woody perennials which, in late November, are not yet completely dormant in the northern gardens of the U.S.A. However, in south Texas this is when they thrive, and come summer the sage and thyme will die back due to our intense heat and humidity. The rosemary can and does thrive year round here in south Texas providing it has excellent drainage.

In addition to adding sage, rosemary, thyme, oregano, Mexican Mint Marigold (sometimes referred to as Texas Tarragon and is a replacement for French Tarragon), and other herbs to turkey dressing, the leaves can be placed in the cavity of the Thanksgiving turkey. And for a great presentation, slide your hands between the turkey breast meat and skin to loosen the skin. Rub butter or margarine on the breast meat and arrange the leaves under the skin. Pat the skin down and roast, and when finished, the leaves will show through the browned skin.

So go ahead and be creative in the kitchen this Thanksgiving by learning to use fresh herbs which add wonderful flavors to many dishes. When you add fresh herbs, you can decrease your intake of salt and oils without losing flavor. Here are some suggestions for using culinary herbs in your cooking.

Herbs and Foods:
• Basil - pesto, tomato sauce, tomato soup, tomato juice, potato dishes, prawns, meat, poultry, pasta, rice, egg dishes, substituting for lettuce on sandwiches.
• Bay - soups, stews, casseroles, meat and poultry marinades, stocks.
• Chili - meat, poultry, shellfish, tomato dishes, curries.
• Chives - salads, poultry, soups, cheese dishes, egg dishes, mayonnaise, vinaigrettes.
• Coriander/Cilantro - Asian dishes, stir fries, curries, soups, salads, seafood.
• Dill - salads, sauces, fish, salad, sour cream, cheese and potato dishes.
• Fennel - stuffings, sauces, seafood, eating as a vegetable.
• Garlic - soups, sauces, pasta, meat, poultry, shellfish, pesto, salad dressings, and bread.
• Ginger - cakes, biscuits, Asian dishes.
• Lemongrass - Asian dishes, stir fries, curries, seafood, soups, rice, tea.
• Marjoram - meat, fish, egg dishes, cheese dishes, pizza.
• Mint - drinks, confectionary, meat, poultry, yoghurt, desserts, sauces, vegetable dishes.
• Oregano - cheese dishes, egg dishes, tomato sauce, pizza, meat, stuffing, bread, pasta.
• Parsley - pesto, egg dishes, pasta, rice dishes, salads, butter, sauces, seafood, vegetable dishes.
• Rosemary - fish, poultry, meat, bread, sauces, potatoes, soups.
• Sage - stuffings, tomato dishes, cheese dishes.
• Tarragon - salad dressing, fish, poultry, meat, egg dishes.
• Thyme - chowders, bread, poultry, soups, stock, stews, stuffings, butter, cheese, mayonnaise, mustard, vinegar.

Herb Combinations:
• Basil - with chives, chili, garlic, oregano.
• Bay - with parsley, thyme, garlic, oregano, marjoram.
• Chili - with coriander, garlic, ginger, lemongrass, mint, oregano.
• Chives - with basil, garlic, tarragon.
• Dill - with chives, garlic, parsley, tarragon.
• Garlic - with basil, rosemary, sage, fennel, chili, coriander.
• Oregano - with basil, parsley, chives, thyme, bay, chili.
• Sage - with rosemary, garlic, marjoram.
• Thyme - with bay, parsley, garlic, rosemary.

NOTE: When substituting fresh herbs for a recipe which calls for dried herbs, triple the amount with fresh herbs. For instance if a recipe calls for 1 tablespoon of a dried herbs, then use 3 tablespoons of the fresh herb. Also if using dried herbs, keep them in a cool, dry area, away from sunshine and keep them no longer than six months. And remember throw out that old jar of sage because it can and does go rancid after more than a year.

Here is my own stuffing recipe using fresh herbs that everyone seems to love.

SAUSAGE STUFFING

1 16-ounce package corn bread stuffing or make your own corn bread
1 ½ to 2 cups canned chicken broth
14 ounces sausage of your choice
8 tablespoons butter
1 ½ cups chopped sweet yellow onion
¾ cup chopped celery (leaves too)
¾ cup chopped leeks (white part only)
¾ cup chopped fennel bulb (can add a few green leaves)
4 garlic cloves, chopped
¾ cup nuts of your choice or can add and/or substitute with chopped water chestnuts
½ cup raisins or dried currants or dried cranberries
Salt and Pepper
2 large eggs beaten

Preheat oven to 350°. Butter 13 x 9 x 2 inch glass baking dish. Mix corn bread stuffing and chicken broth in a large bowl. Set aside. In a large heavy skillet brown sausage until cooked. Drain and transfer sausage to the bowl with the stuffing. Drain off fat in skillet. Melt the butter in the same skillet over medium heat. Add onion, celery, leeks, fennel and garlic to skillet and cook just until tender. Transfer to bowl with the stuffing. Mix in nuts and fruit and season mixture with salt and pepper. Then add beaten eggs and mix. Be sure not to have the mixture to hot when you add eggs or the eggs will cook. Transfer beaten mixture to the baking dish. Cover dish and bake about 45 minutes. Uncover and bake another 10 minutes or until the top is golden and crisp.

According to Deni Bown, author of The Herb Society of America Encyclopedia of Herbs & Their Uses the definition of an herb (either the French pronunciation of 'erb or the English pronunciation of herb with the hard H is correct) is:

“The term ‘herb’ also has more than one definition. Botanists describe an herb as a small, seed-bearing plant with fleshly, rather than woody, parts (from which we get the term ‘herbaceous’). In this book, it refers to a far wider range of plants. In addition to herbaceous perennials, herbs include trees, shrubs, annuals, vines, and more primitive plants, such as ferns, mosses, algae, lichens, and fungi. They are valued for their flavor, fragrance, medicinal and healthful qualities, economic and industrial uses, pesticidal properties, and coloring materials (dyes).”

Some information was obtained from the following websites:

http://www.wildturkeyzone.com/articles/thanksgivinghistory.htm

http://www.mayflowerhistory.com/History/thanksgiving.php

http://www.history.com/minisites/thanksgiving/viewPage?pageId=872

http://www.willowpondherbs.com/kitchen/thanksgiving/index.htm

http://plymoutharch.tripod.com/id74.html

Compiled and submitted by:
Linda Turner Collins
Master Gardener
Rockport, Texas
October 20, 2006

Tour and luncheon at Sandy Oaks Olive Orchard

2010-11-13T11:41:00.002-06:00

The Aransas/San Patricio County Master Gardeners are taking a trip to Sandy Oaks Olive Orchard.

FIELD TRIP FUN! Tour and luncheon at Sandy Oaks Olive Orchard in Elmendorf on Friday, Dec. 3, 2010. The 45-60 minute tour will cover olive culture and cultivation, production practices, olive varieties, oil pressing and olive products. Lunch will include celery root bisque, Chicken Puttanesca (braised chicken over sauted polenta in a spicy olive caper sauce), and flourless olive oil chocolate cake served with whipped cream and seasonal berries. Yum! There will also be tastings of the olive products in their gift shop. The cost is $35 which includes the tour and lunch. We will leave the Extension office at 8:30 a.m. and return around 5:30 p.m. Either email Aransas-TX@tamu.edu or call the office at 361-790-0103 to reserve a spot. Deadline is Nov. 30, 2010. They will charge us for everyone signed up on that date. For more information see website http://www.sandyoaks.com or check out the brochures at the Extension office. Gay Hejtmancik went on this tour and highly recommends it, call her after next week if you want to know more.

Cindy Meredith will present a program on Stevia at our November Meeting

2010-11-02T17:29:00.000-05:00

Our meeting will be held November 10th at ACISD Maintenance Department (Formerly Rockport Elementary), 619 N. Live Oak Street, Room 14, Rockport, Texas, at 10 AM.
Come learn everything you wanted to know about this natural sweetener Stevia Stevia rebaudiana.

What Fall Brings

2010-10-24T10:59:00.009-05:00

Here is Cindy's latest newletter from The Herb Cottage.

Fall is a lovely time of year.

For us here in Texas it means the intense summer heat is over, even though days still warm up into the 80's. The angle of the sun creates a different light. If I were a painter, I would paint landscapes during the Fall due to the colors created by the light. Our extreme summer temperatures tend to make the various green shades of plant leaves look somewhat washed out. Fall brings the bright greens alive again.

To read the rest check out: What Fall Brings.

Great Gardening!

"Field Trip to The Herb Cottage, Hallettsville"

2010-10-04T12:35:00.030-05:00

SUBJECT:
"Field Trip to The Herb Cottage, Hallettsville"

WHAT: Rockport Herb & Rose Study Group

WHEN: Wednesday, October 13, 2010 @ 8:00 a.m.

WHERE: Ace Hardware Parking Lot, Rockport, Texas

We are taking a field trip up to the Herb Cottage in Hallettsville website: http://www.theherbcottage.com/. Cindy has a good selection of herbs for us to choose from including some of them that we didn't have at the MG plant sale, i.e. rosemary, stevia, chives, both garlic and onion, mints, thymes, vegetables including salad greens and lots of succelents.

We pack our own lunches and then almost everyone brings something to share, whether it be a salad, dessert, or whatever. Cindy will provide us with some wonderful herb iced tea. We will carpool, so we will need to know how many of us are going? And we want to leave enough room to bring back lots of plants! Please let me know by Tuesday, October 12 at telephone number 361-729-6037. Looking forward to having another great field trip up in the country!

I was thinking that maybe I need to add some additional information about our Field Trips for those of you that haven't made one of our fun trips.

Generally we have just our group take Field Trips wtih us, but our group loves to have any and all that are interested in herbs to join us. So feel free to invite anyone that you know that might be interested. We leave the Rockport Ace Hardware store parking lot at 8:00, and get to The Herb Cottage around 9:45 or so. We then check out all the plants and have a question and answer tour of the plants, eat lunch some where around 11:30 to noon, have a short business meeting during lunch, and generally leave to head back to Rockport around 1:00. I guess that I needed to add this information to my email. If you have any questions, just give me a call. Thanks!

And be sure to check out our websites noted above. Cindy, Ruth and I keep it updated with lots of great information on gardening, the environment and recipes. Don't be shy; just click on the link and you might be surprised at all of the information including photos!

Our herb study group was founded in March 2003 and meets the second Wednesday of every month at the ACISD Maintenance Department (Formerly Rockport Elementary), 619 N. Live Oak Street, Room 14, Rockport, Texas at 10:00 a.m. to discuss all aspects of using and growing herbs including the historical uses of the herbs and tips for successful propagation and cultivation. We are open to the public. Some members of the group are available as speakers to other audiences.

The Rockport Herb & Rose Study Group, founded in March 2003, is a non-profit educational organization dedicated to increasing public knowledge and awareness about herbs.

Linda T. Collins
Rockport Herb & Rose Study Group
Post Office Box 1988
Rockport, TX 78381
361-729-6037
361-729-6058 (Fax)
http://www.rockportherbs.org/
http://rockportherbies.blogspot.com

MASTER GARDERNER FALL PLANT SALE

2010-09-26T14:01:00.008-05:00

This post is to let everyone know that the Aransas/San Patricio Master Gardener Fall Plant Sale will be held on Saturday, October 2, 2010 from 9:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. at Green Acres. The address is:

Green Acres, 611 East Mimosa Street at Pearl Street, Rockport, Texas, 361-790-0103

I made an order for herbs with Perennial Favorites, and they delivered some really nice herbs last Thursday which will be for sale on Saturday!

There will be an assortment of basils, oreganos, thymes, mints, parsleys and fennels to name just a few herbs for sale. And we have a limited amount of vetiver grass which is a wonderful ornamental grass.

Be sure to check out this website entitled Vetiver Grass: The Sweet Smell of Erosion Control.

My vetiver grass growing in my yard.

See you all next Saturday!

Remarkable Plants of Texas

2010-09-10T14:14:00.000-05:00

I have posted the program from Sept 8th with discussion pages and links on our website:

Rockport Herb & Rose Study Group

Bee Population Restored With Neonicotinoids Ban

2010-09-08T07:42:00.004-05:00

My sister-in-law in California sent this to me. It concerns the waning of bee populations worldwide and how, in Italy, by banning a class of chemical pesticides, bee populations rebounded.

"Nicotine Bees" Population Restored With Neonicotinoids Ban

by Roberta Cruger, Los Angeles on 05.15.10

Following France and Germany, last year the Italian Agriculture Ministry
suspended the use of a class of pesticides, nicotine-based neonicotinoids,
as a "precautionary measure." The compelling results - restored bee
populations - prompted the government to uphold the ban. Yesterday, copies
of the film 'Nicotine Bees' were delivered to the US Congress explaining the
pesticide's connection to Colony Collapse Disorder. Despite the evidence,
why does CCD remain a 'mystery' in the US?Nicotinyl pesticides, containing
clothianidin, thiametoxam and imidacloprid, used to coat plant seeds, are
released into the lymph as a permanent insecticide inside the plant. But
after just sucking dew from maize leaves that absorbed neonicotinoids,
disoriented bees can't find their way to the apiary. Massive numbers of bees
get lost and die.

In 2009, Italy's neonicotinoid-free corn sowing resulted in no cases of
widespread bee mortality in apiaries around the crops. This had not happened
since 1999. The European Research Center, Youris, reported that Moreno
Greatti, from the University of Udine stated, "Bee hives have not suffered
depopulation and mortality coinciding with maize sowing this year.
Beekeepers from Northern Italy and all over the country are unanimous in
recognizing that the suspension of neonicotinoid- and fipronil-coated maize
seeds."

Although varroasis (infections from mites) and other pathologies are found
at other times of the year, suspending neurotoxic insecticides improved the
situation significantly. Francesco Panella, President of the Italian
Association of Beekepers, says: "On behalf of beegrowers working in a
countryside dominated by maize crops, I wrote to the Minister of Agriculture
to confirm the great news, for once: thanks to the suspension of the
bee-killing seed coating, the hives in the Po Valley are flourishing again."

Not true in Southern Italy, where bee mortality was high in citrus groves,
which were sprayed with neonicotinoids, also used in vineyards and other
crops. The new law has been challenged by the agrochemical industry but the
Italian government upheld the ban.

Want to eat?

With pollination responsible for one-third of our food supply, the loss of
30% of our bee population prompted the Pollinator Protection Campaign by the Sierra Club. It bought 333 copies of Nicotine Bees which were delivered to Congress on May 13 and 14, along with 50 more from the filmmakers, with
a letter from the National Honey Bee Advisory Board. The American Beekeeping Federation and American Honey Producers Association are asking Congress to stop the threats from systemic pesticides to food supplies, honeybees and pollinators. Send a copy to the other 152 members of Congress by contacting the Sierra Club's bee campaign.

The bees steep decline in 2005 and 2006 was catastrophic around the world.
In theUK bee numbers have been halved over 20 years, with reasons including the pesticide and warmer winters due to climate change. Honeybee pollinated fruit trees and crops in Britain amount to £165m annually, so a campaign to grow bees in city gardens and roofs has been an attempt to halt decline.

Despite the scientific data, reports still claim the reason for the bee
crisis is unclear, even blaming cell phones. So what's really holding up the
banning of neonicotinoids? As a beekeeper in the documentary says, "A fifth
grader can figure this out."

The Ancient Nubians Produced Beer with Tetracycline In it

2010-09-06T14:16:00.000-05:00

I came across this while doing some online reading today. Unfortunately, it doesn't say what they used to make that beer. Too bad, we could have had a great time with it. It is from Wired Science

Ancient Nubians Made Antibiotic Beer
by Jess McNally

Chemical analysis of the bones of ancient Sudanese Nubians who lived nearly 2000 years ago shows they were ingesting the antibiotic tetracycline on a regular basis, likely from a special brew of beer. The find is the strongest yet that antibiotics were previously discovered by humans before Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin in 1928.

“I’m going to ask Alexander Fleming to hand back his Nobel Prize,” joked chemist Mark Nelson, who works on developing new tetracyclines at Paratek Pharmaceuticals and is lead author of the paper published June in the American Journal of Physical Anthropology.

Nelson found large amounts of tetracycline in the bones tested from the ancient population, which lived in the Nubian kingdom (present day Sudan) between 250 A.D. and 550 A.D. and left no written record.

“The bones of these ancient people were saturated with tetracycline, showing that they had been taking it for a long time,” Nelson said in a press release August 30. “I’m convinced that they had the science of fermentation under control and were purposely producing the drug.”

“This discovery will provide a whole new framework for understanding the relationship between microbes and antibiotics,” said anthropologist Dennis Van Gerven of University of Colorado at Boulder. “There might have been other populations that were also doing the same thing, anywhere that there were these microbes. This is going to drive other scientists to start this search, and that is incredibly important.”

Read the whole story here.

More on Lemon Grass

2010-08-31T21:37:00.002-05:00

Here's more on Lemon Grass from Ellen Zimmerman's June Newsletter from 2009:

HERB OF THE MONTH – Lemongrass Revisited - June 2009

Every summer I enjoy making delicious, fresh Lemongrass, Cymbopogon citratus, tea from my beautiful, full, ever-sweet Lemongrass plant. I remember my sweet friend Dorothy giving me a black plastic pot with just two skinny sharp leaves sticking up, and saying, “Here’s some Lemongrass for you”. Well before you knew it, those two tiny leaves became a full-bodied, large incredible herb that I use all summer long. To harvest fresh Lemongrass you need to cut the leaf way at the bottom of the plant. This thick part of the leaf, which is whitish, is where the best flavor is. Of course I use the entire leaf as well, cut up in smaller pieces. You need to gently boil, or decoct, the Lemongrass for awhile (approximately 30 minutes) to help release the flavor. Then I let it sit on the stove for an hour or so, to steep even more. Finally I strain it and add a little honey. It is wonderful hot, but these days I like it iced. It keeps well in the refrigerator for at least three days staying tasty, fresh and wonderful. My very popular Summer Lemon Tea is made with these fresh Lemongrass stalks, Lemon Balm, Melissa officinale and Lemon Verbena, Aloysia triphylla. Lemon Verbena is mentioned in the famous movie, Gone with the Wind, as Scarlet O’Hara’s mothers favorite plant. I decoct these three herbs together and enjoy an incredible iced summer lemon tea at a picnic, a pool party or any summer celebration.

Lemongrass is not only refreshing but quite medicinal too. Lemongrass, also known as Fever Grass, is used just for that, fevers. It is also useful for coughs and colds. It can promote perspiration and the excretion of phlegm; eases stomach cramps, and is especially useful for children and infants. Lemongrass is also considered a stimulant so you can use it as such. Lemongrass has significant anti-fungal properties, acts as a wonderful anti-oxidant and also works as an insect repellent.

Lemongrass is easy to grow in our warm Central Texas environment. It will grow vigorously during the summer and may die back in the winter if we have a frost or two. I usually mulch it during the winter season. In early spring, I like to cut it back and allow it to begin it’s growth once again. In my experience the plant will last several years as long as you nurture it appropriately.

If you don’t already have a Lemongrass plant, get one A perennial member of the Poacea (Grass) family, Lemongrass can be enjoyed as tea, in soups, stews, Vietnamese and Chinese dishes, and as a valuable and safe medicinal plant.

Shrimp season is in full blast down here in south Texas!

2010-08-31T13:06:00.008-05:00

OH BOY! Shrimp season is in full blast down here in south Texas! I went down to the Fulton Dock on Saturday and bought 2 pounds of 8-10 count shrimp for only $8.00 a pound. OH BOY were they good! I made Shrimp Kabobs for dinner Saturday night. Then on Sunday I cooked the rest of them for lunch. I melted a stick of butter and added two 6" to 8" stems of lemongrass chopped into 2" sticks, about a tablespoon of Old Bay Seasoning, about a tablespoon of White Wine Worcestershire Sauce, and about a half cup of dry white wine. I let it reduce a little, then added the shrimp and cooked until they were done. With shrimp that big it took about 4-5 minutes. Oh yes, and lemon slices were put into all the shrimp dishes! OH BOY, were they the best. Then last night I fixed a Cobb salad, and we ate it with the remaining 4 shrimp. And today we are getting 5 pounds of 16-20 count shrimp today for Labor Day weekend! OH BOY, I do love living on the coast!

And then after using the lemongrass stems, I took all of the leaves and added some mint and steeped them together in hot water for about an hour. OH BOY does that ever make a great refreshing summertime tea!

And if you want to check out growing your own lemongrass be sure to check out GROW SOME LEMONGRASS. AND while we are on the subjecct of lemongrass, be sure to check out this website that was forwarded to me by Cindy Curing properties of Lemongrass. Very interesting!

I guess that we had an OH BOY weekend! Anyway, I decided to type up my OH BOY SHRIMP recipe as follows:

OH BOY SHRIMP

*1 to 1 ½ pounds shrimp with heads and shells (8-10 count)
1 stick butter (not margarine)
2 6” to 8” sticks lemongrass, chopped in 1” to 2” pieces
1 tablespoon shrimp seasoning
1 tablespoon White Wine Worcestershire Sauce
½ cup dry white wine
1 garlic clove minced
½ lemon sliced
** Mexican Mint Marigold a/k/a Texas Tarragon (optional)

Melt the butter over medium heat and add the lemongrass pieces, shrimp seasoning, Worcestershire sauce, wine, and garlic. Continue cooking and reduce by about 1/3 to 1/2; then add shrimp and continue reducing, about 5 minutes, don’t over cook the shrimp. Add sliced lemons, stir and serve.

* You can use any size shrimp, BUT remember the smaller the shrimp the less time they take to cook. Cook shrimp until they turn pink all over. Overcooked shrimp are tough.

** (Optional) You can add about a tablespoon of fresh Mexican Mint Marigold a/k/a Texas Tarragon about a minute or so before serving.

Also I found the following recipe that looks very good at website: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe-Tools/Print/Recipe.aspx?RecipeID=36200&origin=detail&servings=10

Lemongrass and Citrus Poached Salmon

Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Cook Time: 10 Minutes

"This is a very light and delicate dish with a smooth and subtle lemon and citrus flavor that melts in your mouth."

Ingredients:
2 1/2 pounds salmon fillet
1 quart chicken stock
1 quart orange juice
2 cups white wine
1 small yellow onion, chopped
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 cups chopped lemon grass
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon white pepper

Directions:
1. Remove skin from salmon, then cut into desired portions.
2. In a large pot, combine chicken stock, orange juice, white wine, onion, garlic and lemon grass. Season with salt and white pepper. Bring to a boil for 5 minutes. Reduce heat to a low boil. Place the salmon in the poaching liquid until flaky and tender, about 5 minutes.

Aransas/San Patricio Master Gardeners News Column Archives

2010-07-25T10:55:00.008-05:00

While doing some research today, I came across the following website with lots of great gardening articles written by the Aransas/San Patricio Master Gardeners. Be sure to check out News Column Archives.

http://www.aspmastergardeners.org/

Summer Herbs

2010-07-22T10:45:00.006-05:00

Here is the latest July 2010 Newletter from Cindy at The Herb Cottage

Summer Herbs

In our hot, humid South, it's sometimes difficult to stay focused on the garden during the hottest summer days that we're experiencing now. The sun is searing, the temperatures rise to the mid-nineties by early afternoon and the gardener decides to call it quits and go inside for the rest of the day. Just because the weather is very hot does not mean we don't garden during the summer... we do. We go out in the early morning and the evenings to enjoy the tranquility and scents of the herb beds, pull weeds, water and, as I did recently, recover a bed from some terribly overgrown parsley.

This Summer brings a wealth of growth from our herbs. We've been graced with summer rain and the herb plants are showing the results of inches of rain. Last year we were in a terrible drought by this time of year and even the hardiest herbs were showing stress. This year the Mint and Lemon Balm are thick and full, the Sweet, Lemon and Lime Basil are shrubby and full of flavor and the Rosemary has new growth on the tips of most of the branches.

I know those of you who don't live in the South have had your share of weather trials this summer and I hope your herb gardens are giving your much pleasure in spite of inclement weather episodes.

So, what's looking best this summer in your garden? Here, the Oregano is outstanding. I've already harvested flowers for hydrosols and I still could cut back more foliage to make the plant a little more compact. I plan to make more Herbal Vinegars, too, and Oregano is a staple in many of the blends I like. As I mentioned, the Rosemary is growing vigorously. It's another one I like for Herbal Vinegar and hydrosols as well.

Of course, Basil loves our hot, humid weather so long as it gets enough water. In between rain storms I water the Basil to keep it looking good. I have yet to make Pesto this year, but hope to get to it before too long. I also like to use the citrus basil in Herbal Vinegar for marinades on fish and chicken. The red and purple Basil, varieties like Osmin Purple, Purple Ruffles or Red Rubin, make Herbal Vinegars of a rich cranberry color with a flavor to match. Perfect for a housewarming or holiday gift.

Those of us in a climate where Bay Laurel grows know how well it does with very little water in the heat of summer. Bay is somewhat winter hardy. It took two mornings of 18ºF last Winter without damage. If you've never used fresh Bay in your cooking, you are missing out, in my opinion. Fresh Bay leaves add a deeper, richer bay flavor than the dried ones. Bay is also a pretty plant for holiday decorating, as it is evergreen, dark green in color and fragrant.

Some herbs that play out in our intense summer heat are Dill, Cilantro and sometimes, even Thyme. Here, Dill and Cilantro are definitely cool season herbs and die out after forming seed in the late spring. Thyme needs excellent drainage to survive our spring and summer rainstorms when we get inches of rain at a time. My English, Creeping, one Lemon Thyme and Lavender Thyme plants all died. The one bigger Lemon Thyme that is planted in a shadier spot, in raised bed, is doing pretty well. Also I have a Lavender Thyme in a hanging pot that is doing very well, so long as I remember to water it.

Parsley will do fine during the hot summer months if planted where it gets some afternoon shade. Of course, Parsley, being a biennial, does best in the summer if it's in its first year of growth. In its second year, it'll put on a flower stalk and start to go to seed more quickly in the heat. If you do allow parsley to seed out, and let some fall, you won't have to replant parsley. It'll come up for you when the soil temperature is a little cooler.

In general, herbs just laugh at summertime heat and keep on growing with a minimum of water and fuss. I hope yours are doing so, and that you're enjoying the summer, your herbs and all the wonderful things you can do with them.

Lemon Eucalyptus after the main trunk has been cut. Lots of new lush growth.

QUOTE FOR THE MONTH

Like cars in amusement parks, our direction is often determined through collisions. -Yahia Lababidi, author (b. 1973)

Until Next Time,
Good Growing to You,
Cindy Meredith, proprietor
The Herb Cottage
442 CR 233
Hallettsville, TX 77964
phone & fax: 979-562-2153
http://theherbcottage.com/

July 14, 2010 Meeting

2010-07-11T17:10:00.006-05:00

SUBJECT: “FORMATION OF THE HERB SOCIETY OF AMERICA AND THE WOMEN WHO STARTED IT” presented by Cindy Meredith

WHAT: Rockport Herb & Rose Study Group

WHEN: Second Wednesday of every month, next meeting July 14, 2010 at 10:00 a.m.

WHERE: ACISD Maintenance Department (Formerly Rockport Elementary), 619 N. Live Oak Street, Room 14, Rockport, Texas

WHY: To educate those interested in herbs.

The Herb Society of America is a very influencial organization. Come hear how it came to be. Everyone is invited to our next herb & rose study grooup to participate in this program.

Our herb study group was founded in March 2003 and meets the second Wednesday of every month at the ACISD Maintenance Department (Formerly Rockport Elementary), 619 N. Live Oak Street, Room 14, Rockport, Texas at 10:00 a.m. to discuss all aspects of using and growing herbs including the historical uses of the herbs and tips for successful propagation and cultivation. We are open to the public. Some members of the group are available as speakers to other audiences.

The Rockport Herb & Rose Study Group, founded in March 2003, is a non-profit educational organization dedicated to increasing public knowledge and awareness about herbs.

Check out http://www.herbsociety.org/.

GROW SOME LEMONGRASS

2010-07-08T17:08:00.029-05:00

Lots of people grow pampas grass and other ornamental grasses for landscaping, but I like lemongrass the best because it looks good, smells good, is easy to grow and is a wonderful culinary herb which I use extensively in my kitchen.

It is widely cultivated in the tropics and subtropics. There are two different species, i.e. West Indian Lemongrass Cymbopogon citratus, which is native to southern India and Ceylon, and East Indian Lemongrass C. flexuosus, also known as Cochin or Malabar grass, which is native to India. In India it is believed that growing a row of lemongrass plants will repel tigers.

West Indian Lemongrass C. citratus
Family: Poaceae (Gramineae) (Grass)
Tender perennial
Zones: 8 - 10
Height: 3’ to 5’
Width: 3’

East Indian Lemongrass C. flexuosus
Family: Poaceae (Gramineae) (Grass)
Tender perennial
Zones: 9 - 11
Height: 2’ to 3’
Width: 2’ to 3’

Both species are frost tender perennials that can withstand temperatures down to 10° to 20° with very heavy mulching. They can be grown in the ground or in containers. In the Deep South, it can be overwintered outside by cutting back the top and mulching the remaining crown heavily. I don’t cut mine back, but just leave them in the ground with at least 3” of mulch. Because the East Indian Lemongrass is smaller, it makes for a very good container plant. Lemongrass likes moist, well-drained soil and prefers full sun, but it can take some dapple sunlight. The blades are blue-green throughout the summer, with the leaves turning a rusty red in fall. They say flowering is rare, but I know that all of mine flower every fall. And the blades are sharp, so be careful to always rub upward and not downward. Propagation is by root or plant division.

Lemongrass is used not only as a culinary herb, but also as an aromatherapy herb, in perfumes and cosmetics, and as a medicinal herb, since it is considered a carminative and also used as an insect repellent. In addition, it has been used to reduce a fever by inducing sweating, alleviate cold symptoms and headaches, calm upset stomachs, and relieve spasms. It inhibits the growth of fungi and bacteria and is used externally to treat ringworm, lice, athlete’s foot, and scabies.

Lemongrass has a very unusual lemon flavor which tastes lemony, but not the least bit acidic. It makes for a wonderful tea, hot or iced, being high in Vitamin C and adds lemon flavoring to the dishes of many Asian cuisines. Harvest the stem right down to ground and chop like a scallion. It is easy to mince lemongrass in a food processor or minichopper.

The leaves can be put into marinades, broths and stocks. The part of the plant that is used most often is the lower, almost white section of the stem. Depending on the recipe, you can cut the white part into 2” to 3” stems, thinly slice crosswise, finely chop, pound or mince. Tie together a bunch of lemongrass stems and leaves with butcher's string, and drop it into a slow-cooking dish and remove just before serving. Whenever using the larger pieces, be sure to discard them before serving because they are fibrous, sharp and tough. It is also very good minced and added to rice, making a nice dish of lemongrass rice or fried rice. It can be used in stir fries, rice, sauces, curries, poultry, fish, seafood, soups, and tea. It can be frozen for later use. Cut some stalks down at ground level, and then soak in water and use as skewers on the grill cooking bite size pieces of chicken, shrimp and your favorite vegetables.

LEMONGRASS CHICKEN
1 whole chicken
1 1/4 cups water
salt and pepper to taste
6-8 lemongrass leaves, roughly chopped
1 tablespoon corn flour
milk

Place the chicken on a saucer in a saucepan. Add the water, sprinkle salt and pepper over and heap the lemongrass onto the breast. Cover and bring to the boil, reduce heat and simmer for 2 hours, basting occasionally with the liquid. To eat hot, remove chicken and keep warm. Strain the liquid into a small saucepan and stir in a tablespoon corn flour blended to a smooth paste with a little milk. Stir until thickened and pour over the chicken. To eat the chicken cold, put it into a deep bowl and pour the strained liquid over it. Cool, and then chill overnight. The liquid will have jelled and there will be a layer of fat which should be removed.

LEMONGRASS COCONUT SORBET
10 stalks lemongrass
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup lemon juice
1 cup coconut milk (stir before measuring)

Peel the tough outer layers from the lemongrass and discard them. Cut the remainder into 1cm lengths. In a saucepan over high heat, combine lemongrass, sugar, salt and 2 ½ cups water. Stir until liquid comes to the boil. Reduce heat, simmer, stirring occasionally, until light golden, about 20 minutes. Pour through a fine strainer, pressing on the solids to extract moisture. Discard solids. Place the bowl in a larger bowl of ice water and stir syrup until cool, about 5 minutes. Stir in lemon juice. Whisk in the coconut milk. If mixture is lumpy, pour through a fine strainer. Pour into an ice cream maker and freeze. Or freeze in a suitable dish until just firm, 2-4 hours. Scoop into bowls, or scrape with a large form to form a slushy ice. Serve immediately.

TOMATO LEMONGRASS SALSA
2 stalks lemongrass
2 green or red chills, finely chopped
1 large tomato, coarsely diced
1 small red onion, finely diced
2 tablespoons chopped coriander
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon sesame oil
salt

Combine all ingredients and let sit at room temperature for about one hour, then refrigerate. Use within one day.

Photo by Linda Turner Collins
Lemongrass in bloom & Duchess de Brabant Rose

Growing Herbs in Texas: Harvesting Parsley and Basil

2010-06-30T19:41:00.012-05:00

Be sure to check out Growing Herbs in Texas: Harvesting Parsley and Basil by Cynthia Meredith!

And for us that have been to The Herb Cottage and seen the tall lemon eucalyptus tree, you need to read about how the tree was removed after it died this past winter.

Cindy states:

The big job in the garden, however, was when we took down the tall lemon eucalyptus tree that died during the winter. Originally, we called a fellow whose ad in the local paper said "Tree Removal". But, when he called to tell us he couldn't keep his appointment to assess our project due to a broken arm received on a tree trimming job, we decided to do the job ourselves. We even treated ourselves to a new chainsaw, which will also come in handy to cut up the numerous dead pecan tree branches that have started to fall.

The tree measured almost 50 feet tall, exactly the distance from the base of the tree to our fence. After much studying of angles, reminding ourselves where the power lines are, roping the tree off so it wouldn't fall into said power lines if the cut was not right, my husband fired up the chain saw and made the precision cuts necessary to fell the tree and have it land where we wanted it to. And, it did ... pretty much. We were quite relieved and pleased that the tree was down with the only collateral damage being a pottery Toad Abode given to me by a friend. The pieces now decorate the cactus garden. The sprouts from the base of the old tree can grow up shrub like and full. Just today, I inadvertently ran the hose across some of the stalks that lie on the ground, and was rewarded with the pungent aroma of the lemon eucalyptus. Lovely.

Such a beautiful tree Cindy, but you can plant another one now!

Great Gardening!

Photos by Cindy.

Life is just a bowl of cherries, no, this time it's tomatoes

2010-06-23T12:28:00.000-05:00

I've been trying to grow a nice bunch of tomato plants since I moved to this spot. I've had all sorts of critters to claim them; raccoons, squirrels, leaf cutter ants and bugs.

Look what I have this year!

A couple of years ago I had my husband enclose an 8' x 16' area. I cleaned out the grass, laid down newspapers and then started putting my grass cutter clippings (including the live oak leaves) over the newspapers. Last year we did have tomatoes but they were attacked by all the animals listed above.

This year it is fenced and has chicken wire over the top of the tomatoes. The tomatoes have since grown through it and are still flowering and producing. We had one raccoon episode, but I put up bags holding Irish Spring soap in three areas around the little garden. I had been told it would keep away the deer. It seems to have kept the deer and the raccoons away and we have hardly had any squirrels in the yard this year so I don't know if they are repelled by it.

Here is a picture of the tomato garden.

Do you see the bags holding the strong smelling soap? I do have pepper plants in there, too, but they don't really show in this photo. Next year maybe I can have some squash and green beans.

HALT AQUATIC INVASIVE SPECIES

2010-06-04T09:57:00.132-05:00

Hey Herbies!

OK, this blog isn't about herbs or is it?! No, not the kind of herbs that we generally think of, but many of the plants listed below are actually perennial herbs, but I don't think any of us want to rush out and get them.

However, this blog is about saving our Texas waterways from aquatic invasive species. I don't know if you have seen some of our waterways and how they are being taken over by invasive plants, especially water giant salvinia, water lettuce and water hyacinths to name just a few. I first became "more aware" of what was going on a few years ago when Terry and I took a boat tour of Saw Mill Pond, Big Cypress Bayou and Caddo Lake while RV'ing at the Caddo Lake State Park. I was shocked at how most of the bayou had been taken over by water hyacinths. I was there last year and talked to the same boat tour guide, and she said that they are making a concerted effort to rid the bayous and lake of the invasive plants. I did see fewer hyacinths than I had the previous year. Since then, I have been making an effort to try to educate people on how devastating these invasive plants are to our waterways.

So my intention is to make everyone aware of what is happening out there on the waterways. I tried posting information on the Aquatic Plant Exchange Forum, but for the most part, I received negative comments and remarks.

Do you know that many aquatic plants are illegal in many states with laws varying from state to state, i.e. what is illegal in one state does not mean it is illegal in another state? I do know that there are many Illegal and Invasive Plants in Texas. In fact possession of these plants is illegal and can be punishable with fines and/or imprisonment. Read the following:

The State of Texas doesn't just frown on the possession of harmful or potentially harmful exotic plants. It is illegal to posses [sic] these plants in Texas. Possession of any prohibited plant species is a Class B Parks and Wildlife Code Misdemeanor punishable by

-a fine of not less than $200 nor more than $2000,
-a jail term not to exceed 180 days, or
-both a fine AND imprisonment.

Each individual plant of a prohibited species constitutes a separate violation. The law applies to everyone: aquatic plant producers and distributors, garden centers, pond supply stores, pet stores, and individual pondkeepers. So if Joe Ponder is caught with 10 water hyacinth in his backyard pond, that would be 10 separate violations, with potential fines totaling $20,000.

Texas Prohibited Plant Species

Information courtesy of
Texas Invasive Plant Database

• Giant Duckweed a/k/a Dotted Duckmeat Spirodela oligorrhiza
• Common Salvinia a/k/a Water Fern Salvinia minima
• Common Water Hyacinth a/k/a Floating Water Hyacinth Eichhornia crassipes
• Rooted Water Hyacinth a/k/a Anchored Water Hyacinth Eichhornia azurea
• Water Lettuce Pistia stratiotes
• Hydrilla a/k/a Florida Elodea Hydrilla verticillata
• Lagarosiphon a/k/a African Elodea, Oxygen-Weed Lagarosiphon major
• Eurasian Watermilfoil a/k/a Spike Watermilfoil Myriophyllum spicatum
• Parrot Feather Watermilfoil Myriophyllum aquaticum
• Alligatorweed Alternanthera philoxeroides
• Paperbark a/k/a Melaleuca, Paperbark Tea Tree, Punk Tree, Cajeput Tree, White Bottlebrush Tree Melaleuca quinquenervia
• Torpedograss a/k/a Couch panicum Panicum repens
• Water Spinach a/k/a Aquatic Morning Glory, Swamp Morning Glory Ipomoea aquatica
• Giant Salvinia Salvinia molesta is also Federally Prohibited.

Recently while waiting at a doctor's office, I came upon the April 2010 issue of Texas Parks and Wildlife magazine with an article entitled Texas Under Attack by Larry D. Hodge. It is an excellent article, and I hope that you will read the entire article. Some of the excerpts are as follows:

Invasive species are marching on Texas — but beneficial bugs are bracing for battle.
By Larry D. Hodge

Paddling a kayak across Old Folks Playground on Caddo Lake brings me face to face with the enemy. Giant salvinia and water hyacinth crowd in from every direction, a noxious salad that, like an alien in a sci-fi movie, chokes the life out of its host.

Caddo Lake is dying a slow death, and it’s not the only part of Texas in trouble. From the Rio Grande to the Canadian, the Sabine to the Pecos, non-native plants brought into the state by accident, good intentions or sheer ignorance have reshaped our lands and waters. In less than 200 years we have introduced more than 800 non-native plant species, some of which are wreaking havoc on the ecosystem.

Guy Nesom of Fort Worth, a systematic botanist and retired college professor, has given Texas a gift no other state has: a complete list of documented non-native species, 820 in all, classified according to their potential to be controlled or eradicated. Among the 51 species Nesom classifies as F1 (invasive in both disturbed and natural habitats and negatively affecting native species) are some familiar names: Arundo donax (giant river cane), several species of Tamarix (salt cedar trees), Salvinia molesta (giant salvinia), Hydrilla verticillata (hydrilla) and Eichhornia crassipes (water hyacinth).

Put simply, invasives can kill a lake, and giant salvinia is the worst of the lot, capable of doubling its coverage area in a week or less.

Photo by Photographer: Steve Dewey
Source: Utah State University, Bugwood.org

Salt cedars have been described as one of the worst ecological disasters in the western United States. First reported in the U.S. in 1823, they now occupy some 2 million acres of the most valuable land — riparian areas along streams and rivers. Salt cedars displace native plants and the wildlife that depends on them, lower water tables, increase soil salinity to the level that native cottonwoods and willows cannot grow, and dry up springs and small streams. Every river system in West Texas has salt cedar.

Ecologist Andrea Litt, with the Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute in Kingsville, states the following:

Invasive plants can alter the quantity and quality of habitat for native wildlife by affecting cover, food and other habitat features important for these species, resulting in shifts in community composition, abundance and population structure,” she says. In other words, when invasive plants move in, the Texas we know goes away: plants, bugs, birds, mammals, fish.

YOUR HELP IS NEEDED TO HALT AQUATIC INVASIVE SPECIES

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department will launch an extensive campaign this month to increase public awareness about the threat of aquatic invasive species like giant salvinia. With funding from the Texas Legislature, the comprehensive campaign will include — television ads, print ads, floating buoys, billboards, ads at gas stations, events, a redesigned website http://www.texasinvasives.org/ with comprehensive information on invasive species in Texas, and more, all aimed at educating boaters and anglers about the impact of giant salvinia and what they can do to stop its spread. TPWD is also developing partnerships with fishing organizations, communities and corporate sponsors to help spread the message.

Information from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Magazine can be found at website: http://www.tpwmagazine.com/archive/2010/apr/ed_2/index.phtml

So let us do our part in keeping our Texas waterways free of aquatic invasive plants!

Caddo Lake Photos by Linda Turner Collins

Rockport Herbies

Medicinal

Germany

Japan

Allergen

February, March, April and May Programs!!!

New USDA Hardiness Zone Map

New USDA Hardiness Zone Map!!

Herb Cottage Newsletter: Winter Gardening!

Cindy's Newsletter and January 11, 2012 Program

DECEMBER, CHRISTMAS AND WINTER HOLIDAY HERBS

TURKEY DAY FOODS & HERBS—OLD AND NEW

Did Ben Franklin bring invasive tallow tree to Texas?

Wilderness Survival Foods

"Teas: Sassafras and Sarsaparilla" presented by Pat Baugh

HUMMERS & BUTTERFLIES

Our Next meeting is Sept. 14th!

Rose named Herb of the Year for 2012

FDA moves closer to criminalizing herbs, vitamins, and minerals!

The Herbal IQ Program August 10, 2011

Why Do People Use Ginkgo?

What are the Safety Concerns?

What are the Side Effects of Ginkgo?

Possible Drug Interactions

COMMON NAMES

CONSTITUENTS

USUAL DOSAGE

COLLECTION AND HARVESTING

COMBINATIONS

8. Other than catnip, what is the other herb that sends cats into pure ecstasy?Valerian Root http://whatgrandmaknew.weebly.com/a8-valerian.html

9. What herb comes from the pimiento plant? ALLSPICE http://www.herbs2000.com/herbs/herbs_allspice.htm

Pimenta dioica, Pimenta officinalis

10. The Aztecs made hot chocolate using powdered Cacao beans, and which spice?CHILI PEPPERS http://whatgrandmaknew.weebly.com/a10-chilis.html

Good Article by The Herb Companion

Researching herbs on the web

Meeting July 13, 2011!

Ancient Roman Shipwreck has herbal medicine remedies

Roman-era shipwreck reveals ancient medical secrets

A first-aid kit found on a 2,000-year-old shipwreck has provided a remarkable insight into the medicines concocted by ancient physicians to cure sailors of dysentery and other ailments.

July meeting program is "Researching Herbs on the Internet" by Cindy and Ruth

Mulch, mulch, mulch by Cindy Meredith, proprietor of The Herb Cottage

Smart water use keeps lawns green

Water lawns less often but for a longer period of time!

More Herb Information coming sooon!

SWEET ANNIE- Under-used plant in the Artemisia family

HERBAL SALT PROGRAM May 11, 2011 presented by Linda T. Collins

Our May program will be "Herbal Salts"

7th Rockport Herb Festival

Chef Kevin Lasagna – Meat and Four Cheese

SEVENTH ROCKPORT HERB FESTIVAL

Filoli- a preserved mansion and grounds from the early 20th Century.

CULINARY HERBS FOR SPRINGTIME---

CULINARY HERBS FOR SPRINGTIME presented by Linda T. Collins

More Herb Information

GOURDS PROGRAM: Herb Study Group & Barbra's Cauliflower Salad Recipe

Avocado Beauty Tips

HORSERADISH- Herb of the Year 2011

January 12, 2011 Program: Horseradish by Cindy Meredith

I never promised you an "Urb" garden

DECEMBER, CHRISTMAS AND WINTER HOLIDAY HERBS

Our Annual Christmas Party Wednesday, December 8, 2010

TURKEY DAY FOODS & HERBS—OLD AND NEW

Tour and luncheon at Sandy Oaks Olive Orchard

Cindy Meredith will present a program on Stevia at our November Meeting

What Fall Brings

"Field Trip to The Herb Cottage, Hallettsville"

MASTER GARDERNER FALL PLANT SALE

Remarkable Plants of Texas

Bee Population Restored With Neonicotinoids Ban

The Ancient Nubians Produced Beer with Tetracycline In it

More on Lemon Grass

Shrimp season is in full blast down here in south Texas!

Aransas/San Patricio Master Gardeners News Column Archives

Summer Herbs

July 14, 2010 Meeting

GROW SOME LEMONGRASS

Growing Herbs in Texas: Harvesting Parsley and Basil

Life is just a bowl of cherries, no, this time it's tomatoes

HALT AQUATIC INVASIVE SPECIES

8. Other than catnip, what is the other herb that sends cats into pure ecstasy?
Valerian Root http://whatgrandmaknew.weebly.com/a8-valerian.html

9. What herb comes from the pimiento plant?
ALLSPICE http://www.herbs2000.com/herbs/herbs_allspice.htm

10. The Aztecs made hot chocolate using powdered Cacao beans, and which spice?
CHILI PEPPERS http://whatgrandmaknew.weebly.com/a10-chilis.html