Rose - Herb of the Year - 2012

Rose Garden in Florida

2012-01-29T12:03:00.000-06:00

I recently visited the rose garden at the Barnum-Bailey Museum outside Bradenton, Florida. It was a delightfully warm and pleasant day, perfect for stuffing my nose into roses to test their fragrance. Here are a few I found that would be fine for eating (provided they had not been sprayed with pesticides, and one can never be certain in a professional display garden).

'The Prince,' an English shrub rose.

'The Prince' has a delicious fragrance that I believe would work really well in rose cake or for making your own rose water. Chopped and mixed with room temperature butter, formed into a mold, it would also make an outstanding rose butter.

'Jubilee Celebration' has a pleasant fragrance.

Another rose that caught my nose is 'Jubilee Celebration.' Pink roses often excel in fragrance over the other colors and this one was no exception. Not cloying, but just pleasantly "rosy," this would work well in rose ice cream or tea.

'Julia Child' a rose with no fragrance.

When I spied 'Julia Child' I stuck my nose in with great expectations. Surely naming a rose after a chef of such renown, this would be a deliciously fragrant, fun-for-eating rose! Boy was I disappointed. Why on earth would any rose grower name a lovely rose, with no fragrance or other qualities, after Julia Child? I can only imagine it was a good publicity trick to sell the rose. It may have other excellent qualities, but fragrance and edibility are not among them.

For lots of recipes using roses, you can order my book from my website, or on Amazon.com. You can also order copies in bulk for your garden or rose club by contacting me through my website.

You will also find lots of information and rose recipes from the Rose, Herb of the Year book, available from the International Herb Association and the Herb Society of America version, available from then, too. There are lots of good reasons, and resources, for eating roses this year!

Food Grade Rose Water

2012-01-13T16:59:00.001-06:00

Lots of readers say they can't find food grade rose water and I've found a source for you. First, "food grade" means it's safe to eat as well as use it on your face or hands. Not all rose water you find is actually food grade. It's pretty easy to find rose water in Asian or Indian markets but unless you can read the language on the label, you have no way of knowing if it's safe to eat. Rose water has lots of uses, not all of them for internal use.

UrbanHerbal's Rose Water.

Our friend at Urbanherbal.com, Bill Varney and his partner, make food grade rose water and they will mail it to you, too.

If you scroll back through previous blog posts you'll find more information about rose water with recipes for its uses.

Rose cake uses rose water as an ingredient. It's from my book, How to Eat a Rose.

Rose Petal Cake

2012-01-08T11:39:00.001-06:00

This is a revised version of my Rose Petal Cake in the How to Eat a Rose book. You're welcome to share the recipe, just give me credit, please.

Rose Petal Cake

1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons butter
2 1/2 cups cake flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 1/2 cups sugar
3/4 cup milk
3 egg whites
1 tablespoon run or brandy (optional)
1/2 cup coarsely chopped fragrant rose petals
1/2 cup sliced raw almonds
2 teaspoons food grade rose water

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Mix together the first 5 ingredients in a bowl. Then add the milk, egg whites and brandy or rum and mix well. Stir in the rose petals, almonds and rose water. Bake in 2 greased, floured 9 inch cake pans for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool on wire racks.

Rose Icing

2 cups whipping cream
1/2 teaspoon rose water
14 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup powdered sugar
Drop of red food coloring
Petals from 3 fragrant pink or red roes
Candies rose petals, optional

Whip the whipping cream until soft peaks form. Slowly add the powdered sugar, rose water and vanilla and continue beating until fully whipped. Spread between the two layers of the cake, then cover the cake with the remaining icing. Sprinkle with rose petals and candied rose petals. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

From Jim Long’s book, How to Eat a Rose.

I offer this book to rose, herb and garden groups who want to sell it at a profit at their events and fundraisers. Call our office for wholesale prices. Minimum order is 6 books. Call the office: 417-779-5450 and Billie or Neva will be happy to take your order or answer any questions you have. Regular retail is $5.95.

You can see the book here, as well as on my YouTube video channel.

The Rose Grading System

2011-12-05T12:21:00.000-06:00

The American Association of Nurserymen, an organization I belonged to for many years, released the following information on how rose plants are graded for sale. Back when I was working for a nursery when I was in my mid-20s, our nursery bought #2 bare root roses which came in large cartons. The nursery bought from a reliably good rose grower who always gave us better than #2 roses.

Our job was to trim off any broken roots or canes, put each plant into a 2 gallon pot and fill it with our own homemade potting soil. The roses were then put in the garden center shelter and mulched until the weather began to warm. We would then line them out in the sales area where they would leaf out and start blooming around Mother's Day. You might keep the grading system in mind when you shop for rose bushes. The better the grade, the more healthy and robust the plant will be. If you buy your roses at a discount store, you are assured of the lowest quality, culled-out rose plants. (The kind of root graft also has a lot to do with how strong, hardy and robust a plant will be, and cheap roses have a poor quality rose root graft which is why many are not reliably hardy). Here's the commercial grading system that commercial rose growers and buyers use:

Grade #1 - The Best Grade of Rose available commercially

Hybrid Teas and Grandifloras must have three or more “strong canes,” two of which are at least 18 in. long. The canes should be well-spaced around the graft (rather than all on one side).
Floribundas meet the same standards, but the canes need only be 15 in. long.
Polyanthas must have four or more canes at least 12 in. long.
Climbers and ramblers must have three or more canes 24 in. long.
Note: “Strong canes” is not defined, but is generally accepted to mean canes which have attained their mature size in diameter. As a minimum, at least one cane must be at least 1/2 in. in diameter.

Grade #1 1/2
Hybrid Teas and Grandifloras must have two or more canes at least 15 in. long.
Floribundas must have two or more canes 14 in. long.
Climbers must have two or more canes 18 in. long.
Note: Polyanthas that do not meet Grade 1 standards are not graded.

Grade #2
All classes must have two or more canes 12 in. long.
However, the mass-market rose producers have their own grading system. They use an arbitrary numbering system that has little or nothing to do with the standard grading system, so just because the package at K-Mart says "#2" doesn't mean it actually conforms to the grading system used by quality rose growers.

Here's what we used to get at the nursery in big cartons, wrapped in peat moss. A rose bush you buy should have a vigorous, strong root system for you to have success. If it's a plant that's all wrapped tight in a little tube, or you can wrap your fingers around the package where the roots are, you don't have enough roots to have a good plant. Don't waste your money on cheap rose bushes, you are assured of being disappointed. Buy a well-established plant from nurseries that observe the quality grading systems. I've bought many times from Antique Rose Emporium and can highly recommend their roses.

Rose Sugar Recipe

2011-11-29T13:26:00.001-06:00

Our friend, Adrienne, at A A Organic Herb Farm sent this recipe for making rose sugar. You might wonder what you could do with rose sugar? Well, try dipping fresh strawberries in it. How about a teaspoon or two in your afternoon tea? Sprinkle some on sugar cookies before baking. There are so many things you can do with rose sugar, you'll love it. You can find AA Organic Herbs on FaceBook. Just look for Aao Herbs.

Rose Sugar

1 cup tightly packed, unsprayed very fragrant rose petals (like Hansa rose)
1 1/2 cup granulated sugar or to fill the 1/2 pint mason jar.

Mix together rose petal and sugar in a mason jar, and loosely cover the jar.

Let it stand for two days then shake it gently , if the sugar get's clumpy just tap it on the counter and it will losen up.

Every few days gently shake the jar to loosen the sugar and the rose petals.

Once the petals and the sugar become completly dry out , it's ready. It will take a few weeks to a month total.

Use: this sugar is delicious sprinkled on fresh berries or on cookies, also can be use in lemonade or any drink that calls for sugar.

You'll find bulk roses on my website (link below).

You ca also make rose sugar using dried roses in winter. Here's my recipe for that. If you need food grade dried roses, visit my website http://www.LongCreekHerbs.com and click on "Bulk Herbs."

Rose Sugar Using Dried Roses

Choose food-grade dried roses for this. Remove any stems or hard bases of the flowers.

2 cups sugar
1 cup dried roses

Combine in a food processor and pulverize to a powder. Sift through a four sifter or fine-mesh colander. Store in an air-tight container in the pantry or other dry, dark place to avoid loss of color.
Use some in whipped cream instead of vanilla, add to cake frosting, dust some on top of chocolate cake without icing.

Some of My Favorite Roses

2011-11-21T19:57:00.000-06:00

'Allspice' hybrid tea has a spicy, delicious flavor.

How can I choose a favorite rose? It's hard, there are so many. For example, I have 2 roses that have been in my family for 2 generations. Both old-rose varieties (sorry, I don't know the name of either one) have delightful fragrance, and thus, flavor. But my growing list of favorites comes from my travels this year, photographing, sniffing and tasting roses. From friends yards, backyard gardens, rose nurseries and botanic gardens, I've compiled a small list of roses that have good fragrance and flavor.

The Rose is the official Herb of the Year for 2012, as designated by the International Herb Association. If you'd like my book, How to Eat a Rose, with lots of luscious recipes, it's available as an instant download, or a book we mail you, on my website. It makes a great gift for your rose-loving friends, too!

Here are a few of the more fragrant roses I've found and photographed this summer:

'Amber Queen' floribunda rose (All-American Rose Selection 1988) '
'Aztec Gold' hybrid tea rose (very pleasing flavor) 
'Benjamin Britten' shrub rose 
'Double Delight' hybrid tea rose (delicious and fragrant)
 'Graham Thomas' climber rose (produces an abundance of delicious, fragrant yellow, double roses)
 'Julio Iglesias' floribunda rose (dainty, delicious flavor and fragrance)
 'Luscious' hybrid tea rose (delicious, this is excellent for cakes and salads)
 'Mary Margaret McBride' hybrid tea rose (All-American Rose Selection 1943)
 'Mdme Joseph Schwartz' shrub rose (deliciously scented)

Any of the roses in this list will taste delicious in a salad!

 'Mister Lincoln' hybrid tea rose (moderate flavor/fragrance for a red rose; most red roses have little fragrance or flavor)
 'Peach Parfait', Rosa sp.
'Meiggili'
 'Perfume Delight' hybrid tea rose (All-American Rose Selection 1974 (this is an outstanding pink rose for eating!)
'Playboy' floribunda rose (a temptingly delicious fragrance and enchanting flavor)

'Playboy' hybrid floribunda

 'Scentimental' ever-blooming, floribunda rose
Wild beach rose, Rosa rugosa (these are prolific all summer, with a continuous supply of large, flavorful rose hips)

Beach Rose (Rosa rugosa sp.)

2012 the Year of the Herb

2011-10-26T11:58:00.002-05:00

Jo Ellen Meyers Sharp sent a copy of this story she wrote for Indystar.com in Indianapolis. I'm reprinting it here in case you don't know that this is the first time the National Garden Bureau and the Herb Society of America has teamed up for such a project. Thank you, Jo Ellen!

The International Herb Association (IHA) developed the Herb of the Year project back in 1994 and every year designates a specific herb to share information with educational organizations, schools and businesses.

This new cooperation between the Herb Society of America, which helps IHA celebrate the specific herb each year, and the National Garden Bureau which has not focused on herbs before, is an exciting and positive step that enhances the Herb of the Year project. Here's Jo Ellen's story with a link if you want read the original page in the IndyStar, or if the newspaper link expires, the link to Jo Ellen's website: http://hoosiergardener.com

The National Garden Bureau and the Herb Society of America have teamed up to name 2012 the Year of the Herb.

This is the first time the not-for-profits have become partners in their missions to promote gardening and to educate people about growing plants.

To guide gardeners in their selections, the herb society offers its top 10 list, which members voted on at their 2011 annual conference.

Among the winners, these three are easy to grow from seed: sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum), chives (Allium schoenoprasum) and dill (Anethum graveolens).

Buy these seven plants at the garden center: Greek oregano (Organum vulgare hirtum), bay (Laurus nobilis), rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis), common thyme (Thymus vulgaris), parsley (Petroselinum crispum), common sage (Salvia officinalis) and lavender (Lavandula).

For detailed information on growing these plants, visit www.herbsociety.org and http://ngb.org.

Another group, the International Herb Association, has named 2012 the Year of the Rose, a plant not frequently thought of in the same category as basil or thyme.

But rose petals are edible, and the seed heads, called hips, are a common ingredient in teas, herbal medicines and natural vitamins. Jim Long's "How to Eat a Rose" is a helpful guide for any cook (www.longcreekherbs.com).

"Here in America, we tend to look upon the rose as just a flower in a vase," Long wrote in the 2004 paperback. "Roses are used for lotions and rinses for the body, too, but it's their use in foods that is fascinating to me. Rose ice cream, (the sweet beverage) sharbet, rose wine, rose vinegar, rose candies, jams and jellies are all an important part of life in many cultures."

Florist roses are not a good choice, because they have been treated with various pesticides. Long recommends organically grown roses, especially heavily fragrant, old-fashioned or antique varieties.

Jo Ellen Meyers Sharp (http://hoosiergardener.com) is a director of the Garden Writers Association and co-author of "The Indiana Gardener's Guide." Write to her at P.O. Box 20310, Indianapolis, IN 46220-0310, or emailthehoosiergardener@gmail.com.http://www.indystar.com/article/20111015/LIVING11/110150307/Celebrate-Year-Herb-2012

The Last Roses of Summer

2011-10-19T11:22:00.001-05:00

For those folks who live in warm climates where roses bloom well into winter, all I can say is phooey. I'm envious. For the rest of us who have to watch killing frosts decimate the roses, we have to be satisfied with preserving the last of the season's roses in ways that remind us of the summer ahead. Here's a simple, quick and painless way of keeping the fragrance and summery flavors for winter use.

Instant Rose Honey

(From my book, How to Eat a Rose, which is available on my website as both a mailorder book,

or an instant download which you can print off on your own computer).

Serve this with fresh buttermilk biscuits at breakfast for guests, use it on warm pumpkin bread, or even swizzle some in a cup of hot tea.

3 cups (fresh) fragrant rose petals
3/4 cup honey

Chop rose petals by hand, or in a food processor until you have finely shredded petals. Scrape them into a dish and add the honey, mixing well. (You might microwave the honey just briefly to help it mix better). Let stand at room temperature for an hour or more before serving. You can keep this in the refrigerator for 10 days or more.

'Madame Joseph Swartz'

Soothing Sore Throat Honey

In winter when you have an itchy or sore throat, this is a simple way to soothe it. Just use a half teaspoon, or more in your mouth 2 or 3 times a day. Add a bit to your favorite hot tea instead of regular sweetener. You can even add this to a cup of hot water for an "instant" hot rose tea.

1 cup dried rose petals
2 cups water
4 cups honey

Bring the water to a boil and pour over the rose petals. Stir and let steep, covered, for 24 hours. Strain, discarding the rose petals and add the honey. Bring the liquid to a boil and simmer until reduced by about one third. Add 2 or 3 drops of red food coloring if desired.

You can use this in cooking, too. Add to cake frosting instead of vanilla, drizzle some over ice cream, use as a topping for plan pound cake, use it in fruit salad to sweeten and flavor instead of sugar.

'Benjamin Britten' shrub rose

Do you have rose recipes you'd like to share here? Send them to me by email at jim@longcreekherbs.com and I will credit you when they are posted. Thanks!

Rose Basil Pesto

2011-10-09T11:55:00.003-05:00

The Herb of the Year and my How to Eat a Rose book have been getting some good publicity, like this TribLive Lifestyles piece, below. Today I gave an interview on GardenLife Radio talk show, where John, one of the hosts, had just yesterday attended the International Rose Trials in California (sponsored by the World Federation of Rose Societies), and he was impressed with a new rose named 'J.P. Chardonay', a very frangrant hybrid tea to be introduced soon. And a couple of weeks back Felder Rushing interviewed me for his radio show, The Gestalt Gardener.

Click on the above picture to read the text.

I'm doing my best to get word out about the Rose as the official Herb of the Year for 2012. If you have ideas for publicity for this blog in promoting the Herb of the Year, let me know. If you belong to a rose or herb society, please pass the link to this blog along to the members. The more people who read (and follow) the blog, the better we can let people know about this wonderful herb for the coming year. (In case you have difficulty figuring out how to Follow this blog, click here, for instructions and several simple options for Following).

Climbing 'Josephs' Coat' is pleasantly fragrant.

This rose, above, caught my attention when I visited the Luther Burbank home in Santa Rosa, CA recently. Joseph's Coat was a favorite rose from my childhood and the Climbing Joseph's Coat was introduced just a big after the bush variety, as I recall. While Burbank did a great deal of work with roses and the rose cousin, apples, I don't think he had anything to do with this particular rose. The rose is pleasingly fragrant and the many colors of reds, yellows and pinks on the plant make it a good choice for culinary uses.

Fragrant bouquet of David Austin roses.

The bouquet, above, was part of the David Austin Roses display at their booth in the Garden Writers of America trade show I attended in August. David Austin roses are shrub roses, easy to care for, disease resistant and delightfully fragrant and flavored. (Remember, if it smells good, it's going to taste good, too).

'Perfume Delight' Hybrid Tea

Perfume Delight Hybrid Tea is well named. Not all tea roses have fragrance but more and more rose breeders are paying some attention to the fragrance of their roses instead of breeding simply for how the rose looks. Perfume Delight is an excellent choice for sandwiches, ice cream and other sweet dishes.

Rose sandwiches at the Herb Society of America conference; photo courtesy of Susan Belsinger.

Rose salad, served in a homemade cracker bowl.

The photo above is a simple little salad of rose petals, begonia blossoms, lemon basil leaves, cherry tomatoes, blue cheese and a tiny bit of baby lettuce leaves, dressed with raspberry vinegar. I served the salads in tiny bowls made from cracker dough (recipe in my book, Homemade Crackers Using Herbs). Any homemade cracker recipe will work for making your own bowls. The salad was part of a meal I fixed as a fund-raising event for the Slow Foods group in Fayetteville, AR. The goal was to serve a 7-course dinner, without using plates, forks or spoons, thus the salad bowl made of cracker dough. It was a hit.

Here's a recipe you might enjoy. Use it on pasta with a cream sauce, or spread it on very thin white bread, topped with thinly sliced tomato, cucumber, avocado and fragrant rose petals. (If you copy this recipe or share it, please credit my book, How to Eat a Rose).

Rose and Basil Pesto
2 cups fresh basil
1 cup fragrant rose petals
3 cloves garlic
1/2 cup pine nuts (I prefer walnuts)
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon food grade rose water
1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice (don't substitute bottled juice)
1 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
1/4 cup Romano cheese, freshly grated
Salt, optional

Peel and coarsely chop garlic, then add rose petals, basil, nuts and olive oil in food processor. Pulse blend until everything is well pulverized.
Add remaining ingredients and mix well. This can be stored for up to 4 days in the refrigerator.

This is a simple appetizer; my Rose Dipping Sauce with tart apples. Photo courtesy of Susan Belsinger.
If you missed it, here's my how-to video on my YouTube channel for making Rose butter.

Rose Hips Have Tasty Uses

2011-07-31T16:31:00.000-05:00

Rose hips, ready for harvesting.

Rose hips are funny things. Some people look at them and can't imagine they're edible. Others look and say how much like a miniature apple they look. Roses are in the same plant family as apples, thus the similarity. And, like ancient apples, rose hips have flavor. Some hips taste better than others, varying by variety of the rose.

Rose hips on a beach rose bush.

For example, the hips of what I call, "Beach roses" (Rosa rugosa sp.) are quite large. When I found these on the beach in Rhode Island, I was amazed at the size of the hips, not quite as large as a golf ball, but not missing it by much. The roses are planted to prevent beach erosion on both the East and West Coasts and for awhile I had beach roses from both coasts. I gathered seed and brought them home and planted them, 15 or 20 years ago.

Single flowers with delicious fragrance and flavor, beach roses also produce excellent hips.

Here in the Ozarks where I live, beach roses don't produce quite as large hips as they did in the sea air, but they are still substantial. Best of all, many of the Rugosa varieties rebloom throughout the season, so not only is there a constant supply of fragrant and flavorful rose petals, but also a continuing supply of rose hips.

Rose hips can be made into jelly, jam, syrup and dried for hot tea in winter. The hips, or fruit, of any rose can be used this way. The outer peeling has a flavor somewhat like an orange or apple, but the seed are often a bit bitter.

To dry rose hips, harvest them when they turn deep orange or red, but before they begin to shrivel and turn brown. Split the hips open and scrape out the seeds. Use the cleaned rose hips immediately for jam or jelly. For use in tea, dry the seeded rose hips until they are crisp and store in an airtight container in a darkened place, such as the pantry or kitchen cabinet.

Here's a delicious rose hip jam recipe for you to try. It's more like a marmalade. The apple and orange add some pectin, which thickens the jam, so you don't need to use commercial pectin for this.

Rose Hip Marmalade

2 quarts fresh (not dried or dehydrated) rose hips
1 green apple, like Granny Smith
1 orange
Zest and juice of 2 lemons
6 cups water
5 cups sugar
Six to seven half pint canning jars and new lids, sterlized

Remove the end, tough parts of each hip. Cut rose hips in half, removing and discarding the seed. Put the rose hips into a food processor and pulse blend once or twice to barely chop. You will need 4 cups of these processed rose hips.

Cut the unpeeled apple in half, removing and discarding the core. Cut apple into chunks.
Cut off and discard the ends of the orange. Slice the orange into slices, then dice the slices, removing any seeds. Add the apple chunks and orange pieces (peel and all) into the food processor with the roses hips. Pulse-blend 2 or 3 times until everything is coarsely chopped.

Place the hips, apple and orange into a wide, 8-quart cooking pot. Add lemon zest and lemon juice, then the water and bring mixture to a hard boil. Continue boiling, partly covered (be sure to not let it boil over) for 30 minutes or until the orange peel is tender.

Prepare a large pot of water, big enough to hold all of your jars (not stacked) with water covering. Bring that to a boil.

Add the 5 cups of sugar to the hot marmalade and heat again to boiling, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Add 1/2 teaspoon of butter, which will keep the marmalade from foaming. Reduce the heat from boiling to medium and continue boiling for about 25 minutes.

Ladle the mixture in to the hot, sterilized canning jars. Wipe the rips of the jars with a clean, damp towel, then screw on (new) canning lids. Only tighten firmly, don't over-tighten or it will ruin the seal. Put the jars into the boiling pot of water, making sure the water just covers the lids and let the water simmer for 5 minutes. Remove with canning tongs and set on a clean, dry towel on the kitchen counter. Let cool overnight. Your marmalade is now ready to put in the pantry until ready to use. (Check by thumping on each lid, to make sure each has sealed. If one jar didn't seal, put that in the refrigerator and use it first).

The Herb of the Year is a project of the International Herb Association. Visit their website for more information.

Rose Water Uses

2011-07-23T09:40:00.002-05:00

I'm holding rose foods at a demonstration at the Herb Society of America conference in PIttsburgh, PA.

Rose water can be used just about anyplace that you would use vanilla, in cooking, desserts, even meat and seafood dishes. When you buy rose water, make sure it's food grade. Why? Because there are rose waters on the market that are made for cosmetics or fragrance, and aren't necessarily meant for eating. You'll find a source in the text, below, for organic rose water.

Rose water is used as eye drops to clear them, in India. Rose water is often sprinkled at Indian weddings. I attended a Hindu wedding some years back and curtains of roses were strung as backdrops to the wedding, and rose water was sprinkled over the floor where the wedding party gathered.

In case you can't find it, here's a source for organic rose water: http://www.mapi.com/maharishi_ayurveda/products/ayurveda_herbal_remedies/rosewater.html, or order from Mapi, 1680 Hwy. 1 North, Suite 2200, Fairfield, IA 52556.

A refreshing summer drink, using rose water.

The Ramos-Rose Gin Fizz

The Ramos Gin Fizz is a royal fixture of better bars in New Orleans. It was created in 1888 by Henry Ramos. It's generally made with orange flower water, but my preference is for rose water instead.

2 ounces gin
1 ounce cream (heavy cream or half and half)
1 fresh egg white
1/2 ounce freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 ounce freshly squeezed lime juice
2 teaspoons sugar
4-6 drops rose water
Seltzer
Ice

Combine everything except rose water, seltzer and ice in a blender and pulse blend until the egg white makes a foamy top. Add rose water and mix with a spoon. Pour over ice to about two-thirds full. Top off with seltzer water. This is deliciously refreshing on a hot day, indoors or out!

Rose water is good for the skin. Moisten a cotton ball with rose water and rub over the face and neck.

Rose water combines well with seafood dishes with rice. Add a tablespoon of rose water to the rice while it's cooking. Or just as it finishes, add some rose water then.

Rose water combines well with fresh strawberries.

Toss freshly sliced strawberries in rose water with a bit of sugar and serve, or pile some over vanilla ice cream. Add rose water to fresh lemonade for a delightfully pleasing beverage. Add rose water to plain black tea (hot) in winter, or to freshly brewed iced tea in summer.

Speaking of strawberries, mashed up strawberries mixed with rose water and smoothed on the face, makes a refreshing skin tightener. It removes excess oils in the skin and leaves the face refreshed.

Several brands of food-grade rose water are available at Asian and specialty stores or on-line.

How to make your own rose water if you prefer that to buying some. However, what you buy includes a preservative. The rose water you make will need to be kept in the refrigerator, where it will keep for about 2 weeks. Or you can freeze it in ice cube trays then keep the cubes in a plastic bag in the freezer, taking out only what you need when using a recipe.

How to make your own rosewater:
1-Place clean, pesticide-free fresh rose petals in a glass or metal container.
2-Pour in enough boiling water to cover the petals and immediately cover the container with a lid.
3-Allow the liquid to cool, then, still covered, place in the refrigerator for 24 hours.
4-Strain, discarding the petals and pour into a jar or bottle and keep refrigerated.

Your rose water is now ready for use in recipes or for facials and cosmetics.

If you'd like lots of recipes using roses, you need my book, How to Eat a Rose, available from my website: Longcreekherbs.com. Buy the book, you'll have fun eating your roses!

And, the rose is the 2012 official Herb of the Year. Visit iHerb.org, the official website of the International Herb Association, which created the Herb of the Year project in 1994.

Rose Butter

2011-07-10T09:32:00.001-05:00

There are lots of kinds of roses that are also wonderful seasoning and decorative herbs. How do you know which ones to eat? (Click this link to see my YouTube video on eating roses: http://www.youtube.com/longcreekherbs).

1-Don't eat roses from a florist shop. Those have been highly sprayed with insecticides. Additionally, they have little fragrance, and thus, no flavor.

2-Don't eat roses from your own garden if you are using systemic fertilizers - those include insecticides that are taken up by the rose bush with the fertilizer, and dispersed throughout the leaves and flowers.

Other than that, if the roses are un-sprayed, and have good fragrance, they will also have good flavor and are good to eat.

Roses are related to apples and several other fruits, all edible plants.

Rose butter, made with very fragrant dark pink roses. It's delicious on any good bread!

An easy way to start eating roses is by making rose butter.

Start with a pound of unsalted butter (don't substitute margarine, use real butter for this, your taste buds will thank you). Let it come to room temperature or soften it slightly in the microwave but do not let it melt.

Gather a heaping cup full of fragrant rose petals in the morning, after the dew has evaporated but before the heat of the day. Why? Because the rose oils are strongest then and the flavor will be the best.

Chop up the rose petals, or put them in a blender and gently pulse-blend until the petals are finely chopped.

Combine the finely chopped rose petals and the butter and mix well. Form the butter into a mound, add whole, fresh rose petals to the outside, cover and refrigerate until ready to use. The flavors will be best after about 24 hours or overnight.

Food grade rose water is available in many whole foods stores.

Note, if you are using red rose petals, most red rose varieties have little flavor or fragrance ('Mr. Lincoln', a hybrid tea, is an exception, it has pretty good fragrance and flavor. But if you want rose butter and your roses aren't the tastiest, add 2 teaspoons of food grade rose water as you are mixing the rose petals into the butter.

Are All Roses Edible?

2011-06-14T16:58:00.001-05:00

Mr. Lincoln, one of the fragrant, flavorful red hybrid tea roses.

If you travel to India, Pakistan or countries in that region, you will find roses in food as often as you do other herbs. While in India I enjoyed rose cakes at weddings, rose ice cream and rose milk shakes in ice cream parlors, and rose jams wrapped in flatbreads. The rose is as common as chocolate, vanilla or strawberry in ice cream varieties.

Graham Thomas climbing rose has a delicious flavor and fragrance.

Following here is what you should know about eating roses. Theoretically, all roses are edible. The rose and the apple are first cousins, which is why rose hips (the fruit, after the flower fades) look a lot like apples. And those roses hips are very tasty, as well.

Here are some tips for choosing roses for your salads, ice cream, cakes, teas, sorbets and more.

1-Never eat roses from a florist. The amount of pesticide necessary to produce those lovely, long-stemmed roses, are not something you want in your body. Plus, most florist roses have much fragrance and thus, no flavor.

2-Don't use roses from your garden IF you use bug sprays, or systemic fertilizers which include pesticide or fungicide in them. If it keeps bugs off the roses, then the poison is also in the rose and you shouldn't eat it.

Other than those 2 cautions, any rose is edible. To choose the best ones to use, pick a fragrant rose. If it SMELLS good, it will TASTE good, as well!

Generally speaking, the best fragranced, best flavored roses are pink and yellow varieties. There are a few fragrant red rose varieties (Mr. Lincoln, a hybrid tea, for example). Pick the roses after the dew has evaporated, but before the hottest part of the day. The fragrance and flavor will be best, then. Then use the rose petals immediately, or keep them in the refrigerator for a few hours.

Rose and Raspberry Salad, from How to Eat a Rose.

Some of the best rose varieties for eating are the old-fashioned, shrub roses. Those need no spraying and are easy to care for. Many of the hybrid tea roses have little fragrance. They've been bred for gorgeous flowers with little attention to what they smell like. Similarly, the new Endless Summer roses are beautiful, but have no fragrance and no flavor. I met the rose developer who created the Endless Summer line and I asked him why his roses have no fragrance. He said, "Most people want a rose in their garden that blooms all season and is easy to care for. Fragrance just isn't very important in most people's landscape."

Rose filing and rose icing make this angle food cake an elegant dessert!

That's it! You are ready to begin eating roses. Pull the fresh petals from the center part of the plant and they are ready to use.

How to Eat a Rose, available from LongCreekHerbs.com

On these blog pages in the coming months you will find recipes and information about using roses. You might want to order my book, How to Eat a Rose from my website, for my current collection of recipes; in it you'll find resources for buying old-fashioned, good-flavored roses, as well as lots of delightful, easy recipes using roses.

Holiday Horseradish Recipes

2010-11-30T13:35:00.002-06:00

Here are some new recipes to add to the horseradish collection.

Coconut Shrimp with Orange Dipping Sauce

2 eggs, beaten
1/2 cup beer
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 level Tablespoon baking powder
3/4 cup moist-packed shredded coconut
24-30 large, raw shrimp, peeled, tails on, deveined
Cooking oil

Combine the eggs, beer, flour and baking powder, mixing well. Add the coconut and mix again.

Pour about 1 1/2 inches of light cooking oil in a pan and heat to medium-hot (350 degrees F). Dip the shrimp in the batter and drop a few at a time into the hot oil and fry until golden brown. Remove and drain. Serve with Orange Dipping Sauce.

Orange Dipping Sauce

1 cup orange marmalade
2 Tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 1/2 Tablespoons prepared horseradish (not creamed horseradish)

Mix and serve in tiny dishes so that each person has their own dipping sauce.

Bacon Horseradish Dip
This is a tasty dip for fresh vegetables or chips.

6 strips crisp bacon, crumbled
3 green onions, chopped fine
8 oz. container sour cream
1/2 cup real mayonnaise
3 Tablespoons prepared or creamed horseradish
1 Tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped fine
1/4 teaspoon fresh lemon thyme, finely minced (optional)
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Combine ingredients and chill until ready to serve.

Bloody Fool
Great afternoon drink, any time of year

3 ounces chilled vodka
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
1 heaping teaspoon prepared horseradish
Hefty dash celery salt
10 ounces chilled tomato juice

Combine ingredients in blender and pulse once or twice to blend. Pour into ice-filled glasses and garnish with a lemon slice and a generous sprig of fresh rosemary. Makes 2-3 drinks.

Horseradish in the Ozarks

2010-11-08T14:46:00.000-06:00

This is what horseradish should look, without the rocks!

Growing Horseradish in the Ozarks
Jim Long

When I moved to the Ozarks 30 years ago, horseradish was one of the first 20 herbs I planted in a raised bed at the edge of my garden. During the third winter of the plants’ growth, I decided to dig and process some roots.

My grandmother had always told me the job she hated most as a little girl was when her mother ground horseradish in the fall of the year. She said they always had to do the job outdoors because of the fumes and her eyes and nose would burn for hours, so I was curious about the process.

I dug into my big clump of horseradish with my potato fork and out came some several foot-long, contorted, wrist-diameter roots. I was surprised at how gnarled and twisted they were. My grandmother had told me all I needed to do was scrub the roots free of soil, peel, cut up and grind them. But my horseradish had grown around the rocks in my soil, so the process wasn’t going to be so easy.

My garden soil, before I began amending it, was just red clay with lots of rocks - rocks from the size of grapes to grapefruits. The horseradish had simply grown around several of the smaller rocks, so I had to first scrub, then peel, then cut the roots into pieces to extract the stones.

Grandma had used a hand-cranked meat grinder, but I chose a food processor. I simply added a bit of vinegar to a handful of cutup roots and within seconds, I had horseradish. Doing it so quickly, and covered in a food processor, the fumes weren’t a problem and I soon had several pint jars for the freezer. (Leave out the vinegar if you want a stronger, hotter horseradish).

Over the years I’ve made a better soil bed for my horseradish, with richer soil and free of most rocks. I add some compost every year along with a hearty application of bone meal, then divide the roots about every second year, replanting some and harvesting the rest.

I occasionally gather a few larger leaves in summer and wrap one or two around pork steak, with some mustard and salt and pepper and bake them. I read a few years back there were cautions in using horseradish leaves, but in looking on the Web, I find no cautions listed and I’ve enjoyed the mild horseradish flavor in the baked pork.

Harlequin beetles are the only pest I have on my horseradish and those can usually be picked off by hand. Or a mixture of water, cooking oil and baking soda, added to a sprayer with more water, will usually get them.

I like the more pungent flavor of my own ground horseradish and take out a small jar from the freezer whenever I need a new supply.

Jim Long writes for The Herb Companion and Heirloom Garden magazines. His garden blog chronicles his weekly garden adventures: jimlongsgarden.blogspot.com and his herb books can be seen on his website: www.LongCreekHerbs.com.

Horseradish, Herb of the Year 2011

2010-09-01T11:23:00.001-05:00

The Herb of the Year for 2011, as established by the International Herb Association, is Horseradish. You will find links to more information about Herb of the Year, recipes and more, here.

Members of the International Herb Association, touring a horseradish processing facility in Collinsville, IL.

Horseradish is dug in the fall of the year, cleaned and stored in refrigerators that keep the temperature just at 32 degrees F. That way, the horseradish can be cleaned again, trimmed and either shrink-wrapped in individual roots for sale in stores, or run through grinders and made into prepared horseradish.

The production line consists of conveyors carrying the barely frozen roots, being cleaned and trimmed by hand.

It comes out of the processing line looking like this. Workers hands are cold from handling the roots all day. Some wear gloves, others just tough it out. The knives they use to rapidly trim the roots are dangerous, as well. Here, IHA members observe the bins of horseradish, ready for processing.

The final product, the day we visited, was this, individual horseradish roots, shrink-wrapped and labeled, ready for the produce department of stores. The roots will be kept just a 32 degrees until shipment, to insure freshness, and the firey flavor people love.

Here are a couple of my recipes from back in my teenage years. I used to make back in my teens when I contract-ran a little cafe on Sundays in my little hometown. My job on Saturday was to plan the Sunday menu for 2 blue-plate specials, buy the food, hire the help and cook. One of the popular choices for my Sunday Dinner Specials was baked ham with horseradish sauce, pineapple sweet potatoes and cole slaw with homemade rolls. (I also made the pies). Here's the horseradish sauce, very simple, but good with ham, pork steak or even on sandwiches:

Horseradish Sauce for Ham

1/4 cup sour cream

2 Tbsp. horseradish
2 drops any brand hot sauce

Mix and serve small portions with savory baked ham.

Shrimp Dipping Sauce

It's simple, everyone probably makes it the same, but I like homemade better than store bought.

1/4 cup Heinz catsup
2 Tablespoons real prepared horseradish (not horseradish sauce)
3 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon (I use a full teaspoon) hot sauce
1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives

Mix, chill for 30 minutes or longer, and serve with chilled shrimp.

Check out what's happening in my garden this week: http://jimlongsgarden.blogspot.com

Cucumber Soup with Dill

2010-07-06T12:31:00.000-05:00

I make this every summer and our family loves it. It's a great way to use up excess cucumbers.

Jim Long's Summer Cucumber Soup
Peel and slice 5 medium cucumbers, setting aside half the mixture.
Peel and slice 1 medium onion
2 teaspoons light vegetable oil

In a skillet, using the 2 teaspoons vegetable oil, saute half of the cucumbers and all of the onion until the onion is tender. Drain and let cool.

Put the cucumber/onion saute in a food processor and pulse blend until smooth. Pour into a bowl.
Place the remaining cucumbers in the food processor and to that add:
1 cup sour cream
4 cups buttermilk
1 tablespoon freshly chopped dill
1 teaspoon any brand hot sauce (don't leave it out, it adds flavor, not heat)
Dash salt

Process until smooth, then add to the cooked cucumbers/onions. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before serving. Add freshly chopped dill and chopped cucumber as a topping on the bowls of soup. (I usually chill the bowls or cups, too).

Trialing Dill in My Garden

2010-06-25T21:19:00.001-05:00

I planted several varieties of dill this spring. Some Slow-Bolt, Fernleaf, common, Mammoth
and Egyptian. Guess what? They all grew up side by side, and look just alike. The Slow-Bolt is the same size as the common dill. The taste is the same, too. They're all in flower now. I harvested enough leaves to fill the food dehydrator and after drying, have a big baggie full, probably 6 ounces or so. That's enough dried dill to last for years (of course the flavor won't last that long). I've been making crab salad for summer evening suppers, and that requires plenty of dill.

My opinion, after trialing several varieties of dill, from several seed sources, is, there is very little difference! All planted at the same time, they all went into flowering at the same time.

Dilliest of Choices

2010-03-02T00:07:00.002-06:00

When we think of dill, most of us think first of dill pickles and statistics tell us the averange American anually consumes more than 9 pounds of dill pickles. That's 9 pounds per person!

Dill is native to western Asia and the eastern Mediterranean region. The earliest known mention of this herb dates to about 3000 B.C., where it was mentioned in Egyptian medical texts.

The Romans considered dill to be a sign of good luck and the ancient Greeks viewed it as a symbol of wealth. It was used for protection from witches, evil and bad luck. But it's greatest use, was in the kitchen.

Dill was traded and transported across Asia, into Europe and eventually to the Americas. The herb evolved in the different cultures where it was used, providing us with a number of herb cultivars. As far as I know, dill has never been hybridized, but so-called "new" dills have come on the market through the process of selecting out desirable characteristics.

For example, Thai Dill (Thai Name: Pak Chee Laos) is a somewhat regional variety, used in seafood, and with fresh oysters. Thai dill is slightly more yellowish than the dill you may be used to, and has fleshier fronds that almost seem succulent. You can find Thai dill at Baker Creek Seed Co.

Here's a rundown of several dill cultivars. Some varieties are best suited for seed production, while others are better choices for more leaves (dill leaves are called, "dill weed.")

Bouquet - This is the most commonly grown dill variety. It has dark-blue green foliage that is highly fragrant as a fresh herb or as dried weed. The large seed heads also make this a good choice for pickling.

Dukat - This dill is sometimes called tetra dill and is primarily grown for its rich foliage which makes it ideal for salads. Especially sweet-tasting, imported Danish dill for finely cut blue green leaves that hold for fresh use longer than many other varieties. Also good for pickling. Available from Renee's Garden Seed.

Elephant - The best selection of late-flowering dill for longer season leaf cutting. Mid to dark green lush leaves. Late to bolt for extended harvest. You'll find this one at Burpee and Baker Creek Seed.

Fernleaf - This is a unique type of dill that grows about 18 inches high and therefore does not require staking. It's a compact multibranching plant; aromatic and flavorful, this extremely attractive introduction is suitable for small gardens and containers and is slow to bloom. Fernleaf dill looks wonderful in flower arrangements and is the best one for planting in containers. It's a good choice for seed production as well as dill weed. You can find this on the Nichols Garden Seed website.

Long Island - also sometimes listed as Long Island Mammoth - This is one of the most popular types of dill, and can grow up to 5 feet tall. Like other dills, it requires full sun. It's one of the best for seed production for pickling.

Mona (Anthethum graveolens 'Monia') - is a sturdy, compact variety. The shorter uniform plants are easier to harvest for fresh-markets. It has dark green foilage and is an excellent variety for containers, but is also well suited for field production. You can find Mona at Richters Herbs.

Superdukat - This was introduced in 1997. It has uniformly straight, tall stems, and is one of the easiest for harvesting large amounts. Superdukat also has more essential oil than the older dukat cultivar.

Vierling - This is a striking combination of steel-blue foliage and chartreuse blooms. Strong stems with early yields of flowers. Leaves have classic dill flavor for garnishing and culinary use. This is the best variety for cut flower and decorative uses. You can find this one at Johnny's Selected Seed.

Vulgare - Grows about 24 inches tall and is used for both seed and leaf production. This one is available from Pinetree Gardens.

The varieties I'm growing this year are Vierling, Elephant and Thai. I'll be comparing the flavor and production of all 3. I'm especially interested in growing the Thai dill as I used it in cooking school in Thailand several years ago and liked using this dill.

Dill

2009-12-02T11:27:00.006-06:00

Dill is the official Herb of the Year for 2010. For information about how the Herb of the Year is decided, the organization (International Herb Association) that hosts the it, and more, scroll down to earlier postings. Also there are links to the International Herb Association, the Herb Society of America and Herbworld.com which all post information about the Herb of the Year in my previous postings, as well.

Dill is a cool season plant. What that means, is it's best planted in very early spring, or even in late fall. In the Midwest, where I live, (Zone 6a-7b) I can plant dill anytime between September and December. Dill will come up and thrive, starting in mid to late March and grow until hot weather hits.

Dill is best planted from seed as it doesn't transplant well. You can find it for sale in little pots in garden centers, but often it's offered so late in the year, what you get is a spindly little plant that goes to seed and dies by about May or June. (For companies we recommend that offer seed and plants, click this link).

Dill seed is easy to start. Simply scatter it in a pot on the patio, or in the garden, anytime in early to mid winter. The dill will know when to come up. You can harvest it repeatedly over a long period. But once the daytime temperatures reach the mid to upper 60s, your dill will bolt, meaning, it will put up seed shoots and go to seed. There's little you can do to prevent that. It wants to set seed for the next season. Gather the ripened, dry seed for use later, or scatter then on the soil for the next crop. Often you will get a crop in late summer that lasts through the first hard freeze, when the dill finally dies. It is an annual, meaning, that plant will not return the next year, although the scattered seed will produce new plants in the next season.

Dill weed, which is the leaves, are easy to harvest and dry. Simply cut lots of leaves and lay them on newspapers out of sunlight, indoors. In about a week the dill will be dried and you can put it in an airtight container to use later.

Tips for seasoning with dill: *Dill seeds have a robust flavor, so use sparingly. *Dill leaves can be dried or frozen. Simply trim off some with scissors as needed. *Dill can be frozen in little zipper plastic bags for up to 6 months. Simply take out what you need and keep the rest frozen until later. *One tablespoon chopped fresh dill equals 1 teaspoon dried dill weed. *One half ounce fresh dill equals about one half cup of leaves.

Here are some recipes for using dill in the coming year. If you have some you'd like to contribute here, I'll be happy to post them with credit to you. Thank you!

Dill Dip (from my book, Easy Dips, Using Herbs)
The flavor of fresh dill gives this a wonderful, summery taste that goes well with chips, crackers or fresh vegetables - especially good with cucumber slices!

Dill Dip
1 cup sour cream
1 cup mayonnaise (like Hellemans)
3 cloves finely chopped garlic (or 1 tablespoon finely chopped garlic chives)
4 tablespoons finely chopped fresh dill
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
Dash hot pepper sauce
Dash freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon salt

Mix ingredients, then cover and chill in refrigerator for a least an hour (overnight is better). Makes 2 1/4 cups.

Dill Seed Crackers (from my book, Easy Homemade Crackers Using Herbs)
Serve these delicious snack crackers with your favorite cheese and slices of crispy, sweet pears.

Dill Seed Crackers

2 tablespoons butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup flour

Topping:
1 teaspoon sesame seed
1 teaspoon poppy seed
1 teaspoon dill seed
1 teaspoon coarse salt

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Combine butter and flour and mix well. Divide dough into 10 to 12 approximately equal portions on a lightly oiled baking sheet. Flatten each portion into a round cookie shape with your fingers.
Mix seeds and salt together and sprinkle equally over the flattened dough rounds.
Bake for 8-10 minutes, or until lightly browned. Cool completely on cooling rack then store in airtight container. Makes 10-12 portions.

Pickled Dill Green Beans
These are a good side dish or pickle to serve with turkey , ham or most any kind of sandwiches.

2 lbs. stemmed young and tender green beans

Pack the beans lengthwise in jars leaving 1/4 inch headroom and in each jar add:

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper or a 1 inch piece of your favorite hot pepper
1 clove garlic
1 small head of dill or 1 1/2 Tablespoon dill seed

Mix together the following in a saucepan:

2 1/2 cups water
2 1/2 cups apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar

Bring to boil, pour over the bean-packed jars, leaving 1/4 inch headroom. Seal jars and process 15 minutes in boiling water bath.

Makes 4 pints.

Dill & Lemon Mayonnaise
This is delicious on any kind of turkey, chicken or ham sandwiches.

1/2 cup light mayonnaise (like Hellemans)
1 Tablespoon chopped fresh dill
1-1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh parsley
1-1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
Optional: Dash salt & pepper to taste and 1 or 2 drops tobasco sauce

Directions:
In small bowl stir mayonnaise, dill, parsley and lemon juice and optional ingredients. Refrigerate until ready to use. Serve with grilled or roasted meats, poultry, seafood or as a delicious dip for vegetables. Makes about 1/2 cup.

To see more of what I grow in the garden (and gardens I visit), visit my garden blog. I post updates weekly: http://jimlongsgarden.blogspot.com.

Bay Custard Sauce

2009-05-16T19:08:00.002-05:00

Here's a link to a great recipe for Custard Sauce made with bay. Note there are several other articles about bay to explore on that page, too. They're not my articles, but I've written for The Herb Companion for the past 18 years, penning the Down to Earth column. Check out my writings there, as well.
Jim Long

Bay has amazing medicinal properties

2008-12-24T16:08:00.006-06:00

I've been reading the Herb Society of America's Herb of the Year book. It's full of recipes and stories from contributors. One entry caught my eye, from Dr. James Duke, that prolific guitar-playing herb researcher. Did you know that bay is helpful in treating diabetes? Here's a quote from the booklet, which is taken from his excellent book, The Green Pharmacy:

"I enjoy the bay-bean Dia Beanie soup with the bay “insulinade” that I proposed in the The Green Pharmacy. Start out with Anderson’s mix: bay leaf, cinnamon, cloves and turmeric. Add a pinch or two of each of them to a teapot and steep for ten minutes. I’d also add fenugreek which is well proven and a pinch of coriander and cumin (evidence not so strong). In animal studies, both have
been shown to lower blood sugar somewhat and the rosemary, sage and tarragon go as well with the insulinade. Don’t use sugar with the tea and
instead add stevia, a non-nutritive sweetener which has its own hypoglycemic phytochemicals."

And that Old Bay seasoning, which of course contains bay, is useful in helping with arthritis!
"OLD BAY® SEASONING COX2-INHIBITORS AND ARTHRITIS
Arthritis away with OLD BAY®? Wow - OLD BAY® Seasoning has many other COX-2-inhibiting spices in its formulation too. I suppose our herb of the year, bay, like Chesapeake Bay, contributed to the name of the familiar Old Bay®. Both the black and red pepper are important, the red pepper’s very potent
capsaicin and the black pepper’s piperine which facilitates the uptake of the
curcumin.

Old Bay® contains several spices which contain collectively more than 13 COX-
2-Inhibitors: apigenin, caffeic acid, capsaicin (more potent than Vioxx), (+)
catechin, cinnamaldehyde, eugenol, 10-gingerol, kaempferol, oleanolic acid, 8-
paradol, parthenolide, quercetin, salicylates, and shogaol," says Dr. Duke.

Bay, Herb of the Year 2009

2008-11-23T17:32:00.002-06:00

Each year, the International Herb Association designates an official herb of the year. It is meant to educate the buying public about lesser known herbs, and generates useful information and materials for plant sellers, nurseries and garden centers to make use of the Herb of the Year information to aid in marketing that year's plant.

To achieve Herb of the Year status, an herb must fit within at least two of the three following categories: (1) Medicinal, (2) Culinary, (3) Craft or Decorative. Bay is primarily a culinary plant but does have a few, limited uses as a craft herb, mostly for wreathes and decorative items.

The Herb of the Year for 2009 is Bay (Laurus nobilis)

The Part Used: It is the leaves of bay that have the flavoring properties. The plant is a tree that came originally from Asia Minor but was quickly spread around the Mediterranean and beyond. Supposedly the Oracle at Delphi chewed bay leaves and inhaled the smoke of the burning leaves of bay to induce her visions. Bay, and laurel, were worn as wreaths on the head for protection, as an honor for being victorious in sports and battle. (The association with honor continues to this day, as we have poet laureates and the word baccalureate means laurel berries, signifying the completion of a bachelor's degree.

Uses:
Bay leaves have long been used in flour and grain to keep pantry moths out. Medicinally, it has a long history of being used for treating high blood sugar, migraines, bacterial and fungal infections. Bay leaves and berries have been used as an astringent, carminative digestive and emetic properties. The oil (bay oil or oil of bays Oleum Lauri) has been used in bruise and sprain liniments and salves.

"It contains compounds called parthenolides, which have proven useful in the treatment of migraines. Bay leaf has also been shown to help the body process insulin more efficiently, which leads to lower blood sugar levels.It has also been used to reduce the effects of stomach ulcers. Bay Leaf contains eugenol, which has anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties. Bay leaf is also an anti-fungal and anti-bacterial. Bay Leaf has also been used to treat rheumatism, amenorrhea, and colic." (See this link for the complete quotation).

Growing Bay (Laurus nobilis)
Bay is easy to grow in pots on the patio or indoors. Use any average potting soil and give the plant full sun for at least half the day, or indoors, use a sunny window or growlight. Pick the leaves as needed. Keep the plant pruned to size as it wants to become a tree if left to do so.

Recipes:
Bay is generally thought of as a background culinary herb, adding flavor in foods such as beef stew, pot roast, poultry dishes and the like. But it can just as easily be a primary flavor, as in this dessert recipe adapted from an episode of the Food Network, changing it a bit to suit my own tastes.

Bay & Warm Bananas with Vanilla Ice Cream

4 tablespoons butter
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 cup fresh or frozen orange juice
1 cup packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons bourbon
Pinch salt
6 not quite ripe bananas, peeled and into bite sized pieces
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

In small skillet over medium heat, melt the butter and cook until browned, 3-4 minutes. Add the bay leaves and turn in the liquid, then add the lemon & orange juices, brown sugar, bourbon and salt. Simmer the liquid until it has reduced by half and has reached a syrupy consistency, about 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat. Add the bananas and black pepper. Stir to coat the bananas evenly. Serve still hot over ice cream.

Bay, Herb of the Year 2009

2008-07-24T17:35:00.003-05:00

Information about Bay, the Herb of the Year for 2009 is posted on this link. I welcome contributions of your recipes and tips on growing and using Bay.

Calendula Cheese Ball

2008-04-25T12:48:00.005-05:00

Cathy Wilkerson Barash has posted a delicious recipe for a calendula cheese ball on the organic to be website, so check it out.

Cathy is the author of Edible Flowers, Desserts & Drinks and past president of the Garden Writers of America. And we sometimes are even fortunate to have her visit our garden here at Long Creek Herbs, too. Wonderful recipe, Cathy!

Growing calendula in the fall

2007-10-29T15:23:00.001-05:00

"Hi, Jim,

Thanks for sharing the information about calendulas.

Calendula plants taught me a valuable lesson.

Years ago I planted my Calendula seed in late summer. I just never got around to in spring and I missed them, so I thought why not. The great thing about seeds is they cost so little to play with.

What I got was the best crop of Calendulas I ever grew. They liked the cool autumn weather (in California) but best of all most of the pests, especially the Colorado Potato Beatle, did not present the problem they normally do when we plant in the spring. I have since observed that planting at off times (instead of rushing to be the first one on the block) actually makes life easier.

I love gardening because it teaches me something new every time I attempt to do it!"

Take care,

VJ Billings, Mountain Valley Growers, Inc.
The Nation's largest supplier of USDA Certified Organic Herb and Perennial Plants http://www.mountainvalleygrowers.com

Thanks VJ!
I had a similar experience. My spring crop of calendula was a total bust. I had seed left over and in late August, dumped the seed into a bare spot in my Edible Flowers bed. They grew quickly and I had the best calendulas ever, right up until frost. Normally blister beetles attack them in early summer, green worms eat the buds before they can open. But in late summer, those pests have all gone on to their next life. Thanks for sharing your experience.
Jim

Calendula plants taught me a lesson

2007-10-29T15:23:00.000-05:00

"Hi, Jim,

Thanks for sharing the information about calendulas.

Calendula plants taught me a valuable lesson.

Years ago I planted my Calendula seed in late summer. I just never got around to in spring and I missed them, so I thought why not. The great thing about seeds is they cost so little to play with.

I love gardening because it teaches me something new every time I attempt to do it!"

Take care,

VJ Billings, Mountain Valley Growers, Inc.
The Nation's largest supplier of USDA Certified Organic Herb and Perennial Plants

http://www.mountainvalleygrowers.com

Thanks VJ! I had a similar experience. My spring crop of calendula was a total bust. I had seed left over and in late August, dumped the seed into a bare spot in my Edible Flowers bed. They grew quickly and I had the best calendulas ever, right up until frost. Normally blister beetles attack them in early summer, green worms eat the buds before they can open. But in late summer, those pests have all gone on to their next life. Thanks for sharing your experience. Jim

Calendula Recipes

2007-08-27T16:14:00.000-05:00

These recipes are used with permission from Cathy Wilkinson Barash's books, Edible Flowers, and Edible Flowers-Drinks & Desserts (both from Fulcrum Publishing).

Calendula Cheese Ball
2 8 ounce pkgs. cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup extra sharp cheddar cheese, finely grated
1/4 cup green bell pepper, finely chopped
1/4 cup sweet red pepper, finely chopped
1/4 cup carrot, finely shredded
1/2 cup fresh calendula petals, chopped
2 tablespoons green onion, finely chopped
1 teaspoon fresh garlic, crushed
1/4 teaspoon tamari or other good soy sauce
Dash freshly ground black pepper
Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. Refrigerate for at least one hour.
Form into a ball. For an elegant touch, press whole calendula flowers into the ball.

Calendula Biscuits
(From Diana Clare, Malahat Farm, Sooke, B.C., Canada, also from Edible Flowers).

2 cups flour
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup butter
2 tablespoons fresh calendula petals, finely chopped
3/4 cup milk

2 tablespoons additional butter or margarine

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
Mix dry ingredients together in a bowl. Cut in butter and calendula petals with a pastry knife until the mixture is mealy in texture, then stir in the milk.

Turn out onto a floured board. Shape and knead (as little as
possible) into an oblong about 1 1/2" thick. Place on a heavy cookie sheet
and with a sharp knife, cut dough into 2" squares. Dot well with butter or margarine. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until lightly browned.
Serves 6 - 8.

Calendula Carrot Soup

4 tablespoons butter
1 cup sweet Vidalia or Walawala onion, coarsely chopped
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 cup tart, Granny Smith apple, coarsely chopped
1/2 cup raw, not roasted, peanuts, chopped in food processor
1/4 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon cumin
2 pounds carrots, coarsely chopped
4 cups vegetable or chicken stock
1/2 cup milk
1 cup fresh calendula petals

In a large stockpot, melt butter over a medium low heat. Add onion and
garlic, sauté until they turn translucent. Add apple and peanuts, cinnamon,
nutmeg and cumin. Continue to cook for 3 minutes. Add carrots and cook for
5 minutes over a low heat, stirring intermittently. Pour in stock, cover
and allow to simmer for 20 - 25 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool
slightly before pouring into a blender or food processor. Puree until
smooth. Return to pot and stir in milk. Cook over a medium low heat for 5
minutes. Do not let it come to a boil. Stir in petals just before serving.
Serves 4 - 6.

Calendula Rice
(From Pat Lanza, Shandelee Mountain Crafts & Gardens, Livingston
Manor, NY, in Edible Flowers, by Cathy Wilkinson Barash)

4 cups water
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup onion, finely chopped
2 chicken bouillon cubes
1/2 cup fresh calendula petals, finely chopped
2 cups long grain rice

In a medium saucepan bring water to a boil. Add salt, onion, bouillon
cubes, calendula petals and rice. Stir. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for
18 minutes.
Serves 8.

Zuni Rice
(From Robert Werst, chef/owner, y.e. Coyote, Hicksville, NY, in Edible Flowers, by Cathy Wilkinson Barash).

1/4 cup oil
1/4 cup fresh calendula petals, finely chopped
1 cup rice
2 cups water
2 tablespoons chili powder
1/4 cup frozen peas, thawed
1/4 cup sweet red bell pepper, diced
2 tablespoons tuberous begonia petals, coarsely chopped (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Heat oil in an oven safe saucepan. Add calendula petals and rice. Sauté for several minutes, stirring frequently. Add water and chili powder. Bring to a boil and cover with aluminum foil.

Remove from heat and place in the oven. Bake for 45 minutes to an hour, or until all liquid is absorbed. Remove from oven. Stir in peas and red pepper. For added zest, add tuberous begonias.
Serves 4 - 6.

Calendula Potatoes
(From Jose Gutierrez, chef, Chez Phillippe, Hotel Peabody, Memphis TN, in Edible Flowers, by Cathy Wilkinson Barash).

4 medium potatoes, peeled and shaped into oblongs
Petals from 8 - 10 calendula flowers
1 tablespoon butter

Boil potatoes in water with half of the calendula petals until potatoes are just tender. Drain potatoes. Melt butter, and roll potatoes in butter to coat completely. Roll in remaining petal to coat with flowers.
Serves 4. This dish is a show-stopper when served with Veal Chop with Johnny
Jump Up flowers.

Calendula Orange Cake

Cake Batter:
5 eggs
1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
Rind of 2 lemons, grated
Rind of 1 orange, grated
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup yogurt
3 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 cup fresh calendula petals, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Separate eggs. Beat whites until they form stiff peaks. Set aside.

Cream butter and sugar together. Blend in egg yolks, lemon rind, orange rind, sour cream and yogurt. Beat until smooth.

Sift dry ingredients together. Slowly add dry ingredients to wet, mixing well. Gently fold in beaten egg whites and calendula petals.

Butter and flour a Bundt or angel food cake pan. Pour in cake batter and bake for 60 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool in pan 10 minutes, then remove to a cooling rack and allow to cool completely.

Syrup topping:
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup Grand Marnier
1/4 cup sugar

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan over a low heat. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 3 minutes. Pour hot syrup over cooled cake and garnish with calendula petals.

Recipes using Calendula

2007-08-13T18:20:00.000-05:00

There was earlier confusion about whether calendula is an edible herb. I called Cathy Wilkinson Barash, author of Edible Flowers (Fulcrum, $29.95) and Edible Flowers-Drinks & Desserts (Fulcrum, $16.95). Because she has calendula flowers on the cover of her first book, I asked how sure she is that this herb is edible. She explained that Dr. James Duke, Ph.D., and one of the foremost herbal authorities, had thoroughly reviewed and approved all of the herbs and flowers in her books. That's good enough for me. I rely on his The Green Pharmacy (Rodale Press, 1997) as a reliable reference.

Cathy calls calendula, "a poor person's saffron," and uses it in cakes, potato and chicken dishes, as well as "saffron" rice dishes. Recipes will follow.

Herb of the Year, 2008

2007-07-22T13:58:00.000-05:00

Calendula (Calendula officianalis) is the 2008 Herb of the Year. The International Herb Association http://www.iherb.org/ designates an official herb annually. It is meant to educate the buying public about lesser known herbs, and provides information and materials for plant sellers, nurseries and garden centers to make use of the Herb of the Year information to aid in marketing the plant.

To achieve Herb of the Year status, an herb must fit within two of the three following categories: (1) Medicinal, (2) Culinary, (3) Craft or Decorative. Calendula is primarily a medicinal plant but does have a few, limited uses as a culinary plant.

Calendula is best known for it's healing properties on skin problems. Historically it was used in oil and applied directly on the skin. It's now available in pharmacies and health food stores in salve form, as well as in gels and creams. You can still buy it as "calendulated oil," as well.

The Part Used: It is the petals of calendula that has the healing properties. "Calendula contains high amounts of flavonoids, plant-based antioxidants that protect the body against cell-damaging free radicals. Researchers are not sure what active ingredients in calendula are responsible for its healing properties, but it appears to have anti-inflammatory, antiviral, and antibacterial effects." (Quoted from the Univ. of Maryland Medical Center website: http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/calendula-000228.htm
Calendula is sometimes taken internally, but only in very small doses. It is generally used as an external application.

Calendula is a cool season annual and grows in almost any garden soil. It belongs to the same plant family as daisies, chrysanthemums and ragweed. Calendula salves, gels and creams are used to speed wound healing on burns, bruises, cuts and hemorrhoids. Homeopaths often recommend calendudla for both burns and severe sunburns. Ear drops containing calendula are sometimes recommended for treating ear infections in children.

Growing Calendula: Calendula is a cool season annual and is grown from seed. There are some newer varieties that claim to be heat resistant, but the simple, old fashioned varieties usually give up and go to seed by late June or early July in the Midwest. Plant calendula seed in spring, after danger of frost. Or plant in late August to early September for fall blooming. Plant in small pots or flats for transplanting later, or plant seed directly where you want them to grow. Once the plants begin to bloom, it's a good idea to keep the seed heads cut off, to encourage the plant to continue blooming. If you don't, most varieties will simply bloom for a few weeks and go to seed and the plant will die.

There are 15-20 varieties to choose from, including: Orange King, Chrysantha Sunshine, Golden Beauty, Dwarf Orange, Balls Orange, Geisha Girl, Pacific Beauty Lemon, Dwarf Golden Gem, Fiesta Gitana, Goldfinch, Apricot Shades, Art Shades, Lemon Coronet, Yashima, Dwarf Orange, Green Crown, Persimmon Beauty and Mandarin. (For a rating of the best varieties, go to http://www.mastergardeners.org/picks/calendula.html).

Pests on calendula include blister beetles, tiny worms that eat the seed heads and mildew.

Can you eat calendula? Yes! Cathy Wilkinson Barash, author of Edible Flowers (Fulcrum, $29.95) and Edible Flowers-Drinks & Desserts (Fulcrum, $16.95) gives several recipes for using calendula flowers. See the Recipes post for more details.

For more information about the Herb of the Year, visit the International Herb Association website: http://www.iherb.org/ and the Herb Society of America site: http://www.herbsociety.org/

Growing Lemon Balm

2007-02-02T16:21:00.000-06:00

This herb grows easily in any normal garden soil. Propagation is by seed, root division, or stem cuttings. Root divisions can be done in the spring or fall, but if doing in the fall, do it early enough that the plant can establish itself before freezing weather hits.

If left alone, meaning not prunned to get the best flavor, the plant goes to seed and will spread itself in places you may not want. Some gardeners don't like the plant because of that quality, but I find it's not hard to keep in place, and even if a plant comes up in a bed where it doesn't belong, it's easy to pull out. My chickens always enjoy an airborn plant that lands in their yard and they eat nearly every part of a lemon balm plant, leaving only a few stems when they are through.

Lemon balm will withstand drought better than some herbs, although if grown under stress, such as with very little water, it goes to seed quickly and the flavor changes. To prevent this, use scissors or pruners and cut the plant back half-way fairly often. It is the tender, younger leaves that have the tasty lemon flavor. The old leaves, particularly when the plant is blooming or producing seed, have an almost unpleasant, soapy flavor. But the fresh, tender leaves are delicious.

Lemon balm grows best in average garden soil, with normal moisture. It will take part shade or full sun. I have one that lives next to the rhubarb, which shades it midday and late afternoon and it seems very happy there. I often combine the lemon balm with rhubarb in recipes, as well, since they are such good companions in the garden.

Lemon balm is best used fresh but you can also dry it for use later. I dry mine in the food dehydrator, on low setting. Sometimes I grow it in a brown paper bag, a couple of handfulls of the herb inside. I clip it closed with a clothespin and keep it in the trunk of the car. If I think of it, I shake the bag every 2 or 3 days and within about a week, the leaves are crisp and it's ready to store.

Store dried lemon balm in an airtight container in a dark place, such as pantry or kitchen cabinet. If I have a lot of dried lemon balm, I double-bag it and keep it in the freezer and that seems to preserve the flavor really well. Just remember to make sure the herb is completely dried before you put it in the bag.

Lemon Balm Blueberry Cake

2007-01-27T18:05:00.000-06:00

I served this in the late 1980s at my Herb Day in May festivals and published the recipe in my Ozarks Herbalist quarterly newsletter. I find it now all over the web in lots of recipe files, so I guess imitation is the best form of compliment.

3/4 cup milk
4 tablespoons fresh lemon balm leaves chopped (or 2 tablespoons dry)
1 tablespoon dry lemongrass leaves, chopped fine (or 2 tablespoons fresh)
1 tablespoon dried lemon thyme (or 2 tablespoons fresh, stems removed)
2 cups flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup sugar
6 tablespoons butter, room temperature
Grated lemon zest from one whole lemon
2 cups fresh or frozen/thawed blueberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Scald milk, then add lemon balm, lemongrass, and lemon thyme in food processor. Process until well chopped. Set aside to allow hot milk to draw out the flavors of the herbs.
Combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Place milk mixture and flour mixture in the food processor. Add eggs, sugar, butter, and lemon zest. Blend just until batter is mixed. Fold in the blueberries.
Pour mixture into greased 9-inch by 5-inch loaf pan. Bake for about 50 minutes. Test with a toothpick, if batter remains on toothpick, bake for a few more minutes.

While still hot, prick the top of the cake with a knife several times and pour the glaze slowly over to let it soak in. Cool well before serving.

Glaze:
Combine the juice of 4 large lemons with about 3/4 cup powdered sugar (just enough that it is still runny). Mix well until sugar is dissolved, then pour over still hot cake.

Lemon Balm Pesto

2007-01-27T18:00:00.000-06:00

2 cups loosely packed, fresh lemon balm leaves

1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
3 cloves garlic

Blend all ingredients together in a food processor until coarsely chopped. Serve like traditional pesto over pasta, or add to broiling fish or chicken during the last 10 minutes of cooking.

Lemon Balm Vinaigrette

2007-01-27T17:52:00.000-06:00

This is an easy, quick salad dressing to use over any good mixture of fresh spring salad greens. Dressing can be refrigerated for a couple of days, too.

1/3 cup light canola oil (or olive oil if you prefer)
12 fresh lemon balm leaves, chopped fine
3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
Dash salt and freshly ground black pepper

Combine ingredients and set aside for 10 minutes before using. Pour over a salad of baby lettuces with a few sliced almonds and strawberry halves. (This also is tasty over freshly steamed asparagus).

Lemon Balm, Herb of the Year, 2007, Calendula, 2008

2007-01-27T16:28:00.000-06:00

The Herb of the Year project was begun by the International Herb Association in 1994-95 and each year the H.O.Y. committee meets, chaired by Univ. of IL Extension Specialist, Charles Voigt, to choose the upcoming year's herb. The committee chooses herbs that fit into at least 2 of these 3 categories: medicinal, culinary or decorative. The purpose of the Herb of the Year is to inform the public about that herb, and garden centers, nurseries, civic organizations and plant-related businesses are invited to use the Herb of the Year material to promote, market or inform their customers about the current year's Herb of the Year.

This blog is not the official blog of Herb of the Year, but is for our customers who would like to know more about the current year's featured herb. The following recipes and information are from my own experience and files and you are welcome to use and enjoy them.
Happy gardening!
Jim Long

Lcherbs@interlinc.net Visit my website: http://www.LongCreekHerbs.com

To visit the International Herb Association website: http://www.iherb.org/
To contact the Chair of the Herb of the Year committee, Chuck Voigt: cevoigt@uiuc.edu
More information about Lemon Balm can be found at http://www.herbworld.com/ and
on the website of the Herb Society of America: http://www.herbsociety.org/

The 2007 Herb of the Year is Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis).

Lemon balm is both culinary and medicinal, and is considered by many herb growers to be less than exciting, or useful, as an herb. I heartily disagree with those who find it useless and ordinary. It's always been one of my favorite herbs.

During the 7 years when I hosted my annual, "Herb Day in May" event at my farm, I tried each year to come up with a few new ways to use lemon balm in my foods. I provided morning refreshments when people arrived, then a full lunch, and afternoon dessert with tea. Lemon balm was a valuable addition to the menu's offerings each year.

Lemon balm isn't a very showy perennial, in fact its flowers, which range from yellow to pink to vaguely lavender, are not very striking and the whole plant has a somewhat "weedy" appearance unless it's kept pruned. It is highly aromatic, with a delicious lemony fragrance. A variegated cultivar (M. officinalis 'Variegata'), also known as "Aurea" or "All Gold," has golden foliage and, as expected, a lemon-like flavor and scent. Another variety, (M. officinalis 'Lime') that I was given many years ago has a more lemon-lime flavor and fragrance. Lemon balm can sometimes be found thriving in fields and along roadways. Although it resembles a mint it's not as intrusive, and yet very prolific.

Culture: Lemon balm will grow just about anywhere in zones 3-9, and will thrive in full sun to part shade. In hottest regions it does best if given shade during the middle of the day. It's easy to propagate by dividing the roots, taking cuttings or starting from seed. It can also be propagated by layering, although it's so easy to start using other methods it's hardly worth the effort to layering. If allowed to flower freely, the seeds may scatter and the plant will spring up readily, although it seldom becomes a serious pest in the garden. Lemon balm is tolerant of droughts, but does best in normal growing conditions.

History: Lemon balm is a naturalized (maybe even indigenous) plant across southern Europe, northern Africa and western Asia. Some sources claim it is native to Asia, but it has been grown so long in northern Africa and Europe, that no one knows for certain.
The Latin name, "Melissa" comes from a Greek word for honey bee and the plant has long had an association with bees. Bees are attracted to the small flowers and it used to be a custom to rub the inside of a new bee hive with lemon balm leaves to get the bees to settle in. The "officinalis" part of the name indicates the plant was considered medicinal in nature.

In the old English book, A Modern Herbal by Mrs. M. Grieve, she records The London Dispensary, which was published in 1696 saying, "An essence of (lemon) balm, given in canary wine, every morning will renew youth, strengthen the brain, relieve languishing nature and prevent baldness." With all of that curing and strengthening, I can't see why lemon balm isn't everyone's favorite herb!

Medicinal: Often called simply, "balm" in old herbals, the plant was believed to chase away melancholy, treat mental conditions, calm heart spasms soothe nervous stomach, cure a headache and effectively treat skin conditions and eczema. In modern days the herb has shown useful in treating some kinds of hyperthyroid problems. It is said to be somewhat sedating (usually from drinking the soothing tea), helps to lower fever (due to its ability to cause mild perspiration) and is considered helpful in soothing the effects of colds from the use of a hot tea with honey. It also is shown to be helpful in soothing stomachaches and reducing the duration of cold sores.

Culinary: The mild lemon fragrance and flavor make it attractive as a culinary herb for cookies, cakes, muffins and cheesecakes. It's easily combined with fruits in fruit salads, makes a delicious salad dressing, goes well with strawberries, blueberries, watermelon, canteloupe or any other dish where lemony herbs are used. It's a tasty tea herb, either fresh or dried, although the best flavor of this herb comes from the fresh leaf. (For best flavor of the plant's oils, keep the plant prunned to keep flowering at a minimum. If you try to use the leaves from a fully-flowering plant, or when it is going to seed, the fragrance and flavor will be somewhat, "soapy." Like most herbs, the more you prune it, the better the flavor and fragrance of the young leaves).

Note: Recipes using Lemon Balm are listed under postings on right of page.