So we (Coed Cariad members and I) made an all round feel good soothing tonic last year on the 3rd of July 2023. We also made a lovely heal all balm. They were foraged from the surrounding site. And as you can see from the list we were surrounded by the healing bounty of mother nature. It was an absolute pleasure foraging all the wild and wonderful things with this motley group of young adventurers.
Coed Cariad: All round feel good/soothing tonic
1/4 teaspoon as needed (up to 4 daily), can add to warm water or drinks.
Infusion of herbs and vegetable glycerine:
Lemon balm (melissa officinalis), lime flower (tilia europaea), selfheal (Prunella vulgaris), meadow sweet (filipendula ulmaria), cramp bark (Viburnum opulus), crimson clover (trifolium incarnatum), blackberry buds (Rubus fruticosus L), wild rose (Rosa canina), lavender (lavandula angustifolia), calendula, ground ivy (glechoma hederacea).
Picked & processed by members of Coed Cariad, carmarthenshire: https://www.coedcariad.org/
Yes an all round feel good soothing tonic: that's vague as f*uck. So briefly when I look at that mix I think soothing and relaxing the mind and body with the lemon balm, lime flower, cramp bark, lavender and wild rose. But they are more than just that, the lemon balm and self heal are antivirals, useful for chest infections and other virus's. The ground ivy is specific to resolving mucus production especially in the sinus and for blocked ears. Calendula is all round amazing for skin and the lymph system (what clears out the debris of living! which can build when fighting an infection, hence swollen glands. The rose is famous for soothing the heart and for its astringent properties along with blackberry buds, again helping to dry up excess mucus and bodily fluids. Meadowsweet is great for fevers, pain and heartburn, the original aspirin. Red clover is known as a nutritious blood tonic high in iron and also improves lymph flow. So while each herb has actual chapters dedicated to each one in countless books this paragraph hopefully shows where it could be useful. Coughs, sore throats, moments of stress, ear ache, runny noses, sore bellys, and could be stand alone in mild cases or in addition to other treatments. It has such a wide range of herbs in it, it's unlikely to target any one area with force but hopefully have a synergistic effect. I find treating symptoms early pays off so being ready with a health supporting tea or remedy is invaluable. Always seek medical advice if in doubt.
This was my first time doing big batch of mixed fresh herbs into vegetable glycerine.
Before I have made Escholzia californica (Californian poppy) for home use and smaller batches of mix's for friends kids to be used like rescue drops. My friend came across Escholzia californica at the radical herbalists gathering in a children's herbal workshop and the practitioner made an impression clutching the bottle saying it was so helpful for frazzled children and we've been using it ever since. It requires a whole other chapter.
This infusion of herbs and vegetable glycerine has been doing its thing being shaken every now and again and today it was decanted and sieved. It was a lot more gloppy then I expected even though nome of the herbs are that mucilaginous to me. It smelt incredibly of lavender with a hint of rose. We drained off what we could and gently warmed the material briefly. This loosened up the mixture and once returned to the sieve a lot more liquid drained out.
While I feel okay giving my kids small doses of this mix, possibly 1 to 2 mls at time, no more than 4 times a day if acute but more likely once or twice if and when needed, what actually is vegetable glycerine?, Should I be okay with it?
Mountain rose herbs have a very through breakdown here.
https://blog.mountainroseherbs.com/how-to-make-glycerin-extracts-glycerites
It's so hard to decide what's best. Tinctures you have the alcohol, glycerine you have a sugar alcohol that isn't a sugar or an alcohol any more! It should not be had in large doses, as it can have side effects and some people can be allergic.
A cup of tea is prossibly the safest thing!. The advantage the vegetable glycerine has is that it was made with fresh herbs, will last a year or more in a cool dark place, easy to administer and in theory is palatable to children.
I think it is a gift to normalize drinking herbal tea with children. Invite them to share yours whenever you have a cup and let them pick their own flavours. It has such health benefits as they can include a wide range of phytochemicals (plant chemicals) we are properly not getting otherwise. It also is advantageous when they are ill, as they are more likely to say yes to a cup of chamomile and meadow sweet tea for a fever, heartburn or upset stomach. I would advise against adding honey but instead try adding some liquorice, cinnamon, aniseed or fennel. A favorite seems to be liquorice and mint here at the moment. To me it seems like adding honey is a slippery slope to all drinks being sweetened, which isn't ideal for teeth, stomach flora or experiencing the true tastes of herbs.
So to sum up, It's a personal decision, and while I'm still confused on the best thing to do I will be using vegetable glycerine in moderation as a useful vehicle for the herbs.
And some photos of the herbal balm of which ours is all used!
