I really do love winter, as long as there is snow falling and covering the ground. The snow is beautiful and makes the yard look fabulous. But there is no point to winter if it’s just going to be cold without any snow. Which is kinda what it’s doing at my house right now. Bitter cold and no snow. No fun.
I can see the dirt. Which really makes me want to start digging and planting. I know it’s the same for a lot of you, too. But since we can’t plant at the moment, we can do the second best thing—plan. Becky and I did a whole lot of planning last year with putting in the edible landscaping. This year will involve more of the same, planting a little more densely and expanding the landscaping a bit further. It will also include utilizing an increasing number of medicinal plants, in addition to using some vegetables for previously unknown (to me) medicinal purposes.
Here is a list of the medicinal fruits and vegetables to be easily incorporated into the garden, along with a brief rundown of some primary medicinal uses. Most of these fruits and vegetables already have a blogpost on them; click on the fruit to go to a post on that fruit. (Articles have not yet posted for corn, garlic, or onion.)
Blackberry. Leaf and root teas and decoctions are used to treat a variety of bacterial and viral infections. They are really easy to make and have been used medicinally for millennia to treat sore throat, skin infections, and some types of diarrheal illnesses.
Cabbage. Used for millennia to treat ulcers, researchers in 1949 confirmed that fresh cabbage juice was more effective than pharmaceuticals in healing peptic ulcers. The leaves are an excellent remedy for pain due to arthritis and gout.
Cayenne. Like cabbage, cayenne is also useful in treating arthritis and ulcers. It’s not particularly antimicrobial. Where it really shines, however, and why you really want to prepare some tincture is due to its efficacy as a blood thinner and vasodilator. A few droppersful of tincture under the tongue can clear blood vessels of clots that cause heart attacks and strokes.
Corn. Corn silk tea effectively lowers glucose levels in type-2 diabetics. However, it’s more widely recognized as a powerful treatment for lowering blood pressure.
Currant. The fruit is used in treating colds. Leaf infusions are utilized to manage skin issues topically or taken internally for arthritis, cystitis, and sore throats.
Eggplant. A vinegarite (basically a tincture made using vinegar instead of alcohol) is a very effective treatment for many types of skin cancer, but not melanoma.
Elder. While elderberry syrup is all the rage for treating influenza, the leaves are a much more potent antibacterial and antiviral. It’s extremely effective for treating many skin issues.
Garlic. Like cabbage, garlic has been used as a natural remedy for thousands of years to treat wound infections. It’s more valued today for its blood-thinning and cholesterol-reducing properties.
Gooseberry. Same as for currants.
Onion. Regular consumption of onions, especially raw red onions, has been demonstrated to increase bone density and lower blood pressure. Onions possess more quercetin, which is recommended as a supplement in treating COVID, than any other food.
Pomegranate. While powdered pomegranate rind is a fairly respectable antibacterial all on its own, it’s a powerful synergist for ciprofloxacin and tetracycline. It’s been employed historically to treat cholera, dysentery, and typhoid fever.
Red raspberry. Raspberry leaf tea is mostly widely known for easing menstrual cramps; however, it is also a very effective treatment for skin irritated for any number of reasons.
Sunflower. This cheery flower not only has great tasting seeds, it also is used to treat asthma, malaria, tuberculosis, and snake bites, among many other things.
26 may 2024
Not allowed to grow gooseberries or currants in my state. they can carry the white pine rust and so are banned. Wish I could I love currants. nurseries won't even ship them to me once they know my state
ReplyDeleteDon't have the environment to grow pomegranates
Cabbage leaves raw or cooked? I'm afraid I love fried cabbage...
ReplyDeleteMost of the medicinal uses involve fresh cabbage, whether in the form of juice to drink for ulcers or in the form of fresh leaves or a plaster to apply externally. The post of medicinal uses of cabbage will appear next week.
DeleteAlso, if I may, as the bulk of your immune system is in your Guts (intestines) FERMENTED Foods like Kimchee is excellent for general health and wellbeing.
ReplyDeleteCabbage, beets and peppers a nice fermented combination :-) Also Greatly improves the nutrition and general storability of these foods.
When I was in Korea with a case of the "I wanna DIE Flu" my Korean Soldiers assigned to my MASH unit took me out protesting to a Bar and fed me Hot Kimchee Soup. Almost two boxes of nose tissues and such later I was cured enough to take myself off sickbay and run with my troops the next morning.
Hot Chicken soup with a large amount of Kimchee (Don't COOK It) stirred into it has been my "I don't feel 100%" first response ever since. I've worked through H1N1, Avian Flu, Ebola Scare, and many a BAD Flu season at my hospital and was almost the last man standing as my fellow workers fell to the bug.
Let your food be your medicine, let your medicine be your food
Maybe kimchi will make the list of new things to try from the garden this year. I've already got a few dozen cabbage seedlings going. Hoping they can go in the ground next month.
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DeleteMichael, do you have a recipe you could post here? I'm sure I'm not the only one who would be interested.
DeleteFeeling lazy about typing all my recipe so here's an excellent one:
ReplyDeleteClean out the Fridge Kimchee
This is an easy Napa cabbage–based kimchi recipe that also makes use of any end-of-the-week crunchy veggie scraps you might have in the fridge—think bruised fennel bulbs, leftover cauliflower florets, and radishes that may have seen better days. Everything gets coated in a spicy gochugaru paste before the kimchi is packed into jars and fermented at room temperature until it’s perfectly tangy.
Step 1
Place coarsely chopped cabbage in a large bowl and sprinkle salt over. Massage into leaves with your hands until cabbage starts to release its liquid. Pour in cold water to cover and let cabbage soak 1 hour.
Michael note: I'd limit the cold water here, just enough to keep the air from the Kimchee, this is a "health Version" for salt haters.
Step 2
Drain cabbage, reserving 2 cups brining liquid. Rinse cabbage in 3 changes of water, then drain well and transfer back to bowl.
Michael Note here, if you want a cool room safe Kimchee Korean style you DO NOT wash out the salt. Thus, you don't have to keep it in the refrigerator. The Kimchee in my Hot Chicken-Kimchee soup IS the Salt for that recipe. IF you're WORKING in the Gardens, Chopping Firewood and such the salt isn't a problem.
Step 3
Mix ginger, garlic, fish sauce, soy sauce, and sugar in a small bowl to form a smooth paste. Stir in gochugaru (use 2 Tbsp. for a mild kimchi and up to 5 Tbsp. for an extra-spicy one).
Michael note: All optional flavorings except for the peppers, grow Peppers folks. Gochugaru is hot pepper flakes or with a bit of vinegar a sauce-paste. Peppers and tomatoes are awesome with beans and rice, and so on. Fish sauce is fermented fish leftovers heavily salted just like the Cabbages and root veggies of traditional Kimchee.
Step 4
Add paste, scallions, and mixed vegetables to bowl with cabbage. Toss everything together with your hands (foodsafe gloves are welcome here) until cabbage and vegetables are evenly coated with paste.
Step 5
Tightly pack kimchi into jars, pressing down firmly to eliminate air bubbles and release more liquid from vegetables, leaving 1" headspace at the top. If there isn’t enough liquid to completely submerge vegetables, top off with reserved cabbage brine. Cover jars tightly with lids and let sit at room temperature away from direct sunlight, opening jars to let gases release once a day, for at least 1 day and up to 5 days to ferment (the longer the kimchi sits, the more sour it will be). Give kimchi a taste as you go and add a splash of fish sauce or soy sauce as needed. Once you’re satisfied with the flavor, transfer jars to the refrigerator, where the kimchi will continue to slowly age.
Michael note: I ate from man from Man Sized Pottery jars in Korean Mountain Temples Kimchee that was made LAST YEAR. Well fermented and salty Kimchee doesn't need refrigeration. But it DOES get more "Stout" as it ages. I keep my batches after I've done first ferment in my root cellar in 5-gallon lidded plastic pails.
Michael, thank you so much! I can hardly wait for our cabbages to grow this year and give this a try. Do you have any measurements for this recipe?
DeleteMostly by eye and taste. As you might guess I don't bake LOL.
DeleteMake a small batch this week and try it next few days as it ferments, best way to see. True Sauerkraut is also made this way.
Sorry Jennifer after a moment I figured out what you really wanted was the cabbage to salt ratio to start the Kimchee process.
DeleteMakes about 8 pounds (3.6 kg) of Kimchi
For salting cabbage:
6 pounds (about 2.7 kg) napa cabbage
½ cup Kosher salt (2.5 ounces: 72 grams)
Other than that, it is really just your choice for crunchy veggies and seasonings.
NOW Summer Kimchee is a quick needs refrigeration and is eaten generally that day or three. Cabbage is generally replaced with cucumbers.
Thank you!!!
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