Notes from the Brew Room

Frothy and fragrant

Ann King

For the last couple of months, here in the Brew Room, we have been harnessing the vital and energetic harvests from this year's wonderfully long spring. Since the summer solstice, we have enjoyed a welcome pause to this feverpitched activity. This month is sometimes known as a lean period in horticultural circles. It's a time to relax, enjoy the summer heat, and watch the fruits of spring labour literally forming in front of us. However, when we stop and begin to unwind after a particularly busy or stressful spell, sometimes the body reacts to the adrenaline imbalance by presenting us with illness. As ever, nature comes up trumps by offering us the glorious Filipendula ulmaria. Its earthy, fragrant blooms rival Elderflower (Sambucus nigra) for scent, and the frothy creamy flowers will brighten most damp, shady spots for the rest of the summer. Meadowsweet originally came from the genus Spirea, which gave Aspirin its name. The plant contains salicylate salts and vital mucilage components which protect the digestive tract whilst providing anti-inflammatory relief— a great example of how using the whole plant can be beneficial.

We offer you two recipes to make the most of your Meadowsweet.

Culpeper (1653) claimed that Meadowsweet 'makes a merry heart', so we created the following infusion to keep fever at bay, calm systemic inflammation, and lift the spirits with its entrancing fragrance. It is particularly delicious served as a chilled brew on a warm summer afternoon.

As Meadowsweet is also used as an antacid, helping to blast conditions caused by excess acidity, such as arthritis, we combined it with Rosehip (Rosa canina) and Ginger (Zingiber officinale) to create a simple, sweetly fragrant salve for use on painful or inflamed joints.

Feverfree Infusion

1 handful Meadowsweet

1 handful Elderflowers

1 handful Bee Balm (Monarda fistula) to control the fever and fight infection

Lemon (Citrus x limon)

Put approximately one handful each of Meadowsweet, Bee Balm, and Elderflowers into a large teapot or cafetiere, and top up with freshly boiled water. Allow to sit for 5-10 minutes, then serve with a slice of Lemon.

Scent of Meadows Salve

10g beeswax (Cera alba)

12.5g Coconut oil (Cocos nucifera)

10g Shea butter (Vitellaria paradoxa)

50ml Sweet Almond oil (Prunus amygdalus dulcis)

35ml Rosehip oil 75ml

Meadowsweet floral water

10 drops of Ginger essential oil

To make the Meadowsweet floral water: Distillation is a wonderful and simple way to harness the beneficial fragrance and actions of a herb. The resulting liquid is infused with water soluble volatile oils and plant compounds. Use a saucepan with a domed lid that can rest upturned on the pot. Place a small bowl inside the pan leaving an area large enough to create a blossom moat. Add blossom around the bowl and top up with water, just short of the lip of the central bowl. Put the lid upside down on the pan and heat to a gentle simmer. Have some ice cubes ready to place on top of the lid— ideally in a small bag. Allow the steam to condense into the central bowl. Keep an eye on the water level of the herbal moat and add more ice to the lid whenever necessary. When you're done, decant the fragrant floral water from the bowl into a sterilised bottle and allow to cool slightly ready for the next stage.

To make the salve: Melt the beeswax, Coconut oil and Shea butter together in a bain-marie or slow cooker, and then turn off the heat and allow to cool a little before mixing with a stick blender. For best results, the floral water and the melted oils should be a similar temperature. Then slowly add in the floral water and Ginger essential oil, and blend again. Pour into sterilised tins and keep in the fridge for up to six months. Apply liberally as required.

Images

The Brew Room

References

Culpeper, N. (1653) Culpeper's Complete Herbal: consisting of a comprehensive description of nearly all herbs with their medicinal properties and directions for compounding the medicines extracted from them. Foulsham and Co.: Slough

Disclaimer

No recipes are intended to replace medical advice and the reader should seek the guidance of their doctor for all health matters. The profiles and recipes are intended for information purposes only and have not been tested or evaluated. Ann King is not making any claims regarding their efficacy and the reader is responsible for ensuring that any replications or adaptations of the recipes that they produce are safe to use and comply with cosmetic regulations where applicable.