Ten Herbs To Know Right Now
If you are reading this you are probably already familiar with many of the plants I’ve put on this list. If you cook from scratch simply opening up your spice cabinet will reveal probably half of these awesome plant allies. As the saying goes, “food is medicine”.
My requirements for this list were that these are herbs that are both readily available in the store or already in your kitchen. If you are an herbalist you probably already have jars of these. But, if you are new to cooking with herbs or using them medicinally, this a great list to start with.
Ten Herbs to Know Right Now:
Ginger
Thyme
Garlic
Cayanne
Nettles
Calendula
Plantain
Mint
Cloves
Fennel
Ginger is probably one of the most well known and well used herbs the world over! It’s a hot, pungent, spicy rhizome that can be grated or chopped into food, added to teas, turned in to syrups, candied, made in a ginger bug… the list goes on and on. Ginger is wonderful for helping stimulate the circulatory system and warming the body, for soothing the cramping of smooth muscles like the stomach and intestinal tract and uterus. Always have dried or frozen fresh ginger in your kitchen.
Thyme is one of my most favorite herbs to have on hand for adding a savory flair to baked goods. Of course it’s goes into all sorts of dishes, like tomato sauce, meat dishes, potato dishes, gravies and more. If you are having trouble with a wet mucous filled cough, a cup of hot thyme tea with lemon can aid in breaking up the congestion.
Garlic. So I have an obsession with garlic. So do both of my daughters. I put garlic in just about every single non-breakfast meal and even some breakfast meals too. If you need a bit a of heart support, garlic is an easy and fantastic way to slip it into your food. If you are sick, and feeling under the weather, some garlic honey can help give your immune system a boost.
Cayenne is great for getting the circulation going. As anyone who has eaten chili knows, capsicum make you feel hot, and sweaty and feel on fire if you eat too much. You can put it in your meals for added circulation support or use it topically in an infused oil for arthritic pain.
Nettles, I love nettles as you know. Nettles are one of the most incredible power house plants to have ever evolved. Thank goodness they grow like weeds because the more the merrier I say. Nettles can be incorporated into your meals wherever you might want to use a dark leafy green, like soups, casseroles, sauces, rice dishes. You can even blend cooked greens and add them to cake batter for a nutritional boost and vibrant green color. I use nettles in my women’s tea formula. I even use nettles in my Nettlesome Soap! Don’t be scared of the stings. Nettles want you to eat them, you just have to be careful when harvesting them. Or buy them all ready harvested and dried from a reputable herb shop.
Calendula is a gorgeous flower ranging from deep orange to light yellow. Its resinous perfume is hard to mistake. Calendula grows practically without any help at all and reseeds itself prolifically. You can add calendula petals to your teas to aid in soothing digestion. You can eat the petals in salads, or decorate cakes and cookies with them. I make calendula salves for scraps, burns and cuts. I put calendula in my soaps for dry irritated skin.
Plantain is one of my favorite backyard “weeds” right up there with nettles. Plantain leave can be eaten young in salads or added to soups. The leaves become more muscologenous and stringy as they get older. The leaves can also be chewed and used to cover itchy mosquito bites. I combine plantain and calendula and infuse an oil with them to make lotion for extra dry itchy skin.
Mint, (particularly peppermint if you are using it as a digestive aid) is a wonderful and absolutely essential addition to your home herb collection. There are about a million ways to include mint into your life. Teas, ice cream, fruit salads, chocolate deserts, salves, toothpaste, topical rub, aroma therapy, soap. There are so many kinds of mint out there to bring variety and excitement to your kitchen. I have six different kinds of mint in my garden, all with very distinct flavor profiles.
Cloves. Cloves of course are known by most people for use in pumpkin pie spice and and ginger bread anything, as well as chai. Cloves are warming and have an analgesic effect. If you have ever sucked on a clove bud you will know that numbing sensation I am talking about. They are great for reducing tooth pain while you wait to get into your dentist.
Fennel. Last but not least! Fennel is one herb that is most often associated with sausages or Indian food. In either case fennel seed is an absolute must in my opinion to have in the kitchen. Chew on a teaspoon of fennel seeds when you feel bloated or have gas after eating and you will see what I mean! It’s a carminative digestive aid that really helps quiet quickly. There’s a reason you find it in bowls by the door at Indian restaurant. It also leaves your breath smelling so fresh and clean!
Thank you for sticking with me to the end of this post. I know it’s longer than most. Gives these herbs a try! All are edible and delightful in culinary uses. Let me know in the comments below if you have any of these herbs already, or if you try something new you’ve never tasted before. I’d love to hear about your experience with these herbs.
