A Traditional Farm Life
By Shasta Hamilton
Greetings from Enterprise, dear friends! The skies are dark and heavy with rain once
again, but we are still very thankful for every drop. If only we had been able
to get the rest of our transplants in the garden before the skies burst forth
again! Unfortunately, as of early
Saturday afternoon, our tomato and pepper transplants are still firmly rooted
on our front porch, and the rain still falls steadily and gently.
I had a pleasant surprise in the herb garden this week. The recent rains must have prompted my “lost”
Lemon Balm plant to come out of dormancy.
I didn’t even remember exactly where I had planted it last fall, and was
completely surprised to see the cluster of familiar light green leaves emerging
from the black earth. Picking one of the
small leaves and sniffing it confirmed my hopes—a delightful lemony fragrance.
We’ve had our share of spring illness around here
lately. It has taken the form of a nasty
virus causing fever, muscle ache, headache, stuffy nose, etc. Choosing natural remedies where practical, I
have been dispensing the “Fire Cider” lavishly among those brave enough to take
it. Fire Cider is chopped horseradish,
ginger, onion, garlic, and jalapeno pepper steeped in apple cider vinegar with
lemon, rosemary leaves and turmeric powder for four weeks. At that time the vegetable matter is strained
out, honey is added, and the tonic is then ready for consumption. It is reputed to have anti-viral and
antibiotic qualities, but I just hope taking it strengthens their immune
systems enough to help them get better a little faster.
My children’s willingness to take it ironically corresponds
with their ages, though not like you’d expect.
Our oldest will not touch the stuff, but our three youngest children
take it freely. This has puzzled me, but
since the youngest don’t take pills yet, I’ve been pleased with their
willingness.
During these last few days of illness, I have encouraged
them to take small amounts frequently throughout the day. We put a teaspoon or so in a plastic
medicine-dosing cup, add water, and gulp it down quickly. To my surprise, sometimes they even suggest
taking another dose themselves. Pleased
at their desire for vibrant health, I’ve enthusiastically sent them to the
kitchen to get their own.
This morning after one of those times, I came into the
kitchen and noticed the sugar dispenser was on the counter next to the empty
bottle of Fire Cider. Suddenly the light
bulb came on in my head and I realized what they had been up to. Heavily sweetened apple cider vinegar diluted
with water makes a tangy apple juice/lemonade-like concoction. My four and five-year-olds had been making
their own horseradish and garlic-flavored apple/lemonade!
Our 12-year-old son has been hit the hardest with this nasty
bug (so far). He was sick in bed for 8
days. Thursday evening he was feeling
well enough to go along on a quick errand.
Upon arrival home he commented, “It was sure good to get out again. It was like coming home after a long trip.”
Our seven-year-old daughter has also been hit hard with the
virus, though thankfully not as severely.
She’s up and around after only 2 days in bed. We’re not sure who will go down next. It’s a bit of a puzzle because our
13-year-old son and 10-year-old daughter each had a mild cold without the aches
and fever within the last week. Of our
six children, only our 5-year-old boy has remained healthy throughout this time
of illness. Perhaps the Fire Cider really
does work after all!
Is your curiosity peaked?
We all hope cold and flu season is almost over, but just in case you
want to try it for yourself, here is the recipe we used. While there are many variations on the same
theme in folk medicine, this particular recipe comes from Mountain Rose
Herbs. Be sure to use organic or
unsprayed vegetables if they are available.
Fire Cider
1/2 cup ginger root, freshly grated
1/2 cup horseradish root, freshly
grated
1 medium onion, chopped
10 cloves garlic, crushed or chopped
2 jalapeno peppers, chopped
zest and juice from 1 lemon
2 tablespoons of dried rosemary leaves
1 tablespoon turmeric powder
apple cider vinegar
(unpasturized, if possible)
raw local honey, to taste
Place all ingredients except vinegar and honey in a
quart-sized glass jar. Pour vinegar over
the ingredients, filling to the very top.
Use a plastic lid or a piece of parchment paper under the lid to keep
vinegar from touching metal. Shake
well! Store in a dark, cool place for 1
month. Shake daily. After 1 month, strain out the pulp, pouring
the vinegar into a clean jar, squeezing out as much of the liquid as possible
from the pulp. Next, add 1/4 cup honey
and stir until incorporated. Taste, and
add another 1/4 cup until you reach desired sweetness.
Copyright © 2015 by Shasta Hamilton
Shasta is a fifth generation rural Kansan now residing in
Enterprise, Kansas. She and her husband
own and operate The Buggy Stop Home-Style Kitchen with their six home-schooled
children. You can reach The Buggy Stop
by calling (785) 200-6385 or visit them on the web at www.thebuggystoprestaurant.com.
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