Fried Daisies, Yarrow Tea, and DIY Rose Oil

We had a lot of rain last week, which "dampened" my forays into the woods to forage, so I spent some time on the website better organizing it and adding another article.  We now have a DIY project section and an article on jean quilts. Click here to see what is new!

In spite of the damp weather, I spent a bit of time outside and picked enough to fill the dehydrator.  While I collected several kinds of plants, here are the ones I focused on this past week:

 Oxeye Daisies

I collected oxeye daisies mainly to dry for tea, but they are also wonderful to eat.  They can be battered and fried, much like fried mushrooms.  We have tried both a sweet and a savory batter for these and have enjoyed both. As with any new food, be careful to avoid these if you have an allergy to other plants in the asteraceae (daisy) family. 

One of its many uses in tea is for coughs accompanied by an excess of mucous. Oxeye daisy is said to decrease mucosal secretions and calm inflamed tissues. It reportedly has antibacterial properties as well.

Yarrow

Some people do not care for the strong taste of yarrow in tea, but I really like it, especially when blended with other herbs. I collect both the flowers and leaves to dry for tea, as both have medicinal benefits. Yarrow is perhaps best known for aiding in digestive issues, but is also said to help with pain associated with menstrual cycles.

Externally, yarrow has been used as a wound healing herb that helps to stop bleeding. Yarrow is also in the asteraceae family, so do not use this herb if you have an allergy to ragweed or other plants in this family.

Wild Rose

Rose oil is known to be good for your skin. While most rose oils are rather expensive, you can make your own version at home. Since we were out of the oil we made previously, I collected more petals last week to make an infused oil. I plan to use rose oil instead of chamomile oil in my next batch of healing salve since my mother is sensitive to the asteraceae family. I have uploaded to the website the instructions to make an infused oil and also how to use it for a healing salve.

Have a great week everyone!

*This site does not provide medical advice. From time to time I may share my personals experiences using herbs for food, health, or personal care. Such posts are intended for informational purposes only.  Be sure to do your own research before collecting or using any plants and always be sure to correctly identify any plant before harvesting it.

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