by Ron Foster
This recipe for Witch Hazel Tonic is from The Herb Quarterly (Winter 1994).
First, here are a few paragraphs from the accompanying article on Witch Hazel: Witch Hazel has a long history of medicinal use, primarily as an antiseptic and an astringent. The herb was listed in the United States Pharmacopoeia of 1882, and it was still listed in the National Formulary as late as 1955. Native Americans applied the leaves and bark as a poultice on painful swellings and tumors and to reduce inflammation. According to James Duke (Handbook of Medicinal Herbs, 1989), the fresh leaves are highly astringent, and were used in tea form by the Cherokee "for colds, fevers, periodic pain, sore throat, and tuberculosis, and to wash sores and wounds." Other tribes used the herb to treat bruises, scratches, bad backs, and sprains, and in a steam bath to relieve rheumatism.
Many of these treatments passed on to the American colonists. In the 19th century, witch hazel extracts of various kinds were used internally and externally to treat myriad conditions, among them burns, diarrhea, dysentery, inflammation, phlebitis, wounds, and ulcers. Witch hazel is still used externally to treat hemorrhoids and varicose veins, and very dilute distilled witch hazel can be used in eye lotions.
Pure witch hazel extract, available in many drugstores and supermarkets, is the most frequently used form of the herb--more than a million gallons are sold each year. Useful as an antiseptic, astringent, or make-up remover, and even providing relief from hemorrhoid pain and bleeding, it is an all-purpose first-aid lotion and cosmetic aid.
Here's the recipe:
Although the Pilgrims' tonic is not as potent as the commercial extract, you can follow this easy recipe and have fun brewing up your own witch hazel remedy:
• Prune one pound of fresh twigs from shrubs as soon as they have flowered. This practice produces the strongest tonic.
• Strip off the leaves and flowers (save these for sachets) and chop the twigs into coarse mulch using either a mechanical mulcher or pruning clippers.
Place the chopped twigs into a two-gallon stainless steel pot.
Cover the twigs with distilled water (available at the supermarket) and bring the contents to a boil.
Reduce heat to simmer, then cover and cook for at least eight hours; add water as needed to cover the mulch.
Allow the mixture to cool to room temperature. Pour the witch hazel tonic through a funnel containing a cheesecloth filter and into clean plastic squeeze bottles or other suitable, tightly capped containers.
• Use the tonic within a week unless it is kept refrigerated. You can preserve your tonic for long-term room temperature storage by adding nine ounces of vodka or grain alcohol to 23 ounces of tonic. Yield: one gallon.
Warning: Do NOT use internally! Keep out of the reach of children. I don't know about you, but witch hazel is one of those common household things I've always kept around. According to Reader’s Digest, harvesting the witch hazel yourself beats buying it at the store because commercial processing tends to reduce the effectiveness of the witch hazel.
Witch-hazel Extract
1 lb witch hazel branch tips
Distilled or bottled spring water (not city water) Cheese cloth or cotton cloth and a strainer
Container like Mason jars Get out your largest stockpot. Cut branch tips from the shrub. Remove any flowers and leaves. You just want the wood. Cut the pieces into mulch with shears and place in the pot. Add just enough water to cover the mulch. Bring the pot to a boil and then reduce heat to a simmer. Let the mixture simmer for about 8 hours.
Add water occasionally during simmering to barely keep the mulch covered. Remove the pot from the heat and let the contents cool to room temperature.
Strain the solids out of the liquid. Pour extract into bottles or jars of choice. Seal tightly.
To extend the shelf life add 1/2 cup rubbing alcohol to every 3 cups of extract. Pine Toner
2 cups fresh pine needles
1 cup distilled water
½ cup witch hazel
For pine toner, place pine needles in small saucepan with distilled water. Bring water to boil. Allow water to cool completely then remove pine needles. Pine needles can be thrown away. Add witch hazel and stir well. Pour into a clean bottle or other container. Apply to skin with a cotton ball. Store in a cool dark place
Don had chosen two hazelnut cultivars to plant in his so called “forest garden” in front of his house. He had a circular driveway and the center section was thinly wooded and ideal for adding extra trees and bushes in. The cultivars he chose were more productive, smaller and earlier to bear nuts to harvest than the wild ones he had placed in the woods. To this little island of food producing woods he added some Allegheny Chinquapin nuts which appear much like a chestnut seed but are much smaller. The Paw Paw is a true native American fruit tree indigenous to the entire eastern half of America, from Texas to the Great Lakes and down the east coast to Florida. The Paw Paw is rarely seen and hardly known by recent generations, but was a household name for the prebaby boomer generations.
Many old and now forgotten folk songs were sung praising the Paw Paw. Being the largest edible fruit native to America, the Paw Paw is worth singing about and has found some resurgent interest in the past 20 years or so.
The fruit starts out green and in the oblong shape of a mango. It grows 3-6 inches long and ripens into a golden-brown with black splotches. It ripens from midAugust to October and should be soft enough to come off the tree with a gentle squeeze. The ripe Paw Paw will have a pronounced perfumed fragrance. The highly nutritious flesh will have a consistency of custard and a unique flavor, resembling a vanilla banana blend. The Paw Paw tree requires two for good pollination and heavy fruit set. The Paw Paw tree is a small and handsome addition to an edible landscape. The Paw Paw tree is an understory tree in the forest and prefers to be planted in partial sun. Don laughed at himself singing songs about "pickin' up paw paws puttin 'em in a basket." as he planted his patch.
Blueberry bushes run down one side of his driveway and he had mixed in a few thornless blackberries on the other side. Hawthorne trees were strategically placed here and there along his front fence row for hard times food as well as enhancing his security. Europeans used to call these “traveler’s trees” or “bread and cheese trees”. Hawthorne (Crataegus) is deciduous and a member of the rose family. The common name for hawthorne comes from haw, which is an old English word for "hedge." The tree's name simply means "thorny hedge." After the British General Enclosures Act of 1845, hawthorn was used extensively as hedgerow because of its thorny nature and quick growth, angering peasants who no longer could enter the lands they previously roamed at will. Its Latin name, Crataegus, means "hardness", referring to the quality of the wood. Use the leaves, flowers and berries for medicinal and culinary purposes. The berries are collected when ripe and used raw or cooked, or dried whole for use in decoctions, liquid extracts, and tinctures. Harvest the leaf-buds in the early spring for cooking or as a substitute for smoking tobacco. Harvest the flowers in the spring and the berries after they ripen in the fall.
Both ancient and modern herbalists have successfully used hawthorn for its food and health benefits. Modern science shows that hawthorne contains chemical components which are sedative, anti-spasmodic and diuretic. If you intend to use it for medicinal purposes, look for C. laevigata, C. monogyna, or C. pinnatifida, as these hybrids are known best for their medicinal uses. Read how to make a tincture or an infusion using hawthorne flowers or berries.
The hawthorne berry is one of the best cardiac tonics available, and is often used to treat high blood pressure.
Hawthorne berries are used to treat childhood diabetes. See Cautions.
Hawthorne flower tea is a safe diuretic. Hawthorne berries, dried and crushed and made into a decoction, eases diarrhea and dysentery, kidney inflammations and disorders. See Cautions.
The young hawthorn leaves can be used as a safe, and non-nicotine tobacco substitute for those who desire to quit smoking tobacco. Enhance the flavor and h
elp heal the throat by adding yarrow, mint, coltsfoot or mullein.
Chewing the Hawthorn leaf has been known for centuries as a safe way to give nourishment, revive energy, and a feeling of well-being. That is why it can be used to treat those who have problems with apprehension, insomnia and despondency. Chewing Hawthorn leaves takes away that "tummy grumble" when you’re hungry. That is why the Hawthorne became known as the "bread and cheese" tree, giving as much sustenance as a plate of bread and cheese.
The Hawthorne leaf-buds are good cooked (10 to 20 minutes) and have a similar taste to lima beans. They make a great addition to chilies and soups.
You can make jellies and fruit sauces from the berries, just make sure you strain the sauce. Hawthorne berries contain their own pectin so the sauce or jelly will thicken nicely.
Hawthorne flowers are edible and make an attractive addition to salads and other dishes. Hawthorne seeds can be roasted and used in a manner similar to coffee. Cautions
Hawthorne is a very powerful herb and in most cases should be taken along with other herbs rather than by itself for medicinal purposes. When dealing with medical conditions, I recommend consultation with a medical professional rather than attempting self-medication.
Hawthorne wood is more prized than oak wood for wood fires, as it burns very hot. A hawthorne wood fire can produce fire that can melt pig iron.
Hawthorne hedgerow is still very evident in Britain and parts of Germany, used as a fence to keep cattle in and people out of private properties. Hedgerow makes a great security fence.
Don had even planted a couple tea trees ( Camellia sinensis var) The Camellia plant genus, from which all forms of tea are harvested, is amazingly resilient and adaptable. When he bought the land, one of the first things he did was use this opportunity to set himself up with a lifetime supply of tea that's as fresh and pure as you can make it. If you want to grow camellias for tea, stick with a Chinese variety, In Latin terms, that's Camellia sinensis var, not to be confused with Camellia assamica, which is an Indian tea; Indian tea plants are less tolerant of the cold. These are really easy plants to grow if winters are warm.
Chinese tea varieties are used for green and oolong teas, while Indian varieties produce black teas—which is good for home growers, considering that most of tea's health benefits have been attributed to green tea.
It takes about two years before the bush is mature enough that you can harvest sufficient tea to brew a reasonable amount, and about five years before the bush reaches the point where you can harvest tea leaves regularly.
To make the tea, you have to pick the two to three newest leaves, and the leaf bud, on each shoot. What you do with those leaves after that will determine whether you end up with green tea or oolong tea (which falls somewhere between green tea and black tea in terms of taste). For green tea, the Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences at the University of Florida says to steam or panheat the leaves at 480 to 570 degrees F for 10 to 15 minutes while constantly stirring them to keep them from burning. Then dry the leaves in a standard oven or toaster oven at 212 to 302 degrees for another 10 to 15 minutes, and they're ready to brew.
For oolong tea, you need to allow the leaves to wilt, first in full sun for 30 to 60 minutes then in the shade for another eight to 10 hours. While they're wilting in the shade, you need to stir them once every hour. Bring the leaves inside, and pan-heat them on low heat, between 121 and 149 degrees F for 15 minutes. Oolong tea doesn't need to be dried, as green tea does. Traditionally, the leaves are rolled up, either into thin strips or into tiny balls, preserving the leaves' oils and flavors. As you brew the tea, the leaves unfurl and release their flavor. In China, oolong leaves are customarily brewed two to three times because each steeping process changes the flavor a little bit.
Prepping is a positive step that empowers individuals. The more prepared you are the less stress and anxiety you have. Prepping the way Don did was sort of like part permaculture and part guerilla gardening that would last years after all his stored food ran out. He tried his best to choose things that produced this year or next, but always had an eye to very long term dirt living as he called it. He wanted to be able to go out on any corner of his 3 acres and be able to graze his forest crops if need be while walking his trap line. It was kind of like leaving your refrigerator door open for all the critters in the woods and when need be, setting a trap or snare to let nature pay him back for feeding all the wildlife in the area was the dues he would take. It was to be his symbiotic relationship as caretaker of his farmstead and woods that was based on a simple give and take notion of backyard survival. He gave of his labor and was rewarded with Nature’s diverse bounty that he shared with the creatures of his woods. Normally, Don would say he had a deal with the animals in his woods and they were free to come and go as they please plus have their own farmsteader laboring away and making their lives easier. But they were prey if the SHTf and fair game for the pot otherwise.
He allowed the deer and squirrels, etc. unmolested free reign of the place as long as they stayed out of the vegetable garden and he enjoyed watching and learning from their antics and habits. A Survival or WROL (With Out Rule of Law) situation was totally a different matter though. Everyone had better go to stealth mode then. He knew if he was to be on his own basically for any length of time as an individual prepper, he couldn’t be straying far from his house to hunt and fish unless the neighbors were truly part of his newly formed tribe. He had reviewed all sorts of options on just how that might work out and none of it sounded very good or profitable for him individually as an outcome.
The first few weeks of the grid shutting down wouldn’t be too bad he thought. Folks usually had some food available and were seen outside in the cooler air more. Neighbors spoke to each other during such times and most probably didn’t understand that the lights were not coming back on for years if a solar storm actualy took the grid out. When the cupboards got bare and no relief was in sight though, then the suspicions and folks hiding inside the house would start. Watching the neighbors like the wildlife would indicate how he would make his next steps known. Pretty much everyone on the road he lived on had access to guns and would be trying to hunt to feed themselves if the SHTF. Not the time to be out in the woods, Donald thought.
Deer trails connected every one of the houses around here in some form or fashion if you were used to looking for them and followed them to find out where they lead. He had done a little recon of them on his own and like the deer had followed the easiest paths through the undergrowth and had ghosted by in back of the neighbors houses while exploring the woods in back of his property. He could easily envision his neighbors accidently or intentionally walking up to the back of his house while they were out looking for game or foraging and that gave him a pause of anxiety and a bit of mistrust.
His woods had a lot of green briar vines in them. These grab your clothes and flesh snarl you up vines have lots of strong needle sharp spiky thorns; the plant has broad and heart-shaped leaves. The vine has small, green flowers in the spring, and a blue-black berry from late summer into the spring. Greenbriers (and Catbriers) are good as asparagus, in salad, and cooked by using the young shoots, leaves, and tendrils. If the rootstocks of these vines are crushed and washed, the red powder can be boiled in water to make a "mild jelly," according to the Peterson's guide. This powder can also be mixed half and half with wheat flour to create a "thickening agent," or can be diluted in a liquid (water) to make a cold drink. We've all had run-ins with Green Briars (Smilax rotundifolia) while walking through the woods. You know, those long waxy green vines with nice sharp thorns on them that seem to form natural detours or thickets. They are easy to identify because they are the only vine around here that has both tendrils and thorns. They root in the ground and grow up into shrubs and trees and create a real tangle of thorns that can really slow you down. Well, even Green Briars have a few useful purposes. Their main useful purpose, as far as we are concerned, is that they provide an abundant, nutritio
us, and easily harvested source of food. Check out a briar patch in the springtime and you will see that the vines are putting on new growth. This new growth is a lighter green than the older part of the vine, and it is soft These young shoots can be pinched off of the vine, just above the first thorn, and eaten on the spot; or they can be collected and then steamed or boiled. They have a flavor kind of like green beans. If you have a little salt and pepper to add to them, they are very tasty. Taste the leaf, if you're fairly certain the plant is a green briar. It tastes slightly bitter, but is edible. You can eat many parts of the plant, which you can cook as stews or soups or eat raw.
The roots may be dug in late fall and throughout the winter when the food source is stored in the large rootstock and heavy feeder roots. To obtain flour, dry the cleaned roots thoroughly, cut them up, pound on the roots, and sift or strain out the fine talc.
This flour may then be used for baking, making jelly, or concocting a drink. The drink is made by adding water, honey or sugar to sweeten, and a small amount of greenbrier flour. It's not very good, and I have not been able to find out if it's healthful or not! But, surely it has to be good for something and I will be researching more!!
When making jelly, only half the usual amount of sugar is needed. Full amounts produce a thick gel. The water turns a dark brown when boiled with the root. A simpler way to make jelly is to add honey, hot water and greenbrier flour, mix. When it cools, it forms a jelly. Judge this plant for yourself. It's worth taking the time to become acquainted.