Cider Vinegar
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sprigs each of thyme, bay leaves and parsley
1 litre/1¾ pints cider vinegar
½ teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons olive oil
Halve and de-seed the peppers, cut into large chunks and place in four sterilized jars. Heat the vinegar, spices and herbs in a pan and bring to the boil. Boil for 5 minutes, and then strain. Divide the vinegar between the four jars, and leave to cool. Add 1 tablespoon of oil to each jar before sealing.
Pickled aubergines
3 aubergines
spiced cider vinegar
Cut the aubergines in half lengthways and boil them in salted water for 2 minutes. Drain the aubergines, place in sterilized jars and cover with cold spiced cider vinegar. Seal and store for 2 weeks before using.
Mustard pickle
Makes 2.75 kg/6 lbs
1 small cucumber, chopped
700 g/1½ lb tomatoes, roughly chopped
150 g/6 oz salt
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon pickling spice
a few coriander seeds
100 g/4 oz seedless raisins
3 onions, chopped
1 large cauliflower, washed and divided into florets
600 ml/1 pint cider vinegar
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoons dry mustard
225 g/8 oz soft brown sugar
Layer the vegetables and salt in a bowl, cover with cold water and cover bowl with foil. Leave in a cool place for 24 hours. Rinse and drain the vegetables thoroughly; place them with the other ingredients in a large pan. Heat gently, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Bring to the boil, then simmer until the vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally. Pour into sterilized jars and store in a cool place.
Spicy apple chutney
Makes about 2 kg/4 lbs
450 g/1 lb cooking apples, cored and chopped
225 g/8 oz raisins
3 bananas, sliced
1 teaspoon allspice
½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
350 g/12 oz brown sugar
2 small onions, chopped
100 g/4 oz crystallized ginger, chopped
100 ml/4 fl oz water
½ teaspoon grated nutmeg
2 tablespoons salt
600 ml/1 pint cider vinegar
Place the apple, onion, raisins, ginger, bananas and water in a pan, cover with a lid and cook gently until tender. Add the remaining ingredients, and stir until the sugar has completely dissolved. Simmer until the chutney has thickened, stirring occasionally. Pour the hot chutney into sterilized jars and seal in the usual way. Serve with cold meats and cheese.
Mixed fruit chutney
Makes 1 kg/2 lbs
225 g/8 oz cooking apples
175 g/6 oz dried apricots
350 g/12 oz soft brown sugar
1 teaspoon garam masala
a small piece fresh root ginger, finely chopped
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
225 g/8 oz pears
2 tablespoons sultanas or raisins
300 ml/½ pint cider vinegar
8 cloves garlic, finely sliced
2 teaspoons salt
Peel and core the apples and pears. Cut the apples, pears and apricots into small pieces and place in a preserving pan with the remaining ingredients. Bring the mixture to the boil and boil gently for 40 minutes until the chutney is thick. Allow the chutney to cool before bottling and covering in the usual way.
Tomato chutney
Makes about 2 kg/4 lbs
1 teaspoon pickling spice
300 ml/½ pint cider vinegar
1 kg/2 lbs tomatoes, green or red, sliced
¼ teaspoon pepper
½ teaspoon ground ginger
225 g/8 oz sugar
2 large onions, finely chopped
225 g/8 oz apples, peeled, cored and chopped
½ teaspoon salt
1 rounded teaspoon dry mustard
225 g/8 oz sultanas
Put the pickling spice into a piece of muslin. Place this, with the onions, in a saucepan with 4 tablespoons of the vinegar and simmer gently until onions are nearly soft. Add the prepared apples, tomatoes, salt, pepper, mustard, ginger and sultanas. Simmer gently until the mixture is quite soft, stirring from time to time. Add the remaining vinegar and the sugar. When the sugar has thoroughly dissolved, boil steadily until the chutney is the consistency of jam. Remove the muslin bag, pour the hot chutney into warmed jars and cover at once with waxed paper, then with a metal lid.
Gleaming windows
Add half a cup (150 ml/a quarter of a pint) cider vinegar to half a bucket of warm or cold water, wipe over the windows and shine with a dry cloth to give a brilliant, no-smear shine.
Scalds and burns
Pour cider vinegar on the burnt part – it has an instant cooling effect. Soak a piece of lint in the cider vinegar and apply to the burn; it usually prevents any blisters forming.
Bee and wasp stings
Apply neat cider vinegar after the sting has been removed.
Sore throats
Add half a cupful to a pint of water and gargle three to four times daily; also add 1 dessertspoon to a glass of water and sip – it kills the virus in the sore throat.
Dull or out-of-condition hair
Add half a cupful of cider vinegar to the final rinse – you will be amazed at how your hair shines. Also, a little cider vinegar massaged into the hair morning and evening will improve its condition very quickly. However, it does tend to straighten permed hair.
Varicose veins
These can be very unsightly, but massaging with cider vinegar, poured into the palm of the hand, can really help. One of my patients massaged the veins of her lower legs morning and evening – in seven months they had reduced and practically disappeared. She also took cider-vinegar drinks three times daily – she was thrilled that her circulation was so much better as a result.
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Crude black molasses and honey
As I go about my daily appointments I am horrified to note the awful side effects of the various drugs prescribed for patients whose bodies are so depleted with ill-health that they can scarcely think. Stresses and strains of modern living take a dreadful toll on health. Patients are depressed and fearful. People of all ages come to our clinic – children, youngsters, middle-aged and elderly people, male and female – all with depleted bodies full of toxic acid.
I have found that the vast majority are constipated. A lot of people do not realize that constipation can seriously affect health because it prevents the elimination of toxins from the body. When these toxins are absorbed into the general circulation, the liver is not able to cope with them: a condition called toxaemia then occurs. In my opinion, the cause has to be treated before the symptoms, and, unless my patient is diabetic or very overweight, I suggest a teaspoon of crude black molasses three times daily. This, as a rule, brings about normal body functions and a daily elimination of toxins.
Constipation is a disease of modern times. When people get constipated, they resort to taking laxatives, which relieves the constipation for a little while, but in the long run makes the bowel lazy until it refuses to function without the laxative. (Note: if diarrhoea alternates with constipation, you should seek medical advice, for it could be a warning sign that some undesirable condition may be starting up in the intestines or lower bowel.) Black molasses is full of iron and other minerals, and is a wonderful natural laxative. It is a wonderful feeling to have a regular bowel-movement which eliminates the stress and strain of sluggishness and piles.
Cane molasses is a deep-rooting grass. Its roots grow deep into the subsoil, absorbing essential ingredients from the rocks. It is also grown in soil not heavily impregnated with artificial fertilizers. Cane molasses contains appreciable quantities of vitamins B1 and B2 and is superior in every way to white sugar. Crude black molasses is the best known source of the B vitamins, particularly B6. White sugars, by contrast, drain the body of vitam
in B1 in particular, and have a damaging effect on the calcium-phosphorus content. Over the years, this damage can lead to a number of diseases such as arthritis, rheumatism, diabetes, etc. Many claims have been made recently for the benefits of taking black molasses. I find it very valuable in the healing of arthritis, polymyalgia and rheumatism in particular.
You can see from the analysis in Figure 2 that molasses is a wonderful product – but do beware of any molasses to which sulphur dioxide is added as a preservative.
Figure 2 Analysis of black molasses, per 100 g
Cider vinegar, honey and crude black molasses form the basis of treatment for arthritis at our clinic. Some patients mix the three together with hot (not boiling) water as a drink. Others eat a spoonful of molasses neat; others again mix the molasses with warm water, and having taken that, they mix the honey with hot water and add the specified amount of cider vinegar. For the overweight person we prescribe two tablespoons of cider vinegar, well diluted, three times daily. As a rule, the weight comes off very quickly. Those who are not overweight take one to two teaspoons of honey dissolved in a glass of hot water, to which is added one dessertspoon of cider vinegar. This is taken three times daily, in conjunction with as much honey as they wish. As a rule the cider vinegar normalizes body weight, and the honey is an excellent energy-producer, full of the B vitamins.
Molasses
Cane molasses and jaggery (coarse brown sugar made from datepalm sap) contain large quantities of vitamins B1 and B2, and are superior in every way to white sugar. It is also good to note from the analysis that black molasses contains large amounts of potassium (1.85 g per 100 g), as well as calcium, pantothenic acid, pyridoxine, riboflavin and thiamine. Apart from being a good laxative, it is a wonderful food for the nerves.
To eat molasses at every meal is not a good idea – it is easily digested, but some people’s digestions are very weak and sensitive. Some people cannot take molasses at all – it gives them diarrhoea, especially if they are never constipated. I always advise my patients to regulate the dosage to suit them individually. A good breakfast to start the day could be two dessertspoons of wheat germ, one of bran, and a teaspoon of molasses, with hot or cold milk. The molasses can also be taken in hot water, or hot milk, or taken straight from the jar. It can be taken on bread, in cakes, puddings, tarts and desserts, and made into toffee.
Crude black cane molasses should replace sugar wherever possible. Sugar contains empty calories which are fattening and add weight – and being overweight is not good for the heart. The risk of heart attacks should be reduced by keeping slim, avoiding sugar and all foods made with sugar, and by avoiding animal fats. Replace them with unsaturated fats, such as margarine, sunflower, soya and olive oil fats. Exercise is also very important: gentle walking each day is good. If you have had a heart attack, go easy on the exercise. Swimming is good. Just do what you feel comfortable with. You should also give up smoking. The nicotine in cigarettes blocks the airways to the lungs, which throws extra strain on the heart. Last, but not least, avoid constipation and anything that would contribute to high blood pressure.
Excessive use of salt in the diet is not good. It can create high blood pressure. Eating small meals regularly is very desirable, and it is said that taking cider vinegar (two to three teaspoons in a glass of water, two to three times daily) can strengthen the heart muscles.
Molasses contains a good amount of calcium – 580 mg per 100 grams. A good number of our patients are going through the menopause or ‘change of life’. A common problem is osteoporosis, or weakness of the bones, due to reduced oestrogen production which leads to calcium loss. Women with thyroid disorders are particularly prone to menopausal complaints, especially calcium loss. Here again, the taking of cider vinegar and molasses will help enormously with the calcium deficiency.
Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT)
HRT is often prescribed by the medical profession – but in my opinion it may merely postpone symptoms and mask real problems, and it has been linked to a slightly increased risk of breast cancer, cancer of the uterus, stroke and also heart disease. It reduces zinc levels in the body, and increases the body’s need of B-complex vitamins, vitamin E and other vitamins and minerals. Oestrogen is said to help in the treatment of osteoporosis – but this has not been proved and, in my opinion, it does more harm than good.
The relation of calcium deficiency to cramps is well known. When molasses is taken, many patients report that the cramps disappear.
I also find that patients on HRT do not necessarily get the relief from arthritis that we normally expect from our combined treatment of cider vinegar, honey, molasses, a regulated diet and nutritional supplements. In my opinion, it is because HRT suppresses hot flushes and various other normal symptoms. It also prevents the elimination of acids from the body. Our mothers used to say, ‘Every hot flush is worth a guinea’ (£1.05). How right they were! Hot flushes relieve the body of so much acid, through the elimination of toxic acids in the skin, that I can see the reasoning behind that saying. At the end of the day, there is nothing to equal guided natural treatment for the vast majority of conditions. I say ‘guided’, because unless the patient has professional guidance, mistakes can be made, over-dosage even of natural products can happen, possibly making the patient worse.
Honey
For patients who are not diabetic or overweight, honey makes cider vinegar very palatable. I ask my patients to dissolve one or two teaspoons of honey in a 300 ml (half-pint) glass of hot (not boiling) water, add to this one or two dessertspoons of cider vinegar, and sip at any time of day. When allowed to go cold, this is a most refreshing summer cooler. Very often in the hot weather, I add two dessertspoons of cider vinegar to a glass of cold water – it is invaluable in dryness of the mouth and throat.
Honey is basically a solution of sugars which make up 79% of its weight.
Figure 3 Analysis of honey
Constituent parts of the 3 per cent ‘other substances’ in honey are approximately 15 organic acids (including acetic, butyric, gluconic, malic and succinic acids); approximately 12 mineral elements (including potassium, calcium, sulphur, chlorine and iron); approximately 17 free amino acids (including proline, glutonic acid and lysine); and approximately 4–7 proteins.
Honey also contains an anti-bacterial substance, which has caused it to be used for wound-dressing. It does not dry out when applied to a wound and there is a complete lack of any side effects on healthy tissue.
There are several different varieties of honey available in the shops today. We produce a large variety here in the British Isles, and we also import from other countries. Eucalyptus honey (imported from Australia) is my favourite: it has a strong flavour, and is renowned for its medical properties in the treatment of chest complaints. When I cannot get eucalyptus honey, I look for acacia honey, which is imported from Hungary and Romania. It is much milder than eucalyptus honey.
Natural, untreated honey is a nutritious, healthy food, possessing valuable medicinal properties as well as unequalled subtleties of flavour. When honey is heated, trace elements are destroyed. Liquid honeys are grouped into three colour grades – light, medium and dark. The lighter grades are usually derived from clovers, limes, acacias, brassicas, willow, herbs, sage and eucalyptus. The flavour tends to be delicate and subtle.
Medium honey sources are maple, sycamore, apples, plums, cherries, soft fruit, dandelions, Michaelmas daisies, and many more. They have a richer flavour, are thicker and granulate more coarsely.
Darker honey comes from chestnuts, blackberries, buckwheat and bushy plants. The flavour is quite strong and the granulation is more coarse than fine. Sometimes, the honey can be a mixture, which accounts for a variation of colour and flavour. The finest flavoured honey is taken straight off the hive in the comb, and eaten still warm from the bees.
I have brought up eight children and for thirty years I have treated coughs, colds, sore throats and chest complaints frequently. I learned never to be witho
ut honey in the house. For chest complaints, bronchitis, coughs and colds, my honey and onion cough mixture has never failed. I never went to the chemist for a cough medicine, I made my own.
Honey and onion cough medicine
Take 450 g/1 lb of liquid honey – eucalyptus if possible – and one empty honey jar, then slice finely one large Spanish onion. Put half the sliced onion into the empty jar, add half the liquid honey from the full jar and put the remainder of the sliced onion into the remaining liquid honey. Cover both jars and leave overnight, making sure the honey and onion in each jar is well mixed by turning the jars upside down from time to time. By the morning, the onion juice will have been extracted and mixed with the honey. The shrivelled onion can now be strained, and the honey and onion juice used as a most beneficial cough mixture. The honey is full of the B-vitamins which treat the nerves and produce a calming sleep; the onion is a natural antibiotic, killing any offending viruses. The mixture never fails, and is a wonderful energizing food.
Honey for asthma is unbeatable. My youngest daughter suffered from chest and lung trouble for many years. When she was four years old, I had seen her fight for breath. When I read Dr Jarvis’s book Folk Medicine, I found he advocated sucking a honeycomb at the onset of an asthma attack. I took his advice and it worked miracles for my daughter. Because of the presence of B vitamins in the honey, it has a wonderful, instant calming effect on the nerves. In a few minutes my young daughter would settle and go to sleep.
I also used to take honey to calm my own nerves when I was taking driving lessons. I was then 40 years old, and going through a very severe menopause. I had already had a hysterectomy and the resultant hot flushes were pretty horrendous. HRT was not available in those days (even if it had been, I would not have taken it, particularly if I had known what I now know of the possible side-effects for some women). A driving lesson was a dreadful experience for me. I would sit in the car beside my very patient instructor and get a severe hot flush – until I used the honey treatment. About an hour before my driving lesson I started to take two teaspoons of honey. My nerves settled down, the hot flushes eased up and at my fourth attempt, I passed my test! I think I would have given up long before had it not been for the honey.