When I was little living on the family
farm, I accompanied my dad to the woods looking for sassafras roots to make
tea. I love the taste; it was delightful and also gave me more energy. After
apprenticing for my part-Cherokee dad for a few years, he allowed me to go out
alone gathering the source of my dearly beloved beverage. Years later, I discovered sassafras was
highly prized by Native Americans who used it for medicine and were extremely
knowledgeable about combining herbs to amplify their power.
This morning
medicinal is inspired by a shamanic Native healing recipe using sassafras,
dandelion and wild ginger. For a wonderfully medicinal decoction, take a half
cup of each and boil them in spring water. After steeping for twelve minutes, stir
in honey and enjoy. It is pleasantly surprising how good the detox tastes and
even more how the herbs combine to eliminate toxins from the body, chiefly the
kidney and liver. After the holidays or a pagan feast times, we all imbibe and
enjoy rich foods, good wine and sugary desserts. This purifying herbal blend
will cleanse the organs that cleanse your body, thus aiding wellness. This
detox should be used seasonally and is not intended for daily use, due to its
great power.
Kitchen Witch Wisdom Quick Tip – Decoctions 101
Roots, bark and herbs with tough stems and seeds don’t really work in the method of infusing. Decocting is boiling and then evaporating by simmering slowly to produce the most concentrated liquid which is excellent in medicines. Use a coffee grinder for roots and small pieces of bark and stems to make quick work of these. I recommend the decoction method for the roots of willow, sarsaparilla, wild cherry, yohimbe, yucca, licorice, parsley, dandelion, angelica and cohosh.
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