Sweet Sweet Vanilla Extraction

Today I am preping herbal gifts for the holidays.  I wanted to give gifts this year that were from the heart and from the hearth.  Today’s preparation is homemade vanilla extract.  I’m sure your wondering what making vanilla extract has to do with being an herbalist?  Well, Vanilla pods are a spice found in nature.  I love creating things in my kitchen from a variety of plants from nature that haven’t been processed or extracted with chemicals. 

Vanilla pods or beans as they are usually refered to are actually the fruit of the Vanilla planifolia a tropical orchid.  Native to South America, Mexico and the West Indies the Vanilla plant is now frequently cultivated in many areas.  It is interesting to note that the vanilla plants do not self pollinate and must be pollinated by hand.  The pods must be cured at different temperatures for several months before they are ready for market.  Traditionally, curing was done by leaving the beans under a blanket in the sun.  These facts explain why vanilla pods are one of the most expensive spices in the world.   

And now that you know a little about Vanilla pods I’ll tell you how I made my Vanilla Extract.

You will need:

6 Organic Vanilla pods (beans)

2 Cups Vodka (Organic if you can find it.)

1 quart jar

Small glass brown bottles

 

 

 

 

 

 

Preparation:

Cut the pods in two right down the middle and scrape out the tiny little seeds inside.  Add these seeds to your quart jar along with the empty pod.  Pour 2 cups of vodka over the pods, replace the lid of the jar and shake the mixture just slightly.  Allow the mixture to sit in a cool dark location for 4 – 6 weeks.  After leaving the mixture to sit for the recommended period of time strain out the seeds and beans into a dark brown bottle.

 

 

 

And there you have it, homemade Vanilla extract which you can bottle up and give as gifts for the holiday season.  Give it a try at home.  You still have enough time to get a batch prepared before the holidays if you start now.  Enjoy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Prickly Pear Cactus

A couple of weekends ago I went on a pecan picking expedition in Live Oak Florida with some friends. Out in one of the fields amongst the cows and pecan trees I found quite a number of Opuntia spp. or Prickly Pear as they are commonly known.  Other common names include Devils Tongue, nopales and Indian Fig.  Despite their harsh and abravisive appearance I find something oddly beautiful about them.  I also love the fact that the Prickly Pear can be used both as food and as medicine.  It is so cool to me to just walk out on my property and gather wild food or medicine for my family.

Description:  Cactus with jointed pad and sharp spines.  Fruits are normally a puplish-red when the are ripe and the flowers a bright yellow.

Location:  Found in dry sandy soils from Mass. to Florida and Texas to Minn.

Properties:  Analgesic, anti-inflammatory, hypoglycemic, galactogogue and anti-viral

Historical Medicinal Uses:  Native americans would remove the spines from the pads and split them open and use the pulp as a poultice for wounds, abrasions, burns and fractures.  The peeled pads have been applied to the breast to encourage milk flow or applied to other areas for rheumatic pain.  The juice from the plant applied topically has been used historically to remove warts or taken internally for kidney stones.  Baked pads have been used for gout and  Native Americans once used a tea made from the pads for lung ailments.  Recently research has been conducted which showed that Opuntia may be beneficial in hypoglycemia, benign prostatic hyperplasia and a number of conditions affecting the urinary system.

Food Uses:  The plant is quiet nutritious and a good source of potassium, calcium, vitamin A and fiber.  The fruits can be used to make a tea which can be turned into jelly, a syrup or candy.  The pad can be cut up eaten raw in salads.  The seed from the plant can be ground up and used to make flour.  Sliced pads with the skin removed can be cut up like green beans and either steamed or sauteed.

Recipes:

Nopales on The Grill

Prepare the cactus pads as described in the preparation section above. Once you have removed the needles, nodules and thoroughly washed the pads, they are ready for the grill. Cook each pad for approximately 10 to 12 minutes on each side. While grilling, brush each side of the cactus pad with olive oil or a flavored oil of your choice. Pepper or garlic-flavored oil are often used on grilled Nopales.

Scrambled Nopales

1 or 2 cactus pads

8 Eggs

1/4 lb. of cheese (your choice)

salt & pepper to taste

Prepare the cactus pads as described in the preparation section above. Once you have removed the needles, nodules and thoroughly washed the pads, slice into bite-size pieces. Sauté the sliced pads in a small amount of butter for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside. Beat the eggs in a mixing bowl; add shredded cheese and the sautéed cactus pieces. Pour the egg mixture into a skillet and scramble. Serve warm with salt and pepper to taste.

Nopales Rellenos (Stuffed Cactus Pads)

12 tender cactus pads

3 cups of water

6 slices of Machego or Panela cheese

1/4 onion, thinly sliced lengthwise

1 clove of garlic

Salt to taste

1/2 cup of flour

4 eggs, separated

1 1/2 cups vegetable or olive oil

1 can of tomato sauce (12 ounces)

Prepare the cactus pads as described in the preparation section above. Once you have removed the needles, nodules and thoroughly washed the ads, boil in 3 cups of water with the garlic, onion, and salt. Drain.

On each of 6 cactus pads place a slice of cheese and 3 to 4 pieces of onion. Top with another cactus pad, secure with wooden toothpicks and coat with flour.

Beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form, then add the yolks and beat for 1 to 2 minutes more to create a batter.

Heat the oil in a frying pan, dip the stuffed cactus pads into the egg batter and fry until golden on both sides. Drain on paper towels.

Serve drenched with cooked tomato sauce.

Nopales Salsa

1 lb. cleaned cactus pads

1/2 lb. tomatillos

1 small white onion

2 garlic cloves

2 poblano peppers

1/2 tsp. of salt

2 tsp.of fresh lime juice

1/2 tsp.of cumin

2 Tbs. cilantro

Prepare the cactus pads as described in the preparation section above. Once you have removed the needles, nodules and thoroughly washed the pads, grill for about 7 minutes on each side. Slice the grilled pads into strips. Place tomatillos, cubed onions and garlic in a baking dish, then cook in a 450-degree oven for 20-25 minutes. Roast poblanos on grill or under the broiler, then peel them and remove the seeds. Place all ingredients in a blender and mix until well chopped. A little water may be needed to moisten the salsa. Serve chilled with chips or use to season tacos, burritos or other Mexican dishes.

Nopales Salad

2.2 lbs. Nopales (cactus pads)

1 onion, halved

4 cups water

2 Tbs. salt

2 large tomatoes, chopped

1 large onion, chopped

4 green chiles – serrano or jalapeno – chopped

Prepare the cactus pads as described in the preparation section above. Once you have removed the needles, nodules and thoroughly washed the pads, chop into bite-size pieces. Place the chopped Nopales into a pan with the 4 cups of water, halved onion and salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 30-45 minutes or until tender. Drain Nopales and combine with remaining ingredients. Taste and adjust seasoning, adding more salt if necessary. This dish gets better if you let is sit a few hours in the refrigerator before serving. Serves 4 or more.

(Courtesy of Desert USA )

PRICKLY PEAR PICKLES

Prickly pear

3 c. vinegar

3 c. water

6 tbsp. salt

Dill

Garlic cloves (1 for each jar)

Jalapeno peppers (1 for each jar)

Cut needles off prickly pear, slice and pack into sterilized jars. Put one clove garlic, 1 jalapeno pepper and sprigs of dill into jar. Boil water, vinegar and salt until salt is dissolved. Fill jars with boiling brine to within 1/2″ of top. Put on cap and screw band firmly. Process in boiling water bath 10 minutes. Tastes best if let cure for at least 6 months.

CACTUS PRICKLY PEAR JELLY

Pick prickly pears with leather gloves on your hands. Take off spines. Rinse the fruit and place in kettle, adding enough water to cover. Boil until quite tender, squeeze through jelly bag or jelly press. To every 2 1/2 cups of juice add 1 (1 3/4 oz.) package powdered pectin and boil for a couple minutes. Then add 3 tablespoons lemon juice and 3 1/2 cups sugar. Stir often and boil hard for 5 minutes. Pour in jelly glass and seal with paraffin.

(Courtesy:  Cooks.com)

 

Resources:

Steven Foster and James Duke, Eastern/Central Medicinal Plants and Herbs

Richard Deuerling and Peggy S. Lantz, Florida’s Incredible Wild Edibles

Michael Wilson, Medicinal Plant Fact Sheet:  Opuntia: prickly pear cactus;  http://www.pollinator.org/Resources/Opuntia.draft.pdf

Weeds of Southern Turfgrasses;  University of Florida

University of Florida School of Forest Resources and Conservation:  Florida Forrest Plants:  http://www.sfrc.ufl.edu/4h/Prickly_pear/pricpear.htm

 

 

 

Berry Yummy Smoothie

Ok, so yesterday I posted a recipe for a healthy and yummy green drink.  Now I know that some people just get turned off by any food that is green so I decided to share this smoothie recipe with you.  This drink usually comes out reddish or purplish which might be more appealing to those with an aversion to green.  You can tweak this recipe however you like by adding a little of this or a pinch of that.

High in vitamins, minerals and antioxidants this drink is just down right yummy and kid approved.  It’s a great way to get nutritious food into your child with out them even knowing it (Just don’t let them see you making it).  So, here is my basic recipe.  ( Click on each of the links to find out the health benefits and PRECAUTIONS associated with some herbs).

4 Large Strawberries

1 handful or a 1/2 cup of blueberries

1/2 cup of plain yogurt

1/2 cup of pineapple juice

2 oz of carrot juice

1 handful of baby spinach leaves

1 tbsp of bee pollen 

1/4 tsp of Spirulina, kelp and alfalfa powder

Place everything in a blender and blend until smooth.  (Serves 1 )

It’s ok to use frozen berries.  I actually prefer to use them frozen because it makes the smoothie like a frozen drink.  Try to stick with organic ingredients if at all possible.  Strawberries are one of the heaviest pesticide sprayed crops of all.

Other additions may include:

A fresh or frozen banana

1/4 tsp of cinnamon

Different combination of berries

So bottoms up and enjoy!

Think Green….Drink

Do you find it difficult to get the recommended requirements of fruits and vegetables everyday?  I must admit that although I try to eat healthy somedays are better than others.  There are hundreds of green drink powders on the market and I’m sure that they may be of some benefit.  I must admit that I have tasted some of them and they can be really disgusting.  Food should be our medicine and by that I mean whole living foods.  I wanted to find a way to get more fruits and veggies into my diet so I started looking for recipes.  I have a hard time eating breakfast in the morning so I really enjoy having a shake instead of something else.   I came across this particular recipe and decided to give it a try.  I absolutely love it.  The texture is somewhat pulpy, but the flavor is just so fresh.  I would like to give credit to the author of the recipe, but I don’t recall now where I got it. 

Loaded with vitamins, minerals, fiber and digestive enzymes and provides approximately 6 servings of fruits and vegetables.

2 Apples (cored)

2 Cups fresh spinach

1/2 cup chopped parsley

2-4 celery sticks

1 slice of fresh ginger root (thumbnail size) (may keep in freezer)

1 lemon (juice only)

1 med cucumber

1 cup pineapple juice

1 cup of ice

Place all the ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.  Serves 2

Optional Ingredients:

2nd cucumber

Raw carrot

1 banana

I hope you will give this recipe a try and make it your own.  Experiment with it and see what works for you.

Grow a Chicken in 40 Days….

Yes, you heard me right….with the right anabolic steroids you can grow a chicken in 40 days.  But wait a second….if we consume food that is treated with steroids won’t they affect us as the consumer?  According to information obtained from Cornell University, “ there are six different kinds of steroid hormones that are currently approved by FDA for use in food production in the US: estradiol, progesterone, testosterone, zeranol, trenbolone acetate, and melengestrol acetate. Estradiol and progesterone are natural female sex hormones; testosterone is the natural male sex hormone; zeranol, trenbolone acetate and melengesterol acetate are synthetic growth promoters (hormone-like chemicals that can make animals grow faster).”

The European Union no longer allows the use of these steroids due to concerns that they may pose a risk to pregnant women and children and because of the impact on the environment from the transfer of hormones through animal excrement.  The EU has also banned imports of meat from Canada and the U.S. because of the continued use in animals to promote growth. (Assessment of Potential Risks)

What about the use of pesticides on the food we consume?  There are numerous studies which indicate that pesiticide exposure may contribute to serious health conditions such as breast cancer, non-hodgkins lymphoma, diabetes, and parkinsons disease.

 Check out this preview of the movie, “Food, Inc.,” which discusses how big business is putting profit ahead of safety when it involves our food supply.  You may never look at your food the same way again.

Food, Inc. The Movie