Lucky Dragon Hyson tea still LOVED by Americans and British alike.

While we are still in the middle of summer and our reenactment season, it reminds me of great quality tea that is great iced.  Lucky Dragon hyson tea can be enjoyed hot with your favorite pastry treats or finger sandwiches.  I enjoy drinking it iced with some mint leaves, especially on those very hot days, without any sweetener. 

This young hyson green tea became highly favored in the 1700s that the British Tea Tax was actually higher for this variety over other teas.  Right from the first sale of tea in England in  the mid 1600s, the English took a shine to tea.  The government quickly realized the possibilities and levied taxes on tea that remained until the late 1700s.  With all the associated taxes on tea and young hyson being taxed even higher, there were all sorts of various schemes done to dodge the taxes.  Servants in upper class homes would dry the used leaves and resell them.  Smuggling China teas into England reached a feverish peak in the mid 1700s and the ports of France and Belgium were used as the 'jump-off' points for night voyages to Cornwall and Wales.  The chancellor of the Exchequer and the East India Company were aware of the extent of their losses and realized that only a large tax cut would make legal imports competitive with contraband tea.  Thus finally passing the Commutation Act in 1784.

Young Hyson tea was one of the types of tea that was dumped into the Boston Harbor along with Congou and Lapsong Souchong, which we carry both types of tea as well.  The term 'young' was added  to distinguish that the tea was made from young leaves (new shoots), which produces a better quality and better tasting tea.

So whether you are an reenactor or a tea drinker that enjoys drinking a fine tasting tea with a bit of history, try having some Lucky Dragon Hyson tea.  Definitely not the type of tea you find in tea bags, which are the fannings of tea.  Check out our etsy shop for other tea selections that have some history behind them or contact us directly.  Makes a great gift for that special tea drinker in your life.

CHEERS!

Great event this coming weekend - August 7-8th

Old Sturbridge Village | Activities & Events | Events: Redcoats & Rebels

Herb of the Month - Rosemary

Rosemary has a strong piny scent, which was a token of loyalty and commemoration during the colonial days.  A bride would usually have it included in her bridal bouquet for “remembrance”.   According to lore and superstition, it will  keep nightmares away if you place a few sprigs of the plant put under a pillow, and will attract elves when worn around the neck.

This plant is native to the hills of southern France, where the soil was chalky.  It has been known to grow as tall as 5 feet tall, if given the right soil conditions.  Most gardeners will propagate rosemary from cuttings during the spring or fall seasons.  Take 6 inch long cuttings and place two-thirds of the cutting into a sandy soil, keeping them in a shady location, watering them carefully.  They should be ready to transplant in 6 months.

Like juniper and cedar, rosemary has a cleansing and antiseptic properties when burned.  During World War II, French hospitals would combine juniper and rosemary to help kill germs in the air.  It had been used to purify sick chambers for centuries in Europe. The antibacterial properties are contained  in the volatile oil it contains.  Nowadays. It is traditionally used as a hair rinse for dark-haired people and is used to help relieve dandruff.  It is also used to flavor food and to scent cosmetics. Essential oil of rosemary is a component of many commercially available lotions, perfumes, liniments, soaps, and mouthwash preparations.

More recently, carnosol, a naturally occurring antioxidant compound found in rosemary, has been studied for its anticancer properties. Carnosol appears to be effective against cancer by reducing inflammation and by inhibiting the expression of cancer genes. Carnosic acid, another compound found in rosemary, appears to reduce the risk of skin cancer by protecting skin cells against the effects of ultraviolet radiation.

Rosemary can be used as a seasoning in a variety of dishes including rosemary can be used in a wide variety of culinary preparations, like for example, to season lamb, rabbit, veal, pork, sausages, as well as poultry, egg dishes, fish, pickles and shellfish, rosemary is also added to jellies, fruit jams, dressings and cookies.  Asparagus, cauliflower, broccoli, eggplants, green beans and peas, zucchini and potatoes, can use rosemary for that extra special flavor.  With the flowers of rosemary, the uses can be different. Since these have a milder flavor, they can be candied, preserved, or added to jellies, honey, wine or vinegar. Even olive oil can be flavored by adding a few sprigs of rosemary.

NOTE:  Although rosemary can be used in moderation and is an great herb to use, there have been reports that some people may have an allergic reaction to the essential oils in rosemary. Large quantities of anything can be dangerous, and rosemary is no exception. The routine use in cooking is generally considered safe to the general public.


 MOTH REPELLENT WITH ROSEMARY
2 cups dried lavender
2 cups dried rosemary
1 Tbs. crushed cloves
Dried peel of a lemon
Bruise all the ingredients together in a small bowl, and divide among muslin bags. Tie, and set among the woolens.

HERB PILLOW WITH ROSEMARY
4 cups dried rosemary
4 cups dried lemon verbena
8 cups dry pine needles
Crush the ingredients together, and fill a small bag to place under the pillow, or in the drawer with nightclothes.


Enjoy!

Herb of the Month for April - Chervil

As Mother Earth awakens from the winter season, we start to think of what our gardens will contain this year.  We plan for fruits or vegetables so that we can enjoy them during the summer/fall months as well as what flowers or tress will paint our landscapes.

Why not add a few herbs?  Not only will it look great, but think of the flavorful meals you can make with them.  Here's one that might interest you - Chervil.

Chervil (Anthriscus cerefolium) is an herb that looks like parsley and easy to grow.  It has pale green leaves with small white flowers and likes to be in a well drained, partially shady area.  It has a slight aniseed/parsley flavor.  Used widely in French cuisine, use it when you cook fish (especially oysters), chicken, salad dishes and omelettes.  Also, try it to enhance carrots, spinach, sorrel, veal, cheese, corn and peas.  Chervil can be combined with tarragon, parsley and thyme for a classic fines herbes blend when cooking any French recipe.  Make sure you add it at the last moment to soups, stews and sautes.  If it cooks too long, it will have a bitter flavor.

This herb is a traditional Lenten herb, representing new life/rebirth and  has been known for its blood-cleansing properties. During Lent, it has been greatly used in cooking and as a skin cleanser.  Eating the whole plant is a practice that some people today will do, to relieve hiccups, something the people during the Middle Ages did as well.

 Companion Planting - If you enjoy the flavor of hot, peppery radishes, try growing a few chervil plants in the vegetable plot alongside the radishes.  The chervil will help keep away harmful bugs and insects and the radishes growing closest to the chervil, will have a slight hotter flavor.

Enjoy!!!!!!!

Getting Ready To Tackle Your Garden and Your Skin

     As Spring starts to present herself, keep in mind that we still need to take great care of our skin.  After a long winter season of cold, dry air, you want to start thinking of what products you should use, now that the weather is getting warmer.  As you work in your gardens/yards, the skin will also take its toll.  It comes in contact with posion ivy while clearing overgrown areas, the harsh soil as we plant our bulbs and seedlings, and if you are like me, your skin will start to develop rough/sore areas, because I choose not to wear any gloves.
  Make sure you  have a great moisturizing soap that will not only clean deep down dirt (I don't like to use the word dirt - since dirt is dirty, soil is clean), and will take care of your skin if you came in contact with poison ivy.  If your skin becomes very chapped and need that Extra Loving Care, use a Tea Tree and Lavender Salve.  Both will help heal your skin and help prevent infections.  Just make sure that the skin is extremely clean before applying.  You may also try cleaning your skin with a Calendula Comfrey Soap as well.  Both have wonderful healing properties.  A solid lotion provides a nice layer of wonderful body butters, adding moisture to the skin and softening those rough areas.
     Don't forget to take some time to enjoy your hard labor, once your beauties begin to bloom and blossom..  How wonderful it would be to relax on your favorite chair, while sipping on some Buckingham Palace Garden Party Tea with cucumber sandwiches and pretending to be with the Queen with her Court.  Better yet, invite some of your friends to admire your hard work.  It just may become an annual event as we welcome the Spring season.

From top to bottom:  Nettle Soap - made with lots of moisturizing oils, infused nettle oil and ground nettle.  Helps skin conditions and have found that it works great if you become in contact with poison ivy.
Tea Tree and Lavender Salve - Virgin Olive oil with essential oils and beeswax.
Solid Lotion Bar - Made with virgin oil oil, body butters that includes shea butter.
Buckingham Palace Garden Party Tea - Black teas with cornflower petals.  A very nice afternoon tea.

*****Above information on herbs is for educational purposes only.  Always seek professional advise from your doctor for extreme skin conditions.

Creating Your Own Herbed Oils and Vinegars

Years ago when I lived in Fairfield County, I lived near a dear friend that has a large number of raspberry bushes that made their way near her fig trees.  These bushes would produce sweet, ruby red berries that were too tempting to put them all in the basket without popping a few in my mouth.  Other than having them as a snack or creating a raspberry sauce to put over ice cream, I would make a wonderful vinegar with them.  Its very easy to make, even though I used lots of fruit to create a beautiful red color with the sweetness of the fruit.  But whether you use fruit or herbs, making your own can be fun and makes a wonderful gift for the cook/chef in your family or friend.  It will allow you to enjoy the taste of fresh herbs year round and gives a special wonderful flavor when you use them in salads, sauces, marinades, when grilling or sauteed dishes.

You can use any herb to make a good flavored vinegar, even though tarragon has been known to be a popular herb for vinegar (which I have made as well).  Dill makes a wonderful vinegar as well, especially if you add a sprig or two of the seed heads when you bottle them.   For either a vinegar or oil base, mint can be made for lamb and fruit salads, lemon thyme for fish, basil for tomatoes, sage for marinating rich meats and fowls; oniony chive blossoms and even the buds, flowers and leaves of the peppery nasturtiums can be used.  You can also use a combination of two or more herbs, just decide which flavor you would like to have dominate.  Dill vinegar is quite delicious when a little lemon and garlic are added to the bottle.
Herbed oils are not only popular, they are especially beautiful to look at, with the colorful herbs and red chili peppers that fill the bottles.  One made with thyme and rosemary makes a quick flavorful oil or create one with garlic, chili peppers, rosemary and other herbs and use for marinating, or use as a basting sauce for grilling meats.  If you make one with peppermint, garlic, cumin, coriander, fennugreek, cloves, mace and fennel, your meals take on an Middle East flavor.

So, lets begin with some basics.  Make sure that the herbs you use are the freshest you can obtain and make sure they are not brown.  Use only the perfect leaves or flowers and make sure they are dry from any water.  Bruise the herbs slightly before putting them in a glass bottle or ceramic crock with a tightly fitting top.  Use about 1/2 cup of herbs for each pint of vinegar, more if you want the taste to be stronger.  (What I do at times, once I have let it sit for a period of time, I will repeat the process.  I do this when making raspberry vinegar, repeating the process 3 to 4 or more times, which can end up being expensive, if you need to purchase your own fruit.)  When you choose a vinegar, make sure the quality is the best cider or wine varieties available, as herbs will not disguise the sharpness of bad vinegar.  My favorite - champagne vinegar.  Strawberry or blueberry vinegars are great in fruit salads or a nice spring mixed greens salad.
Best herbs for vinegars: basils, chervil, chives and chive blossoms, dill leaves, fennel, lemon verbena, marjoram, rosemary, salad burnett, savory, tarragon, thyme, lemon thyme. Use these in any combination you desire. You may also wish to add garlic, savory seeds, red chilies, or lemon.

One of the two methods can be used:
1. Pour the vinegar over the herbs in a clear glass bottle and make sure that you close it tightly.  Place the bottle in a very bright sunny window and frequently turn it for a two week period. I have used this method when I make my flavored vinegars.  Looks really nice near a window.
Or:
2. Heat, then pour the warm vinegar over the herbs in a bottle or crock container and close tightly.  Let it steep overnight.  Do not over heat the vinegar, since you do want to keep the acidity level as close to the original level.

Which ever method you choose, you want to strain and rebottle the vinegar at the end of the steeping time, adding a fresh unbruised sprig for decoration.  You can either place one sprig or a generous bunch of herbs can be inserted.

Making herb oils are just as easy to create or can be more involved.  To make your own, add the herbs and spices of your choice to olive oil (olive oil is the best, even though you may use any good oil).  Steep herbs in a closed bottle or container in a warm (but not too hot) place for a few weeks before using.  Again, make sure that both the herbs and containers are water-free.  Sometimes, I will slightly dry the herbs by putting them in a warm oven to release some of the water content, before putting them in the oil.  As you know, water and oil do not mix. Again, add some dried whole peppers for a spicy oil or dried rosemary sprig.  Experiment and enjoy your creations. 

Herbal Oil
15 whole peppercorns

6 tsps dried rosemary
2 tsps dried crushed garlic
3 tsps dried oregano
3 tsps dried thyme
2 bay leaves (whole)

Olive Oil goes well with Basil, Fennel, Garlic, Cayenne, Rosemary, Thyme, Tarragon.

Sunflower Oil goes well with Basil, Rosemary, Tarragon, Thyme.

Safflower Oil is complimented by Basil, Garlic, Rosemary, Thyme.

Peanut Oil is enhanced by Garlic, Basil, Thyme, Rosemary.

Herb of the Month for March - Bergamot

Bergamot (Monarda didyma) reminds me of Earl Grey tea, with an orangery flavor. This fragrant herb has bright red flowers with pale red, red-tinged leaves. It prefers a rich, moist soil, partial shade and needs to be well watered. The scarlet flower blooms during the late summer and can grow between 18 to 36 inches tall. Rejuvenate the plant that has grown in one spot for more than three years by digging up the clump, discard the center and replant only the sucker shoots from the outside of the clump.

A common name for this herb is Bee Balm, due to the attraction of the scent and nectar. The plant is native to North America, was first discovered by early settlers and used by Oswego Indians to make tea (also known as Oswego tea). Beebalm became quite popular and during the period of the Boston Tea Party, the colonists enjoyed drinking it in place of black tea. Even though Beebalm is cultivated widely in Europe, it was introduced in the mid-17oos when John Bartman of Philadelphia sent seeds to England and was introduced to the European continent, where it is generally cultivated under the names of golden Melissa or Indian nettle.
This wonderful herb can be chopped (leaves and flowers) and used to add color and flavor to green salads, jellies and fruit salads. Bergamot can be used in recipes for duck, pork, meat sausages and curries. It complements many fruits that include apples, oranges, strawberries, tangerines and melons. It also makes a great companion plant that enhances the growth of tomatoes.

The next time you make apple jelly, try adding a handful of fresh leaves. Make sure you strain before boiling down to the gel stage. Add a beebalm flower in each jar before sealing.

Some Species/Varieties
Monarda citriodora: pink-purple blossom; strong lemon scent; excellent in tea.
M. didyma ‘Adam’: moderate red blossom
M. didyma ‘Cambridge Scarlet’: bright red blossom
M didyma ‘Croftway Pink’: clear rosy pink blossom.
M. fistulosa: lavender blossom; strong fragrance

Enjoy the this beautiful herb, whether for its beauty in the garden or for the benefits in your kitchen.
Bayberry Meadow Herbs