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Post by horsea on Mar 8, 2015 17:36:35 GMT -5
I've heard that long ago (whatever that means) the children, or maybe the adults too, took a Spring Cleansing Tonic of Sulfur + Molasses.
Has anyone here ever had the experience?
Also, that prior to transpotation, refrigeration, etc. people became sickly during the winter for lack of vitamins and so in the spring they ran out looking for wild greens to beef themselves up.
Do any of you do this, and if so, what herbs or wild plants do you consume?
Me, I just eat whatever weeds I can find while preparing the garden for planting & seeding.
It is warm & sunny today here in Canuckistan, snow is melting, etc. and I am getting all squirrelly thinking of these things.
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Post by garrett on Mar 8, 2015 20:43:43 GMT -5
my garden has been known to be mostly weeds...lol I collect wild ramps from time to time.
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Post by horsea on Mar 9, 2015 0:38:04 GMT -5
Er...what are ramps?
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Post by garrett on Mar 9, 2015 6:48:42 GMT -5
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Post by nightmist on Mar 9, 2015 23:31:23 GMT -5
My paternal gramma used to dose us up every spring. She would take a juice glass of lime water (mineral, not fruit) and add a heaping spoonful of molasses (keep it in the fridge to enable heaping spoonfuls), and an extra pinch of sulfer. She would inflict one of these cocktails on every grandchild she could lay hands on.
Chicory, dandelions, and cow-slips grow in great abundance locally. We eat them, and occasionally dig the chicory roots to extend the coffee. The same gramma that would tonic me would also feed me poke salat. My mom was certain she was going to poison us.
We will not speak of the year my mom got a full set of Foxfire books, and all of Euell Gibbons' books. Take inexact plant ID and add a truly terrible cook and you can guess at the results.
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Post by directsunlight on Mar 9, 2015 23:39:23 GMT -5
My paternal gramma used to dose us up every spring. She would take a juice glass of lime water (mineral, not fruit) and add a heaping spoonful of molasses (keep it in the fridge to enable heaping spoonfuls), and an extra pinch of sulfer. She would inflict one of these cocktails on every grandchild she could lay hands on. Chicory, dandelions, and cow-slips grow in great abundance locally. We eat them, and occasionally dig the chicory roots to extend the coffee. The same gramma that would tonic me would also feed me poke salat. My mom was certain she was going to poison us. We will not speak of the year my mom got a full set of Foxfire books, and all of Euell Gibbons' books. Take inexact plant ID and add a truly terrible cook and you can guess at the results. My parents had the books but it was mostly for entertainment purposes. No vicious but well-meaning home remedies, lol!
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Post by LinFL on Mar 10, 2015 9:53:43 GMT -5
nightmist, you're almost making me glad that my mom fed us canned peas...
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Post by horsea on Mar 13, 2015 15:11:30 GMT -5
My paternal gramma used to dose us up every spring. She would take a juice glass of lime water (mineral, not fruit) and add a heaping spoonful of molasses (keep it in the fridge to enable heaping spoonfuls), and an extra pinch of sulfer. She would inflict one of these cocktails on every grandchild she could lay hands on. Chicory, dandelions, and cow-slips grow in great abundance locally. We eat them, and occasionally dig the chicory roots to extend the coffee. The same gramma that would tonic me would also feed me poke salat. My mom was certain she was going to poison us. We will not speak of the year my mom got a full set of Foxfire books, and all of Euell Gibbons' books. Take inexact plant ID and add a truly terrible cook and you can guess at the results. Was that hideous-sounding lime water + molasses + Sulfur just a once-shot thing, or for a few days or what? Poke? My God, everywhere I read that it'll kill you, but I should think that is a function of quantity. A bit of poison can indeed be a great tonic or detoxifier. Granny-slappin' good for ya in the long run... SURE, you can speak of the year yer ma used you kids as guinea pigs. Saved a few guinea pigs, that's nothing to sneeze at.
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Post by nightmist on Mar 14, 2015 8:10:17 GMT -5
Actually the young spring shoots of poke are safe to eat. You just don't want to keep picking too long as when it gets older it will indeed make you sick or kill you dead.
Happily the tonic was a one shot deal. She did have a tendency to press a bit of lime water on you when you were sick though. She put great store by mineral waters, though she had great faith in a number of herbs and home remedies as well. She had a bit of white jade still in matrix that she kept in a mason jar topped up with spring water, and she would take a shot of that everyday because back when she was a professional dancer an old chinese woman told her it would bring a long and healthy life. It must have worked because she was going out dancing 2 or 3 times a week and sprightly as anything until a doctor killed her with bad drugs at the age of 86. (a statin fatality)
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Post by garrett on Mar 15, 2015 21:38:18 GMT -5
nooooooooooo pokes noooooooooooooooo tonic.lol
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bella
New Member
Posts: 6
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Post by bella on Mar 17, 2015 13:33:53 GMT -5
Interesting subject, for sure!!! My neighbor used to gather pokeweed by the armfuls in Spring and make salads or cook it up for the family. I never tried it, as if you don't know exactly how to prepare it, I read it is toxic. I do wish I knew more about preparing and eating the wild foods.
As far as tonic, I only make the master tonic, with horseradish, garlic, ACV, cayenne, etc., etc. Not the best taste, but I do think it helps ward off colds & flu.
Right now I could use a good Spring tonic, as I've no energy at all.
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