Page 242 - Lost Book Remedies

The Lost Book of Herbal Remedies

or halved for drying and will take longer to dry. Dry the Recipes. Hawthorn Berry Tincture: You’ll
fruit on a dehydrator on low or in the oven at the lowest need: 1-pint (500ml) fresh hawthorn berries, 80 proof
setting. Store dried fruit, flowers, and leaves in sealed or higher vodka, brandy or other alcohol*and a sterile
containers in a cool, dark, and dry place. glass jar and tight-fitting lid. Place the berries in a ster-
ile glass jar up to 1/2 inch (1.25 cm) below the rim.
Warning: Hawthorn is usually well tolerated, but it
does have side effects in some people. These include Cover the berries with 80 proof vodka and cover with
stomach upset, sweating, fatigue, nausea, dizziness or a tight-fitting lid. Allow the berries and alcohol to steep
agitation. Serious side effects include shortness of for 6 to 8 weeks in a cool, dark place. Shake the jar
breath, allergic reactions, heart irregularities, and daily. Filter the berries out and place the alcohol in a
mood swings. Consult with a medical professional be- clean glass jar. Label and date the tincture.
fore taking hawthorn, especially if you are taking any *Apple cider vinegar can also be used, but the tincture
medications.
will not be as potent, nor last as long.

Honey Locust,

Gleditsia triacanthos

Honey Locust is a deciduous tree that is in the Faba-
ceae family. It is also known as the Thorny Locust. It is
a native to eastern and central North America. The
leaves turn a brilliant yellow in autumn. Honey locust
is most commonly found on moist, fertile soils in up-
land woodlands, rocky hillsides, old fields, river flood-
plains and rich, moist bottomlands.

Identification: Honey locusts can reach a height of
nearly 100 feet (30 meters) and grow quickly. Honey and strap-like pods 6 to 16 inches long (15 to 40 cm)
locust trees are prone to losing large branches in wind- and 1 to 1 1/2 (2.5 cm to 3.75 cm) inches wide.
storms. They are armed with thick-branched thorns up They are dark brown at maturity, pendulous and usu-
to 3 inches (7.5 cm) long. The bark is blackish or gray- ally twisted or spiraled, with a sticky, sweet, and flavor-
ish-brown in color, with smooth, long, plate-like ful pulp. The seeds inside the pod are beanlike and
patches of bark separated by furrows. about 1/3 to 1/2-inch (0.8 cm to 0.75 cm) long. The
Its sharp thorns grow on the main trunk and at the ba- trees flower in May to June and bear fruit in September
ses of the branches. One-year-old twigs have single to October. The pods sometimes remain on the tree
spines, but older branches have spines arranged in through February.
clusters of three. The spines grow from the wood and Edible Use: The seeds and seedpods are edible. The
decrease in number as the tree ages. Young spines are young seeds taste like raw peas. You can roast the seeds
green, but they mature to red, brown, or gray. as a coffee substitute. The pulp of the young seedpods
Its leaves are deciduous, alternate, pinnately or bipin- is sweet and can be eaten raw or made into a sweet
nately compound and are 4 to 8 inches (10 cm to 20 drink. As the seedpods mature the pulp turns bitter.
cm) long. They often have 3 to 6 pairs of side branches; Medicinal Use: The prominent medicinal proper-
with pairs of shiny, dark green leaflets. The small nu- ties of Honey Locust are as an anesthetic, antiseptic,
merous flowers are greenish yellow and hang in clus- anti-cancer, and as a digestive.
ters. They are 2 to 5 inches (5 cm to 12.5 cm) long, ei-
ther staminate (male) or pistillate (female) borne on Cough, Colds, and Sore Throats: An infusion
separate trees. However, each tree will have a few per- made from honey locust bark and roots treats colds
fect flowers (male and female). The flowers have a and coughs. The inner bark is useful for treating sore
pleasant fragrance. Fruits of Honey locust are flattened throats.
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