Spring is in full force here and with it the miraculous power of nature. As everything begins to turn green, we begin to discover the first spring herbs. There are spring herbs that are notorious and easy to buy in any store. But opposite them are wild herbs, for which we have to go into the wild.
Let’s focus on them in today’s article
Cress, chervil, chives, basil. If these spring herbs do not turn green in the kitchen on the window, then you can easily buy them in any store.
Unlike traditional herbs, however, there are wild herbs. The ones you will find in the meadow behind the house and the city park. Some of them are all around and act like weeds for many of us, others need to be traced in nature. The power of spring accumulates in these herbs, and therefore they should not escape our sight.
TIP: Find out which herbs you can grow at home in the kitchen as a great addition of fresh herbs to your dishes, whether as a spice or for the production of cosmetics or to strengthen the immunity of you and your family in the form of tea in the article here.
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How to collect spring herbs in nature?
Before you go out into the wild to collect wild herbs, you should know a few principles on how to collect herbs:
- Do not collect wild herbs by the road. Leaded petrol, which used to cause significant green road pollution, is no longer common. But herbs from travel are recommended to omit from the collection.
- Do not collect protected species. Some herbs may have caught your eye, but isn’t it protected? If so, leave it on the ground.
- Herbs are like mushrooms. If you are not sure if the plant is edible, do not consume it.
- Only pick out herbs that are not wilted and look fresh and tasty.
Spring herbs – known and unknown
With spring coming, it’s time to collect the first spring herbs. Among these herbs, we can certainly mention daisy, coltsfoot, primrose, wild garlic, nettle, plantain, dandelion, elderberry, butterbur, but also lesser-known medical lungwort.
Daisy
Even this beautiful flower is one of the spring wild herbs. You can find it everywhere in nature and you should know that it does not only belong in vases but also in salads, soups or cakes. She is edible.
Collecting white flowers is not difficult, we pinch the head with the shortest possible stem. Daisy is easy to dry, it is possible to dry it in a thin layer both in the sun and in the shade. During drying, we can turn the flower.
It is used as an aid for coughing. It is often part of tea mixtures that increase metabolism in the liver, bile, and spleen.
Coltsfoot
The coltsfoot also dries very well and is collected by pinching under the head.
The herb is mainly used for respiratory diseases, asthma, and cough. It relaxes mucus perfectly. It is often served in a mixture, for example with chamomile, plantain, or licorice.
Crushed leaves, which are collected later than flowers, placed on the chest again help with lung disease, they can also treat tissue injuries. Syrup can also be prepared from the leaves.
Spring primrose
That you’ve never heard that primrose is a medicinal herb? Believe it is! This differently blooming spring flower is collected precisely for its flower, which will probably not surprise you anymore, it is used to remove the urge to cough. It also has an anti-inflammatory and mildly diuretic effect. It is often combined with, for example, coltsfoot flower, plantain leaf, or licorice root. Primrose is not only beautiful but also healing.
Which herbs are considered the strongest? Let’s take a look at them
Bear garlic
The bear garlic season is relatively short, growing only early in the spring and mostly only in certain places. You can find it around rivers, in wetter parts of the forest, or floodplain forests. Bear’s garlic is a powerful antioxidant and is one of the spring herbs with a strong source of spring energy. Make it into bear garlic pesto, make it into a spread, or other recipes.
Compared to kitchen garlic, it is softer, but its healing effects are more pronounced. It cures infectious diarrhea, lowers blood pressure, stimulates the heart muscle, helps with abdominal pain and bloating, and again we can use it for pneumonia and bronchitis. In addition, it has a specific taste and we can use it as a spice.
Click on the link and learn some lovely BEAR GARLIC RECIPES
Stinging nettle
Nettle is the queen of herbs and has the greatest healing power in the early spring. The leaves can be processed into soup, spinach, pesto, spread, or pudding.
We can also use the whole plant in cosmetics – nettle has a beneficial effect on the hair. It should be consumed by all who are deficient in iron.
Nettles are great for spring body detox. But in addition to tea, it can also be used in food. However, such an Easter stuffing cannot do without a large number of nettles.
Nettle helps with wateriness, reduces swelling, lowers blood sugar levels, and acts on problems of urological origin. And not only that, but it also works for ulcers and purulent inflammations of the skin, but also other skin problems – acne, eczema, and psoriasis.
Elderflower
Elderflower is ideal for combating colds, relieves coughs, and fevers, and soothes the course of asthma. Decoction of dried flowers is diuretic, dissolves mucus, and promotes sweating. Its use even in higher doses is completely harmless even for small children. It is also great for inhalation mixtures for colds and bronchitis.
Chilled unsweetened flower tea is an excellent remedy even for digestive problems, flatulence, nausea, slow digestion, or insufficient gallbladder activity. Elderberry leaf compresses can help with rheumatism and joint pain. Fruits are known for their ability to relieve the pain of nervous origin and inflammation.
TIP: Don’t let the elderberry bloom and dry your supplies for a year. The flowers are easily accessible and large, you will have a full basket before you stop having fun.
Lesser known, but still very useful herbs that you may not have known about
Broadleaf plantain
The broadleaf plantain is visible everywhere – and most people consider it a weed. It grows mainly on the road, both in nature and in the city. The tastiest is young and has similar properties to Ribwort Plantain, from which traditional plantain syrup is prepared.
TIP: If you mash the plantain leaves and then put them in your shoes, relieve the pressure and the leaves will also help you remove and heal the blisters.
In case of a deep or poorly healing wound problem, it is also recommended to apply crushed plantain leaves.
Cleavers
Cleavers are not among the premier spring herbs that everyone would know. We usually know it more as a weed that occupies agricultural fields and small gardens. It is unpleasant to the touch due to its stickiness, on the contrary, it is pleasantly sweet when consumed.
Cleavers help the proper flow of the lymphatic system.
Helps cleanse the blood and improve liver function.
Has a large amount of vitamin C.
Has multiple uses. You can make tea, pesto, or add it to a salad.
Lungwort
This other herb, which we will imagine, is also especially suitable for respiratory diseases, as its name suggests. We can use it even if we damage the mucous membrane of the pharynx and stomach with too hot food or drink. It has been blooming in colorful inflorescences since mid-spring. The flowers are pink at first, but gradually purple and turn blue after tan. In this case, we do not collect flowers but only leaves.
A tip for an extensive, well-known wild herb at the end
Wild mint
It is reported that mint occurs in up to 500 species. So we can take the mint wild – from the wild. We can process it as usual. For tea, salads, spreads, smoothies, or maybe a summer refreshing mojito.
In today’s article, we imagined spring herbs, next time we will focus on their processing and reveal a few recipes that are worth trying.
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