Thursday, May 7, 2009

Rosemary

“Against weyknese of the brayne and coldness thereof, sethe rosemaria in wyne and lete the pacyent receye the smlke at his nose and keep his heed warme.”
— Crete Herbal


Rosmarinus officinale

I have always been drawn to the flaver and aroma of Rosemary but until becomeing an herbalism student I didn't realize how medicinal that Rosemary was. Rosemary is a great anti oxidant, anti fungal, anti bacterial and an anti inflammatory herb and until recently I have never tried it as a tea. I wasn't even sure if it would be enjoyable if drunk as a tea, but it was. It is on my top favorite beverages.


History:
• It was customary to burn Rosemary with Juniper Berries to purify sick rooms in French hospitals
• The Spaniards revere it as one of the bushes that gave shelter to the Virgin Mary in the flight into Egypt and call it Romero, 'the Pilgrim's Flower'.
• The ancients used the herb for strengthening the memory
Tradition:
• if drunk is said to do away with all body evil
• is considered a safeguard from witches and evil influences in both Spain and Italy
• is the Herb of Remembrance and Friendship
• leaves were placed under your pillow dispel evil spirits and bad dreams
• was the emblem of fidelity for lovers
• was grown to attract elves
• was hung on porches and doors keeps thieves out
• was used at both weddings and funerals
• was used as incense in magical spells
• was used as incense in religious ceremonies
• was used for protection and banishment

Rosemary Tea Recipe

I steep aprox. ¼ cup of tea in about 2-3 quarts of hot water, by first bringing the water to a boil and then pulling it off the burner, adding the ¼ cup of the dried tea, covering the pot and letting steep for at least 15 minutes. At the end of the steeping time I then add enough cool water to equal aprox. 1gallon. I like to drink my tea at about room temperature but this tea could be drunk either cold or hot if preferred. This tea will keep for at least 24 hours after brewing and up to 72 hours.
Yield aprox. 1 gallon of tea


Questions:

Is this strength of tea good for its medicinal properties?
In my opinion, yes and no. If you were to drink it regularly then yes, as a nutritive tea it would be helpful as a preventative. For more acute situations I would probably drink the tea stronger, 1-3 cups per day.

How long will this tea keep?
As I have learned in my herbalism class, you should make fresh tea daily. If kept refrigerated then it can last 1-3 days.

Can you drink too much of this tea?
You can overdose, or over “do” anything. I suppose anything can be toxic if done excessively including drinking rosemary tea but I haven’t heard of any deaths by over consumption of this herb; however, precaution is necessary for people who have allergic reaction or prone to epileptic seizures and rosemary essential oil may have epileptogenic properties. Rosemary essential oil is potentially toxic if ingested. Large quantities of rosemary leaves can cause adverse reactions, such as coma, spasm, vomiting, and pulmonary edema (fluid in the lungs) that can be fatal. Avoid consuming large quantities of rosemary if pregnant or breastfeeding.


Key Actions:
• Tonic & stimulant nerving
• Circulatory & heart tonic
• Antibacterial & antiseptic
• Antidepressant
• Carminative

2 comments:

  1. i love rosemary. i was surprised to find the essential oil smells a little like pine sol. i wonder if thats where they get it?

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