Medicine Uses for Herbs
Herbal remedies were used in olden days because people had no choice of medicines like we do today. Remember, even ordinary herbs can cause some people to have an allergic reaction.
Herb or Spice?
What is the difference between a spice and an herb? Spices and herbs are both from plants and are used in very small amounts to flavor food.
"Spice" refers to seasonings made from dried seeds or bark. Spices generally originate in the Far East and tropical countries. For example, India is the source of cloves, Indonesia is the origin of most cinnamon and nutmeg, and China is a source of ginger.
"Herb" refers to any low-growing plant with fleshy parts that are used in brewing tea and seasoning foods, for perfuming the air, for dying yarn and material, or as medicines.
Your Name _____________________ Today's Date __________________
s My herb is____________________
Observe your plant. Look carefully at the leaves. Rub a leaf between your fingers. Smell the leaves. Check with your teacher to see if you can taste a leaf. Use a rule to take measurements. Answer the questions below about your adopted herb.
1. How tall is the plant?___________________inches
2. How wide is the plant?___________________inches
3. What color are the leaves?
4. Draw a picture of a leaf.
5. Describe how the leaf feels (smooth, rough, thick).
6. Describe how the leaf smells (spicy, sweet). Does the smell remind you of something?
7. Draw a picture of the whole plant.
8. What else do you notice about your herb plant?
Basil was named after Basilik, the mythical king of dragon snakes, whose breath was so strong it could kill plants. For many, many years, basil was used in religious ceremonies and in cooking. It was even grown in the windowsills of houses to keep out flies. Basil was also a symbol or it meant a particular thing when given to someone or used for something. For example, in Greece it stood for dislike; in Italy, for love; and in India, for holiness.
Basil Acrostic: Fill in the blank beside each letter with words about basil.
| Example: | Your Turn: |
| B ugs | B_____________________ |
| A way | A_____________________ |
| S cram! | S_____________________ |
| I n Italy means | I_____________________ |
| L ove | L_____________________ |
Basil is an annual plant that grows best in rich, loose soil. The seeds have a jellylike substance (gelatin) around them, so they need to be pressed into the soil when planted. Otherwise, they might float away when you add water. This is why in early history, people planting basil seeds would stomp them into the ground.
Basil can have green leaves or red/purple leaves, depending on the kind of basil you have. It grows from 6 inches to 1 foot tall, usually. Some kinds of basil can grow to 6 feet tall!
If you plant basil seeds in a pot, add water, and put the pot on a sunny windowsill, you will have seedlings in about ten days. After several weeks, you should have large enough leaves to pick and use some in cooking. Extra leaves can be picked and frozen in a small bag.
Basil Fill in the Blank:
1. Basil leaves can be________________or____________.
2. It takes__________days for basil seed to grow into seedlings.
3. Press basil seed into the soil, so the______________________around the seed won't cause it to float away if it rains.
Basil smells and tastes like sweet pepper. It is used in salads, soups, and stews. It is used to flavor tomato, egg, or cheese dishes. Basil is used in chopped meat, sausages, sauces for fish, vegetable juice drinks, and is added to peas or boiled potatoes. It is used to flavor oils and vinegar, too.
You can use basil for its fragrance or smell. Basil, other herbs, and flower petals are mixed together and dried. The dried mix is placed into small cloth sacks. The sacks or "sachets" are placed in drawers, closets, -- anywhere you want their fragrance.
Basil Vinegar - is a purple vinegar you can use on salads. Pick and rinse off purple basil leaves and stems. Place them in a clean glass jar. Add enough regular or "white" vinegar to cover the basil and fill the jar. Place a piece of waxed paper over the top of the jar, and screw on the lid. Put a "Basil Vinegar" label on the jar, and place the jar in a cabinet out of the sunlight. Check your jar every day to see the basil make the vinegar turn purple. When you think it is purple enough, remove the jar from the cabinet and take out the basil. Use your Basil Vinegar on salads, vegetables, and other foods.
Basil Toast - Pick and rinse off some basil leaves. Chop them into tiny pieces. Spread margarine or butter on a slice of whole-wheat bread. Sprinkle the chopped basil on the bread. Put the bread under the broiler in the oven until it turns a light brown. Watch carefully, so your toast doesn't burn! Be sure to have an adult help you with the chopping and the oven.
Sing A Song of Basil
You can make up your own songs about basil. Pick a tune you already know, like "Bingo" or "Old MacDonald." Make up sentences about basil that fit your tune.
An example using the tune from "Bingo" would be: There was a man who had a farm, and basil's what he grew there. B... a... s... i... l, B... a... s... i... l, B... a... s... i... l, and basil's what he grew there!
Now create your own basil song. You can work in a small group to share ideas. Sing your basil song for the class.
Lavender comes from the Latin word, lavare, meaning to wash or bathe. It is mainly used for its fragrance. Lavender was the favorite scented herb during the Renaissance and the Middle Ages. In 1815 England, bundles of lavender, mint, marjoram, and pennyroyal were used as air fresheners. Lavender leaves were said to repel insects, and the oil from the leaves supposedly killed yellow fever "germs." Lavender actually does contain a powerful antiseptic called eucalyptol. In France and Spain, lavender leaf compresses were used to treat bruises. In the old days, it was used to treat loss of speech and headaches.
Lavender Uses: Use resource books, such as a dictionary, encyclopedia, or herb book, to discover more uses for lavender. Write the use and where you found it below. Share your information with the class.
Lavender is a perennial plant that grows best in well-drained, loamy soil in a protected sunny location. It is best to start your own lavender with a cutting of another plant because lavender seeds take a long time to germinate.
Lavender plants can grow 1 to 3 feet tall. The flowers are blue to dark-purple and stay fragrant for months when dried.
Using Lavender
Lavender is mainly used for its fragrance. It is very popular in perfumes and lotions. But, is can also be used in cooking. In fact, in England, candied lavender fruit was once popular. Lavender flowers can be used as a decoration on desserts or actually added into some foods.
Lavender Baked Apples - are baked apples topped with a lavender-flavored cream. Arrange 4 medium cooking apples (sliced) in a buttered baking dish. Lay 3 Tbsp. of margarine (thinly sliced) over the apples. Sprinkle 1/4 C. (packed) of brown sugar over the apples and margarine. Bake for 20 minutes at 375F.
While the apples are baking, in a blender or food processor, mix 1/4 C. skim milk, 3/4 C. ricotta cheese, 1 Tbsp. fresh lavender flowers, and 3 Tbsp. honey until smooth. After the apples are baked, pour the milk mixture over the apples. Bake for 10 more minutes at 500F. Serve warm.
Lavender Honey - is basic honey flavored with lavender flowers. Pick and rinse off lavender flowers. Place them in a clean glass jar. Add enough plain honey to cover the lavender and fill the jar. Place a piece of waxed paper over the top of the jar, and screw on the lid. Put a "Lavender Honey" label on the jar. Check your jar every day to see when the honey has enough lavender flavor for you. When you think it is enough, remove the lavender from the jar. Use your Lavender Honey on toast, cereals, and other foods that you like honey with. Lavender Lines
Write a poem about lavender. You can think of lavender as an herb, a flower, and air freshener, even a crayon color! Share your poem with the class.
For example, this old English lullaby can also be a poem:
Lavender blue, dilly, dilly. Lavender green.
When you are king, dilly, dilly, I shall be queen.
Oregano Challenge: Use resource books, such as a dictionary or encyclopedia, to answer the questions below.
1. What is a poultice?
2. Can you find the name of an herb (it starts with "m") that people used to flavor food before oregano became popular?
3. Another name for oregano is wild____________________.
.
4. What other medicinal uses were there for oregano?
5. Spaghetti sauce usually is flavored with oregano. Do you have any favorite foods flavored with oregano? What are they?
Oregano is a perennial plant that grows in average, well-drained soil in full sun. It is best to start your own plant with a cutting of an oregano plant you know has a flavor you like since plants grown from seeds have many different flavors.
Depending on the kind of oregano you have, plants can grow from 1 to 2 feet tall. The stems of an oregano plant are square and hairy so we mainly use the leaves for flavoring foods. You can start picking leaves to use in cooking when plants get 6 inches tall. Oregano vulgare does not have a lot of flavor so it is not the kind we use in cooking. It does have pink flowers that can be dried and used in flower arrangements. The kind of oregano we use in cooking is Oregano hirtum. The leaves of this type of oregano have a hot, peppery flavor.
Oregano is used in tomato, egg, and cheese dishes. It is used to flavor beef, pork, poultry, fish, and shellfish. Oregano is added to vegetable juice drinks and is used to marinate vegetables. It is used to flavor oils along with garlic, parsley, and thyme.
Summer Vegetable Salad - is a vegetable salad with oregano and other herbs in the salad dressing. Mix together 1/2 C. fresh lemon juice, 1/2 C. olive oil, and 2 cloves of garlic (minced). Set aside. In a large bowl, mix together 3 medium tomatoes (cut into cubes), 1 medium cucumber (peeled and cut into cubes), 1 medium pepper (cut into thin strips), 1/2 C. scallions (thinly sliced), 6 lettuce leaves (finely sliced), 1/3 C. fresh parsley (chopped), 1/3 C. cilantro leaves (chopped), 2 Tbsp. fresh oregano leaves (chopped), 2 Tbsp. fresh basil leaves (chopped), 1/3 C. olives (chopped), and 8 oz. of feta or mozzarella cheese (cut into cubes). Pour the lemon juice mixture on top of the vegetables, mix well, and let stand for 30 minutes. Add 2 C. of Italian-flavored bread cubes, then your salad is ready to serve.
Pizza Sauce - is a fun and tasty was to use oregano! Mix together 1 can (8 oz.) of tomato sauce, 2 tsp. dried oregano leaves, 1 tsp. salt, 1/8 tsp. instant minced garlic, 1/8 tsp. pepper, and 1/4 C. grated Parmesan cheese. Spread over your pizza dough, and add your favorite toppings and mozzarella cheese. Bake at 425F until cheese is light brown and bubbly (about 20 to 25 minutes).
Oregano Words
How many new words can you make from oregano? You can work in a small group. Share your oregano words with the class.
Example: orange
Sage is a perennial plant that grows well in ordinary garden soil. There are 700 different types of sage, even one that has a pineapple smell! Sage grows from 6 inches to 3 feet tall, depending on the kind you have.
You can plant sage seeds outside after the last frost date for your area (May 15 in Virginia). Or you can plant seeds in a container and place it in a sunny windowsill. Plant the sage seed 1/4 inch deep in the soil, and add water. Be sure to keep the soil moist, but not too wet, while you wait for the seeds to germinate. You should see seedlings in about 14 to 21 days. After several weeks, you should have large enough leaves to pick and use some in cooking. Be sure to pinch off any flowers that develop since you are only interested in using the leaves.
Sage leaves are chopped up and used in cottage cheese or pickles. The leaves can also be ground or powdered and used in stuffing, stewed tomatoes, sausages, and green beans. Sage is used to flavor chicken and pork, plus oils and vinegars. And, it can be used to make tea! You can also use sage for its fragrance, as a dye, even as a hair tonic.
Sage Stuffing - Mix together 3 C. of slightly dry bread crumbs, 1 Tbsp. parsley (chopped into tiny pieces), 1 Tbsp. onion (finely chopped), 1/4 tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp. sage (ground), 1/4 tsp. rosemary (dried, crushed), 1/4 tsp. thyme (dried, crushed), and 1 1/2 Tbsp. melted butter. Mix in 1/4 C. chicken broth. Put the stuffing in a casserole or baking dish. Bake at 350F for 30 minutes. Sage stuffing goes great with turkey and chicken!
Herb Bread - Mix together 1 1/2 C. flour, 1 pkg. active dry yeast, 2 tsp. celery seed, 1 tsp. sage (ground), and 1/2 tsp. nutmeg (ground). Heat 1 C. milk, 2 Tbsp. sugar, 2 Tbsp. shortening, and 1 1/2 tsp. salt, stirring constantly until just warm (the shortening should just be starting to melt; 115 to 120F). Add the milk mixture to the flour mixture. Add 1 egg, then beat with an electric mixer on low speed for 1/2 minute. Beat at high speed for 3 minutes. Use a wooden spoon or other large spoon to stir in another 1 1/2 C. of flour to make a soft dough. Knead the dough for 5 to 8 minutes. Place in a greased bowl, turn dough once to cover both sides with shortening. Cover with a clean cloth, and put in a warm place to rise until double (about 1 1/2 hours). Punch down the dough, cover, and let it "rest" for 10 minutes. Shape the dough into a round loaf, and place in a 9-inch, greased pie pan. Cover and put in a warm place until the dough doubles in size (about 1 hour). Bake at 400F for 35 minutes. Serve warm with butter. Sage Writings
Look up the word "sage" in the dictionary. What does it mean? Choose one meaning or definition, and use it in a sentence. Share your definition and sentence with the class.
Example: Definition: an herb used to season meat Sentence: I like sage in my sausage.
Your Turn:
Definition:______________________________ Sentence:_____________________________
During the time of knights, ladies-in-waiting would embroider scarves with thyme as a symbol of courage. The scarves were then given to knights to wear into battle. During the Renaissance period, people believed that fairies made their homes in beds of thyme.
In the past, thyme was used in wash water and between linens for its sweet smell. It was also used to cure the flu, gas, hair loss, and bad moods. And it was planted on paths so when people walked on the thyme, they could smell its sweet scent. Today, oil from thyme (called thymol) is used in some cough medicines. Rhyming Thyme: How many words can you list that rhyme with thyme? Share your list with the class.
Thyme is a perennial plant that grows well in ordinary, well-drained soil in a sunny location. You can start thyme seeds outside or in a container in a sunny window. In three to four weeks, you should have red-colored seedlings that you can take leaves from for cooking and other uses. Thyme plants can grow 9 to 12 inches tall. The color of thyme leaves can be green or yellow or red.
There are over 300 species of thyme! And there are many different flavors of thyme that can be spicy or fruity -- like caraway or lemon.
Thyme is used for flavoring food and for fragrance. The oil is used in deodorants, anesthetics, and perfumes. Thyme leaves are used in sachets and potpourri. Leaves are used to flavor sauces for meats and fish, in soups, with vegetables, and in vinegars and oils. Fruit-flavored and spice-flavored thymes can even be used in desserts.
Citrus Thyme Dressing - is a good salad dressing. Mix together 1 clove garlic (minced), 1 tsp. fresh ginger (minced), 1 tsp. fresh lemon thyme leaves (minced), 1 Tbsp. fresh tarragon leaves (minced), 1 Tbsp. vinegar, 1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice, and 1/4 C. olive oil. Pour over your favorite green salad.
Thyme-Onion Relish - You may need an adult to help with this recipe. In a skillet, heat 2 Tbsp. of olive oil and 3 C. yellow or red onions that have been thinly sliced. Cook until the onions are translucent or clear looking (15 to 20 minutes). Stir in 2 Tbsp. fresh lemon thyme leaves (minced), 3 Tbsp. vinegar, 1/2 tsp. hot pepper sauce, and 1/2 tsp. honey. Cook for 5 minutes more. Serve warm or at room temperature on your favorite fish or seafood.
Challenge Thyme
List as many different kinds of thyme as you can. Use resource books, such as an encyclopedia or herb book, magazines, and seed catalogs. Share your information with the class to make a single list for the class.
Example: lemon thyme
Your Turn:
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