Ginger Beer

Tags

ginger, Ginger beer, Lemon, recipe, sugar, water, yeast

Ginger and sugar in boiling water

Lemon Slices

Yeast starting to activate

Mixture maturing

 

Making your own home made Ginger Beer is really easy.

Ingredients : 

• 4,5 l water
• 28 g whole ginger
• 2 cups sugar
• 10 g active dry yeast
• 1 lemon

Method : 

• Boil the water, bruise the ginger and add to hot water with the sugar. Stir until the sugar has dissolved.
• Pour into an enamel jug or pail and allow to cool until lukewarm.
• Combine the active dry yeast with 1 teaspoon sugar and add 1 cup luke-warm water. Put aside in a warm place for 5 to 10 minutes or until it starts to ferment. Add to the sugar-water
• Cut the lemon into thin slices and add.
• Allow to stand for 24  hours. Strain through a damp cloth.
• Pour into bottle and cork tightly. It will be ready for use in 1 – 2 days.

 

Growing Ginger from scraps

Tags

food, ginger, ginger root, green tips, health, home grown, organic, plants, scraps, Zingiber officinale

Ginger grown from scraps

Today I finally planted my Ginger” grown from scraps” into the ground.

Ginger (Zingiber officinale) is easy to grow and makes for a great project with kids. And with its attractive foliage, this plant will add beauty to your home and garden, as well. Just pick up a root from your grocery store’s produce section and get growing!

Because ginger root tubers grow right near the soil surface, don’t bury them when you transplant them to your garden.

Simply lay the ginger root on the top of the potting soil to “plant” it.

Pull the roots from the ground and allow them to dry in the open air before removing the stalks and harvesting.

Ginger root is sold in a clump that’s often called a “hand.” You’ll want to choose a hand that’s fresh and firm with as many “fingers” as possible. To get as many plants as you can, cut or break the fingers off the main root. Each section with a growing tip will become a plant. Be sure to allow any cut surfaces to dry before planting them in moist soil.

Planting is easy as pie: Simply pick a pot that’s at least twice the diameter as the length of your root section. Fill it ¾ full with standard potting soil, and place the small root sections on the soil surface. Water it well. Your plant will survive dry spells, but to get the most consistent growth, keep it damp at all times. Place your ginger pot in a spot where it’ll stay warm. There’s no need to find a sunny spot on your windowsill. At this stage, your ginger actually grows better without direct sunshine. Before you know it, you’ll see sprouts.

Growing Ginger 

It is a Jungle

Tags

Bromeliaceae, Bromeliad, Cyathea, Cyatheales, Flowers, Gardens, Giant tree ferns, ginger, Gunnera, Histories of Famous Gardens, jungle, Jungle Garden, Lost gardens of Heligan, nature, organic, The Lost gardens of Heligan

 

The Jungle Garden  is a riot of luxuriant foliage and dramatic tropical plantings at “The lost Gardens of Heligan“

A Zebra patterned Bromeliad catches the eye.

Giant tree ferns standing guard.

Many different  types of Ginger showing off their beguiling sweet-scented flowers.

Sprawling tree ferns.

Giant Rhubarb, growing taller than my head.

The Jungle sits in a steep-sided valley, creating a micro-climate at least five degrees warmer than the Northern Gardens.

Related articles

• The Giant’s Head (aristonorganic.com)
• The Lost Gardens – Woodland Stroll
• “Green Lady asleep in the woods”… shhh
• The Lost Gardens of Heligan (mattfox85.wordpress.com)
• Fairytale Places, the Lost Gardens of Heligan, Cornwall U.K. (thefairytaletraveler.com)

 

Ariston has a Homeopath/Phytotherapist allotment gardener

Tags

Burdock, Chamomile, Dandelion, detox, ginger, herbal remedy, homeopath, infusions, medicine, phytotherapy, Spring, vegetarian

ho·me·op·a·thy

/ˌhōmēˈäpəTHē/

Noun

A system for the treatment of disease by minute doses of natural substances that in a healthy person would produce symptoms of disease.

phytotherapy – the use of plants or plant extracts for medicinal purposes (especially plants that are not part of the normal diet)

Dr Craig Wright: Integrating Medicine at Back2Health

Dr Craig Wright is a homeopath and phytotherapist (medical herbalist) who has trained, lectured, researched and practised both in the UK and here in South Africa over the last 15 years. He combines nutritional and lifestyle advice, nutritional supplementation, herbal medicine and homeopathic treatments to help people back to a state of optimum health. He has a special interest in metabolic syndrome and diabetes, cholesterol and circulatory problems, cancer, developmental and behavioural problems in children and men’s health problems. Have a look at www.craigwright.co.za or on FB at www.facebook.com/integratedmedicine

Craig’s Apothecary in the garden

Herbs for Spring: as seen on SABC 3’s Expresso

Phytotherapy, or medical herbalism, can help with a wide variety of complaints. Herbal medicines can be used and prescribed in many forms such as tinctures, glycerites, powders, capsules, tablets, creams, oils and also water extracts called infusions (simple tea) or decoctions (boiled tea). Infusions and decoctions are simple and easy ways to prepare safe and helpful herbal medicines for yourself at home. Infusions are generally used for flowers and leaves and decoctions are used to extract the active ingredients from harder material such as roots, barks and seeds.

This morning on SABC’s breakfast show, Expresso, I attempted to show how the herbs Chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla) and Nettle (Urtica dioica) can be used to make a tea which is anti-inflammatory, anti-allergic and has anti-histamine effects. One or both of these herbs together, if drunk regularly (as an infusion), can help with allergies and hayfever prevalent at this time of the year.

Nettle can also be used with Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) and Burdock (Arctium lappa) to make a decoction which is excellent for gently cleansing and detoxifying the body. Spring is a good time to clear out accumulated wastes and to help the body switch from a storage type metabolism to a more ‘summery’ usage metabolism. These three herbs can help the body’s organs of elimination and detoxification (skin, kidneys, lungs, skin and liver) to work more effectively and by so doing improve general health.

Ginger (Zingiber officinale) is also a fantastic tea for enhancing metabolism, improving digestion, increasing circulation and generally promoting health. In Ayurveda it is know as vishwabheshaja – the universal medicine!

While generally these are very safe herbs, if you have any doubt or are on any medications, always consult a qualified and registered phytotherapist or homeopath.

Recipes

For An infusion

Add 250ml freshly boiled water to 1 teaspoon dried or 2-3 teaspoons fresh herb. place a lid on the container to prevent essential oils from escaping (e.g. a saucer on your cup). Leave to stand for at least 5 minutes, strain and sip. A small amount of honey may be added if you feel the need. Infusions are generally taken warm and between 1 – 6 times daily depending on age, body size and health problems

For a decoction

add 30g of dried herb (e.g. Dandelion root) or up to 90g of fresh herb to 500ml cold water. Place on the stove and gently bring up to boiling point with the lid on.  Simmer very slowly for 10 minutes, then remove from heat and leave to cool down. Strain and drink a cup up to three times a day. This preparation will not keep more than a couple of days.

Keep yourself healthy with herbal medicines, but if you have a serious problem or your problem persists or gets worse or if you are unsure, please consult a suitably qualified practitioner!

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