New ways with herbs

Aril

Have just been on fantastic herbal course and picked up following tips which thought might be of interest to fellow oldstylers!
ROSEMARY
Use with stewed plums for a medieval pudding
Add sprigs to really rough red wine. Leave overnight to infuse.
Add 1/2 tsp dried rosemary to fruit cake to bring out flavour of fruit
Put sprig of rosemary beneath bread [or partly baked bread] before baking
LEMON BALM:
Add chopped leaves to centre of apples before baking
Can make lemon balm icecream
SAGE:
Put dried chopped leaves in smelly shoes
SLOES/ROSEHIPS
Freeze overnight before use to overcome the problem of them coming so early [used to always leave the picking until after the first frost
HERB BRANDY
Brandy plus coriander, lemon balm , rosemary and cloves. Leave 6 weeks. Add sugar and leave 1 year to mature
ELDERBERRY CORDIAL
If you've made cordial you can thicken it with cornflour and make a sauce. V good swirled through stewed apple with cream on top
CHRISTMAS
Scented talc [use arrowroot] - no more details but no doubt someone here has made it before:rotfl:
Crystallised fruit
We also made a Victorian recipe for herbaceous aromatic seasoning which would make good pressies. If you want me to post recipe will happily do so!!
Aril

Queenie

Aril wrote:

.....
We also made a Victorian recipe for herbaceous aromatic seasoning which would make good pressies. If you want me to post recipe will happily do so!!
Aril

:T :T :T :T Yes, please!!!

Liney_2

How do you dry the sage leaves? I have 2 lots in the garden a green variety and a purple variety, would be nice to dry some for the winter.

And is there a more detailed recipe for the rosemary and plum medieval pud? Sounds nice and have lots of plums right now which I could do with eating tonight.

Ta x

Aril

I'll dig out the recipe Queenie and post it tomorrow. I haven't dried sage leaves myself but the herbalist said you should hang them in bunches [same with lavender] but dry them out of direct sunlight [airing cupboard would be good] and not in the kitchen as it's too moist. She dries rosepetals by laying them out on muslin stretched across a frame on a low setting in the oven with the door open [I think it was once you'd switched it off having cooked something else]. They smelt out of this world.
With regards to the medieval pud I think I would keep the sprigs whole and then sweeten according to taste with honey. Nothing more specific than that I'm afraid.
Another combo I remembered was she said apricots and hyssop and good together as are peaches and basil.
Aril
Ooh yes just remembered...store herbs/potpourri etc in dark containers if possible or at least in a dark place.