4 Thieves Vinegar

What Is Four Thieves Vinegar?: A vinegar based tincture of herbs thought to cure, treat, and/or prevent the Bubonic plague. In modern day, it’s used to boost the immune system, repel insects (including the fleas that spread the plague), and as a condiment.

A Little History: There are a number of different versions of the origin of this traditional remedy, but they all share the same basic points. I’ll summarize them here. When the Bubonic plague was sweeping through Europe, there arose a group of grave robbers and thieves that covered their bodies and doused their face masks in an herbal vinegar with strong antibacterial and antiviral properties in order to keep themselves from contracting the plague. Initially no one worried about the grave robbers and thieves who stole into the houses in the dark of moonless nights to rob victims of the Black Death as, the townspeople assumed, the plague would inevitably infect and kill the thieves, too. But it didn’t. The thieves continued to assail the homes and graves of the dead with impunity until they were finally caught in the middle of their act, tried, and set to be burned at the stake. Astonished by the thieves’ immunity and seemingly indifferent attitude toward the plague that devastated the community so severely, the judges offered the thieves a bargain: in exchange for releasing the cause of their immunity, the thieves would be hanged instead of burned at the stake – a less brutal and more quick end. The thieves acquiesced and surrendered the recipe for their elixir, and the legend has continued to grow since then.

What Is That Recipe?: No one really knows the original recipe, and many recipes for Four Thieves Vinegar abound. Though a recipe written by Jean Valnet, a renowned aromatherapist and herbalist of the early 20th century, may resemble the original more closely than any other. He calls for vinegar, wormwood, meadow sweet, juniper, marjoram, sage, cloves, horse heal, angelica, rosemary, horehound and camphor. Valnet calls for steeping these herbs in vinegar for six weeks before decanting, for a lighter flavor some people only steep the herbs for only seven days.

Does It Work?:  While this traditional remedy may or may not have helped grave robbers and thieves to stave off the plague that ravaged Europe centuries ago, it seems modern herbalists and gardeners have revived the interest in this garden remedy. Many herbalists use it as a cleansing agent – transferring it to a spray bottle and using it to clean and sterilize kitchen counters or bathrooms; indeed, many of the herbs possess strong antimicrobial effects and vinegar, in any case, makes an excellent natural cleanser. Others recommend using Four Thieves Vinegar in personal care, diluted with water of course, as a cleansing agent for the skin or as an astringent. Among neo-Pagan circles, Four Thieves Vinegar is thought to have protective qualities and some swear that if you dress your doorstep with the vinegar, it’ll keep your enemies away. As to preventing the Plague, many people attribute it’s abilities to a combination of the immune boosting, antiviral, and antibacterial properties of the herbs and the bonus fact that many of the herbs used in the recipes also drive away pests such as fleas, which are the currently known way that the plague is spread.

The Basics of The Recipe: Really and truly, there are so many versions of this recipe that you can customize it almost endlessly. All you need to do is use a good quality Apple Cider Vinegar as your base (though some recipes call for other vinegars, I think this one has the most antibacterial and beneficial qualities), crush up a few cloves of garlic (crushing the garlic releases the antibacterial properties, though you may notice that your garlic turns blue after a few days in the vinegar, this is a natural process and does not indicate it’s gone bad), and throw in a handful of herbs. Herbs that are traditionally used include lavender, rosemary, mint, sage, marjoram, anise hyssop, wormwood, meadow sweet, juniper, cloves, horse heal, angelica, horehound, camphor, thyme, black pepper, cinnamon, rue, cayenne, chili pepper, coriander, plantain, and lemon balm. Though I’m sure there are more herbs that could be used. Some people recommend using only 4 herbs, one for each thief, and others just throw in however many they feel like using.

Four Thieves Vinegar

2 tbsp Lavender

2 tbsp Rosemary

2 tbsp Mint

2 tbsp Sage

2 tbsp Juniper Berry

2 tbsp Lemon Balm

4 cloves Garlic (peeled and crushed)

4 cups raw Apple Cider Vinegar

Instructions:
Toss herbs and garlic together in a one-quart mason jar, cover with vinegar and place them in a cool, dark location. After a minimum of seven days (you get more medicinal benefits after 6 weeks), strain the vinegar through a fine-mesh sieve into a second, clean 1-quart glass jar.


Some Ideas for Variations: In all these variations use 4-8 cloves of garlic, 4 cups of apple cider vinegar, and equal portions of the suggested herbs.
A Bitter Formula: Wormwood, Rue, Anise Hyssop, and Juniper
(this recipe would be great for your digestion, take a dropperful 15 minutes before eating
to improve digestion and prevent stomach problems)
A Great Salad Dressing: Lemon Balm, Thyme, Rosemary, and Coriander
(this recipe tastes great and is also good for digestion)
A Spicy Adventure: Cayenne, Chili Pepper, and Black Pepper
(this recipe will help clear upper respiratory illness, break fever, and makes a great marinade)


You can also feel free to add in any herbs you may feel like. Elderberry or Hibiscus may be beneficial to the formula, adding in extra immune boosting properties. Hawthorne and ginger may help to improve heart health. Mix up your own recipe, try new formulas. Feel free to post any questions, comments, and/or observations in the comments down below. Follow me on Facebook and Instagram or updates on my adventures in Nature. Find me on YouTube and check out my videos! I also have a few things up on Teespring, check it out! Also, if you like what I do and what to see more, Become a Patron!

Resources:

The Noursihed Kitchen: https://nourishedkitchen.com/four-thieves-vinegar-recipe/
Adventures in Making: http://adventures-in-making.com/recipe-the-legendary-four-thieves-vinegar/
Farmer’s Almanac: https://www.farmersalmanac.com/four-thieves-vinegar-35968
Magical Recipes Online: https://www.magicalrecipesonline.com/2012/08/how-to-make-and-use-four-thieves-vinegar.html
Common Sense Home: https://commonsensehome.com/thieves-vinegar/
Learn Religions: https://www.learnreligions.com/four-thieves-vinegar-2562515
The Herbal Academy: https://theherbalacademy.com/diy-four-thieves%E2%93%87-vinegar/
Tipnut: https://tipnut.com/four-thieves/

Citrus Pine Infused Vinegar

     I love trying to introduce healthy and tasty herbs to just about everyone I know. So it's no secret that I love to gift herbal infusions. These are great for just about everyone. Cooks love the flavors, health nuts love the benefits, and people who may never use them still think they're pretty and will display them somewhere.

     Speaking of using them, how do you? There are so many ways. The first, and easiest way to use these is to sprinkle them on top of your salads or add a little bit of oil to them and make them into super tasty salad dressings. I'm also very southern and eat my cooked greens with vinegar on them. Some of these add a nice kick to my greens. You can mix them with honey and water and make a nice lemonade-like drink. This is an especially good idea for the fruit flavored vinegars. I also love to eat cucumbers (and other fresh veggies) that have been drenched with vinegar, but not necessarily pickled.

     Now I make these year round for personal use, but I figured that this Christmas I would gift a few to certain people I know. So here's my instructions for infusing vinegar (or cooking oil) as gifts for the Holidays!

The Vinegar:

What I used in this particular infusion was Apple Cider Vinegar. It's got a great flavor that goes really well with citrus and since I decided to use Lemon Balm, Pine, and Grapefruit for my vinegar, that's what I decided to use. Other vinegars that work really well are Rice Vinegar, Red Wine Vinegar, and Malt Vinegar. But really you can use whatever vinegar you want.

Herbs:

You can use whatever combination of herbs you want in these infusions, and you can used dried as well as fresh. This particular vinegar uses Grapefruit peel, Lemon Balm sprigs (because of the pretty flowers!), and fresh Pine Needles. Other examples may be a Cranberry Orange Vinegar, Ginger Lemongrass Vinegar, or even an Italian Herb Vinegar with Basil, Oregano, and Garlic. You can even turn any of your favorite cooking herb blends into an infused vinegar. Have fun! For some flavor inspirations, this page has links to over 20 different recipes. Or keep reading because I'll give you a few of my favorite infused vinegar recipes from the past!

Variations:

You can use this same process to infuse other things as well, such as oils, honey, or even some vodka if you're feeling extra spirited. For oils, I like to use a variety of healthy oils such as Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Avocado Oil, or Cold Pressed Grapeseed Oil.

Citrus Pine Vinegar

1 Cute Bottle (the one I use is a Grolsch bottle that I picked up a few years ago. Check out the bottles at Specialty Bottles if you need to buy some)

A Vegetable Peeler

1 Grapefruit

a few Sprigs of fresh Lemon Balm

a handful of Pine Needles

enough Apple Cider Vinegar to cover your herbs (this bottle is fairly large so I used just shy of a quart)

Instructions:

Sanitize your bottle and allow to air dry. Wash all of your fresh ingredients. Peel your grapefruit and slide it into your bottle. Follow up with your lemon balm sprigs. Clean up the ends of your pine needles and stuff those in your bottle as well. I ended up only using about 4-5 clusters of needles. *Optional, heat your vinegar until just under boiling. Pour your vinegar into the bottle, making sure to cover up all those yummy herbs. Seal and allow to sit 2-4 weeks before gifting/using.

The following recipes use the same set of instructions:

Place the herbs in a clean jar/bottle. Cover herbs with vinegar/liquid of choice (warmed to help speed up the infusion process). Seal the jar/bottle and allow to sit for 2-4 weeks before using/gifting.

A Taste of the Orient

2 cups Rice Vinegar

¼ cup Lemongrass

4-5 slices fresh Ginger

* Optional for a little heat 1 Cayenne Pepper sliced lengthwise

Cranberry Juniper Vinegar

2 cups Red Wine Vinegar

1 cup Fresh Cranberries

¼ cup Juniper Berries

Spicy Chipotle Vinegar

1 cup White Wine Vinegar

1 cup Apple Cider Vinegar (or for some great boozy flavor, use Tequila)

1 Jalapeno sliced lengthwise

1-2 tsp Chipotle Seasoning Blend of choice

Lavender Peach Vinegar

2 cups White Balsamic Vinegar

½ cup Peach, diced

2-3 tsp dried Lavender

¼ cup Honey, raw local honey is best

Mojito Vinegar

1 ½ cups Champagne Vinegar

½ cup White Rum (or more vinegar if you want to keep this kid friendly)

½ cup fresh Mint Leaves (sprigs make it more decorative)

1 fresh Lime, sliced

¼ cup Simple Syrup (equal parts sugar and water cooked on the stove to make a syrup)

Garlic Dill Vinegar

2 cups White Wine Vinegar

about 4-6 whole Garlic Cloves

3-4 fresh Dill sprigs (or 3-4 tsp dried dill)

I hope you enjoy these recipes. Have fun creating your infused gifts! If you have any questions or comments, please leave them below! Also, if you want me to cover anything specific, I'd like to know!

5 Natural Ways to Combat Seasonal Allergies

     I don't know how things are in your area, but so far this year Central Florida has seen record breaking pollen counts. This means that my husband's seasonal allergies have been acting up worse than usual. Even my allergies, which usually don't bother me all that much, have made themselves known. So I thought that I'd share with you some of the things I do for allergies in my home.

1-Dietary Changes: There are some foods that can actually make your allergies worse. If you know what you are allergic to, do a little research and find out what foods could be causing oral allergy syndrome, a reaction to your food due to pollen allergies. Even if you don't have oral allergy syndrome, there are a few thing you can do to improve your allergy symptoms. Cut back on the dairy! Dairy products can increase the bodies mucus production and make the mucus much thicker. Cutting back on the dairy can help to manage this aspect of your allergies. Also, quite a few allergy symptoms can be caused by, or compounded by, issues in the gut. Probiotics can help relieve many of the issues that may be the underlying cause of allergy symptoms.

2-Apple Cider Vinegar: Apple cider vinegar (ACV) is a wonderful tonic for the whole body, but by far it shines when dealing with seasonal allergies. ACV is packed full of beneficial vitamins, including lots of B vitamins. Make sure you get the raw, unfiltered ACV with the mother (the mother is the bacteria that helped make the ACV), the bonus for this is that you get some amazing probiotics in with it. Take 1 teaspoon in water 3 times a day for maximum results. It works (and tastes) even better if you use ½ teaspoon of raw, local honey in the mixture.

3-Nettles: Urtica dioica, or stinging nettle, is a natural antihistamine. Nettle can be made into a tea, tincture, or capsules, and in many places it's a common cooked green. However, to best use nettles for allergy relief, you should find an alcohol based tincture. The natural antihistamine found in nettle is best extracted using alcohol, so a tea won't have as much. If you eat the herb or take a capsule of dried nettle leaves, you'll still get all the antihistamine properties as well, but you'll need to consume more to get the same effect that you would get from just one dropper-full of the tincture.

4-Goldenrod: I know it seems strange that the plant most known for causing hay fever can actually help, but it really can. Solidago spp. is a great herb to use on a regular basis to help prevent and control allergy symptoms. However, it does not work if you are taking any synthetic allergy medicines with it. Goldenrod works well as either a tea or a tincture. If you're worried about a pollen allergy, make sure that the tea/tincture is made with leaves that have been harvested before the plant has flowered, to keep from accidentally getting pollen on the leaves.

5-Local Honey: There may not be any scientific evidence that consuming raw, local honey lessens allergy symptoms. However, it has worked like a charm with my family. The thought is that local honey contains the pollen from local flowers and consuming it will help your immune system to acclimate to this pollen. Whether or not this is true, honey is packed full of amazing vitamins and minerals that help to boost immune function and improve symptoms such as congestion.

     I hope these tips will help you and your family through this allergy season! If you have any questions or comments please leave them below.

Resources:

Earth Clinic : Apple Cider Vinegar for All Allergies : https://www.earthclinic.com/allergies/apple-cider-vinegar.html

Know Your Roots : How to Take Goldenrod for Allergies : http://www.knowyouroots.com/ijustgottashare/2015/07/08/how-to-take-goldenrod-for-allergies/

Naturopathic Physicians : Natural Treatments for Your Seasonal Allergies : http://www.naturopathic.org/content.asp?contentid=117

Wellness Mama : 7 Effective Natural Remedies for Seasonal Allergies : https://wellnessmama.com/8370/allergy-relief-remedies/

Summer Sunburn Relief

    If living in Florida has taught me one thing, it’s how to care for sunburns.  Florida’s reputation as the “sunshine state” is well earned.  Even in the middle of a rainstorm, the sun can be out in full force.  With my pale skin, it doesn’t talk long for me to burn to a crisp.  Of course, the best thing to do is to protect yourself and prevent sunburn by applying sunblock, staying in the shade, and wearing protective clothing.  If you get caught out in the sun too long, however, here are some natural ways to help heal and relieve the pain of sunburn.

Aloe

    One of the best things for sunburns is aloe.  Aloe naturally relieves pain, reduces inflammation, repairs damaged skin cells, strengthens the immune system, accelerates the healing process, and fights off bacteria that can cause infection.  It also forms a protective layer over the skin which helps hold in moisture while adding extra hydration.  This basically means that aloe is a powerhouse for healing any burn.  The easiest way to use aloe is to cut a leaf and squeeze the gel onto the burn, or cut the leaf and scoop out the gel.  Apply the gel to the burn and leave it until it dries.  If it starts to get sticky wash it off.  However, this method can be difficult for sunburns that cover a large area, so I recommend harvesting the gel ahead of time and keeping it in your fridge.  You can also freeze it in icecube trays to have an extra bit of relief from the cold.  You can also add other things to your aloe gel, such as cucumbers which also help soothe the inflamed skin.  Just cut the aloe leaf, scoop out the gel, peel and dice the cucumber, put them into a blender and blend until smooth.  Leave this mixture on the burn for 30 min. 

Sunburn Tea

    Oddly enough, one of the best things you can use for sunburn is one of the staples in almost every southern home.  Iced tea.  Black tea has quite a few amazing qualities that help heal and soothe skin after a sunburn.  Adding in a mixture of other healing herbs can make for an amazing sunburn relief tea that you can then apply (either by blotting with a cloth or by spraying on) as often as you need.  My favorite mixture is black tea, lavender, rose petals, peppermint, yarrow, and apple cider vinegar. 

Black Tea- Earl grey tea seems to work best on sunburns, I suspect this is due to the bergamot that gives earl grey its distinctive taste.  Black tea is packed full of antioxidants which help to block the harmful effects of the sun, even after sun exposure.  It also is full of tannins which help to reduce post-sun inflammation.  Earl gray is black tea and bergamot oil.  Bergamot is full of more antioxidants.  But it is also from a citrus fruit and all citrus helps boost immune function, but bergamot is also a pain reliever. 

Lavender- Lavender is calming, and soothing to the nerves.  It also helps to tone the skin.  Essential oil of lavender is also a great topical pain reliever. 

Rose Petals- Rose petals are high in vitamin C which helps boost immune function.  They also have a great cooling effect on the skin. 

Peppermint- Peppermint has an amazing cooling effect and it helps to reduce inflammation. 

Yarrow- Yarrow speeds up the healing process for wounds and reduces inflammation.  It also prevents blistering and peeling.

Apple Cider Vinegar- Raw Apple Cider Vinegar is great for taking the sting out of burns.  It also is full of amazing nutrients that help to fight infection and heal the skin. 

Ingredients:

1 ½ cup water

2 bags of good quality Earl Grey

1 teaspoon dried lavender flowers

1 teaspoon dried rose petals

1 teaspoon dried peppermint leaves

1`teaspoon dried yarrow leaves and/or flowers

½ cup raw apple cider vinegar

Instructions:

Bring the water to a boil.  Remove from the heat and add in the tea and the herbs.  Let it steep for 30+ minutes.  Strain into a glass container.  Add in the apple cider vinegar.  If you want, you can add 5 drops of lavender essential oil for added relief.  Storing this is the refrigerator not only adds to the shelf life, but it also adds a bit more cooling relief upon application.

Sunburn Cream

    Creams are good to have premade.  This one is good to keep around for any kind of burn, it also works well for sores and razor burn. 

Witch Hazel- Witch hazel is great to heal all kinds of skin issues.  It will help prevent blisters and peeling as well as reduce inflammation.

Coconut Oil- Coconut oil is a great moisturizer and it helps to reduce the pain of sunburns. 

Cornstarch- Cornstarch helps relieve the pain of the sunburn and has a cooling effect.

Ingredients:

½ cup witch hazel

1 cup water

3 tablespoons aloe gel (fresh is best, but don’t use the green or blue stuff from the store)

About ½ cup cornstarch

3 teaspoons coconut oil

10 drops peppermint essential oil

10 drops lavender essential oil

Instructions:

Put the water, witch hazel and aloe gel in a glass container.  Mix these together, cover, and let sit for 2 hours.  After the two hours, add the remaining ingredients and mix together (you can use a blender or food processor if you want) until creamy.  You can add more cornstarch if it’s too watery or more water if it’s too thick.  The texture you are looking for is similar to a lotion.  Let it sit for 24 hours before use.  Store in a tightly lidded jar, in the fridge.  Will keep for several weeks.

Potato Paste

    Yes, this next recipe is essentially mashed, raw potatoes, but it really works.  Just like cornstarch, potato starch works wonders on sunburns.  It draws out the heat and toxins from the burn and alleviates the pain and has a cooling effect.  Some people slice raw potatoes and just apply them to the burns, but this paste is a little more effective and has better skin coverage for those pesky sunburns. 

Instructions:

Wash some potatoes, leave the skins on, and put them in the food processor.  Add a little water to moisten the paste.  Apply to your sunburn, but don’t rub it in, dab it on.  Keep it there for 30 minutes.  Discard the potato paste afterwards.

    I hope these tips and recipes help you with your sunburns, but don’t forget to protect your skin before you go out into the summer sun!

Resources:

DIY & Crafts: http://www.diyncrafts.com/6768/health/5-natural-sunburn-remedies-instantly-stop-pain-prevent-peeling

Home Remedies for Life: http://homeremediesforlife.com/aloe-vera-for-sunburn/

Love to Know: http://skincare.lovetoknow.com/Severe_Sunburn_Old-Fashioned_Remedy

Organic Facts: https://www.organicfacts.net/health-benefits/essential-oils/health-benefits-of-bergamot-essential-oil.html

Today in Dietzville: http://todayindietzville.com/2016/05/sunburn-tea-natural-sunburn-remedies/

Top 10 Grocery Secrets: http://www.top10grocerysecrets.com/2015-09-28-top-10-medicinal-plants-natural-sunburn-relief