Focus on Herbs : Rosemary

Family : Labiatae

Latin Name : Rosmarinus Officinalis


(copyright Ziggy Searchfield)

Properties/Uses :Internally. Tonic, Stomach Stimulent, Anti Spasmodic, Carminative, Cholagogue, Emmenagogue.

Externally. Antiseptic, Anti Ecchymotic, Anti Rheumatic. Oil used as insect repellant.

Seasoning : Wide culinary use.

Oil should not be taken internally, Extremely large doses of the leaves are toxic, abortive, convulsions and death.

Habitat : Mediterranean Costal Plant.

Cultivation : Propagated from stem cuttings or seed. Well drained soil in wind sheltered location.

The latin name means Dew of the Sea.

Sources : Herbs & Herbalism, black cat. Wild Herbs a Field Guide, De Sloover & Goosens, Ziggy Searchfield.

 

One of my favourites this one.

If you make an infusion of a couple of sprigs steeped in freshly boiled water, and leave it stewing until the water has cooled enough to drink, then drink that last thing at night, you get really interesting weird dreams. That's apparently because one of its properties (which might be one of the funny words you used Zig) is that it aids blood circulation in the finer blood vessels, such as in the brain.

If you make the same infusion, but with the addition of a slice of lemon, it makes an excellent hangover cure. Rosemary is a mild stimulant, which helps you get past that rotten feeling that a hangover gives, and lemon is said to give the liver a boost and to regulate the acid in your digestive tract, and of course warm water is absorbed into the body much more quickly than cold, thus aiding rehydration.

Oh, and you can cook with rosemary too.

 

No, it wasn't one of those words, that would be Vaso Dilator. Thats interesting Dave, not come across that one

 

I learnt it through careful but repeated experimentation. The book said it about the mild stimulant properties and the bit about it aiding blood circulation, the rest I just figured out by trial and error

 

As long as you didn't get to the convulsions & death stage

 

No, fortunately not. But on a serious note, I must point out to everyone, that my experimentation was done in moderation. I'm generally in good health etc. etc.

Rosemary is a fantastic herb, but like many herbs, you can over dose on the stuff. Herbs often get their strong flavours and fragrances from the fact that the chemicals in them are very concentrated compared to less fragrant/flavoursome veg, so cautions associated with them should always be taken seriously. Natural does not equal harmless. Remember, a crocodile is natural

 

And also does far less for your mental capillaries if steeped in boiling water.


Anyway, what are you lot like? Next you'll be saying you've been smoking the hydrangea leaves.


Not sure if I like the thought of blood surging through my delicate little brain veins, might overstrain them...


I have a very big rosemary bush but never use it as I'm mainly veggie and can't think of anything to put rosemary in. Any ideas? Apart from the pseudo-narcotic ones, obviously.

 

Rosemary grows wild here and it is on my lane outside my gates but it is very much like Lavender and grows very leggy and has to be chopped down yearly as it gets out of control and goes to 1.5 meters quickly. It is in bloom at the moment.

Sadly I don't use it.

 

Rosemary goes with Lamb.

Don't know about the Psycadelic aspect Clueless?

Why is a Veggie growing it Victoria?

 

Victoria never said anything about a veggie growing it She just said it was growing wild.

Its used on Pizzas, they don't have to have a sheep as a topping

Pineapple goes with pork, but it doesn't stop vegetarians growing Pineapple.

 

Oh, sorry, it was Madahllia that mentioned Veggie, not Victoria:DOH:

Damn that Pumpkin wine was good, pity theres none left now

Forgot to mention companion planting with Rosemary,

Rosemary Companion Planting

 

Whoops - soeey Victoria

 

:D That's okay gcc ... but I'm not really a big meat eater anyway, mainly chicken and mince (like my chillies/bologneses/meatloafs/etc). Not into pork at all except for using it with beef in meatloaf.

Herbs are widely used here and you always see folk out and about the countryside gathering heaven only knows what ... Food for free .. or in this case seasonings for free. My now deceased now used to come over daily (sometimes 4-5 times a day .... :gaagh: ) and would walk around collecting the small snails (white shells) on my shrubs popping them in her pocket. She would cook them as a snack often adding Rosemary or Marjoram as a flavouring. Rosemary is used in lamb stews here and Marjoram widely used on salads.

Snails are a popular 'snack' here (yuk!) Caracois and Carocoleta, the former being the tiny ones and the latter the huge ones. A snail farm opened down the road from us about 3kms a year or so ago ... it was previously an orange orchard but obviously snails are more popular as we have now seen that besides the farm where you can go and purchase your delicacies they have a shop about 20 minutes away. So, now they are available year round rather than ust in the rainy season (which we are still waiting for). The following is not the one down the road from me but obviously had the same speedy success.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2009/05/20/us-portugal-snails-idUSTRE54J2N320090520

... and here's how to 'do it yourself'' ...

http://www.ehow.com/how_2320122_boil-snails.html

Enjoy!

 

Because rosemary goes well with roastie potatoes, parsnips, marrow, even onions, in home made bread, etc.


I've found 2 types of rosemary, one with light blue flowers and this one with darker blue flowers (pic taken on Minehead sea front on 24th November 2011):