05/02/2021
Monarda
This lovely native wildflower is known by several names: bee balm because it’s a favorite of bees; Oswego tea because it was used by the Iroquois; and bergamot because it smells faintly of bergamot orange, the famous scent in Earl Grey tea.
Monarda is named after Nicolas Monardes (1493-1588), the Spanish physician and botanist who, in 1577, wrote one of the very first books on North American plants. Bee balm was one of the hundreds of species shipped back to Spain and planted in Monardes’s gardens. Though Dr. Monardes never visited the Americas, he had a keen interest in the plants of the New World and was especially fond of his namesake, Monardes fistulosa.
Long before Dr. Monardes studies its uses in his gardens, native people had been using this healing herb for a variety of purposes. Because of the high content of the antiseptic thymol and its astringent healing properties, Monarda was commonly used for cleaning and healing wounds.
Bee Balm Oxymel 💚
An oxymel is an old-fashioned concoction of herbs, honey, and vinegar made popular by Hippocrates, known as the “father of modern medicine.” These preparations are still popular and in use today.
🍃⅓ cup fresh bee balm, leaves and flowers, chopped coarsely
🍃⅓ cup honey (raw and unpasteurized preferred)
🍃⅓ cup apple cider vinegar (raw and unpasteurized preferred)
Place herbs in a wide-mouth pint jar.
In a heavy-bottom pan, warm honey. Remove from heat and stir in the vinegar, mixing well. Pour the mixture over the herbs. If herbs are not covered completely, add a little more honey and vinegar so that they are covered.
Place a lid on the jar. Set it in a sunny spot in the kitchen and let sit 3-4 weeks, shaking daily.
Strain, discard herbs, and rebottle. Stored in a cool pantry or refrigerator, your oxymel will last for several weeks or longer.
Enjoy!
In the green,
Rosemary 🌷