rosemary excess

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rosemary excess

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n

Joined: 07 Jun 2005
Posts: 211
Location: Lothian

Posted: Tue Dec 27, 05 1:58 pm Post subject: rosemary excess
I have a rosemary bush which started off about 6 inches high ten years ago and is now 4 feet high and about eight feet wide. I think it needs a prune, and there is only so much rosemary a girl can use. Has any one got any ideas what I can use it for? Wine? Jelly? Chicken feed? Cuttings (again only so many I can get rid of)? n

Lozzie

Joined: 25 May 2005
Posts: 2595

Posted: Tue Dec 27, 05 2:30 pm Post subject:

Traditionally, a vigorous Rosemary bush is a clear indicator of a household where the woman is firmly in charge.

Dried and crumbled it takes up a lot less space, of course ...

Stripped twigs, soaked in water, are fantastic for using instead of kebab skewers

Run a bath and then pour half a kettle-full of boiling water over some rosemary branches to give a jolly nice smell. Likewise when chucked don the barbeque (though maybe NOT in this weather!), used in a smoker, or gifted to someone with an open fire. Lovely smell.

I am pretty sure it is quite simple to take cuttings from, with the help of a wee bit of rooting powder, in a cold frame - might make nice gifts

fenwoman

Joined: 12 Dec 2005
Posts: 509
Location: Tydd St giles

Posted: Tue Dec 27, 05 2:38 pm Post subject:

you cannot use it in chicken feed, it is toxic to most animals. Make pot pourri bags and stick in yer sock drawers. Place sprigs in vases in your home. you can scatter sprigs in animal bedding to make it smell nice, and give cuttings away or sell them on ebay. You can make infusions from it and hair shampoo or conditioners. Here are some recipes I found in one of my books:
Rosemary skin tonic with brandy.
3 tablespoons dried rosemary
1 pint hot water
4 teaspoons brandy
Put the rosemary into the water, cover and allow to simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and leave to infuse for one hour. Strain and add the brandy to the infusion. Bottle and shake well. Label.
This stimulating tonic has a delightful aromatic and herby fragrance. It is a super complexion booster and may be used on all skin types. (I assume you apply it, not drink it)
Rosemary and mint mouthwash
2 teasp rosemary
2 teasp mint
1 pint boiling water
1 teasp tincture of myrrh
place the herbs nd boiling water in a pan, cover and leave to infuse for 10 minutes. Strain. When cpmpletely cool add the myrrh. Bottle shake and label.
Honey lip salve
6 teasp clear honey
4 droips of rosemary water.
Blend ingredients together. Pot up and label. Apply to chapped lips at bedtime.
Protein enriched rosemary shampoo for dark hair
4 tablesp dried rosemary
3 pints boiling water
6 tablespoons castile soap (shredded)
1 tablesp borax
2 eggs
Put the rosemary in boiling water,stir,cover and allow to infus4 for 2 hours.
Strain and add the soap.Place on a low heat and whisk continuouosly until all traces of solid soap have disappeared.Remove from the heaty and blend in the borax.When completely cold, fold in the egg and whisk until the mixture thickens. Bottle and leave to stand for 24 hours. Always shake the bottle gently before use.
Rosemary is believed to renew and strengthen the hair and keep the scalp free of dandruff.
Rosemary and sage hair rinse for dark hair
2 tablespoons dried rosemary
2 tablesp dreid sage
2 pints boiling water
1/4 pint cider vinegar
Boil the herbs in the water, cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to steep for 2 hours. Strain, add the vinegar, bottle and label. Do not add the liquid to the final rinse water but pour directly over the hair/ Repeat several times allowing the hair nd scalp to absorb the rinse completely. Towel then dry.

I have several more along this vein using all kinds of herbs and making all jkinds of natural beauty things. Feel free to ask for recipes if you have the ingredients, shame to waste them.
Years ago my garden was overgrown with horsetails and I used to harvest them to make a hair rinse. I can honesatly say I never had better looking, shiny or thick hair. If only I had some growing here I would make it again.

Rï¿½isï¿½n

Joined: 30 Jul 2005
Posts: 578

Posted: Tue Dec 27, 05 2:40 pm Post subject:
You can freeze chopped fresh rosemary into icecube trays with a little water to keep it fresh. You can make Nigella's wondrously delicious rosemary loaf cake in How To Be a Domestic Goddess - very scrumptious. You could put bunches of it around the house in vases like flowers/ with flowers, to scent the rooms. All things that I do.

fenwoman

Joined: 12 Dec 2005
Posts: 509
Location: Tydd St giles

Posted: Tue Dec 27, 05 2:42 pm Post subject:
One word of warning which I remembered. Do not take rosemary in any form if you are pregnant as it can cause miscarriage.

Treacodactyl
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 25795
Location: Jumping on the bandwagon of opportunism

Posted: Tue Dec 27, 05 5:11 pm Post subject:

We grow quite a few rosmary bushes in the garden as it thrives on our chalky soil and provides a good amount of evergreen winter colour plus early flowers for bees and fresh herbs whenever we need them, even in the depths of winter.

If you're going to give it a good prune I'd take foot long cuttings and stick them in the garden if you have a spare patch that doesn't get waterlogged. Some should take.

n

Joined: 07 Jun 2005
Posts: 211
Location: Lothian

Posted: Tue Dec 27, 05 5:13 pm Post subject:

Ooooh, lots of ideas here, OH gave me a big grin when I said it was a sign that I was in charge!
I like the idea of putting it in with my socks, and i have the domestic goddess on loan from a friend, so that's a possibility too. I'll put some under the shredded newspaper in the eglu nestbox, and investigate the lipsalve too, I think.
Thank you all for the ideas.
I feel some cuttings coming upon me too, might be able to put some on the trade/barter section eventually.

n

sally_in_wales
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 06 Mar 2005
Posts: 20809
Location: sunny wales

Posted: Tue Dec 27, 05 5:18 pm Post subject:
I'm not sure about that lipsalve, its a lot of honey and 4 drops of water isnt going to alter it much. May I suggest making an infused rosemary oil, then adding a bit of beeswax to make a multi purpose salve/balm that would be great smoothed onto hands under gardening gloves, or slathered on feet, then socks and bed for new feet in the morning. Rosemary oil makes a good muscle rub too.

katie

Joined: 13 Dec 2004
Posts: 713
Location: midlands

Posted: Tue Dec 27, 05 5:20 pm Post subject:
If you can wait till June to take cuttings, you can root them in water like you do mint - the easy way!

wishus

Joined: 24 Oct 2005
Posts: 777
Location: Northampton, East Midlands

Posted: Tue Dec 27, 05 5:31 pm Post subject:

sally_in_wales wrote:

Rosemary oil makes a good muscle rub too.

... and it's great if you know anyone who is revising, as rosemary helps you to focus.

Bugs

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 10744

Posted: Tue Dec 27, 05 5:35 pm Post subject:

Lozzie wrote:

Traditionally, a vigorous Rosemary bush is a clear indicator of a household where the woman is firmly in charge.

Treacodactyl wrote:

We grow quite a few rosmary bushes in the garden as it thrives

I'm sayin' nuffink! You can see off a generous sprig or two in this recipe . I think it was also meant to be good for the scalp, I think you can infuse an unscented shampoo with it in a sunny place and if nothing else it will smell like Radox

n

Joined: 07 Jun 2005
Posts: 211
Location: Lothian

Posted: Tue Dec 27, 05 5:51 pm Post subject:
wishus, my elder son is revising for his Highers, so perhaps I'll slip some under his pillow or put some on his desk. Anything which helps take the stress out of exams has to be worth a try. n

sally_in_wales
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 06 Mar 2005
Posts: 20809
Location: sunny wales

Posted: Tue Dec 27, 05 6:14 pm Post subject:
I'd forgotton about that, I drank gallons of rosemary 'tea' when doing my degree. Really lovely light soothing tisane. Highly recommended

cab

Joined: 01 Nov 2004
Posts: 32429

Posted: Tue Dec 27, 05 10:39 pm Post subject:
Rosemary jelly (apple jelly preserve, flavoured with rosemary) is divine, either spread straight onto toast or eaten with meat. I like it with duck and goose.

wishus

Joined: 24 Oct 2005
Posts: 777
Location: Northampton, East Midlands

Posted: Thu Dec 29, 05 2:18 pm Post subject:

n wrote:

wishus, my elder son is revising for his Highers, so perhaps I'll slip some under his pillow or put some on his desk. Anything which helps take the stress out of exams has to be worth a try.

n

I'm thinking I should get some again as I'm in the middle of writing my essay plan for my Shakespeare module (and getting horribly distracted... I noticed there was an Eddie Izzard cabaret on Radio2 listen again, so I decided to erm, take a break).

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