Happy Thursday all. Hope you are all well and safe.
Cold frosty morning here - with thoughts of getting warmer today! At least the sun is shining this morning.
We all have so many options on this earth we can use for food or in foodstuffs. Nature provides us with most all we NEED! Notice I said need - not want.
Plants of all sorts - many of which most of us call weeds are good for food and medicinal needs. Foraging is a great way to find these items. I look towards my own yard often - as I know I use no chemicals on anything. That is important to know. If you live near a woods - you have a huge 'grow'cery store at your fingertips.
Today I will talk about things that are springing forth as we speak! It is spring and certain things show up then. Dandelions, wild violets, and soon clover - then peonies will be blossoming in a couple months!
There are so many things we can use - I will add posts about different items in coming weeks.
DANDELION JELLY
Click on recipe to enlarge for easy reading.
Click on recipe to enlarge
I have made this and it is sort of a honey taste. Very good. It doesn't look pretty at first (as you are preparing water) - the lemon juice makes all the difference in appearance!
Wild violet jelly is also quite tasty and it is pretty too once it is completed.
These specialty springtime jellies are very expensive if purchased at a specialty shop! You can have it for the price of sugar, basically!
I have also made peony petal jelly. It is sweet and a bit tart and a little flowery tasting. Makes a great appetizer type jelly.
As you start getting the liquid made to make it - it looks ugly and doesn't smell nice either! Just fair warning. That all changes - trust me. Tasty, tasty!
You can use clover as well for a honey tasting jelly. I need to look up my recipe for that one.
Many weeds (what we call them), flowers, seeds, fungi and roots can be used for all kinds of things. There are some people that basically live off nature. Animals are provided on the earth, fish, fruit, veggies, roots, herbs, you name it. It is all here for us to use. Sure, you do need to do a little research when it comes to plants and such - that it is safe for YOU - but there is so much to naturally choose from.
Hopefully I can add some ideas to all in the future posts.
I hope you have a lovely day and a reflective holiday week.
SMILES
And God said, "Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed which is upon the face of the all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit; you shall have them as food. And to every beast of the earth, and to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has breath of life, I have given every green plant as food." And it is so.
Genesis 1:29-30
Wonderful post! I love the recipes. I still have my peony jelly, it's just too pretty to use.
ReplyDeleteI know you have pink peony's but mine are white. I wonder what color I would get? I have a red bud tree and have thought about making jelly with the flowers. I don't have enough dandelions in my yard for jelly. Husband is not a fan of them.
Thank you for today's scripture.
LOL - you are supposed to eat it! It is pretty though.
DeleteI have white peonies for the most part (what I used) only one pink one. You will get pink after adding the lemon juice.
Yes, I have never made that and have heard it is good. Hmmm - I could ask the neighbor across the street for flowers from redbud. I used to have on years ago.
Have fun with it - there are just so many fun things we can use and enjoy. You are welcome!
The Father was the first grow-cer! He has indeed given us all we need. I'm sure it grieves Him that man has taken what is good and natural and turned it into something full of chemicals that is not healthy for the temple.
ReplyDeleteHad not heard of peony jelly. I have had dandelion wine. The Farmer's mother used to go to the woods and gather wild greens. The chickens and the dogs both like dandelions. The chickens eat the greens and the dogs eat the roots.
It certainly is a beautiful sunny day! A bit chilly but it will warm up. I am looking at the climbing rose outside my office window and it has leafed out beautifully. Enjoy your day! See you Sunday!
Yes mam - He sure had the perfect plan. Gave us all we needed and then we just keep messing things up.
DeleteMy dad made some dandelion wine as a hobby back in the day. I tried it and it was the best wine I had every had!
Sounds like the chickens and the dogs are smarter than a lot of us people!
It is bright and sunny - a good day.
Love what nature provides. I don't spray my Rose's and often make rose petal jam. I'm looking to get a couple of Rosa rugosa rose bushes as the rose hips in the fall are very large and make wonderful rose hip tea and jelly, both full of vitamin C.
ReplyDeleteOooohhh how wonderful! Rose petal jam and rose hip tea sound great! More great ideas - nature takes care of us and it basically only costs us a little time.
DeleteThese are all great reminders that God does indeed give us everything we need. My backyard is filled with yellow, white and purple this time of year and I love it. It feels more like a cottage yard than a typical American neighborhood.
ReplyDeleteThank you. Sounds beautiful - and that is my favorite look as well. I embrace the dandelions and the violets they are just wonderful and then the sweet smell of clover.
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ReplyDeleteBUT many can. Sure there are areas where people can't - but many areas where you can. People in apartments aren't stuck in their apartments 24/7 - they can go to woods and such. I am not saying we have to eat 100% from the earth - but there are options for those with an open mind.
DeleteMany of us like trying new things and learning what we can do differently.
never mind
DeleteSpring will see me out picking dandelion flowers to make salve. I don't eat said plants, but I think I might try a salad from the leaves this spring.
ReplyDeleteI am also looking for plantains to make a salve as well.
God bless.
Love this - and yet another option to using the plants. It is just lovely to me how industrious you gals are. So many uses!!!
DeleteThanks for the reminders Cheryl, rose petal jam/ jelly is always something to look forward to.
ReplyDeleteI’m afraid no dandelion would be game to show its face in any lawn of mine. My partner would mow it down lickity split. However there are plenty growing around here so I could definitely source some, I will save the recipe and give it a go.
Spring cleaning continues here ( oh the dust!!!) and hopefully over Easter some yard work will be done. My son has secured a weekend job along with his regular weekday one and my yard is already noticeably untidier now that he doesn’t have the time to do it.
Just off topic, I was speaking to a girl my eldest son went to school with at the store. She would like to get into creating a pantry/ store but has very limited room available to achieve this. I wonder if maybe a post about how you started, your tips on storage, and the like, might be beneficial for those just starting or who would like to start….. just a thought.
Have a lovely weekend, thank you for being you. Louise
Just so many ideas for all our plants. I have never had rose petal jelly - I need to try that.
DeleteI mow mine - but they are back in a day or so - those things grow like "weeds"!! LOL
Sure, I will try to do that very soon. I sometimes forget that we all started at zero at some point. It probably would be a good thing for people just starting out. Thanks for the idea.
Thank you and you have a nice one as well. SMILES!!!!
I drink commercial dandelion root tea, very earthy flavor. I'm interested in using dandelions this summer. My mom would always say, try it and see. I had my fill of picking wild saskatoons, cultivated raspberries & rhubarb in my youth but now feel fortunate that those fruits/veg are available for the taking. Organic & nutritious.
ReplyDeleteI did not know you could get it commercially. How cool. I would try it for sure.
DeleteI love trying new things - some are a hit and some not so much - but you never know. Nature is incredible.
It's just fascinating what nature can provide for us to use. I was reading last year about chaga mushrooms that grow in trees, and then I saw some growing in a couple of the trees here. I had no idea we had anything like that here. Just fascinating. I've been eyeing all the dandelions here too this week.
ReplyDeleteThere is just so much available in our yards and in the woods. It is now time for morel mushrooms here. I have family that go out hunting every year for them. They eat and freeze so many. They taste wonderful and are free for the picking.
DeleteNeat that you have found a source for mushrooms as well. I would sure try them.
Dry land Fishing is what they call hunting mushrooms where my husband is from. I have yet to do any because I need to research it more and make sure I don't kill anyone.
ReplyDeleteI've seen pictures of dandelion jelly and it looks so bright and pretty. I bet it's delicious!
Happy Easter Cheryl.
I have never heard that phrase before. Yes, you need to know the mushrooms in your area to be sure.
DeleteIt tastes like honey - it is very good.
Thank you!!!