Carolyn Amyotte

The following information is shared in the spirit of promoting personal health and well-being.  It goes without saying you should always do your own research and consult with your health care practitioner for any health concerns you may have.

I first became interested in home health and beauty remedies years ago when I was reading the ingredients of a popular medicated cream.  I realized that the main ingredient in it was from a common ‘weed’ that was growing right outside my kitchen!  My interest grew as I experimented with gardening, harvesting and making foods and remedies to keep myself and my family healthy.  Many of the things that I consider essential for my pantry I also consider essential for my medicine cabinet and make up bag.  The remedies are effective, inexpensive, fun and sometimes downright delicious!  Let’s start with one of the most common home remedy ingredients: Vinegar.

Wine, Rice, Balsamic, White, Apple Cider… Vinegar comes in many varieties.  I have several in my cupboards and use them frequently for cleaning, cooking, pickling and health and cosmetic purposes.   

Tickle in your throat? Try gargling with apple cider vinegar.  You can always dilute it with water and/or honey especially for children because… well its vinegar!  I have even used white vinegar to effectively deal with a sore throat.  Adding vinegar to your diet is a great way to promote good health as it inhibits bacteria growth in food and helps extract vitamins and minerals for easier absorption.  There are lots of recipes for making herbal and fruit vinegars, which can then be used as dressings, marinades or for hair and body care.  

I recently took a sterilized mason jar filled it with sprigs of last summer’s dried lavender then covered it with apple cider vinegar, placed 2 squares of wax paper over the mouth (vinegar will corrode the metal), screwed on the lid and put it in the pantry.  For next month I will occasionally check up on it and give it a shake.  Then I will strain and store in a plastic bottle to be used as a hair rinse.  Massage a splash full strength into your scalp prior to shampooing to help combat oil and flakes.  Used half diluted with water after shampooing/conditioning to remove residue and promote smooth and shiny hair.  Plain apple cider vinegar works the same, but lavender adds a bit of fancy!  It is so effective and much cheaper than many hair care products.  Going south for a vacation? Use vinegar to rinse your hair and body after swimming in the sea to remove the salt and it’s drying effects.  

You can use apple cider vinegar either full strength or diluted as a softening skin toner, to combat body odour, to sooth a rash, sunburn or to help heal a blemish or insect sting.  I know I have only scratched the surface of vinegar’s many uses and I haven’t even mentioned household cleaning!  

Probably the simplest way to enjoy the benefits of vinegar is to make your own dressing using whatever kind of vinegar you prefer, drizzle over your favourite fresh veggies and dig in.  Here’s my favourite.

Wild Blackberry Vinaigrette

1/8C Extra Virgin Olive Oil 

1/2C Apple Cider Vinegar (Rice or Red Wine works too)

5oz Homemade Blackberry (or Raspberry) Jam

Blend all ingredients until smooth and store in the fridge.

There are many benefits to living in cottage country and one of the best is to be able to harvest a variety of wild edible plants that grow here.  One of my favourites is the wild Leek (Allium Tricoccum) that appears in the early spring.  The French name is L’Ail du Bois- Garlic of the Woods and it is also known as Ramps in the United States.  In fact many American communities throughout the Appalachian states host wild ramp festivals in celebration of this fabulous plant.  The wild Leek is valued for its amazing flavour and is a great addition to soups, stews and sauces.  

Once the snow has melted and red trilliums are blooming in the woods, you can find Leeks growing in clumps amongst hardwood trees like maple and beech along with other early spring flowers like trout lilies, spring beauties and dutchman’s breeches.  The ‘brightest green in the bush’, leeks are easy to spot and smell!  Unlike the cultivated leeks that you find in grocery stores, wild leeks are small like green onions (or scallions) and they have a very pungent, garlic-like aroma.  

If you would like to harvest wild Leeks it is important to know a few things.  First, make sure that you know who owns the land, and that you have properly identified them.  Leeks may be harvested from public lands (not parks) but it is important to be considerate and responsible.   When in doubt, find out!  

Leeks are slow to grow, with an average life cycle of 7 years, so pick sparingly.  I am fortunate to have permission from a couple of friends, who have huge patches of wild leeks growing on their properties.    Still, I never harvest from the first few patches that I come across and I never take more than 2 or 3 clumps from a patch, ensuring they will continue to grow and spread.  Besides, digging them up is a real work-out as they have an extensive and tenacious root system!  Cleaning them is also labour-intensive.  My method for cleaning Leeks is to give them a good hosing outside, following by snipping off the tops and bottoms, then another rinse in the kitchen sink, more peeling and trimming if required, and putting all the trimmings into the compost pile.

You may be surprised at how little you end up with after all the cleaning, but where Leeks lack in size, they more than make up for in flavour!  Once the cleaning is done, I love to treat myself by sautéing a few Leeks in the frying pan with a little butter and salt- Yum!  I used to make a big pot of Potato-Leek soup each spring, but what I end up doing now is freezing the Leeks in a Ziploc bag so I can use them throughout the year.  Leeks can be added to almost any recipe that calls for garlic or onion.  In fact I just used up my remaining Leeks from last year’s harvest in a recent batch of spaghetti sauce.  

With spring on its way, it won’t be long before I will be able to re-stock my wild leek supply.  There is a wealth of information available on-line about wild Leeks and many other edible wild plants, so be sure to do your research before venturing out.  On the first sunny, warm day in the spring right before the black flies start to bite, look for me in the woods.  Chances are you will find me on my hands and knees… covered in dirt and grazing in a bright green patch of leeks!