Red Clover

When I was a very little girl, I used to walk around the yard and pick red clover. I would sit down, pluck the flower petals one at a time and chew on the ends. I used to think this was where honey came from. I was not too far off. Now I know, honey comes from bees. But I still chew the tiny bits of these flowers. But the only problem is, we barely have any on our property. We mostly have white clover, and the bunny is the happiest one for that. Clover is a great food source for bunnies, and it chokes out a lot of the unwanted things in our yards. It truly is amazing just how much our yard is an apothecary if you know how to look for it all. Right at your fingertips. 

So let's talk a little about red clover. Red clover is high in magnesium and calcium and is a nice additive to any salad. What a great way to get your vitamins for your bones and muscles. Red clover also has some cardiovascular benefits. It is considered a blood purifier. It has been to interfere with the formation of plaque on the arterial walls. 

Harvesting red clover is easy. Just pinch it off just below the first set of leaves. If you can get enough for a salad or cup of tea then you are doing better than I. I only have a small space near my driveway where I have ever found any red clover. 

Red clover extracts best in water. All you need to do is dry out the flowers and top leaves, then fill your jar according to my "tincture" guideline (in the make your own tincture blog) and fill the jar with water, not vodka. It only takes 6-12 hours and you are done. This will keep in the fridge for 2 days. Or try a smaller, quicker batch. Use 3 teaspoons of the dried material per 8 ounces of boiling water. Allow it to steep for about 15 minutes. Drink up to three times a day. The dried herb can stay in airtight jars for a year. 

Keep brewing, keep cooking, and most of all keep healing,

Cheers,

MysTorri

Do your best, even when you don't want to.