This week for the discussion circle, we're going to do something a little different. This is especially for those of you heading into winter and spending less time in your gardens, but may fancy a herbal project that can nourish and support you through the winter months.
We're going to make an oxymel!
An oxymel, to put it simply, is a herbal extract made out of raw honey and apple cider vinegar, both of which have benefits just on their own! They are used to extract the supportive benefits of herbs. The most famous oxymel you may have heard of is fire cider, popularised by Rosemary Gladstar.
You'll have to do more research to find out exactly HOW to make an oxymel, as discovery is half the joy! You'll find some information here to get you started. However, the general rule of thumb is one part herbs to three parts of vinegar and honey. Feel free to taste - if it's too sweet for you, add more honey, and vice verse. It's a very forgiving way to make medicine and you can play around with it to match your needs.
Now, what can you make an oxymel with?
That's up to you! Here's a few questions to ask yourself first:
- Are you making it for a specific need, like sleep or immunity? If so, what herbs would suit here? What would go well together?
- Are you making it for a nourishing, yummy salad dressing? If so, what tastes darn good together?
For this challenge, we'll be going for two weeks, to give you time to make a post.
We'd love to know all or some of the answers to the following questions:
- What was your thinking behind this recipe?
- What did you discover?
- Did you buy the herbs or cultivate them yourself?
- What benefits do they have (sources please)?
- What is your relationship with these herbs?
- How did you find the TASTE?
- What problems did you run across?
- Have you made oxymels before?
The Prizes
Don't forget to spread the word by reblogging and sharing this post, and engaging with others. The more that join in and post in the community, the higher your chances are of winning HIVE!
50 HIVE (if over 20 posts)
25 HIVE (if over 10 posts)
10 HIVE (if over 5 posts)
5 HIVE (if under 5 posts)
We reserve the right to not award prizes at all, if the quality is low. However, we haven't found this so far - you guys are awesome!
Congratulations to @parauri who wins a small beneficiary on this post for their entries in last week's discussion circle. We appreciate the quality of your discussion!
Really looking forward to next week's posts, herbies of Hive!
As usual, tagging everyone who's expressed interest so you don't miss this week! If anyone would like to sponsor, let me know in the comments.
@senorcoconut, @edprivat, @deepresearch, @parauri, @gentleshaid, @trucklife-family, @fermentedphil, @mamrita, @buckaroobaby, @kyleana, @opidia, @didivelikova, @jonyoudyer, @alexanderfarm, @stellify, @amy-goodrich, @ninasophia, @blackberryskunk, @auelitairene, @foxfireorchards, @riverflows, @medikatie, @mamrita, @artemislives, @binkyprod, @rubido, @clareartista, @tere.alv, @nellyhope, @trucklife-family, @riverflows, @yangyanje, @qwerrie.
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Images in header photo sourced from The Herbal Academy.
Oh thank you so much @theherbalhive for the privilege for me to receive a special benefit from this publication. I am most excited to comment on my participation and with sincere humility I express my gratitude to you.
About preparing an oxymel, I must admit that this is the first time I read about this word. But it is never too late to learn. My relationship with vinegar is not good, in fact I don't use at home because of health issues, but maybe something can be done in honor of creativity. Experimenting with substitutes to see what comes out, maybe it is valid. I do not assure anything that happens 😉
Here my virtual hug ♥
Thank you for this challenge!! Thank you for the mention! @theherbalhive ! I love being informed about a new way of taking herbal medicine! It's exciting because I have lots of herbs, cider vinegar and raw honey from a local dealer... Was thinking that I'll have to organise my own wine vinegar at least.... But might look into how to make raw apple cider vinegar too... Excited to learn more, together!
Blessings, All!
this looks intresting to me - especially since honey and ginger are two of my forever fave ingredients. sadly, I should note that vinegar is not my wife's fave (quite vice versa!) so it is almost put under a ban at our household, haha! so, its almost no chances I will give a test to this recipe. but I appreciate educating me a lot. (I didnt even know the word 'oxymel' itself 😏 )
!PIZZA
I just found this, @qwerrie : https://www.wikihow.com/Make-Apple-Cider-Vinegar and am going to try it - I thought you might appreciate the link, as I too don't like vinegar normally - but making it ourself might allow us to control the flavour?
YEAH!! Thanks for the link @clareartista! And thanks for the interest that got her to share it @qwerrie. I've been threatening to make my own ACV for ever.
YES!! :-D Let's all keep each other accountable! Or maybe the next @theherbalhive Challenge will be making our own vinegars :-D I had joined a fermenting group on Mewe last year, but then it disappeared, but I'm super keen to learn much more about fermenting, and bacteria-related foods, hehe!
I think making our own ferments should be a new years challenge - how about that?
Fabulous, @theherbalhive !! I'd be very glad of some company on my fermenting journey! From what little I know about it, it's a vast world of rewilding our internal flora!
I've just been checking what vinegars I have, for the current challenge, as I rearrange my whole kitchen after putting in a new stove - heaven!
Before I deleted all things FB I was on a couple fabulous fermenting groups. Very inspiring. Sometimes my kombucha tastes more like vinegar but I have since realized I have too many competing ferments (and therefor wild yeasts) in a small area. Kvass. Either my goats milk yoghurt or cheese. Kimchi. Dehydrating fruits....
O wow - I look very much forward to learning together: I've wanted to use home ferments and proteins but it's kind of hard to figure out where to begin - but the challenge here might be perfect, as I want to begin by making a vinegar :-D Gosh, yes, yoghurts too will be exciting: I used to make my own, and here we recently got access to organic cow milk, which helps - I'm missing Greek yoghurt and wanted to make my own - thanks again for the inspiration, @buckaroobaby !!
View or trade
BEER.Hey @clareartista, here is a little bit of
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Awww, yummy - thanks @beerlover and @qwerrie !! I love beer and miss Scottish beer!
indeed, it may work.. but my wife simply doesn't tolerate vinegar (the smell is a big part of the problem, she has idiosyncrazy to a long list of smells, even the slightest and harmless). but more to say, vinegar is in the 1st lines of the list, it has no chances :D ... thats why we dont keep this substance in our household at all. but we have a huge stocks of honey :)
thanks for paying attention, @clareartista. appreciated.
!BEER (it is much more peacefull and harmless substance... isnt it?.. )))))
I also cannot imagine putting vinegar anywhere near my mouth, but I will report back if I'm able to make a softer and sweeter apple cider vinegar, dear @qwerrie ! :-D
let me treat you with a !PIZZA, dear
😘
A mushroom oxymel sounds wonderful,and perhaps you could do it secretly, with honey, and see if she likes that one!
Hi, here is my entry to the challenge, I enjoyed every step of it.
)
https://ecency.com/hive-141827/@didivelikova/herbal-oxymels-for-sweet-dreams
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Always learning ... I didn't know that term. However, years ago I did something like that but with normal vinegar, the apple vinegar is not very visible or is very expensive. Modifications could enter?
Oh yes, of course modifications! Creativity is the name of the game. And yes, making your own ACV could also work!
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PS Just sharing this link, about making our own apple cider vinegar, as part of the base ingredients - for those of us who can't get a good raw vinegar.... https://www.wikihow.com/Make-Apple-Cider-Vinegar @kyleana :-)
Great idea!!! I think I should include 'make your own vinegar' if one can't make an oxymel!
Actually, yes - that might be a great idea, @theherbalhive: I'm already back-tracking on this, with the feeling that for a really good oxymel, I'd want a non-commercial vinegar made from the flora around me :-D What an exciting kitchen adventure this is... Thank you again for the prompting!
Thanks ❤️ I Will do
Haven't even heard of oxymel, thak you so much for the tag @theherbalhive. I will try it since we have all of the ingridients at home. At one point I was having a cup of warm water with honey and apple cider every morning but never tried oxymel. We shall try this and report 😄
@anikad @djamaya are you up to try something new?
Wonderful!
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STOPOH!!! And now I know what an oxymel is. I guess I could've just consulted Dr Google (eye roll). Earlier today I perused my Maria Treben herbie book. And ordered from the one and only "exotic" herb nursery in the entire country. Shepherd's Purse. Lady's Mantle. Mallow. Agrimony. Problem is they come in seed form so I think that will be a teeny bit too long to wait for the post. Maybe I should go foraging in the veld.
'Veld Oxymel' sounds wonderful!
Here's mine @theherbalhive! It was a lot of fun - and stress
https://hive.blog/hive-127788/@buckaroobaby/veld-oxymel-is-that-a-swearword
Good one
Thank you very much for the invitation I will be participating. We have enough time to do something creative. Greetings and good vibes.
I am down for this, just to do the experiment! Nice one!
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https://peakd.com/hive-141827/@clareartista/first-exploration-of-oxymel-making My contribution :-D Looking forward to hearing more stories about our oxymel adventures :-)
Hi! My entry
https://peakd.com/hive-141827/@mike.cupcakes/winter-oxymel
Thanks for the tag in, it was great to have a reason to get stuck in!
My entry https://peakd.com/hive-141827/@chacald.dcymt/cayenne-oxymel-or-my-grandmothers-recipe
Friends of @theherbalhive I know that the time for oxymel entries is over. The truth is that here I tell you in secret, that my health was very affected after a fall, but I'm already a little better and waiting for the results of some medical tests. The truth is that I did not want to stop doing my oxymel, because I appreciate everything I learn from natural medicine and with love I also receive and share with you, regardless of competing for a prize, the greatest prize is that I still have health and life to be here in Hive sharing with my virtual friends.
https://peakd.com/hive-141827/@parauri/just-the-right-oxymel-or-my-ideal-recipe
My virtual hug ♥