Below, you will find my favorite resources and personalities -- people that help me on my continuing journey. Each bold title and book name is a link you can click on.
If you have any questions or want to share, please feel free to post a comment or email me!
Enjoy!
Great Starter Books:
Start with a few key resources -- don't end up buying 10 when 1 well organized work would be far better for your wallet and your space.
Rosemary Gladstar's Herbal Recipes for Vibrant Health - "For the Heart & Hands"
This book has all the "heart" as well as some science and philosophy. It's the practical one -- how exactly do I mix all this stuff together, shop for herbs, and what can I make besides tea? I admire Rosemary's deep spirit, commitment to preserving endangered herb species, and lifelong experience in the herbalist community.
This book has it ALL. I bought mine at a local coop, The Common Market in Frederick.
Mark Pederson's Nutritional Herbology: A Reference Guide - "For the Brain"
You don't have to buy this one in particular, but I would stress the importance of buying a book to complement Rosemary's -- find one that's highly rated and tells you the following:
1) Nutritional breakdown of common medicinal herbs
2) Results of scientific studies -- I like Pederson because he differentiates folk uses, possible effects, and scientifically verified effects
Euell Gibbons' Stalking the Healthful Herbs - "For the Soul"
This book is a perfect "bathroom book" or "bedside book" -- it's in short chapters focused on one plant at a time. The stories are captivating, quaint, and heartwarming while delivering a dose of nutritional data and forage know-how. I read this book and the original Stalking the Wild Asparagus all the time and feel like Euell Gibbons is a familiar friend. Euell was a lifelong wild-food enthusiast who dedicated his life to many things, one of them being finding, studying, and writing about edible wild plants of our very own U.S. of A -- shockingly nutritious plants that grow at our very doorsteps and roadsides which we call "weeds" and try vigorously to kill or avoid. While you DEFINITELY need to be most careful before eating a wild plant, just reading this book is a feast for the soul.
A Note on the "Science vs. Tradition" Debate:
As all good herbalists say, good practice includes BOTH empiricial science AND folk wisdom, allopathic (modern) medicine for intense conditions/emergencies AND folk (traditional) medicine for everyday maintenance. They are not in separate worlds.
As we progress in scientific research, more and more "folksy" remedies are being hailed now as "super foods" and "miracle cures" -- two examples are acupuncture and turmeric. I feel excited for solid research results of the future.
General Resource:
I have found that LIVESTRONG.org offers useful, concise, and easy-to-understand summaries of books & scientific studies on herbs. However, be sure to check out their list of sources at the end of each article, and use your brain -- it's not the end all be all, but it is a handy online reference guide. Here's a sample article on licorice (which, you will read in Rosemary's book, is not for people with high blood pressure due to water retention). And here's another shorter one on rose hips.
Making Bitters/Alcohol Infusions:
Jamie Boudreau's How to Make Bitters (bless his heart)
This is hands down the best and most "oops-friendly" way to make bitters. You infuse all herbs separately in glass containers, then mix & match to your heart's content. Added too much dandelion root? No problem! Since you didn't mix everything into one jar in the beginning, you can easily just add more of the other ingredients to balance it out again. Trial and error!
I go to Jamie for most of my quirky bitters/cocktail needs -- for example, when you feel up to it, try your hand at his Cubed Old Fashioned. He is a guru with humor and humility to boot -- check out his new Seattle bar, Canon, if you're lucky enough to live or visit there! (On my bucket list)
Drink Dogma - How to Make Bitters
Once you've begun your quest to create the perfecto bitters (see above link), you'll have to shop for bulk ingredients! But what to pick? This website takes you through all the most popular ingredients and explains the taste of each. It also offers some examples of herb & spice combinations. Great site!
Art of Drink - Bitters Recipes
A brief but excellent archive of historical and popular bitters recipes -- from Angostura to Swiss Alpine. It has some more exotic ingredients, but nothing you can't find online, if not at a local store that sells bulk herbs.
Where to Buy Bulk Bottles/Containers for Cheap:
Once you start, you just can't stop. Especially if you're an old-timey bottle fiend like me.
How to avoid becoming an overly enthusiastic hoarder...
DON'T: buy bottles at high prices one by one, if you plan to use many.
DO: Use awesome suppliers like Specialty Bottles, where you can get things for 75 cents!
DON'T: Buy impulsively just because Specialty Bottles is so cheap and tantalizing
DO: Plan out what you're going to do with each bottle, so you have a "grocery list" ahead of time. Buy in large quantities so the shipping cost is worth it -- for example, if you're going to pay $15 in shipping, you probably want to add a few more small bottles. The shipping won't be (much) more, but you can get those extra little things you know you'll use later.
A Final Note: Remember that all good things come with time, patience is a virtue, and time flies when you're having fun! Being versed in herbal lore, medicine, and bitters blending comes with experience. Since it's my hobby, I do most of my learning by flipping through this book and that book during my off time, after dinner, or weekend mornings in bed. Just like it takes time to acquaint yourself with a person, it'll take you time to start remembering the names and uses of herbs like elecampane, dong quai, and senna. Before you know it, though, they'll seem like old friends.
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