Crones Corner
Incense, Oils, Herbs & Brews

Welcome to the Crone's Corner.  This page is dedicated to the Crone's art of herbalism.  Recipes may be either healing or magikal in nature.  However, none of the recipes are to be taken as a prescription or used in the place of proper medical treatment.  If you have a favorite recipe or are looking for one,  email me. _________________________________________________________________
 High summer, yet it's time to start thinking about all those herbal preparations you'll want and need this winter.  Plants need to be plucked and preserved at their full bloom and potency for the best results.  If you've used no pesticides or chemicals on your garden, you don't even have to wash them before beginning the preserving processess.

For flowers especially, dawn is the best time to pick them as it will ensure that none of the essential oils are lost to the warmth of the day.  After picking, tie off the flowers in bunches with either a paper sack, nylon net, or old panty hose over the blooms.  Hang blossom end down in a cool, dry, dark place.  When they are dried out completely, separate the petals from the stems and place into sealed glass jars.

For herbs, pluck leaves at dawn and place flat between two old window screens or frames stretched with nylon net.  Again, place in a cool, dry place until completely dried and store in sealed glass jars.

Not letting your plants or blossoms dry out completely will lead to must or mold in the jars.

Roots used in herbal preparations can be harvested either during the thinning process over the summer or at the end of the season.


One prepartion that is wonderful to make for yourself at this time of year is attar of roses.  The preparation method follows.  It takes a lot of time and patience, but that is why it has always been such a costly thing.
Attar of Roses
Pluck rose petals as the rose reaches full bloom.  Fill a glass jar half full of pure water.  Add one tablespoon very fine sand.  Pack the jar loosely with the rose petals, until water reaches the 2/3 level.  Stir the water/petal/sand mixture lightly with either a glass rod or clean wooden stick until the petals are slightly bruised.
Seal the jar with either its' glass stopper or cover with a glass/ceramic plate.  Place jar in sun for a few hours.  Uncover jar and check to see if there are tiny droplets fo a yellowish oil floating on the surface fo the water.  Use a cotton swab to sponge up these droplets of oil and squeeze it out into a dark, glass stoppered vial.
You may bruise the petals twice over if you wish, but the first press is the best.  Empty your main jar and begin again.

It may take all summer to fill your oil vial, but attar of roses is the most powerful concentrate of rose there is, so you'll only use one or two drops in most recipes.


 
 

                 Katya Kuchner
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