Speedwell

A TINY FLOWER – WITH MIGHTY POWER !

According to Maria Treben, The Romans were so convinced of Speedwell’s value: it crept into social prose with friends and aquaintances using the herb in a complimentary capacity:  ‘he had as many good qualities as Speedwell’.

The tiny yet beautiful azure blue flowers can be seen from May to August and are a phenomenal powerhouse that hold the ability to treat a variety of ailments.

Speedwell can be used for these ailments and diseases

  • abscesses
  • acne
  • after itching
  • asthma
  • bladder stone
  • boil
  • bronchitis
  • colds
  • coughs
  • cystitis
  • diarrhoea
  • eczema
  • fatigue
  • gout
  • headache
  • hoarseness
  • indigestion
  • itching
  • liver weakness
  • kidney problem
  • loss of appetite
  • menstrual disorders
  • overweight
  • rheumatism
  • skin problems
  • sore throat
  • stimulating metabolism
  • stomach weakness

Next time you see Speedwell, please think twice before poisoning or purging it from your lawn! 

 

Soon this little power house, which has been infused with my ACV will be added to the Vixen Range.

Holistic Animal Therapies: Apple Cider Vinegar and Oxymels, what you need to know.

Ancient tonic ‘Oxymel’ is not only really fun to make, but it’s a grand and great exploration for any budding herbalist too.

I recently took on a rescue Dog called Rollo, who has recently been Coughing (Suspected  Kennel Cough). 

I prefer to use conventional medicines in extreme circumstances only.. So I took to my bible ‘The Complete Herbal Handbook for farm and stable’ (Julette de Bairacli Levy, 1975) 

In this book, she frequently mentions Honey a healing remedy for dogs.

So, I took to my stove. I poured 2/3rds of Vixen’s Raspberry and Blackcurrant Apple Cider Vinegar, (Already packed with Vitamin C) heated it gently and added 1/3rd of Manuka Honey (Make sure you use a quality, or Local honey, it does not have to be Manuka, but for Viral infections I find it is best). Heat gently without boiling. 

For Rollo I added some fresh Thyme and Rosemary and carried on stirring for 5-10 minutes until the honey had dissolved, after which I strained off the herbs. Bottle and keep in a dark, cool place. This cough tonic will keep for up to a year as honey is a natural preservative as is Apple Cider Vinegar. For Rollo, its only been 24 hours, but he seems to be coughing much less, and appears brighter in his face.

Oxymel –  from the Latin oxymeli meaning ‘acid & honey’ is an ancient Greek drink made from herbs, vinegar and honey. Traditionally an Oxymel recipe would be used to administer beneficial herbs that might not be so pleasant to take on their own. Different herbs can be used for personal taste or to meet your health needs – rosemary is energising, thyme and Oregano would be beneficial for upper respiratory infections and elderflowers help support the immune system. To find out more about Oxymels click here: 

Dr. D. C. Jarvis authored a bestselling book in 1958 called Folk Medicine 

in which he touted honey and apple cider vinegar as a panacea or cure-all.  He used this ancient Oxymel preparation to treat arthritis, gout, high cholesterol, as a metabolic stimulant to promote weight loss, and for longevity and life extension. 

If in doubt, consult a licensed health care professional before embarking on any kind of therapy.

March Blog

The Truth About MOTHER

The Mother in Apple Cider Vinegar is a web of string like strands that contain lots of friendly bacteria.  That naturally occur when fermenting the apples. That cloudy substance contains powerful enzymes, and life boosting minerals, as well as natural Malic acid.  Which fights the nasty toxins in your body.

A lot of supermarket brands out there have pasteurised, and filtered out all the beneficial bacteria in there Apple Cider Vinegar.  And other brands you see claiming they contain MOTHER, usually come from foreign sources, where there is no accounting for the quality of fruit used, or the sprays used on the trees.  So, you may be drinking MOTHER, but probably ingesting all kinds of fertiliser nastiness too.

The mother also contains a wealth of probiotics – the good kind of bacteria! Probiotics strengthen your immune system and can protect against certain illnesses. They improve your digestive health, creating a healthy balance between the good and bad bacteria inside you. Too much bad bacteria in your body can cause intestinal diseases, like celiac or Crohn’s disease. Probiotics found in the mother of apple cider vinegar can help prevent those diseases and keep you healthy.

The mother can also improve heart health and lower cholesterol. It’s often recommended for people with diabetes, as it helps keep blood sugar levels in check and improves insulin sensitivity. 

With my Orchards I never use sprays or other nasties, and I don’t speed up the fermentation process.  I let Mother occur naturally as nature intended. 

February Blog

Snowdrops unfurl in the meadow grasses, and catkins striking gold against the stormy skies.

There is an anxiety attached to February for me… The positives being, more hours in the day, you push yourself harder trying to make the most of that precious light you’ve been missing so much.. And in doing so, you can beat yourself up for all the jobs that may have been neglected over the Winter months.

The light is here! But the reality is, it’s cold. That heat upon our faces just isn’t here yet, and the likelihood is our bodies (And spirits) are probably feeling a little fatigued.

Then I remember my Bay and Nettle Apple Cider Vinegar. The fire is on in the front room, the kettle is on and I pour myself a warm mug of Antioxidant bliss!.

The detoxification of nettle alone, with the warm notes of bay in the background. I sit, I sip, and all is well.

The Romans used to beat themselves with nettles to relieve rheumatic pains, and research is now being carried out into using nettles to relieve arthritis (Finally!)

January – 2021

January Blog 2021

I skipped December 2020s blog not out of laziness, but because I think we can all agree we’re just glad to see the back of it!
So roll on 2021 and show us what you’ve got!

Let’s start things right, whether you want to shift a few Xmas pounds, or fight off infections. Or protect yourself from Viruses, Apple Cider Vinegar can help your immunity and lead to a more holistic way of life.

Health doesn’t have to be an overpriced ordeal. With small changes to our daily routines magical things can happen.

Feel free to get in touch if you need any more information on my different ACV blends, and their uses.

November Blog

To beat the Winter blues, time for a pep up, of all that’s good on this land.

I’ve been tucking into my warm Fire ACV with a slice of ginger which is giving me he boost I need to pick the fruit for next year’s bounty.

Stay positive people… The apples have fallen…..  But Spring isn’t far away, where the cycle starts again.

In the meantime my knew recruit to the gang, who’s settling in nicely.  Meet FRANKiE

As mushrooms start to rise from the dewy grasses. Cider Apples are…

As mushrooms start to rise from the dewy grasses.  Cider Apples are only just starting to fall here at Vixen.

Morning and nights are drawing in, and there’s a distinct chill in the air.

The back breaking starts with a shake of the tree, to the apples then being picked by hand and wheeled off to be squished on a Workman & Sons press dating back to 1890! Not mechanically driven, all powered by brute force and arm strength and the turn of wheel.

The juice is then nurtured up to 4 years naturally, this slow method create lots of lovely Mother which is the gut greatness in this ACV.

I hope you enjoy it as much as me.

Coming Soon…

Watch this space for updates from the orchard. We plan to post news here on a fairly regular basis, and whenever anything happens that we think you might find interesting.

If you have any comments or suggestion about what you’d like to see in our news posts, please feel free to comment on this post, we appreciate your feedback.