handmade soap variedhandmade soap rowshandmade soap tablehandmade natural soap

Handmade Kitchen Lavender Soap

There are many ways you can use lavender in your modern herbal kitchen. Here are a few ways for you to take advantage of the new lavender potpouri of applications.

Lavender - Try it in the Kitchen For a Beautiful Flavor


Lavender was popular among the pre-Christian Greeks and Romans as a scent for baths and soaps. During the Dark Ages when people forgot to wash for about 500 years, lavender moved into obscurity, but Tudor England revived its use in the late Renaissance period. Medicinally, lavender has a soothing effect on the nerves. Bathing in lavender water is said to relieve palsy and hysterics. The water is also used as a gargle for sore throats and hoarseness. One recipe says to add 2 ounces of refined lavender essence to 1 1/2 cups of good brandy. That'll relieve a sore anything! Lavender balm is traditional for sore joints and toothaches, and is used as an antiseptic for wounds. If you make your own tea blends, lavender is a necessity in any combination involving chamomile. In fact, lavender is a very popular mainstay in dozens of herbal tea blends.

The dried leaves and flowers are commonly used in potpourri and sachets. In the kitchen, lavender is an essential ingredient in herbes de Provence, and a teaspoon of finely crushed dried leaves sprinkled on a vegetable stew right at the end is a surprisingly wonderful addition. Try adding crushed dried lavender to your next batch of sugar cookies, or any white cake batter. If you add cloves to anything, a little lavender compliments the flavor. To make delicately colored and scented vinegar, steep a cup or so of fresh or dried lavender flowers in a gallon of white vinegar for a week, shaking daily. At the end of the week, strain the flowers and store in airtight bottles. Add to oil and vinegar salad dressings, or try some on sliced tomatoes.

Growing Lavender Successfully. Flowers form during June and July in spikes at the top of the plant. Flowers must be harvested before they open. Both flowers and leaves are dried in the warm shade, and if they're not dry in a couple of days, pop them briefly in a low oven. If you're starting lavender from seed, it's very prone to "damping off," which means the tiny babies get too moist and mold away. You can help prevent damping off by misting with a weak chamomile tea..

o Lavender likes neutral soil, so add some lime if your soil pH is more than 4. o Mulching is not desirable. That's unusual! Lavender likes warm soil, and mulch keeps it too cool. o Very little fertilizer is needed by lavender. o All lavenders like lots of sun. o Sandy or coarse soils are just fine for lavender. o Lavender is a perennial, but cold winters can kill it. Try piling straw on it in the fall, but don't be disappointed if it doesn't come back. o Munstead lavender is the fastest growing kind. o English lavender is the most common, and most fragrant.
If you're interested in learning more about carefully crafted herbal teas to settle your stomach and calm your nerves, click over to the website at the end of this article and search the Glossary. There, you can read more about the gastronomic delights of many herbs, spices and teas. To view a fabulous, hand-picked herbal tea collection visit the Peaceful Herbal Tea Adventure page..

Want all the benefits and enjoyment of herbal tea, green tea, and black tea without a huge shopping hassle? Take your mind and body on a Tea Adventure and see how far you can go. Each month, the unique delivery program from http://www.10000Seeds.com sends you a new tea in a logical, enjoyable series--except you only order once! No surprises in the mailbox, or on your credit card. No long term commitments. This comfortable pace gives you the freedom to enjoy your tea completely. Explore all your Tea Adventure options today.