Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Hibiscus flowers are absolutely gorgeous in the garden, great for teas, and edible as well. So the same flower
could attract bees to your vegetables, decorate a birthday cake, and simmer in your tea.
Over the Garden Fence
The longer you brew the tea, the more benefits you'll get from the herbs but the stronger the taste will be.
Herbal Vinegars
Vinegar is made from fermented natural sugars, hence the variety of “real” vinegars—white wine,
red wine, apple cider, rice—coming from starchy foods. Even balsamic is made from grapes and
then aged for years. White, distilled vinegar is mostly a lab creation and better suited to house
cleaning and pickling.
Real vinegar will have flavor subtleties and health benefits that the distilled stuff has lost. The
claims include everything from kidney health to blood sugar and blood pressure improvement.
Now, add in herbs and you have a powerhouse of flavor and health.
To make herbed vinegar, simply lay herbs that have been washed and patted dry into a sterilized
jar. One cup of dried herbs combines well with about three cups of vinegar. Pour the vinegar over
it, cover with a nonreactive lid, and let sit in a cool, dark place for a few weeks. Check back to see
how the flavor and aroma are. When it is as strong or subtle as you'd like, strain the herbs off and
