Herbs in the kitchen garden played a vital part to survival from the beginning of time to the end of the renaissance period when the practice began to fade out.

What is an herb you ask? An herb can have soft or woody stems. It can be an annual which means that it dies every fall or it could be a perennial which means that it is a year round plant. One flowering herb, such as the Lavender, that the Monks use the leaves and flowers as a tisane. Different parts of the herb plant would have been used for different purposes such as for cooking, medicine, perfume or as an aid in housekeeping

In medieval life the Mistress of the house held the responsibility for the health of every in her care. Women were taught the uses of medicinal herbs and became skilled in massage and simple first aid by their Mothers and ancestors. Near the kitchen door was located the kitchen garden. Planted here were vegetables for cooking, flowers for the hall and potpourris, and herbs for medicine and cooking. Just inside of the kitchen was a stillroom. Here was where the "medicines" of the day were prepared and herbs for winter usage were stored.

Herbs had important uses in the home. There was no refrigeration to speak of. Some herbs were used for the preserving of meat. Some were used to keep insects such as moths out of the linens, such as lavender. The food of the medieval realm was often bland and borderline spoiling so that seasonings became important to make the food more palatable and edible.

Sanitation was unknown. Floors were strewn with sweet smelling herbs such as rosemary and thyme. During the reign of a monarch, a strewing woman became a figure of importance. Her job was to carry a gilded basket filled with sweet smelling herbs and flowers to be scattered before the path of the monarch on their way to crowned at Westminister Abbey.

During the time of peace, herbs and flowers played an additional role with often hidden meanings. Marjoram meant joy, Rosemary was remembrance, and myrtle meant true love.
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Herbs have been a part of human culture for centuries. The Romans brought herbs to Britain on their campaigns of conquest. They felt that by using herbs in cooking and in medicines that they did not need Doctors. Their herbal knowledge that the Romans boasted about originated with the Egyptians and Greeks. Herbs were channeled in the trade routes from Asia through the Venetian markets to countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea. In exchange, salted meats and salt were obtained. The Monks of the middle Ages started to cultivate herbs. Since the beginning of the Dark ages, herbal usage went by the wayside. In the stillroom as well as the sick rooms, herbs saw a resurgence of use. The more popular of herbs was Basil, Parsley, Mint and Lavender.

The Druids, the Celts, the ancient Egyptians, and many of our ancestral cultures have used the plants around them for their medical properties. It has been noted that the ancient Sumerians, Assyrians, and Greeks knew of the medicinal properties of herbs. It has been written that Alexander the Great made many expeditions into far-off lands for the purpose of gathering herbs from those places and bringing them back to use in local potions and medicinal remedies.

Herbs used fresh from the garden were preferred. However in the cold months, herbs that had been dried and stored had to be used. If you are using fresh herbs, use twice as much as what is called for. Dried herbs pack more closely than their fresh cousin. When drying herbs, they were either tied in bunches to hang in a dark cool place, or were spread out in single layer on a drying sheet in the sun. Whichever method is being used, it would have to be the quickest so that the herbs retain their quality, flavor and coloring.

Mint-Mentha x piperita- can almost be considered a bane to a garden if not looked after. It is a wanderer and can take over patches where other plants grow. The leaves are known for use as a refreshing tea, in liquors (suspended in an alcohol base)-a tummy tamer, as a jelly for meats, and when steeped with oil makes a muscle relaxing massage oil. The mint was grown for medicinal purposes in medieval herb gardens of monastastic establishment in Europe. The oil from this creeping herb is so valuable that is has been used for tithing. Mint in the garden will repel flies and cabbage grubs. Mint can be used to help stop the nausea commonly associated with a migraine headache. It is also a digestive aid and breath freshener. The mint that was used to make this elixir was procured from my garden.

Lavender- lavandula officinalis - English lavender is a flowering herb. These flowers should be harvested at a particular time (yes this matters) when the flower at the top of the spike is open and one or two at the base are starting to fade. The Romans are said to add lavender to their bathwater to sweeten the scent-hence the term lavare to wash. The medicinal properties were recognized a little later on in history. It was during the time of the Plague that an infusion known as the four thieves vinegar that was supposed to give immunity to those who had to handle the bodies of the plague victims. In a book called A new Herbal, 1551, it is mentioned that it would be a great boon to women if they wore caps with lavender woven in it to help the aches of the braine and for colds. Lavender has a relaxing property to help calm the nerves. A tea can be made to help cure a tension headache. There is evidence that lavender contains a substance that can slow pain-transmitting nerve impulses. The Lavender used in my recipe is organic to be free of pesticides that would make the flowers indigestible and poisonous.

Sugar is one of the oldest forms of natural sweetener. Research shows that during the Tang dynasty, 7th century, emperor Tai Zong sent a mission to India to study their techniques in sugar cultivation. The technique uses a boiling process to create granular substance known as sugar sand. In the 12th century Kublai Khan seeks knowledge from the Egyptians to improve the Chinese processing of sugar. This was due to the fact that "The Egyptians have acquired a reputation for making an exceptionally white sugar." Around the early 13th century sugar was said to be imported to England as barter for some wool. Sugar was also used to preserve or candy certain foods and fruits for later consumption. In the later part of this century, Sweden uses sugar to help disguise the bad taste of medicines prepared by apothecaries. In Madeira, around the mid 15th Century, the Spanish started to refine sugar thus creating an entire industry using forced immigrant labor. A few years later, Sugar from Madeira reaches Bristol, England. The sugar was bartered for with cloven fruit.

"Liqueurs are spirits that have been sweetened, flavored, and sometimes colored according to formulas which usually remain well kept secrets. Unlike spirits or wines which are made by a straightforward process of distillation or fermentation, the alchemy of liqueur lies in the choice and blending of the flavoring ingredients(peppermint, lavender, orris, aniseed to name a few) that give the sweetened spirit a distinctive taste.
The word liqueur comes from the Latin liquefacere "to make liquid, dissolve, or melt" and the flavoring elements of a liqueur are in fact dissolved either by infusion in such spirits as brandy, vodka or rum" (1)

Cordials and liqueurs tend to be synonymous in today's world. Cordials are reminiscent of a time when women kept a stillroom where they maintained their own remedies and methods of preservation. In such rooms, sealed crocks with alcohol steeping with fruits, nuts and herbs for the winter usage could have been found. The term elixir has many meanings. "A sweetened and aromatic liquid containing more or less alcohol, used for its medicinal qualities or for flavoring". (2)

The Liqueur presented is a form of syrup mixed with vodka to help give a longer shelf life to the mixture. Vodka was used as it has a neutral flavor that makes it an ideal base. The actual distillation of the vodka was not done as part of the project due to legal reasons. However during our time period, it was considered quite reasonable to procure the alcohol from another source such as an alchemist. This method of preparation also makes it easier to administer the mixture for the sugar makes it taste better. This preparation is the same as in medieval times, except today we can use refrigeration if it is wanted. The preparation can be made during any season or as needed since either fresh or dried ingredients can be used.

The basic recipe is to combine the herbs in a saucepan (do not use aluminum) or small pot with equal amounts of sugar to water. (Honey can be used but I don't like to alter the taste of the infusion). Place the pot over a source of heat-fire or cook stove. Heat slowly until the sugar dissolves. Remove from the heat source and allow it to cool for about 2 hours. Strain out the herbs and place the remaining liquid and 1 cup of alcohol (I used vodka as it imparts no flavor to this mix) in a jar, and seal with a cork. Label the contents with words or pictures or samples of the herb to denote the contents. It can be stored in a cool place, (today-a refrigerator), for up to six months.

Recipe:

¼ Cup Organic dried Lavender flowers
¼ Cup Fresh mint leaves chopped
1 ¾ Cup granulated sugar
1 Cup cold water
1Cup 80 proof unflavored vodka (Smirnoff is a good choice)
Cheesecloth

Directions:
1 Cut a square of cheesecloth about 8" x 8". Place herbs in the middle and roll to make a bundle. Tie the bundle closed with white thread. This will allow the syrup to infuse the herbs and allow removal easier.
2 Place the sugar and water into a small sauce pan (non-aluminum) over low to medium heat. Place the herbal bundle into the water. Heat gently to a boil stirring to dissolve the sugar.
3 Let the mixture boil for about 3 minutes and lower to a simmer for another 3 minutes. Remove from heat and allow the mixture to cool for approx 2 hours.
4 Remove the herbal bundle and strain the remaining liquid through a) metal strainer, then through b) clean cheesecloth, c) coffee filters. Place the strained liquid in a jar (I used a sealable mason jar) and add the vodka. Shake well to mix evenly. Store sealed for 2 days in a cool place. (Unused bathtubs are ideal). Transfer to smaller jars and reseal until ready to use. If kept in a cool dark place (refridges work great), this should keep for up to 6 months.
5 I serve the cordial in small glasses approx half way as it really works to help sooth upset tummies and headaches.

Biblio:
(1) Woman's day Encyclopedia of Cookery-Vol.12 page 114, 1979 edition, Funk and Wagnall's, Inc.
(2) Woman's day Encyclopedia of Cookery-Vol.7 page112, 1979 edition, Funk and Wagnall's, Inc.
(3) The Herb Garden by Dorothy B Jones , Dorrance and Co. 1947+1972
(4) Herbal Remedies by Kathleen Fisher, Rodale Press,Inc 1999
(5) The Ultimate book of Herbs and Herb Gardening by Jessica Houdret, Hermes House, 2001
(6) Magic and Medicine of Plants a Reader's Digest Publication
(7) The Complete Book of Herbs & Spices by Sarah Garland, The Viking Press 1979
(8) All Good Things Around Us by Pamela Michael, Holt Rinehart and Winston 1980