Spring Tonics
Gathering cleavers, chickweed and violet leaf for renewed energy and spirits.
Spring foraging recipe by Erika Galentin with Illustration by Sharon Teuscher.
Ingredients
Any combination and quantity of the following (fresh):
- Chickweed
- Cleavers
- Violet leaf (common only) and/or flower
- Dandelion leaf and/or flower
- Nettle leaf
- Parsley leaf
- Organic Raw Apple Cider Vinegar
Instructions
Supplies
Pint or quart-sized glass canning jar and lid (thoroughly cleaned and dried) and Wax paper
Rinse freshly harvested herbs to remove any remaining soil. Run rinsed herbs through a salad spinner to remove excess moisture or allow to wilt in open air out of direct heat and light for 12-24 hours.
Finely chop herbs or run them through a food processor until you have enough to fill your jar ¾ of the way full. Make sure to pack them in as much as possible.
Add raw apple cider vinegar until the herbs are completely submerged and will not poke out over the surface of the vinegar. Place a piece of wax paper over the glass jar and then place the metal lid over that, screwing it closed.
Label your jar and keep it in a warm, dark location for 2 weeks. After 2 weeks, strain your Spring Tonic Vinegar using cheese cloth or a plastic strainer, making sure to squeeze the herb as much as possible until herb material is spent. Bottle and label vinegar. Keep refrigerated and use within 6 months of bottling.
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