Herbal Household Remedies: Garlic

Nassim Taleb stated that things should have proven their lack of harmfulness before we adopt/ use/ eat or drink them, and garlic certainly has:  It has been highly regarded for its therapeutic value since antiquity, both in medicinal uses and as a culinary herb, and its ancient reputation has largely been confirmed by pharmaceutical and clinical experiments.  See, they knew all along, back then!  Hildegard was right!

Garlic has anti-fungal, diuretic and anti-asthmatic properties, thus ‘cleaning the blood’, and therefore it might just work as a talisman against vampires as well.  In the Middle Ages, they used garlic to treat leprosy – again, the cleansing aspect.  Furthermore, it helps clear the bronchi and is used when treating arteriosclerosis.  Even certain kinds of cancer dislike garlic heartily.

It is good to have garlic around the house, and you don’t eve need to rely on your grocery store to supply you with some as garlic is quite easy to grow.  It is usually planted in the fall, around here between Halloween and Thanksgiving, and covered with a thick layer of leaves.  Harvest time is in late summer, just when you are getting ready to can all those tomatoes or are eager to make some salsa.  If you are lucky, you can even find wild garlic in your area.  If you find some, remember that it is a lot more powerful than ‘domestic’ garlic.

We use garlic regularly in the kitchen to season stews, soups, stir fries and the like.  Sometimes we just cut a clove into a mug of hot broth if we feel the need for some additional cleansing.  You can even use the greens (like you would green onion or chives) to flavor salads or sprinkle over soup.  Last year, we grew some garlic in the house over the winter and did that a lot: very tasty.  Very healthy, too.

Hildegard von Bingen: Universal Man

 

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