What herbs are you going to grow this spring?
How do you grow it?
Where do you plant it?
What are it’s medicinal benefits?
Are their cautions?
Was this helpful? There is much more to come! Keep reading.
ANISE
There is nothing like a home-baked whole-wheat bread laced with a tablespoonful of anise seeds. The bright licorice flavor gives it depth like none other. Consider adding anise to biscotti, cookies and cakes. Anise seeds are also often added to soups, meat (especially sausages), confections, liqueurs and herbal teas. The fresh green leaves can be added to salads offering a lovely savory taste.
The Difference Between Garden Anise and Star Anise
Garden anise is a garden plant that grows to about three feet tall. Star anise, which is more flavorful, grows into a tree. So it depends on your space availability which one you grow. I don’t have room for another tree. I grow garden anise.
How Do You Grow It?
Anise has a rather long growing season, making it difficult to mature in colder weather climates. Know your hardiness zone. It should do well in zones 4 and above, but if your climate is cooler than that, consider starting your plants indoors. However, anise grows a long taproot and does not like to be disturbed. You can grow the plants in 12-inch deep pots. Unlike other taproot vegetables, such as the carrot, that size of pot should work. (Side note: you can grow short-root carrots in pots.)
Anise likes well-drained soil. Over watering will not benefit your plants. Let the ground dry between waterings. Also, water the ground only, not the leaves, so you may need to invest in a soaker hose. The soil temperature is important too. Your soil should be around 65 to 70 degrees, which may mean you need to wait a bit before planting, depending on your hardiness zone. You must know the date of the last expected frost.
Garden Benefits of Growing Anise
Growing anise in a garden row or in an isolated patch wastes it’s attributes. Anise is a natural pest repellent. So it makes an ideal companion plant for most plants. It’s especially beneficial for Brassicas (cabbage, broccoli and the like) because it repels the moths that lay eggs that can completely destory your cabbages. However, don’t plant it next to Apiaceae family plants such as carrots, dill and rue because they can cross-pollinate and ruin the flavor of the tasty anise seeds.
Medicinal Benefits of Anise
- Rich in nutrients
- Depression and insomnia
- Digestion
- Antimicrobial
- Reduce blood sugar
- Anti-inflammatory
- Fungicide
- Skin parasites
- Cold symptoms
- Menopause
- Mother’s milk
Rich in Nutrients
Anise is rich in nutrients such as iron which builds healthy blood cells, and manganese which is a powerful antioxidant. You may enjoy these benefits if you add the leaves in a salad, or in a tea.
Depression and Insomnia
Anise tea has been used against symptoms of depression, including post-partum depression, nice to know for many of us. The tea also helps with insomnia.
Digestion
Anise aids in your digestion and can protect your stomach lining from the irritation from gastric ulcers. To relieve an upset stomach, just chew a few anise seeds for welcome relief. As a tea, it’s even mild enough to help with baby’s colic.
Antimicrobial
Anise is a natural antimicrobial. It’s active ingredient is anethole, a chemical that inhibits bacterial growth. Sip it as a tea or apply it as an oil to affected areas.
Reduces Blood Sugar
Anethole may also reduce blood sugar. Recent studies are showing that it specifically works against the bacteria that causes cholera. Help may be no more that a cup of tea a day.
Anti-inflammatory
.Anthole works as an anti-inflammatory as well. If you are overweight, you already have an inflammation problem. Just a cup of tea a day will help address this problem.
Fungicide
As a topical oil, anise inhibits the growth of fungi.
Skin Parasites
Because of its antimicrobial effect, as a topical it works against skin parasites.
Cold Symptoms
The same antimicrobial effects, a tea made of anise seeds will help address cold symptoms. You can drink a cup of tea daily while you are still affected by the cold.
Menopause
Because it mimics the effects of estrogen, a daily cup of tea helps women going through menopause, including hot flashes.
Mother’s Milk
The estrogen-mimicking effect, the same cup of tea also works to increase the production of mother’s milk.
How To Use As Medicine
Anise Tea
1 teaspoon of anise seed
1 cup water, or a little more if you want a weaker tea.
Combine the water and the seeds in a small pan. Bring to a boil, then turn off the heat. Let it steep for 10-20 minutes. Strain out seeds as you pour it into a cup. May serve with a touch of honey if desired.
Anise Oil
(Instructions are used with permission by the author in a previously published book.)
Crush anise seed just enough to break it apart and release the oils.
Fill a clean glass jar about 2/3 full of the crushed seeds.
Fill the glass jar with almond oil, completely submerging the crushed anise seeds.
Cap tightly.
Set on a sunny window sill for about a month, poking a clean knife blade into the oil to release air bubbles daily for the first week.
After a month, strain the oil through a cheesecloth into another clear bottle or jar.
Cap and store the bottle with the infused oil in a dark place.
Remember to label your jar with the contents of the jar, complete with the date.
Cautions: If you have a sensitivity to estrogen, use anise seed with caution. Also if you have an allergy to fennel, celery and parsley, use with caution.
What herbs are you going to grow this spring?
How do you grow it?
Where do you plant it?
What are it’s medicinal benefits?
Are their cautions?
Was this helpful? There is much more to come! Keep reading.
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