DIY Homemade Beverages - Medicinal Teas for Survivalists

Ok, here we go!!!! This mornin' I had this cool IDEA to create this THREAD! I thought that PROMOTING HEALTHFUL ALTERNATIVES (<--which one can do for themselves) would be an AWESOME thing to do!!! If "those in charge agree" maybe we can keep this going,where everyone can add their personal FAVS. to the list, and we can compile a permanent listing of GREAT ALTERNATIVES for folk to try. That is, instead of continuing to give one's hard earned $$MONEY$$ to "BIG BUSINESS" making them more and more powerful! (<-- Remember those are the J*CKASSES who make sure the small guys/farmers are OVER-REGULATED TO DEATH ya know.... so we can't compete/take away from their profits!!! Bah Humbug! Funny thing is, the smaller guy can put out a BETTER/HEALTHIER/SAFER PRODUCT as "the small guy" isn't out-of-control! Have you noticed all of those FOOD RECALLS ~ Hhhhmm, do you notice whose at fault? THE BIG GUYS, that's WHO!!!! Not something THEY want everyone to hear, but the TRUTH for sure!!!! )

For those who'd like to read something of interest click here:

Health Topics - Weston A Price

But anyway, where was I? Oh yes, Over here, if it isn't our delicious well water, or high quality RAW MILK from our naturally raised/pastured livestock.... we pretty much won't drink it.That is, unless it's something HOMEMADE. I don't think many realize how much CR*P is in modern processed foods (hormones, synthetics, preservatives & so on...), and that's why everyone is so sick, with a multitude of disorders/diseases, and dying from CANCER!?!?! NO THANKS, over here... as we strive to be more "old fashioned" and do for ourselves. Self Reliance and Survivalism is very important to us and we work very hard towards meeting our goals daily in our real life!


Ok, so here's the first one to add (since many have been asking about this one) In our home one of our favorite homemade drinks ( a COFFEE ALTERNATIVE ) is

CHICORY COFFEE RECIPE/INFO.

Yep, it's made from a plant which many think is just a common weed. A FREE GIFT from Mother Nature! They are found everywhere around here... with those with the pretty blue flowers.

Here's a bit of info. on it:
Chicory - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia




which should be helpful for "recognition purposes"...

Once you've figured out "what it is" and have positively identified it, get a shovel or a potato fork & start digging for those roots. Get as many as you can at a time, so that you can prep a decent amount for later use.

After you've harvested a reasonable amount for yourself, wash off in the sink (you can use a hard bristled veggie brush to get the dirt out of the cracks/crevices. Once washed off you can arrange them on a rack or cookie sheet to dry/roast on one's woodstove (which is quite efficient) or you can put the roots on a cookie sheet in the oven, turn it up to 400 degrees F and let 'em roast for about an hour. Pretty soon you will start smelling the most delicious aromatic aroma from the roasting process. Well, there you have it.... free coffee for the taking which you made all by yourself & is more delicious/healthful than storebought!!!!!

Here are some PICS to share (below)





As you can see, it makes for a very nice/flavourful "black coffee"... We also snapped a pic of the roasted roots as well.
Alrighty that's it for today... As I can/find the time, I shall post several more good ones to share. If anyone has any to share, feel free to do so , so that we can build up a "HUGE" Survivalist Collection for the DO-IT-YOURSELFERS out there !

Sincerely,
Wildernessgal & OGM


P.S.- Make sure not to "OVER-HARVEST" in one area... leaving some for the future, to multiply & make more down the road. We have scattered patches all around which we harvest from, which are very very productive if you maintain them properly. Good luck & ENJOY!!!!

 

Re: D.I.Y. Homemade Beverages & Medicinal Teas 4 the Surviva

OK W, I remember hearing talk of chicory being mixed with regular coffee & thought it was kinda used as a filler, Oh, did I mention that it was from WWII times ? Have an Aunt who was so helpful in sharing that info. Guess I'll have to look into this, as you make it sound just so fine. You mention maintaining chicory patches, how ?, outside of not over harvesting ?

Another fine beverage is sassafrass tea, my Grandmother was quite fond of it. annie

 

Re: D.I.Y. Homemade Beverages & Medicinal Teas 4 the Surviva

Very Cool, and Wonderful Idea, WG! Thanks for the information!!!

I try to use natural remedies most of the time...and always looking for new things.....This is great!

 

Re: D.I.Y. Homemade Beverages & Medicinal Teas 4 the Surviva

I've taken dandelion root and processed it in the oven the same way. Makes another wonderful coffee substitute. Most folks I share some with can't tell the difference between it and real coffee.

 

Re: D.I.Y. Homemade Beverages & Medicinal Teas 4 the Surviva

I like the sasifras tea and another GREAT tea is to take peppermint, and spearmint leaves and boil them up along with a cinimon stick or two. It makes a light very refreshing iced tea in hot weather and is decent hot in cold weather.

 

Re: D.I.Y. Homemade Beverages & Medicinal Teas 4 the Surviva

We also have tons of chickory and have thought of trying it but since I ont drink coffee all that reagularly and about the only time I do is in the winter when the chicory is harder to find, I havent tried it yet.

 

Re: D.I.Y. Homemade Beverages & Medicinal Teas 4 the Surviva

We just cut the root into small pieces with a hand pruner and then boil it untill the water gets good and dark. Then strain out the pieces and drink.

OGM

 

Wild Sumac LEMONADE, my responses to everyone, & SASS Info.

Last time we were out in the backwoods we harvested the "berry heads" off of the wild sumac plants we've got growin' around here. Now our old timey book says, to harvest

"the red velvety fruit from the staghorn & dwarf sumacs"

Yesterday we picked the berries off of the heads tossing them into a pot of water and boiling it on the woodstove until it darkened. After that I poured it into a glass jug... letting it cool outside (in the low temps) and today I shall add a bit of natural sweetener to taste.

There ya go, HOMEMADE LEMONADE WITHOUT HAVING A CITRIC ORCHARD or having to buy lemons! WOO HOO!!!! LOL

~W~

BTW (My responses to everyone below...)



ANNIE- Yep, they still add it (chicory)to expensive coffees, as it's that good! And yes it has been around for quite some time... neat huh? I've also heard/read that one can make homemade coffee from dandelion (<--just as Rancher stated ~ but we've never tried that one.... yet!) you can also use the Kentucky Coffee Tree pods... and the Iroquois Indians use to make coffee from the whole dried corn ears roasted on coals. The kernals were then pounded & boiled. Maple sugar was added as a natural sweetner. Then the Seneca Indians roasted sunflower seeds, & pounded them. Seeds and shells were separated, and boiling water was poured over the shells. This supposedly made a very nice Native American coffee alternative as well. We have yet, to try this one.

CRC- Good for you CRC!!! More people should learn in case they "have to" resort to these alternatives one day. We are SUPER BIG on NATURAL STUFF over here too!!!!

Tracy-Sorry 'bout not gettin' to ya sooner... but I sooooo wasn't on-line at all yesterday. Thank goodness hubbie was though, so that he could answer your ? Hope that helped? A good set of hand pruners are nice to have... but one could also use an axe, or a sharp rock too.(<-- if ya want to get super simple/primitive he,he) Whatever works best for YOU! You basically want to make the roots smaller to get out as much of the flavour as possible... I don't think grinding is necessary. Sometimes we've even reused the same roots for a second batch. Not always, but sometimes it's possible and it still comes out tasting quite nice. I've never liked "black coffee" but like this black. Sometimes (for old times sake) I'll skim off some goat cream (from our goats milk) and put in a spoon of all natural honey or our homemade black walnut syrup from tree tappin' season. Black Walnut Syrup is even better than MAPLE SYRUP, in our opinion. It makes for a KILLER HOMEMADE ICE CREAM SWEETNER as well ! Delish!!!! Aaaaah ,I don't know if you've noticed yet but "WE REALLY LOVE GOOD FOOD" over here! LOL Especially the wild free stuff! I'm surprised that we all don't weigh over a thousand pounds/can fit through the door!?!?!? But then again it's all about "healthy foods" and getting one's excercise, which truly makes the difference!

As for our "Chicory Patches" they are just WILD PATCHES. Each patch which we harvest from, we try to harvest in a way which gives more space to some of the other smaller surrounding plants (kinda like a thinning out method) instead of goin' hog wild and anihilating the whole patch. We are selective about what we harvest so that it will maintain us indefinately. Just something to think about? Best of luck if ya decide to "GIVE IT A WHIRL!" Llet us know about your results & what ya think? ENJOY!

MONKEYMAN~ Great Teas Monkeyman! We LOVE SASSAFRAS TEA also! Sass is also so very healthful/boosts your immune system, which is quite grand if ya don't wanna be a "sicko!" lol ha,ha Here's an AWESOME article to share on SASS, if anyone is interested:

Sassafras, Sassafras albidum herb uses,pictures,

I'll post some others as I can & HAPPY DRINKING EVERYONE! Bye now..

 

REJUVELAC ~ Hippocrates Health Drink/Tonic

This one is another goodie (which I haven't made in a while) which is also reminescent of lemonade, but a bit different. In my Nourishing Traditions Recipe Cookbook (By Sally Fallon) it is described as a "Health Tonic." This is great for the Survivalist/Homesteader who wants to try something new, and has a patch of grain. Actually even if you don't have a "patch of grain growing" you can still get your hands on some wheat berries and make yourself a very healthful drink!

Ingredients:

~ 2 Cups of organic spring soft wheat berries
~ Filtered water
~ A cheesecloth
~ Glass mason Jar

Directions:

This TONIC was popularized by Ann Wigmore, the first American practical nutritionist to recognize the importance of enzymes and lacto-fermented food in the diet. Rejuvelac should be yellowish in colour, cloudy & tart, without being too sour, and slightly naturally carbonated.

Place the wheat berries in a 2-quart glass jar. Fill with water and cover top with cheesecloth held in place by a rubber band or twine. Soak at room temperature for 8 to 10 hours. Drain through the cheesecloth, rinse and drain again. Place jar at an angle and leave for 2 days, rinsing two to three times per day, while the berries begin to sprout. After 2 days, rinse thoroughly and fill jar with water. Soak 48 hours. Pour off the rejuvelac and store in a glass container in the refrigerator/cool place. A layer of white foam may form at the top, which should be gently lifted off with a spoon.

A second batch may be made by filling the jar and soaking for 24 hours; and a third batch, by filling again and soaking for another 24 hours. After that the berries will be spent and may be put out for the birds, fed to your chicken flock, or used in a homemade bread recipe.

Here's a site

http://www.rejoiceinlife.com/recipes/rejuvelac.php

which also has the recipe.... I have not looked to see if they are the same? BTW, one can also add a bit of natural sweetner to taste.

~W~

 

WHEATGRASS GINGER BEER & Homemade Wines...

Click on the following LINK for the recipe

http://www.rejoiceinlife.com/recipes/wheatgrassBeer.php

We haven't made this recipe, but experimented with some very simplistic fruit wines made of wild pear, wild elderberries and so on these last years... One can also make it out of strawberries, wild blackberries, wild persimmons, wild cherries and more. The possibilities are endless! What we like is using things around you to feed yourself/family. There is nothing better than having access to zero maintenance organic quality wild foods from Mother Nature... and not having to pay a cent for 'em! WOO HOO!

If anyone is interested, let me know and I can type up my Homemade Natural Wine Recipes which I was previously speaking about. I'm not one who's really into drinking, but these are delicious, naturally carbonated and don't have all of those nasty/harmful additives/preservatives.

~W~

 

Simplistic Homemade Beer Recipes

Over here we've had more success with the Homemade Wines than the beer!? lol Actually I've got several different recipes, and the one time I tried to make beer (for a special occaision) I rushed/it failed badly. I'm sure that if I tried again, it'll probably work out... it's just that "BEER" isn't on my "priority list!" ha,ha,ha

But anyway, here are some "simplistic" beer recipes to share (below) mostly made from wild stuff. Even if one didn't want to buy sugar you could use homemade syrup from tree tappin' season. You don't have to have sugar maples either and can tap several different types of trees. Our most favorite is Black Walnut, and it is a great homemade sweetner to use for sweetening homemade drinks, cakes/breads, ice creams, custards and etc...


PERSIMMON BEER

Gather persimmons and a good number of honey locust seed pods. Wash them both well and place into a large crock in layers until the crock is full. Pour enough boiling water in to cover them, cover the churn, and let it sit at least a week. Pour off or dip out the beer as desired. When drained, the churn may be filled with boiling water again to make a second batch.

Or gather and wash persimmons and place them in a churn/crock. Pour enough boiling water in to cover them and let them work. Skim off the foam, add sugar to taste (or any other type of sweetner) and llet them work some more. The beer is suppose to be very potent.



LOCUST & PERSIMMON BEER

Break Honey locust pods into small pieces. Place in bottom of barrel or churn. Add layer of crushed persimmons, then another layer of locusts, and another of persimmons. Cover with water and let stand until fermentation stops (no more bubbling). Drain off and bottle or use from churn. Sometimes a layer of syrup cane pumice was added in the bottom and on top of the persimmons and locust to add more sweetening and a mellow taste to the beer.



APPLE BEER

Peel apples and dry peelings. Put peelings in a crock, and add enough boiling water to cover. Cover crock and let sit for about 2 days until the flavour comes out in the peelings. Strain and drink. Add some sugar, if desired.


Enjoy
& I'd love to hear if anyone has success with these/what they think of 'em?

~W~

P.S.- If I remember correctly the one I tried to make a few years back was called "Small Beer" If anyone is interested in that one, I can very easily look it up in my other recipe book for ya. Just let me know.

 

Homemade Old Fashioned Healthy Fermented Soft Drinks !

We've made this once and awhile, and they are so worth the effort/super tasty!!! You'd be amazed that these recipes are actually healthy, and naturally carbonated as well!

I don't have time to type up the recipes from my cookbook right now, but did find the same recipe from one of my favorite sites @ the link below:

Old-Fashioned, Healthy, Lacto-Fermented Soft Drinks: The Real "Real Thing"
Old-Fashioned, Healthy, Lacto-Fermented Soft Drinks: The Real "Real Thing" - Weston A Price


The actual recipe is at the very bottom after the story/info. on the above LINK. ENJOY!!! I know that we really love making HOMEMADE SODA for special occaisions ~SUPER DELISH/FUN!!!!

~W~

 

Response to Monkeyman ~ About finding Chicory in Winter

A HINT/CLUE:

Look for the old tall dried up stalks w/blossoms which keep standing through the winter season. Just follow them down to the ground/root & dig 'em up. As easy as PIE! LOL

Best of luck to ya!!!!

~W~

 

Re: D.I.Y. Homemade Beverages & Medicinal Teas 4 the Surviva

One that we aboslutely LOVE but buy from friends who make it is honey mead.

 

"Wild Fermentation" Book By Author Sandor Ellix Katz

For those of you who really want to know even more, you should get the following book. It's definately part of our home Survival Library.



In it they have sooooooooooooooooooooooooo many incredible drinks/beverages & much more, which have been made throughout history around the world! Neat book (also has some good food recipes too) chock full of information! On the subject og DRINKS ~ there's this one drink called "Chicha" (<--Andean Chewed-Corn Beer) where everyone chews on corn kernals and them spits it in a formed ball/into a container to make a joint effort fermented beer. LOL There ya go, get together with a bunch of your closest friends and chew away!!!! It's amazing how ingenius man use to be and how well he could do without all of the fancy modern things finding better, and even much healthier alternatives to get 'er done. **APPLAUDS!**

There's also some other neat recipes like Bouza (Ancient Egyptian Beer), Chang, T'ej (<--Ethiopian-Style Honey Wine) Labneh (<--Yogurt Cheese), Simple Sourdough recipes (<--no need to buy supermarket yeast) and so much more !!!!!

~Wildernessgal~

 

Delicious Homemade Rice Milk Beverage (Healthy Recipe)

This is a family favorite over here... it's even more fun if you grow a small plot of rice for educational purposes as well. (<--Another POTENTIAL HOMESCHOOL PROJECT! he,he)


------------------------------------------------------------------


Rice Milk Beverage Recipe
( Makes 2 Quarts )


* 1/2 cups of brown rice
* 8 cups of filtered water
* 1 teaspoon of sea salt
* 1/4 cup of natural whey (made by leaving raw milk siitting out on a counter top for several days until it separates ~ use the yellowish liquid as this is your whey & no you won't die from leaving your milk out as this is a very common old fashioned method which was done in the days prior to refrigerators/electric. This is what I do & I use the cream cheese as mayo alternative, sandwich spread, dip, cake frosting & etc...)
* 1/4 cup of raw honey
* 1 teaspoon of cinnamon

This recipe comes from Egypt, but similiar recipes can be found throughout the middle east and far east. Fermented grain drinks were traditionally prescribed to nursing mothers.

Cook the rice in water, covered, for several hours until it becomes very mushy. Pass rice and liquid through a food mill, Place in a 2 quart jug with salt and whey. Cover tightly and leave at room temperature for 2 to 3 days. Transfer to the refrigerator. ( A certain amount of separation is normal )

To serve, blend with honey & cinnamon and enough water to achieve desired consistency.

Variation:
Use other grains, such as oats, rye or barley.

Variation: Nursing Mothers Tonic
Use 1/2 cup of quinoa soaked 12 hours in warm water, rinsed and drained.

---------------------------------------------------------


This is such a healthful drink which is so much better than storebought beverages. Very very yummy... and good for ya too!

~Wildernessgal~

 

Homemade Apple Cider !

Here's an APPLE CIDER RECIPE to share!

APPLE CIDER
(Makes about 1 gallon)

**about 4 dozen organic apples
**1 heaping tablespoon of sea salt
** 1/2 a cup of whey (by leaving fresh raw milk sitting out on the counter top in a sealed mason jar or cup w/cloth for several days until it naturally separates into all natural/healthful cream cheese/whey = the yellowish liquid)

As it is becoming increasingly difficult to obtain unpasteurized apple juice, we recommend starting from scratch with organic apples. Wash the apples, cut into quarters, remove the cores (<--you can use these to make homemade unpasteurized healthful vinegar like I do! and pass them through a juicer, food mill or.... Whatever you've got to crush & remove the juice. Primitive methods work just fine! A great deal of foam will rise to the top of the juice- remove as much of this as possible with a spoon skimming it off of the top. Strain the juice into a very clean large bowl and stir in salt and whey. Cover with a cloth ( to keep out the bigs/dust) and leave at room temp. for 3 days. Skik off any more foam that may rise to the top. Pour into two 2 quart sized glass containers, cover tightly and refrigerate (or put in a very cool place). Flavours will develop slowly over several weeks. The cider will eventually develop a rich buttery taste and may become slightly effervescent. The sediment will fall to the bottom of the containers and should remain there if the cider is poured out carefully.

***This wonderful recipe comes from my most FAVORITE COOKBOOK

Nourishing Traditions
By Author Sally Fallon



Enjoy!
Sincerely,
~Wildernessgal~
(who only feeds healthy homemade natural foods to her family so that when T.S.H.T.F. we will have boosted our immune systems/be very hardy to take on whatever we end up gettin'?!! YEE HAW! LOL)

P.S.- I don't think many really realize this but,

YOU eat CRAP - YOU are CRAP

So if you take the time to eat well, it's a small investment with a HUGE IMPACT ON YOUR FUTURE as it will put you in a better survival position by not needing doctors, meds and so on..... Hardy/healthy people will SURVIVE! (<--that is unless they are just plain STUPID, lacking any sort of common sense, or are just plain LAZY with a bad work ethic. ) ~ Just my 2 cents!