If you are making a conscious effort to detoxify your home from harsh commercial chemical base cleaners that can be harmful to your health, than making a simple DIY all purpose cleaner is a good start.
Apart from being cost effective, reusable, and better for the environment using natural based products do not include the toxic chemicals such as ammonia, chloride, sodium hydroxide, phthalates, bleach, artificial fragrance and more. Breathing in such fumes can contribute to breathing difficulties, eye irritation, skin irritation, and can even lead to more serious conditions such as cancer, nervous system damage and kidney damage. Making the switch to non toxic products is one step in the right direction to ensure your health is protected.
With the endless supply of fresh Rosemary I have growing at the moment, I have made a Rosemary infused olive oil. Infusing oil is an ingenious way to give oil a beautifully scented and flavoursome lift. Add it when cooking meats, vegetables & salad dressings. Drizzled over beans and scrambled eggs, roast potatoes the ideas are endless.
An old remedy but not outdated, Rosemary oil can also be used to stimulate hair growth. Massage into the scalp for 2-3 mins once per day.
Rosemary thrives in hot and humid climates making Australia, especially Queensland perfect for growing at home. I have had much success over the years growing it in my garden with very little care needed.
Not only is the smell of Rosemary a pleasant mix of strong, woody, lavender like fragrance it is also known to improve memory. My eldest son loves the smell and often picks some fresh sprigs to hang in his room and the improving memory part never hurts while studying for exams.
Rosemary Care
Best planted in a sunny, well drained soiled area Rosemary can grow up to a metre in height, keeping this in mind when planting. Watering the plant when the soil is dry making sure not to over water this will cause the soil to become soggy and can lead to root rot.
Rosemary doesn’t have to just be grown in a garden either, a terracotta pot or container is also convenient if you don’t have a outdoor garden. Making sure the same rules apply. Sitting near a window that has direct sunlight for majority of the day is ideal. Growing from a small starter plant is most easiest way to plant Rosemary, it also doesn’t need much fertiliser just maybe in the early growth of the planting cycle.
Harvesting Rosemary
Cutting Rosemary- Best times to harvest Rosemary is in Spring and Summer when their leaves are meant to have the most oil and flavour. But I find whenever my bush is becoming full I cut off the taller mature stems, try not to cut the smaller newer stems. Don’t cut too much at once either, leave at least 3/4 of the bush to keep growing.
Drying Bay Leaf on the left and Rosemary on the right
Drying & Storing Rosemary
Tie some string around the bottom stems of the bunch or bunches and hang in cool, dry area of the house out of direct sunlight. Direct sun will burn the leaves and diminish the herbs flavour and nutrients.
Leave for at least 3-4 can be up to 10 days for drying, making sure they are completely dry before storing, otherwise mold and mildew can grow. Strip the stems from the leaves and place in clean sterilised jars in the pantry. Dried Rosemary lasts a long time but is best used within a year for the best flavour.
Storing dried Rosemary into jars
Uses For Rosemary
While we all know that Rosemary is well used in culinary practices to flavour dishes such as meats,vegetables, stews and soups, but did you know that Rosemary has some amazing medicinal and therapeutic uses. It is a anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, astringent, diaphoretic and stimulant making Rosemary a very useful herb to have in your home garden. Known to balance blood sugar levels, support the heart, brain and lungs and warms the body as it increases blood flow.
Making your own rosemary oils, infusions and tinctures are some alternate ways in using this versatile plant.
I’ll be experimenting more in the coming weeks making sure to share some DIY recipes with you.
In the midst of the world’s reaction to the Coronavirus pandemic, it seems that everyone has stocked up on hand sanitizer and left the shelves bare along with many other essential items, (not even going into the toilet paper frenzy). Putting much pressure on manufacturers to keep up with the demands.
Lucky for you there is a simple DIY solution to making your own hand sanitizer at home that is quite simple, made with alcohol and a few other ingredients. When in a situation where you can’t find a basin and running water to wash your hands which is always the recommended and prefered way to practice good hygiene, it is handy to have a bottle of sanitizer with you for those just in case moments.
