Samhain, 2016

Samhain/Hallowe’en conjures images of witches huddled around their cauldrons stirring some bubbling brew. Which to me translates to herbalists tending to their hedgerow syrups.

This time of year is full of rose family delights and recently I harvested a wide range of berries and hips to prepare into remedies to set myself into good health for the coming year. Samhain was originally the turn of the year, the end of the old and beginning of something new. With seeds collected for next year we can start to prepare in our minds what we will plant to fruit in 2017, physically and metaphorically.

So if you are wondering what to do this Samhain, I would heartily recommend visiting a nearby hedgerow to find some Brambles for jelly, Apples for bobbing, Rose hips for making into syrup, Hawthorn haws to make mineral rich vinegar, Sloes for some midwinter gin, and if you are lucky a last Raspberry or two to nibble on.

Here is a recipe for Elderberry syrup, a must have to keep you cold free over winter!

Happy Samhain

simonemelanie

2016