In a new book, Forgotten Ways For Modern Days, Rachelle Blondel draws on the wisdom of homemakers, gardeners, crafters and kitchen alchemists to share traditional tips that are just as valid today.
With sections covering cleaning, laundry, the kitchen, garden, natural health and beauty, tips range from how to brighten your whites to handy projects like concocting a honey and lemon throat soother or sewing a bits and bobs eiderdown. Here are just some summer projects to whet your appetite:
Dandelion syrup
Most of us see this glorious yellow flower as an annoying weed, popping up in our flower beds in early spring. However, to beekeepers it is met with a sigh of relief as pollen and nectar start to flow. But it also means swarms may be on the cards.
This recipe is as old as the hills and is sometimes known as May honey. It is a great vegan alternative to the real stuff. Use it to help soothe a sore throat or a dry cough – mix a spoonful of syrup with a squeeze of lemon juice in a mug and top up with hot water.
Ingredients
650ml spring water
Grated rind and juice of 1 lemon
250g fresh dandelion flower petals
1.5kg granulated sugar
Sterilised glass jars
Place the water, lemon juice and rind and the dandelion flowers into a pan. Bring to the boil and then reduce the heat to low. Gently simmer for 30 minutes, then remove from the heat and allow to cool overnight. This allows the flavour of the petals to really infuse the water.Strain the liquid through a fine sieve or muslin-lined colander and return to the pan.Stir in the sugar and simmer for 15-20 minutes until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture has thickened slightly. Pour into sterilised glass jars, allow to cool, and store in the fridge. Consume within the month – if it lasts that long.Sunny sunflower seed mask
This facemask contains all manner of skin-saving antioxidants. Sunflower seeds, packed full with vitamins A, D and E, as well as many other beneficial natural compounds, will help to gently smooth your skin, banish those lines and wrinkles and make the outer you shine a little bit brighter. The honey brings its anti-inflammatory, antiseptic and antibacterial properties to the mix, which means that it will help to ward off any spots or pimples that may be unwelcome guests. Cheap and easy to make, a weekly treatment is an absolute essential for anyone’s skin.
Ingredients
1/2 cup sunflower seeds, ground to a powder (use a food processer or coffee grinder for this)
1 tbsp honey
1 tsp almond oil
1 tbsp warm water
Mix all the ingredients together into a paste.Apply to a freshly washed face and relax for 20 minutes.Wipe away with a damp cloth and then rinse face.Homemade Apple Cider Vinegar
The wonders of using vinegar medicinally date back to when such things were first recorded. As well as making a rather tasty salad dressing, cider vinegar is a great natural antiseptic that can be used safely about the home in your cleaning routine.
A teaspoon of honey with a splash of vinegar is said to do wonders for your health. Chickens and other critters can also benefit from a spoon or two in their drinking water. Ideally, a juicer is used to get as much liquid from the apples as possible, but if you don’t have access to one of these gadgets, a blender and a mesh food-straining bag will serve you just as well.
Do search out proper cider yeast and don’t be tempted to chuck in a bit of baker’s yeast instead – the results could be dire.
Ingredients
2kg apples, preferably organic
Large jar
Cider yeast
Juicer, blender and straining bag or apple press
Piece of muslin
Elastic band
Begin by juicing your apples. If you are going down the blender route, chop the apples and blend them to a fine pulp. Leave in a cool place to drain overnight, then squeeze as much juice as you can.Place the juice into a large jar along with a spoonful or two of the pulp. Add the cider yeast (following the manufacturer’s instructions) and give it all a good stir.Place a piece of muslin or a fancy crochet cover over the top of the jar, seal with an elastic band and leave to ferment at room temperature for at least four weeks. Give the mixture a swirl now and then and remove any foam by skimming it off the top.Once the liquid tastes sour and vinegar-like it is ready to go. Strain the liquid into a sterilised bottle with a tight-fitting lid or cork. Add some of this vinegar to your next batch and it should speed the process along nicely.Forgotten Ways for Modern Days by Rachelle Blondel is published by Kyle Books. Available from Easons for €23.70, other stockists may vary. Photography by Catherine Gratwicke.
In a new book, Forgotten Ways For Modern Days, Rachelle Blondel draws on the wisdom of homemakers, gardeners, crafters and kitchen alchemists to share traditional tips that are just as valid today.
With sections covering cleaning, laundry, the kitchen, garden, natural health and beauty, tips range from how to brighten your whites to handy projects like concocting a honey and lemon throat soother or sewing a bits and bobs eiderdown. Here are just some summer projects to whet your appetite:
Dandelion syrup
Most of us see this glorious yellow flower as an annoying weed, popping up in our flower beds in early spring. However, to beekeepers it is met with a sigh of relief as pollen and nectar start to flow. But it also means swarms may be on the cards.
This recipe is as old as the hills and is sometimes known as May honey. It is a great vegan alternative to the real stuff. Use it to help soothe a sore throat or a dry cough – mix a spoonful of syrup with a squeeze of lemon juice in a mug and top up with hot water.
Ingredients
650ml spring water
Grated rind and juice of 1 lemon
250g fresh dandelion flower petals
1.5kg granulated sugar
Sterilised glass jars
Place the water, lemon juice and rind and the dandelion flowers into a pan. Bring to the boil and then reduce the heat to low. Gently simmer for 30 minutes, then remove from the heat and allow to cool overnight. This allows the flavour of the petals to really infuse the water.Strain the liquid through a fine sieve or muslin-lined colander and return to the pan.Stir in the sugar and simmer for 15-20 minutes until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture has thickened slightly. Pour into sterilised glass jars, allow to cool, and store in the fridge. Consume within the month – if it lasts that long.Sunny sunflower seed mask
This facemask contains all manner of skin-saving antioxidants. Sunflower seeds, packed full with vitamins A, D and E, as well as many other beneficial natural compounds, will help to gently smooth your skin, banish those lines and wrinkles and make the outer you shine a little bit brighter. The honey brings its anti-inflammatory, antiseptic and antibacterial properties to the mix, which means that it will help to ward off any spots or pimples that may be unwelcome guests. Cheap and easy to make, a weekly treatment is an absolute essential for anyone’s skin.
Ingredients
1/2 cup sunflower seeds, ground to a powder (use a food processer or coffee grinder for this)
1 tbsp honey
1 tsp almond oil
1 tbsp warm water
Mix all the ingredients together into a paste.Apply to a freshly washed face and relax for 20 minutes.Wipe away with a damp cloth and then rinse face.Homemade Apple Cider Vinegar
The wonders of using vinegar medicinally date back to when such things were first recorded. As well as making a rather tasty salad dressing, cider vinegar is a great natural antiseptic that can be used safely about the home in your cleaning routine.
A teaspoon of honey with a splash of vinegar is said to do wonders for your health. Chickens and other critters can also benefit from a spoon or two in their drinking water. Ideally, a juicer is used to get as much liquid from the apples as possible, but if you don’t have access to one of these gadgets, a blender and a mesh food-straining bag will serve you just as well.
Do search out proper cider yeast and don’t be tempted to chuck in a bit of baker’s yeast instead – the results could be dire.
Ingredients
2kg apples, preferably organic
Large jar
Cider yeast
Juicer, blender and straining bag or apple press
Piece of muslin
Elastic band
Begin by juicing your apples. If you are going down the blender route, chop the apples and blend them to a fine pulp. Leave in a cool place to drain overnight, then squeeze as much juice as you can.Place the juice into a large jar along with a spoonful or two of the pulp. Add the cider yeast (following the manufacturer’s instructions) and give it all a good stir.Place a piece of muslin or a fancy crochet cover over the top of the jar, seal with an elastic band and leave to ferment at room temperature for at least four weeks. Give the mixture a swirl now and then and remove any foam by skimming it off the top.Once the liquid tastes sour and vinegar-like it is ready to go. Strain the liquid into a sterilised bottle with a tight-fitting lid or cork. Add some of this vinegar to your next batch and it should speed the process along nicely.Forgotten Ways for Modern Days by Rachelle Blondel is published by Kyle Books. Available from Easons for €23.70, other stockists may vary. Photography by Catherine Gratwicke.
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