Jude's Herbal Home Remedies by Jude C. Todd, M.H.
Llewellyn Publications, 2004 Revised and expanded edition
I might be a little biased in this review, because my mother is the author. I will try to be objective, but I don't think I need to because this is a must-have book for your herbal shelves. And I don't think anyone would challenge that. It covers just about everything from skin care to tonics and digestion, pet care and much more. It includes over 800 recipes and is sure to be the book you reach for first.
The author put the love of nature into each and every word and tries to make herbal living a simple and easy matter, just as it should be. It isn't complicated, it isn't a mountain you must climb to learn, it is simply in the doing and experimenting. It is well thought out and covers a wide range of household illnesses and even how-to's for making tinctures, tonics, syrups and capsules.
I'm sure many will even appreciate the various layouts of herbal gardens, so that you can plan your best garden; big or small. And my advice, is that if you want to know the author more intimately, read the introduction.
I'll end by sharing one of my mother's most cherished recipes, found in the household and family tips section. It's a recipe for Meatless Pear Mincemeat. It is one she made every year to can up so she could make amazing pies for holidays or get-togethers.
Meatless Pear Mincemeat
If you like the brand of None-Such prepared mincemeat, you will love this. It is the best recipe I've ever tasted for mincemeat. It calls for 10 large apples, 15 pounds of pears, 3 lemons, 3 boxes of seedless raisins (15-ounce boxes). Wash the pears, drain, peel, quarter, and core them. Wash the lemons and cut in quarters, removing seeds. Wash the apples quarter and core but do not peel. Alternatively force pears, apples, lemons and raisins and 3 cups of walnuts through a food grinder using a coarse blade.
Combine the fruit mixture with 5 pounds of sugar, 1 1/2 cups of white vinegar, 4 teaspoons each of ground cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice in a large kettle. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Lower heat and simmer uncovered, stirring frequently for 40 minutes or until mixture is thick. Pour at once into sterile jars, filling to 1/4 inch from the top. Seal at once. Put the jars in a boiling water bath for 25 minutes. This recipe makes about 9 quarts (9 pies).
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