Make with Citrus hystrix ( Bergamot ) a low-cost shampoo that does not make your head itch

Are you looking for a shampoo that does not make your head itch ?

Among others a natural low-cost and low-tech shampoo that is said to work very well is the infusion of Citrus hystrix ( Bergamot ) in molasse ( the by-product of sugar cane ). Or brown sugar instead of molasses. But the infusion takes - at least - 7 days ...

Some people don't use molasses or brown sugar and just let Citrus hystrix boil in water until the texture is soft ( this takes about one hour ), mix in the blender and press : this liquid is the shampoo - they say this shampoo is even better than mixed in sugar - http://www.aleyagarden.com/heandbaapsh.html  

 

 

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Herb - infused Honey : is alcohol necessary ?

An elixir ( Wikipedia ) is a "..  hydro-alcoholic solution of at least one active ingredient. The alcohol is mainly used to:

• Solubilize the active ingredient(s) and some excipients
• Retard the crystallization of sugar
• Preserve the finished product
• Provide a sharpness to the taste
• Aid in masking the unpleasant taste of the active ingredient(s)
• Enhance the flavor .. "

Alternatively it is common to replace alcohol with honey as the solvent of dry herbs in a recipe.

Cold infusion is for this the simplest method : place the herbs in a jar, cover them with honey and allow the blend to sit for 2 weeks, then press through a fine mesh strainer. This is slow and can result in a sticky mess hence hot infusion may be preferred : as honey is heated it absorbs flavor faster and becoming thinner it is easier to pour. The hot infusion method is usually done with a double boiler to prevent the honey from burning.

Infused honey stored at room temperature will keep indefinitely, refrigeration would cause crystallization.

Herbs and Spices, Hoya, Hoya seeds, Orchid seeds, Ferns, Fern spores are for sale on aleyagarden.com Plant care is available in various posts of this blog. Contact : aleyagarden@hotmail.com

Popular African spice blends

Some popular African spice blends include curcuma, galangal, anise, mace, tamarind, cardamom, cloves, pepper, cumin, nutmeg, chilies, cilantro, cinnamon, fenugreek, garlic, ginger, mint, onions, parsley, sesame, fennel seeds, garlic, lavender ...
Among them in Northern Africa are the notorious Harissa from Tunisia, the Chermoula, the Egyptian Dukkah, in Morocco the La Kama, the Berber blend and the Ras-el-hanout.  

Ras-el-hanout is known to include up to 50 plant ingredients mixed to favor couscous, tajines (slow-cooked stews) and rice.  Learn the recipes on wikispices.com

Herbs and Spices, Hoya, Hoya seeds, Orchid seeds, Ferns, Fern spores are for sale on aleyagarden.com Plant care is available in various posts of this blog. Contact : aleyagarden@hotmail.com

Uncooked freshwater fish and some Thai fermented products : risks of viral infections

For their survival in the adverse environments of the hot and humid tropical forests, plants develop the ability to synthesize a wider variety of protective chemical compounds than temperate plants; these potent phytochemicals scavenge free radicals and reduce oxidants, with beneficial effects on long-term health when consumed by humans.

 Since ancestral times, generations of the large and diverse population in India have been using tropical plants for their diets - India has one of the lowest incidence of cancers in the world,  in 2008 the Age-standardised incidence rates per 100,000 men were 360.5 in Australia but only 92.9 in India : almost 4 times less ! Similar rates are observed in the Arabian Peninsula closely linked with Asian spices throughout its history.

  Wherever in the world, as long as traditional lifestyles are associated with nutrition habits centered on a variety of whole tropical herbs and spices they protect against cancer and other diseases.  Not all traditional habits are healthy however : in south East Asia the consumption of freshwater uncooked fish or the different types of fermented fish and pork products is known to spread viral infections that cause hepatitis,

Herbs and Spices, Hoya, Hoya seeds, Orchid seeds, Ferns, Fern spores are for sale on aleyagarden.com Plant care is available in various posts of this blog. Contact : aleyagarden@hotmail.com

Hawayij : recipe of a protective spice blend of Saudi Arabia

Many observers believe that the Hawayij blend of Saudi Arabia in traditional diets has health

benefits :


Ingredients :
• 2 Tablespoons black pepper - Piper nigrum -
• 1 Tablespoon caraway seed - Carum carvi -
• ½ teaspoon cardamom seed - These are of the genus Elettaria , commonly called cardamom, green cardamom, or true cardamom, distributed from India to Malaysia or of the genus Amomum commonly known as black or brown cardamom, kravan, Java cardamom, Siamese cardamom, white cardamom, or red cardamom and distributed mainly in Asia and Australia -
• 1 teaspoon saffron threads - spice derived from the flower of Crocus sativus native to Greece or South West Asia -
• 1 teaspoon turmeric - Curcuma longa native to tropical South Asia -

Recipe :
Black pepper, caraway and cardamom seeds are toasted and stirred over high heat for 2–3 minutes with a wooden spoon and ground in a mortar to a powder. Then the dried slices of Curcuma longa are ground and added with the saffron threads to the mortar and mixed. Read more on the role of spices in the Saudi Arabian cuisine : http://www.saudiaramcoworld.com/issue/198802/the.flavors.of.arabia.htm

Herbs and Spices, Hoya, Hoya seeds, Orchid seeds, Ferns, Fern spores are for sale on aleyagarden.com Plant care is available in various posts of this blog. Contact : aleyagarden@hotmail.com