Topic: Have you grown or tasted...

[goodlife]

Horehound.. Zapala fruit ...Lippia=aztec sweet herb?
Just something court my eye and I was wondering what do they taste like?
I've never seen them..nor tasted and I am now interested having a go..or should I not bother?  :-\

[GrannieAnnie]

We had brown horehound drops as kids. Tasted a bit like candied rootbeer, maybe not as sweet.

[saddad]

or Paracress.... anaesthetic or what!  :-\

[goodlife]

Oh Saddad..you shouldn't mention of that! ::)..just googled about paracress..looks really interesting.
I've now put an order for some seeds of Horehound, Zapala, Lippia and found some Costmary too..another new one for me.. ;D
So if anybody have any experience of any of these plants..growing or useage wise..please, let the info out..
Grannie..horehound drops don't sound bad..candied rootbeer taste..never had any..were they like sweets or literally drops..as herbal medicine?

[GrannieAnnie]

I've now put an order for some seeds of Horehound, Zapala, Lippia and found some Costmary too..another new one for me.. ;D
So if anybody have any experience of any of these plants..growing or useage wise..please, let the info out..
Grannie..horehound drops don't sound bad..candied rootbeer taste..never had any..were they like sweets or literally drops..as herbal medicine?

When I googled Horehound it said it has spread invasively through all of Australia! Maybe it is one to grow in a pot first THEN let it loose in the UK. And the headlines will read: Another Invasive Species Introduced by Curious Finn Who Said, "But I Was Only Attempting to Grow Everything Edible in the World in my Garden, Officer"

As I recall they were candy but also given for sore throats. One can still buy them at farmer's markets I think though not something I'd go hunting for if wild cherry cough drops are available ;D  So now we'll have to google your Zapala and Lippia...so goes the minutes and hours!

[goodlife]

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Another Invasive Species Introduced by Curious Finn Who Said, "But I Was Only Attempting to Grow Everything Edible in the World in my Garden, Officer" ;D :-X..."Marrubium is an erect mint-like plant, indigenous to Britain and widely distributed over Europe"...maybe I'm not doing any damage to the British flora with horehound.."Gerard recommended it for the bites of serpents and mad dogs.".. ;D..that should come handy.. ::) ;D

[GrannieAnnie]

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Another Invasive Species Introduced by Curious Finn Who Said, "But I Was Only Attempting to Grow Everything Edible in the World in my Garden, Officer" ;D :-X..."Marrubium is an erect mint-like plant, indigenous to Britain and widely distributed over Europe"...maybe I'm not doing any damage to the British flora with horehound.."Gerard recommended it for the bites of serpents and mad dogs.".. ;D..that should come handy.. ::) ;D

Save me from the Gerards of this world! Just give me opium ;D

[flattyre]

Lippia is lemon verbena - tenber shrub, easy from seed or cuttings - bring in side before frost - makes a nice tea.

[saddad]

Does anyone know if Paracress looses it's anaesthetic effect if wilted? Like nettles loose their sting?

[goodlife]

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Lippia is lemon verbena
Err...lemon verbena=Aloysia citrodora  and Aztec sweet herb=Lippia dulcis it does belong to verbena family though but lemon verbena is totally different plant altogether.
Yep..lemon verbena is for my opinion best testing lemony plant out of many others..highly recommended.. ;)
Saddad..I've looked into paracress I just can't make any sence of the info..as fresh and cooked leaves are used as 'greens' in foods and salads.
Yet other info says.."A decoction or infusion of the leaves and flowers is a traditional remedy for stammering, toothache, stomatitis, and throat complaints"
So looking at the last info the effect would not get lost if wilted..or 'cooked'..but then again the effect can't be that dramatic if the fresh and cooked leaves are used for culinary purposes.
It sounds like the most medicinal effect is with flowers. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acmella_oleracea and http://www.uni-graz.at/~katzer/engl/Spil_acm.html

[saddad]

I can assure everybody that you could not use the leaves for salad/culinary purposes.. an eighth of a leaf leaves the tongue and lips numb...  :-X

[GrannieAnnie]

To my way of thinking, I would not risk eating something based on Wikipedia's information. There are plenty of plant lookalikes
to cause you a problem, maybe even death.

My father in law was living in Guyana and was out for a walk once. He plucked from the road what he insisted to his wife was sugarcane that someone had dropped (they do grow sugarcane in Guyana so this wasn't totally off the wall thinking.)

Against her advice he took a chunk and bit into it and his whole mouth swelled up promptly. Looked like sugarcane but surely was not. Fortunately his airway wasn't blocked.

[goodlife]

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an eighth of a leaf leaves the tongue and lips numb... Is that with personal experience.. ;D
Call me weird or plain stupid...but I would love to try how that plant feel with little chewing.. ;D ;D Life is not meant to be boring.. ;D 

[saddad]

It was....
seed from a reputable supplier, plant looked like the picture... as you say very interesting flowers...  ::)

[GrannieAnnie]

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an eighth of a leaf leaves the tongue and lips numb... Is that with personal experience.. ;D
Call me weird or plain stupid...but I would love to try how that plant feel with little chewing.. ;D ;D Life is not meant to be boring.. ;D 

Have Life Support handy!

[goodlife]

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Have Life Support handy ;D..perharps I should make batch of these first..and if they taste bad..numb the mouth senceless with paracress afterwards.. :-X
"Horehound Candy
1/2 ounce dried horehound
1 cup boiling water
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
Put water and horehound, which may be procured of a druggist in one-ounce packages, in a saucepan and let stand one minute. Strain through double cheesecloth; these whould be half a cup of liquid. To liquid add sugar and cream of tartar, and stir until mixture boils. Wash down crystals from sides of saucepan with a butter brush dipped in cold water, and boil to 300 degrees F., or until it is very brittle when tried in cold water. Remove at once from the fire, and pour into buttered pan one fourth inch thick, or pour between candy bars. As soon as it cools a little, loosen it from the pan, and mark in small squares. Go over the marks with a knife until candy is cold, then break with the hands. Pack in air-tight jar, and keep in a cool place, or wrap in wax paper."
---The Candy Book, Alice Bradley [Little, Brown:Boston] 1929 (p. 130-131

[GrannieAnnie]

the horehound drops we ate as kids were oval and deep golden brown with a dusty look to the outside of them. I don't remember them numbing the mouth. they did keep us quiet for awhile though. Perhaps your OH will appreciate that part ;D

[goodlife]

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Perhaps your OH will appreciate that part.. :o... cheeky.. ;D ...you right though..perharps some horehound sucking break would be welcome .. ;D
And in years to come when they ask our secret for the long marriage..horehound! ;D

[saddad]

At least there is no silent "W"  :-X

[.]

 Numb Gums did you you say ?

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