solstice

Strawberries in June

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Three strawberries

Most months of the year find me waxing poetic about blueberries, not only my favorite berry, but also my favorite fruit due both to taste and nutrient value. Even raspberries tend to top my favorites list before strawberries, except for in June that is. In June, strawberries win it all, promising summer is nearly here despite the PNW’s distinctive month of Juneuary. There is nothing like the scent of slicing strawberries when they are perfectly ripe, plump and juicy and packed with so much flavor that the sweet taste hangs in the kitchen before one has ever even made it to a waiting mouth. While prepping strawberries the other day, I allowed myself to sink into the scent and occasionally snuck one straight into my mouth despite my intended goal of divvying them up in equal proportions for my two sons. I sliced through those bright red hearts and felt a bit cold blooded, but those juicy treats sent love notes of sweet scents out into the world despite the harshness of the knife. I thought about timing, and how much time dictates the way we look at things, interact with objects and others, and how it all changes, endlessly, as we are simply dancers reacting to a song that will eventually end.  

Although blueberries tend to get all the superfood attention in the berry department, strawberries are also packed with nutrition as well. They are well known for their vitamin C content, and have other vitamins, minerals, and fiber that make them a healthy addition to diets. Lately, they have also been touted as having cognition benefits to aging minds as well. Here is a link to a study that shows strawberries can benefit cognition issues related to aging: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33468271/.  

It is important to only eat organic strawberries. The Environmental Working Group (EWG) consistently lists strawberries as the number one fruit/vegetable that is contaminated with pesticides, including toxins that can cause cancer and/or reproductive issues, and chemicals banned by the EU. They regularly test 46 foods and list the “dirty dozen”, so if you are wondering what else is on the list, you can check it out here: https://www.ewg.org/foodnews/dirty-dozen.php. I can’t help but think this is related to the health and longevity expectancy in America compared to other comparable nations.

There’s a reason the full moon in June is known as the Strawberry Moon. The brief period when strawberries are at their peak is so monumental, even the moon takes note of this transient moment, destined to return but never for long. I hope your week leading up to the solstice and the full moon are full of sun, sweetness, and all of the ephemeral treats of June, along with a sincere appreciation for the fleeting delights the earth, and time, offer us.  

☀️🍓🌕 

St. John’s Wort Time of Year

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St. John’s Wort flowers this time of year, so it has a long history of use in summer solstice rituals. Many had to do with fertility or for young maidens to divine who their future husband will be. Yesterday, June 24th, was St. John’s Day which makes this still the perfect time of year to pick it for making oil and perhaps start your own summer solstice tradition. St. John’s Wort is the only herb that I know of where you must use the fresh plant to make an oil. The dried flowers just don’t work, trust me I’ve tried, but in general you want to use dried material for oils because water in oil can breed bacteria and mold. It is fine (and advisable) to dry your fresh St. John’s flowers at least overnight and up to 3 days to at least get some of the water dried off. The reason St. John’s oil is a prized herbal oil is because it has long been used for aches and pains so it makes for a great massage oil or bath oil specifically for soothing muscles. Just rubbing the oil on ache-y muscles in the morning and in the night is another way to use the oil.

To make an herbal oil with fresh material, you can use more material than with dried plants because the material will not expand as much in the oil. Take whatever size glass jar you want, let’s just say an eight ounce jar, fill it anywhere from half to 3/4 full of the fresh flower tops (in this case, 4-6oz worth of plant material), and then add the base oil up to nearly the top of the jar. You can “massage” the flower tops with a roller beforehand to prep them to give up their healing benefits most efficiently. The base oil can be any oil or combination of oils that you like to use such as sweet almond oil, grapeseed oil, jojoba oil, or sesame oil. Use a chopstick to stir the mixture a bit and put a piece of plastic wrap over the top of the jar if using a metal lid. If using a plastic lid, just cap it without the plastic. Turn the jar over a few times to make sure the herbs are all completely covered in the oil, then let it sit on a sunny shelf for 4-8 weeks. (Make sure you label it with the contents and date.) Turn the mixture upside down and back a few times every day for the first week, then at least every other day for the rest of the time and be extra mindful to watch for cloudiness or an off smell. The oil should turn a dark orange or reddish color over the 4-8 weeks.

When you are ready to use the oil, strain the mixture into a clean glass jar, cap it, and put a new label on it with the contents and date. Even though you want to make it with the help of the sunshine, it’s best to store it in a cool dark place once it’s made.

I have a couple of YouTube videos on making oils and although they were made using dried herbs, the process is basically the same if you want to take a peek: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2qObdwN9kk and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PcE9gGbk0Zg