Herbal syrups are a time-honored way to administer not-so-pleasant-tasting herbs to the young ones and picky eaters in your life. Tasty on their own by the spoonful, they also add an herbal boost to your favorite culinary recipes and libations. Try them in teas, desserts, bubbly beverages, cocktails, DIY root beers, or atop ice cream.

This sweet, syrupy liquid often comes with a negative connotation, but not all vegetable glycerine is the same. It’s true that most vegetable glycerine on the market is a by-product of the soap-making and biodiesel industries, but safe, high quality glycerine does exist. Here at Mountain Rose Herbs, we carry pure organic vegetable glycerine and find it to be a wonderfully versatile ingredient for herbal preparations.

For chocolate lovers, very few things compare to snapping open a raw cacao bean, rubbing it between your palms to crumble your own cacao nibs, and taking a deep inhale. If you’ve never tried raw cacao (pronounced “kah-cow”), you might be in for a bit of a surprise.

Who doesn’t love a hot bowl of Tom Kha? I’m yet to encounter such a person. I first discovered this tasty Thai soup back in college at a local Eugene, Oregon joint. The trifecta of fresh and traditional herbs completely blew my mind. Lemongrass, Thai makrut lime leaves, and galangal root (where the “kha” in “tom kha” comes from) give this soup its incredible and unmistakable flavor. 

Fire Cider is a popular (and tasty!) herbal folk remedy popularized by esteemed herbalist, Rosemary Gladstar (who inspired the recipe below). This tasty vinegar infusion powered by warming and wellness-supporting ingredients is an especially pleasant and easy way to boost natural health processes, stimulate digestion, and raise your internal thermostat on cold days. Mmm...mmm!...how we love this hot and sweet, zesty, vinegary recipe!

In early August, we had the pleasure of visiting with herbalist Richo Cech from Strictly Medicinal Seeds at his ranch in southern Oregon. We were greeted not only by Richo’s friendly smile, but also by his beautiful garden full of thriving herbs and happy pollinators.

Caffeine is a way of life in modern western culture. The philosopher Terence McKenna once jokingly quipped that if caffeine were to disappear from the western diet the economy might collapse due to no one getting any work done! Here at Mountain Rose Herbs, we certainly enjoy our organic black and green teas, organic yerba mate, and even organic, fairly traded coffee. Some of us like to get creative with our caffeine intake, and guarana seed offers an excellent alternative.

Growing up, game night was one of my favorite things. Whether playing at a campground with my family by lantern light, or in my living room on a winter evening with friends while sipping hot cider, game night was something special to look forward to all year long. Much of the magic of game night was found in gathering with others and sharing the same activity. Now as a parent, I know that one of the best things about board games is how they engage our brains and cognitive process. What a great thing to combine that wonderful benefit with my love of herbs.

Vanilla beans are the ripened fruit of the tropical orchid Vanilla planifolia. This is the only orchid in the world that produces an edible fruit. Over the last year, we have seen prices more than double for this culinary favorite.

A sip of herbal tea or a dropperful of tincture can be the catalyst for a lifelong pursuit of herbalism. Many of us begin our studies making these simple and effective preparations, yet basic concepts sometimes become complicated when trying to decipher Latin binomial nomenclature, formulations, physiological actions, and historical research. The most common mix-ups arise from misused terminology, and one term that tends to be applied to a variety of preparations is tincture.

Call me frugal, but I love to save money. Nourishing herbal infusions are a great way to add a bit of extra botanical sustenance into your life without spending a lot of cash. Drinking herbal infusions has been a regular practice of mine for years now.