A Magickal Herball Compleat.pdf - Magicka School

Herb Culinary Uses
Parsley (flat
leafed)
Parsley
(curly)
Rosemary
Wonderful when roughly chop and added inside a fish on the grill.
Chop finely and cook with poached cod, served with drizzled olive
oil and lemon.
Finely chop and add to boiled potatoes served with lashings of
butter.
Used in Italy when roasting potatoes, alongside bay and sage.
Before cooking lamb marinade for several hours (overnight is ideal)
in rosemary olive oil and garlic. Just delicious!
Sorrel Sorrel has a lemony taste and can be used in salads.
Best for chicken and lamb.
Tarragon Crush and add to butter and then spread on chicken before
roasting.
Harvesting and Storing Herbs
By and large herbs are very hardy plants and because of this they will often
withstand a fair amount of harvesting and many plants can be cut right back
(within 10 centimetres of the ground) in the summer without doing them any long
term damage.
Quite when they are harvested will depend on what you are intending to use them
for. If being used for magickal work the exact time can often be important and
more often than not will be dictated by the phase of the Moon, if used for
cooking and healing then the best time will often be in the morning and just
before a particular herb has begun to flower. Use a sharp knife or scissors, as you
will need to be careful not to rip at the plant.
There are a variety of storage techniques available today. Let’s start with the most
ancient:
Drying
With this technique it is important that leaves and stem have been harvested. The
stems should be tied with rubber bands, string, or wire bag fasteners. Place a paper
bag (paper and not plastic as the plant will “sweat”) over the leafy part and then
hang upside down in a dry, clean area – an airing cupboard, shed, covered porch,
garage or attic are all ideal locations so long as the plant is not in direct sunlight.
Once dry you are then ready to pick off the leaves, grind them into small pieces
and place in a clean, sealed glass container -airtight is best as this will preserve the
herb for a few years. These should then be stored in a cool, dry and dark place.
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