I took a long walk in Prospect Park last week with fellow naturalist and forager Josh Kalin in search of elderflowers in hopes of making elderflower liqueur. With a little internet research I learned a few ways of creating it and how to identify the plant. Unfortunately our search wound up empty, at least as far as elderflower was concerned. We determined that the flowers weren't open yet and made arrangements to hunt again another day.

Not to be deterred we walked on and started hunting for other bounty. The park is loaded with garlic mustard, a non-native "weed" that the park would rather eradicate. It's one of the plants I don't feel any hesitation about harvesting knowing that it does more good than harm. We also harvested violet leaves and flowers, curly dock and gout weed, and stopped to sample a few other things along the way as well.

Still, I had cocktails in mind, or at least the macerated elixirs that plants and spirits engender. I remember long ago chomping on sassafras along the Long Meadow. Josh remembered another sassafras tree in a wooded area and took us to the spot where he'd harvested before to make a sassafras root liqueur. We climbed over a lot (I mean a lot) of downed trees from last year's tornado, as well as some of the other violent storms we've had the past year, looking for the small saplings that sprout but die soon after since there's not enough light to sustain them, all the while tripping over tree branches.

I picked both leaves and pulled up sapling roots. The leaves I left to dry overnight since they seemed very watery. The roots I gently scrubbed clean and left to dry overnight. Then they were carefully cut up with my garden clippers as a knife didn't seem to do it. They've been sitting in vodka for over a week now and I think I'll leave it a bit longer. So far it smells earthy, licorice-y and definitely has notes of root beer. The leaf I filtered the next day. It's incredibly dark and viscous, I can't even see through the bottle. I filtered it six days ago and there's no sediment and it hasn't clarified at all. It tastes really nice, tho, and very different from the root. I'm thinking sassafras and soda's in the garden this summer.

The best recent discovery was the sweet woodruff in the herb garden, but that's another story for later.

The healing effects of Mustard have been appreciated by many cultures for centuries. The ancient Greeks and Romans, Europeans, and Native Americans have all used mustard for medicinal purposes. It is known for it's detoxification and purification abilities, increasing circulation, oxygenation and the elimination of toxins. Mustard baths are recommended for treating headaches, colds and cough. The effects of rheumatic pains and neuralgias are also decreased through regular use.

Lately the aches and pains of life (traveling, gardening and working out) are taking their toll and I've started to search for a remedy. I came across some literature about the healing benefits of mustard baths and decided to try it out.

I combined mustard with sodium bicarbonate to neutralize acid and restore pH balance. The essential oils of wintergreen, thyme, eucalyptus and rosemary are added to reduce muscle soreness. The effect of my first bath amazed me. First I got my house in order so that I could go straight to bed as was suggested. I prepared my bath and sunk into the yellow fragrant water and let go of the details of the day. As I soaked I felt my body let go of the tension and I finally relaxed. I always do a little ritual meditation when I pull the plug on the spent bathwater, imagining my tension and woes being drawn off of me and circling the drain. Afterward I showered off the residual mustard and made my way to bed.

I am now a true believer in the power of this ancient herb. I slept soundly straight through the night and woke up refreshed and definitely less tense. I was inspired to share my conversion with my clients so formulated and packaged my own Mustard Bath for Herbal Alchemy Apothecary, in a packet good for one bath or a jar with two or three.