Bring these to your Valentine's date or Galentine's social. See the video and screenshot your ingredient list on YouTube or Pinterest.
I love cooking with herbs and gem and flower essences. This recipe includes both! Thanks to the fairies (don't forget to ask for their help) and nature medicine, I get to enjoy my recipes bringing lots of smiles. This Strawberry Agar Agar Jelly Herbal Recipe is light, playful, and romantic. Here is the skinny:
5 cups water (the recipe yields about 4 cups of sauce that will gel in your silicone mold, or use another dish, cut into shapes, or use a small cookie cutter.)
20 grams powdered agar agar (agar agar is a plant based gelatin alternative used in many Japanese desserts, soups, and sauces)
2 Tablespoons dried rose petals (rose petals open your heart) OR use 1/4 cup fresh (untreated) rose petals
2 teaspoons dried hibiscus (hibiscus reminds us of our life, vitality, and especially physical or creative joy)
1 Tablespoon rose hips (see our latest Plant Meditation Club post on rose hips) it is a wonderful herb for deep heart resuscitation, as in healing after tragedy or heart break that may have put your heart on hold).
1 cup of strawberry purée (strawberry helps you feel queen energy no matter what the circumstances, enjoy the medicine of this perky crowned fruit)
150 grams of honey (local and raw if possible) add the raw honey after the sauce has cooled to below 104 degrees F, if you don't care about it being raw, at least cool to under 130 degrees F, otherwise honey can release toxins)
5 drops wild rose flower essence (What, more rose? Yes!! Wild rose flower essence is amazing for helping feel like life is fun again. Do you feel bored and like it's all the same thing over and over? Try wild rose flower essence.
Granulated sugar to sprinkle
Note: As you may have gathered, different parts of the same plant have slightly different actions and results. Rose is so special. I am lucky to be surrounded by them, in the City of Roses, Portland, Oregon. Treat yourself and your buds to some rose medicine for Valentine's or Galentine's. Once you try it, I hope you will want to enjoy more good feelings courtesy of plant medicine, year round. Life should not be blahsville. If you don't want to gather all the dry herbs, substitute 4 Tablespoons of Sexy Smokes herbal smoking blend, it will give a similar feel, but with more of an earthy sensuality than a light feel. Get it here.
STEPS:
• First make your pretty red tea base, by boiling your herbs in 5 cups of water for 1-4 minutes.
• Slowly add in and wisk the agar agar until it dissolves fully.
• Turn off the heat and stir in 1 cup of strawberry purée.
• When the temperature is around 100 degrees fahrenheit, stir in the honey til it melts
• Finally, add 5 drops of wild rose flower essence.
Pour into molds and allow to cool. When cool, cut your sheet, use cutter shapes, or pop out of molds. Sprinkle with sugar and you are ready for a good time!
Lily Arati Michaud (she/her) is a passionate herbalist, founder of Brown Bear Herbs, and Board of Directors member of Herbalists Without Borders. Goals include: sharing and enjoying natural medicine and working for social justice. She also loves mom life, making art, and cooking.
