The Prepper Broadcasting Network - Herbal Medicine for Preppers: Survival Gardening - Nasturtium, Chrysanthemum, Lambs Quarters and Amaranth

Starting point is 00:00:00 Hey y'all, welcome to this week's show. We are continuing our series of medicinal plants you can grow in your garden that are also good edible plants. We've been talking about a lot of the culinary herbs and spices that have medicinal uses. And last week we began talking about kind of other, kind of, I call them wild cards these are plants like we talked about the docks and sorrels last week that uh will be better uh tasting and such if you grow them in your garden but you can find plenty of them in the wild so i actually i don't grow these you know but one that i i absolutely um prioritize and i'll start with today is nasturtium now nasturtium is really cool with today is nasturtium. Now nasturtium is really cool. You may just know this as an ornamental flower. You will see this growing probably any garden center. Most people who grow flower gardens, any kind of ornamental garden beds, like to have nasturtiums. What most people don't know is it's medicinal and edible. In fact, I mean, I love nasturtiums.

Starting point is 00:01:09 Medicinally, nasturtium is antimicrobial, antiviral, and high in vitamin C. So here we are, you know, we're going back into cold and flu and COVID season and RSV and all this. And here's one you can grow in flower pots in your window this time of year. You can grow it all in your garden next year. And it's particularly useful for colds, flus, respiratory illnesses, and urinary tract infections. You can use nasturtium as a poultice on a wound to help combat infections and help the wound heal. This is what I would call an essential survival plant because it's also really good food. The flowers and leaves are edible and very tasty as salad grains.

Starting point is 00:01:58 They have a peppery taste. When Europeans first discovered this plant, the similar the flavor so similar to watercress which uh led to the name nasturtium was actually an old term for watercress now if you've ever had a watercress sandwich you know it's got that peppery like radish or mustardy green you know kind of horseradishy type flavor cooked much more mild but what i really love and and this is you know if you want to impress somebody um i mean i don't know maybe you're you're you're gonna be cooking for a family event or you want to just really impress your date or your wife or husband or whatever right um especially if someone's like not really a salad eater,

Starting point is 00:02:47 right? But you want to just throw out a few things from your garden and just really impress them. Nasturtium flowers are really pretty. You can make a salad of mixed greens, you know, maybe chop a few chives on there and grab some nasturtium flowers, maybe some borage flowers. And I mean, you have just the prettiest plate imaginable I mean you put that beside a steak and who wasn't going to be happy you know a little blue cheese dressing on there and I mean yeah that's my kind of I mean that's that's really the way I eat I mean I'll grab some fresh herbs and some fresh stuff from the garden to go with my on the side of my scrambled eggs in the morning or throw it in with an omelet. For lunch, it may be smoked fish and a salad, mixed herbs and vegetables.

Starting point is 00:03:38 For dinner, big old cut of beef or venison or whatever I got. you know big old cut of beef or or venison or you know whatever I got um half a rabbit you know whatever with a nice pile of fresh salad greens right there and I mean that I love it I mean honestly I'll throw a few red clover blossoms in there um gosh there are a lot of really good edible flowers roses or edible violets are really good and we've talked about all that before but the nasturtium has that nice peppery flavor that i really like i mean if you like horseradish if you like um you know mustard greens you're gonna you're gonna really enjoy nasturtiums and they're so packed with violets the coolest thing though in my opinion, is the buds. The unopened flower buds can be pickled, and they're like capers.

Starting point is 00:04:31 They're really good. In fact, they have a better flavor, in my opinion, than actual capers. So you can pickle them with vinegar and salt, you know, or you can do a fermented pickle. Actually, all those recipes from my book, The Omnivore's Guide to Home Cooking. Oh, let me go ahead and before I forget it, I'll have this in the show notes. You know, James, the head guy here at Prepper Broadcasting, put out the annual Prepper's Gift Catalog. It's a PDF form. You'll see all of all the hosts, all the broadcasters, our books, various, you know, stored food items, tools, everything. The perfect gifts for preppers

Starting point is 00:05:18 are in there. So I'm going to put that in the show notes. And I'm sure you can find it on the site already, but we're going to be posting this all over our social media. So you'll, you'll see it for the next few days. I love it when you buy my books, you know, that's how I make my living. And as I always say, I'd love to be under your Christmas tree. Uh, and, and if, you know, don't forget the spoons and such that I carve. Um, in fact, this, uh, well, two days ago, Monday, I smoked a turkey, intending it to be for Thanksgiving. It may not make it that far because I smoked it with wild cherry and birch wood that were scraps from the spoons I have carved. You know, I've always got plenty of wood chips. So I got just a little bit of lump charcoal in there just to, you know, for the heat. And then just a handful of wood chips at a time.

Starting point is 00:06:07 And I mean, turkey smoked with wild cherry and paper birch may be the very best smoked meat combination I've ever found. It is phenomenal. If you go to judsoncarrollwoodcraft.substack.com, you can see a couple of cherry birch spoons from which that wood came, from which it came, and they're for sale. They make great Christmas gifts. Don't forget that. Now, let's get back to nasturtium. Nasturtium is, look it up. This is one of the prettiest flowers there is.

Starting point is 00:06:42 And it has a trailing habit, kind of vines, you know, grows really well between other plants and it could be trellised. What's nice about growing it in your garden is it actually has properties, oils that are natural insect repellent and can help protect your vegetables from pests. Nasturtium grows fine in full sun or partial shade, and it really doesn't require much in terms of soil fertility or water. It's just one of the easiest plants to grow. And like I said, to me, I mean, I'd have nasturtiums and, you know, garlic and maybe sages and mints on hand just for survival. So another one that is really interesting that also has really good insect repellent properties is chrysanthemum.

Starting point is 00:07:36 Now, there's several varieties of chrysanthemum. You probably know these as just potted fall flowers, right? Some are edible. I don't know if all of them are edible. I know the Japanese actually grow, it's called shungiku, I think. It is a specific chrysanthemum bred to be a garden vegetable. been able to research all of them. All chrysanthemum flowers make a good medicinal tea. The property of this plant, it has an insecticidal property due to a compound called pyrethrum. Now, pyrethrum is something, well, you can't buy it over the counter in its chemical form. It's prescription only. But you can make tinctures of chrysanthemum. You can have your own pyrethrum.

Starting point is 00:08:29 Now, it's not going to be as strong as the pharmaceutical grade, but this is the best thing, you know, for any kind of infestation. for any kind of infestation, um, like pyrethrum, um, is used in the, the, it is one of the compounds in that stuff for head lice. You know, if you've ever had a kid that has the head lice and you have to put the stuff on there, that's, so it is available over counter, just, just not by itself, not in that like full prescription strength. Uh, All chrysanthemum is good to grow in the garden because it helps keep out the insects that will damage your vegetables and such. Apparently, chrysanthemum was introduced to Japan from Europe. And like I said, instead of viewing it as merely an ornamental flower or a medicinal herb,

Starting point is 00:09:29 they turned it into a nice garden vegetable, and it is quite tasty. I really like it. It's a salad green or a pot herb, just like the nasturtiums. Very well worth growing, especially because it's a cool season vegetable. And it can be harvested in the time of year when most of your other, the rest of your garden isn't even coming in yet. You know, medici, it's a bitter tonic herb and it's very good for digestion and the liver. Now, I think I'll give you one more, one more. I actually just did a large podcast on this one, I think two weeks ago, my Southern Appalachian Herbs podcast.

Starting point is 00:10:07 So I'm not going to cover a ton about it right now because you can pull that up and you can get a good, you know, half hour, 45 minutes on this plant specifically. And it's lamb's quarters and amaranth. These are, it's so ridiculous that people consider these weeds okay um these amaranth was like one of the staple grains for native americans uh to the point that um you know when the spanish were trying to come to take over colonize and uh quail subdue um parts of Mexico, they outlawed the growing of it to make the natives there dependent on Spain for grain. I mean, it was, I mean, along with chia seeds and some of the other grains that they ate, yeah, there was actually laws against it. Lamb's quarters are just like everywhere.

Starting point is 00:11:03 I mean, they probably grow just about everywhere in the world. They're the chinopodium family. You might know it as goosefoot. You might know it as various names. It's a very mild green. It tastes like spinach. In fact, one of the fellows I've communicated before, he's a market gardener. He takes his produce to the farmer's market.

Starting point is 00:11:26 And lamb's quarters grows fine in the heat when the spinach is already over. He sells lamb's quarters as wild spinach, and people actually prefer it and will really line up and buy all he can sell. Excellent, very, very nutritious. This is survival food as both the amaranth and the lamb's quarters, as both vegetable and for the grain. There are ornamental varieties. You may see love flies bleeding as one. You'd be amazed, like 10,000 mean no 100 000 seeds from like one flower head i mean it this is absolutely survival plant and it's like the docks and sorrows you're going to see it

Starting point is 00:12:16 growing everywhere i've seen lambsquarters growing in um you know a walmart parking lot just coming up in the medians and you know can't harvest it there because of the runoff and such, but it will grow in the worst conditions. Excellent pot herbs, excellent grains. By definition, it's not a weed. Even though it's considered a weed, it's not a weed. It's a native plant to the Americas. It's a native plant to the Americas. It's a native plant to Europe. It was written about by Dioscorides and one of the favorite

Starting point is 00:12:49 foods of like every Native American tribe. I don't know why people started calling it a weed. That makes no sense at all. And the billions of dollars spent by Americans every year trying to get rid of lambsquarters and dandelions is ridiculous. You know, the plants, like I said, they can be weedy or they can be cultivated like the lovelies bleeding and other really pretty amaranths. Common goosefoot is also called pigweed. All of them. The leaves can be eaten raw or cooked. The seeds may either be milled into a flour or eaten whole or turned into a porridge. I often toss a handful of the seeds just with wheat flour into my sourdough just to add a little crunch and extra nutrition to a loaf of bread.

Starting point is 00:13:43 I mean, it's really good. Native Americans usually made something of a porridge of the seeds, cooking them in hot water. You can sprout them. You can eat them as sprouts. The seeds are extremely nutritious, high in amino acids, vitamins, and minerals. And medicinally, the herbs are astringent and diuretic, useful for bleeding and diarrhea, and may be used as poultices for wounds.

Starting point is 00:14:12 So that is three just fantastic plants. You're going to find plenty of lamb's quarters growing wild, but they're going to be bigger and tastier if you grow them in the garden. The amaranths are so pretty, and nasturtiums and chrysanthemums I don't care if you live in like the most strict HOA POA I mean with literally the you know community Nazis coming around checking to see what you're growing there these are such pretty flowers that no one's going to think you're growing food or medicine. And absolutely, absolutely prioritize these as part of your survival garden. So all this information comes from Growing Your Survival Herb Garden for preppers, homesteaders, permaculture people, and everyone else. I hope if you haven't gotten

Starting point is 00:15:05 a copy already, you will purchase that. And any of my books, you know, I've written and published 11 so far, and I have two more that'll be out within the next couple of months, God willing. So keep an eye out for that. And anyway, y'all have a wonderful Thanksgiving. Just enjoy being with, you know, family, friends, loved ones, people. People leave our lives all too quickly. And these are the moments, you know, cherish them. I hope you have the opportunity to spend this holiday with the people you care about and enjoy the food that you enjoy. And just remember to give thanks.

Starting point is 00:15:49 That's actually what we're supposed to be doing on Thanksgiving. I don't think our culture necessarily prioritizes that aspect of the holiday. And that's a shame. That's a shame. of, uh, of the holiday. And that's a shame. That's a shame. And, um, you know, I miss Rush Limbaugh so, so badly. Um, he always would read the story of the first Thanksgiving on Thanksgiving day. I think you can still find that online. Um, either, yeah, I think it's archived on his website. You probably get on YouTube. Um, Get your kids to listen to that. They're not going to be taught in history class in public schools. The real story, now, I mean, I have qualms with it.

Starting point is 00:16:33 You know, you're kind of taught in school that the Pilgrims were like the first Americans or something, but, you know, really, I mean, Jamestown was the first permanent English colony long before the Pilgrims. By the time they got here, I mean, New York had been established by the Dutch and was taken over by the English. Boston was a major area. The southern colonies from Virginia, Savannah, Georgetown, Charleston. I mean, you know, it was really after the Civil War when Lincoln introduced the holiday to kind of yankify, yankify American history. You know, he didn't really want to admit that America was mostly founded by Southerners,

Starting point is 00:17:15 that our first five presidents and such were all Southerners. And they kind of, it was propaganda to make people think that New England was really where America began. And the pilgrims that came here supposedly for religious freedom. I had an ancestor of the Mayflower. I don't begrudge them. I mean, by our standards, they would have been considered a religious cult. And child services would be up there taking their kids away. Because if you had a fire in your fireplace, they'd drag you out, put you in the stocks and beat you. That's not exactly the kind of religious

Starting point is 00:17:48 freedom most Americans came here for. You know, freedom to be a nutball cult was not exactly... I'm glad my ancestor headed south as quickly as he could. I'll just put it that way. But there are so many lessons to be learned from that story. I mean, originally, they had a plan to be socialists and they basically almost starved to death because socialism doesn't work. And, you know, there is a lot of good lessons in American history and nobody did it better than Rush Limbaugh. Every day I miss Rush Limbaugh for 20 years. You know, 20 years,

Starting point is 00:18:29 five days a week, three hours a day, I listen to Rush Limbaugh. Probably the biggest male influence on my life, you know, because, you know, my dad left when I was five. My grandfather died when I was about 10. So for 20 years, I had Rush Limbaugh and the EIB network. And that's the reason I do this now. It was listening to Rush while I was in college that got me involved in politics and journalism and started doing a little radio. And actually, G. Gordon Liddy was sort of a mentor to me. And, uh, people say, well, you sound so comfortable when you do your podcast,

Starting point is 00:19:11 your voice is so clear. You're you, you don't get nervous. I mean, uh, people say I do a good interview. Some people say they even listen to my show like twice, uh, to help them sleep at night. Like, you know, they say your voice is so soothing. I don't get that. But, yeah, I am very comfortable with it because of the influence of Rush Limbaugh and G. Gordon Liddy and Neil Bortz. He was a big influence. They're irreplaceable. Absolutely irreplaceable.

Starting point is 00:19:43 Frankly, I think Sean Hannity's a moron. I don't listen to his show. Used to, but I just don't think he's bright. Bongino's good, but I mean, he's a little excitable. You know, I got to kind of turn him down sometimes, turn him off. Clay and Buck, I really don't like their show at all. They just kind of babble and talk over people, and they don't give any depth to topics. There's no replacement. There's no replacement for Rush Limbaugh, and that's a shame. Now, my friend Frank Salvato, he does a really good radio show. Check him out. He's got a free Substack newsletter if you want to hear a political radio show. You might remember Frank used to be on O'Reilly sometimes early on in the show. And man, O'Reilly's a jerk. I will not

Starting point is 00:20:32 listen to him. He is one arrogant jackass. He comes on the radio, I turn it off. Levin's good, but you know, he's kind of gone off the rails on some issues. I mean, when he said Matt Gaetz wasn't conservative, I mean, come on. And all in for sending more and more billions to Zelensky just to enrich the oligarchs. I don't get it. But, you know, time passes. And that's why I'm urging you, if you have the opportunity to spend time with your friends, with your family, with your loved ones, never miss it because they're gone too quickly.

Starting point is 00:21:13 All right, y'all. Have a great week. I'll talk with you next time. The information in this podcast is not intended to diagnose or treat any disease or condition. Nothing I say or write has been evaluated or approved by the FDA. I'm not a doctor. The U.S. government does not recognize the practice of herbal medicine, and there is no governing body regulating herbalists. Therefore, I'm really just a guy who studies herbs. I'm not offering any advice.

Starting point is 00:21:41 I won't even claim that anything I write or say is accurate or true. I can tell you what herbs have been traditionally used for. I can tell you my own experience and if I believe in herbs help me. I cannot nor would I tell you to do the same. If you use an herb anyone recommends, you are treating yourself. You take full responsibility for your health. Humans are individuals and no two are identical. What works for me may not work for you.

The Prepper Broadcasting Network - Herbal Medicine for Preppers: Survival Gardening - Nasturtium, Chrysanthemum, Lambs Quarters and Amaranth

There aren't comments yet for this episode. Click on any sentence in the transcript to leave a comment.