What is Kombucha? Herbalist’s Edition!
Kombucha has become increasingly popular over the last decade, with an abundance of options popping up in grocery stores, restaurants, and craft breweries. Despite its more recent mainstream popularity, this fizzy drink has been around for much longer than that. Kombucha has a rich history of use spanning thousands of years for its benefits, and […]
How to Make Elderflower Champagne
We’ve featured a few herbal fermentation articles on the blog, but are you ready for another one? Here at the Herbal Academy, we love herbal fermentation! Not only is making your own ferments full of fun, but it’s also satisfying to the soul to harvest herbs from your surroundings (or purchase if necessary) and turn […]
Discover the Sweet Magic of Homemade Rose Hip Jam
If you’re anything like me, you’re always looking for new and meaningful ways to weave the magic of herbs into your daily life. I find the kitchen to be the most accessible place for everyday herbalism. Incorporating herbs into daily food routines—be it grinding spices into your morning coffee or adding vitex berries to a […]
Using Aromatherapy for Stress Support
The following excerpt, Using Aromatherapy for Stress Support, is excerpted from Aroma Alchemy by Holly Brandenberger, published by Watkins Publishing. Copyright © 2025. Using Aromatherapy for Stress Support and Relief Aromatherapy is a personal journey, and discovering the right oils for your wellbeing requires experimentation. The process of finding what works best can be both […]
DIY Thyme Honey Recipe for Coughs, Colds, and Sore Throats
Looking for a simple, natural way to care for coughs and colds? Thyme honey is a traditional preparation that brings together thyme, garlic, onion, and raw honey into a blend that supports respiratory health, soothes sore throats, and helps ease congestion. As the cooler months set in, having this powerful herbal preparation ready in your […]
Butterfly Pea Flower Latte with Lavender Rose Cold Foam
Butterfly pea (Clitoria ternatea) flower is well known for the dreamy blue hues it gives when blended into foods or drinks. These flowers, in particular, are known for their vibrant blue coloration, which is attributed to the high concentration of anthocyanins. But this herb is more than just a pretty face. It’s an herb that […]
Herb and Flower Homemade Pasta Recipe
While we’re edging slowly but surely away from the summer season, you may not be ready to say goodbye to flowers just yet. You likely still have some herbs and edible flowers blooming, and if you’re looking to give your culinary herbs and edible flowers one last hoorah before the summer’s end, you will want […]
How to Make Pickled Carrots with Lavender
The book excerpt below is taken from Preserving the Seasons by Holly Capelle. Preserving the Seasons is a straightforward and beautifully photographed guide to boiling water canning; drying, dehydrating, freeze-drying; freezing, infusing, and quick pickling. These are the easiest and most effective methods for preserving produce, herbs, and edible flowers. The recipe below for Pickled […]
How to Make Lemon Balm and Mint Cool Down Pops
Cool, colorful, and full of plant-powered flavor— frozen treats like the pops below are a playful way to enjoy herbs and fruits on hot summer days. Lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) and mint (Mentha spp.) are the perfect herbs to offer some refreshment as the temperatures soar. The following recipe for Lemon Balm and Mint Cool-Down […]
Experience Nature’s Gentle Touch With DIY Calendula Lotion
Calendula (Calendula officinalis) is a cheerful, bright yellow- and orange-flowered herb that reigns supreme at soothing and supporting the skin and mucous membranes, among other things. When applied topically, it helps with minor scratches, severe wounds, and even bacterial imbalances. This plant ally is a powerful flower to incorporate into topical herbal formulas, such as […]
Cooling Body Spray with Rose and Peppermint Essential Oil
Summer is here, and with it all the joys and woes of a warmer climate. Whether summer means road trips, picnics, or time spent by the pool, lake, or ocean, having ways to refresh your skin and cool down from the heat will help make those hot, lazy summer afternoons even more enjoyable. This cooling […]
Freshen Your Home With This Green Clean Stovetop Potpourri Recipe
Don’t you just adore the scent of a natural, freshly cleaned home? Bright notes of zesty lemons, fresh mints, evergreens, and a hint of lavender combine with a little vinegar to create that green clean aroma that we adore in our homes at this time of year. Unfortunately, many common cleaning products and fresheners, which […]
Herbal Capsules 101: Everything You Need to Know to Get Started
Herbal capsules are one of the most simple herbal preparations in the herbalist’s toolkit. Not only are they easy to make, but they are a convenient way to incorporate the benefits of herbs into your daily routine. Encasing powdered herbs in digestible capsules offers a discreet and tasteless alternative to other herbal preparations. Whether you’re […]
Breathe Easier This Winter: Make a Lavender and Sage Chest Rub
As the weather shifts and swings from autumn to winter to spring, we need herbal recipes in our repertoire to help combat stuffy sinuses. We have nothing against the standard mentholated chest rubs we all know and love, but they tend to have a very distinct smell that can err on the side of medicinal, […]
3 Refreshing Fruit & Herb Cordial Recipes
I love how alive everything is in the summer. The flora and fauna are out and about, and so are my friends, making last minute get-togethers far more common this time of year. There’s a certain kind of magic in hot summer evenings spent sharing conversations on a patio while an ice-cold refreshment condensates in […]
Homemade Butter with Lavender, Cardamom, and Fresh Flowers
As we progress into spring and colorful, eye-popping buds open into bloom, you may be inspired to find more ways to incorporate edible flowers into your herbal preparations and culinary creations. Be it sweet or savory dishes, spreads, jams, or chutneys, edible flowers add color, flavor, and wellness benefits to everyday food items. Have you […]
An Easy Ginger and Pomegranate Syrup Recipe for Both Sweet and Savory Dishes
In the fruits of antiquity through to today’s produce sections, there exists a singular food bearing a reddish-yellow peel and gem-like seeds – the pomegranate (Punica granatum). This cherished plant transcends mere taste. Though its sweet, sour, and astringent nature is a delightful treat, pomegranate has played a larger role than just a simple food […]
DIY Herbal Sore Throat Gargle
I have always been prone to respiratory infections so for me it’s not a question of if, but when I eventually come down with one of the many respiratory infections that get passed around this time of year. Now is the time to strategize. The worst part for me is always the sore throat, and […]
Handmade Cards With Plantable Seed Paper
Elevate your homemade cards with a touch of nature by crafting them with homemade seed paper—a plantable gift that keeps on giving! The seed paper can also be turned into charming gift tags, adding a delightful and eco-friendly touch to your expressions of love. Plantable seed paper is a creative and eco-friendly way to send […]
Make a Fermented Pine Needle Soda That is Bursting With Winter Flavors
Not just any soda! This pine needle soda recipe makes a delightful drink that is bursting with winter flavors: pine, ginger, and citrus, as well as aromatic herbs, which really shine during this cold season. Making your own pine needle soda at home can seem a little overwhelming or advanced at first—maybe you’ve heard stories […]
Cheers to a Nourishing New Year With a Gingerbread Latte Recipe
New Year’s Eve is an exciting time to celebrate and usher in a fresh new start! A night filled with reflective moments, resolutions, traditions, and delicious food and beverages. We want to help you raise a glass of gingerbread latte filled with nourishing herbs, spices, and ingredients to end the year right. This spiced gingerbread […]
Waning Moon Herbal Mix For Deep Nourishment
When you observe the flow of your energy cycles during any given month you may notice that your energy ebbs and flows. Sometimes you need to hang out in an eddy; other times you are flowing forward at full force. During any lunar cycle, we tend to have times of heightened creativity, activity, and extroversion […]
Make a Beautiful Winter Lantern With Pressed Flowers to Celebrate the Winter Solstice
Some celebrate the winter solstice with light—–bonfires or candles are perfect. And others celebrate with ripe fruits to acknowledge the sweetness of the season. A nice winter solstice ritual is to write down on a piece of paper something from the year that you are letting go of, and on another paper, something you are […]
This DIY Peppermint Candy Cane Body Scrub Will Exfoliate Dry Skin and Leave You Feeling Refreshed
The holiday season can be a wonderful time to spread joy and show off our blossoming herbalist skills! We’ve got a delightfully fresh and festive recipe you’ll want to try as a gift for others (be sure to make a little extra for yourself!). The DIY Peppermint Candy Cane Body Scrub recipe below is sure […]
Let Your Winter Cares Melt Away With These Chai Spice Bath Melts
While many are familiar with the comforting experience of sipping a warm cup of chai, here at the Herbal Academy we have concocted another way to engage the properties of these herbs— chai spice bath melts. In this exploration, we will delve into masala chai herbs and learn how to create chai spice bath melts […]
An Herbal Peanut Butter Cup Recipe That Supports the Nervous System
We’re deep into that time of the year when fall’s golden glow gives way to winter’s short, dark days. During this transition and into the months ahead, we may find ourselves craving warmth, be it in the form of a heavy, comforting blanket, a warm cup of tea, or sweet treats from our kitchen countertops […]
How to Make Herbal Electuaries + 2 Recipes to Get You Started
As far as homemade herbal preparations go, it doesn’t get much easier than herbal electuaries. This beginner-friendly herbal concoction is quick to make and use in a variety of ways, and you may already have the ingredients sitting in the kitchen to whip up your own blends right away! What is an herbal electuary, anyway? […]
Supporting Creativity and Activity: Herbs for the Waxing Moon
If the New Moon is the time for planting seeds and intentions, the Waxing Moon is the time when we move from intention-setting to bringing our hopes, dreams, visions, and goals into form and action. The waxing phase of the Moon is a time characterized by heightened extroversion, activity, and creativity. During this time, we […]
Cheesecloth Ghosts: A Halloween Craft for the Whole Family
Who remembers this spooktacular craft from their own childhood? A fun tradition that we very much want to pass along to all our herbalist friends, Halloween cheesecloth ghosts are cute, easy, and customizable. As an herbalist, you may just have everything you need on hand to create these adorable seasonal crafts. Plus, this gives you […]
Homemade Pumpkin Sugar and Spice Body Scrub
It’s August in Ohio as I write this and while the weather is still decidedly summery, I can’t help but look forward to the autumnal change that is right around the corner. The burst of colors from the trees, warm fuzzy sweaters, and pumpkin everything is already on my mind. While I delight at every […]
