Dubbed the “Queen of Herbs” by Jamie Oliver, Jekka McVicar has shared the best herbs to keep those winter chills and ills at bay, while also using them as an affordable option to add a healthy zest to any meal for cash strapped households. Born and brought up in Bristol, Jekka has travelled the world collecting and lecturing on herbs for over 30 years.
Taking a tour of Jekka’s Herbetum which is the largest in UK in terms of herb varieties, there is a hothouse and numerous ‘tunnels’ with hundreds of herbs at various growing stages. Jekka, who highlighted that she is not a herbalist but a herb grower, said thyme, rosemary, sage, garlic and mint are five herbs which can make a difference when treating colds and flu, coughs, sore throats and other common winter ailments.
“Drink warm water every morning with a slice of lemon or lemon thyme. Thyme is great for colds and coughs. Take a good sprig, add boiled water - not boiling as that ruins the oils in the herb - and let it infuse. This is very good taken last thing at night,” she said.
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Rosemary is a favourite winter herb, which she said is good for colds, but also as a tea for “picking up spirits, restoring front end memory and relieving that element of sad during the dark winter months”. She recommended sage for sore throat, sore mouths and gums, saying : “It’s a great mouthwash and good to clean teeth with as well."
She also suggested Garlic Oxymel, an old remedy using garlic, honey and cider vinegar fused together which is used to boost the immune system in winter. A Garlic and Lemon elixir has also long been known to be a preventative for colds and flu, while she said recent scientific research has showed this has promising effects on cholesterol levels.
And a sprig of Pennyroyal mint, according to Jekka will clear the sinuses, while an onion and honey fusion soothes a prickly throat. To do this cut up an onion, put into a jar and cover with honey, leave in dark cupboard for 7 days, strain the syrup into a jar which will keep in the fridge for up to a month. This has antioxidant and antimicrobial properties.
She also provided a few tips on how fresh herbs can transform a dish from 'dull to delish'. She added that with the cost of living crisis hitting many families this winter, simply adding herbs to food was not only healthy, but also easy on the budget.
“For a simple winter meal, fry an onion, add a sprig of rosemary and a tin of tomatoes to make hearty tomato soup. Ginger rosemary is also great with roast potatoes. Bay leaves are fantastic in soups and stews, but they also make the best ice-cream. Put two bay leaves into vanilla custard, simmer and let it fuse,” she said. Take the bay leaves out and do the taste test.
Jekka’s Herbetum has over 500 different herbs used for culinary and medicinal purposes. This includes 28 varieties of rosemary, award winning Bay trees, as well as rare herbs from around the world.
There is the Oyster Leaf plant from Greenland which has become endangered in the wild due to global warming. There is also Jangalang, a herb grown by the northern tribes in China and used to regulate sugar levels and Szechuan Pepper, also from China which is a gastric tonic, to name a few.
Jekka started gathering her herb knowledge from her mother, saying : “My mum had a very productive vegetable and herb garden and would send me out to collect herbs. Before I had even started school, I could tell the difference between French parsley and Curly parsley, or apple mint and spearmint."
When her own children were small, her herbs were overflowing in the family’s semi-detached home in Bristol in the 80s and when a friend popped over for some French tarragon, Jekka said: “I realised you couldn’t buy it fresh, in fact no-one was really doing fresh herbs,” she said.
That was the start of her business with Fortnum & Mason signing up as one of her first customers. The family moved out to an old farm in Thornbury, just outside of North Bristol and Jekka’s Herbetum was started.
And as they say the rest is history. In the last 30 years, Jekka has been awarded the Victoria Medal of Honour for her work in the field, which is the highest honour for British Horticulturists. She is Vice-President of the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), Vice President of the Herb Society and RHS Ambassador. She has 62 RHS Gold Medals, including the Chelsea Flower Show and Hampton Court Flower Show, among numerous other awards.
She has written eight books, selling over one million copies worldwide, also published in Korean, Chinese and Japanese and has lectured across the globe, as well as working with many top chefs. But for this ex-rock chick, who in her 20s played at the Pilton Blues Festival which was the forerunner to the Glastonbury Festival, there’s no place like her own herb garden where she works seven days a week in her happy place.
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