Most of our livers could likely use a little support. In previous posts, we’ve detailed Herbal Pills that support the liver and, most recently, we talked about Spring “weeds” that one could eat to cleanse the system after the stagnation of winter.
@sagescrub wrote a great point in the comments,
I am not as excited about the flavor of yellow dock as I am with burdock though. I have made yellow dock decoctions before and don't find myself picking it up to drink very often unless I twist my arm.
Liver supporting, heat-clearing herbs can be bitter and it can be difficult to take them in a standard decoction (boiling of the herb for 10 min or more). Today, we’re going to walk you through how to use Yellow Dock and Black Strap Molasses to make an Herbal Syrup that is nutritious and healing.
According to Planetary Herbology by Michael Tierra,
Yellow dock Rumex crispus
Is used to treat skin diseases, liver disorders and iron deficiency… It is used for anemia during pregnancy and anemia generally. It has a tonic-laxative effect good for treating rheumatism and bile congestion. As an astringent, it treats hemorrhoids and bleeding from the lungs. It functions similarly to rhubarb as a purgative, but has a milder action.
It is specific for a variety of chronic and acute skin diseases including psoriasis, urticaria and eczema (all of a hot and inflammatory nature).
Basically this herb is a huge ally in helping the body clear what the Chinese call “heat”. “Heat” is one of the leading causes of inflammation, infections and most diseases. As we know, inflammation in the body does nothing but wreak havoc and it’s an important symptom to address.
Use
We like to take Yellow Dock in synergistic pills, but we’ve also had an interest for some time in making and taking the syrup.
Over the weekend, Ini spotted some prime yellow dock near a clean waterway and dug some up. Yellow dock is a very easy to plant to find, especially near waterways.
Just make sure the area is free of contaminants and you have permission to dig there. Yellow dock is prevalent, but, as always, make a connection with the plant first and make sure it’s ok that you dig it up.
You can also buy it dried from a reputable source.
Herbal Syrups are advantageous to use for many reasons:
As Rosemary Gladstar says,
Syrups are the most yummy of all herbal preparations. Because they are sweet, children often prefer their medicine in this form and for those people who are unfamiliar with the bitter taste of medicinal herbs, syrups prove a good introduction to the world of herbal medicine.
Making the Herbal Syrup
Boil ½ lb of the crushed root in 2 pints of water. We had fresh root so we used a lb of it.
Reduce the liquid to ½
Add half a pint of blackstrap molasses, which enhances its blood tonic action
Take 1 tablespoon or teaspoon two or three times a day
As you can see, this is quite an easy recipe that yields fantastic results. It takes care of the issue of yellow dock’s bitter nature, which many find unpalatable and produces an extremely nourishing and rejuvenating herbal medicine.
As with many roots, yellow dock is a champion at bringing up minerals and nutrients into its roots that can be hard to find in the modern diet. By using yellow dock in this way, we’re liberating these constituents and infusing the molasses with them.
That's the real deal!
I used the seed as an herbal cleanse also.
If anyone needs some yellow dock seed to grow your own, I have plenty.
Just contact to confirm shipping.
Thanks mountainjewel for the info!
Awesome offer!! Blessings!!
Wow, if you have enough, I would love to buy some to make them available in our free seed bank. We don't have any growing around here, but I have bought the cut roots before. I would love to grow some myself.
It is a very beneficial post. Thank you.
Thank you for this great post. I have yellow dock growing on my property and was not sure what to do with it. Now I know.
awesome! super happy to hear this <3
How cool of you to introduce us to the medicinal plants that surround us. I have so much to learn in that area, especially since our kids are quick to toss a random leaf or berry into their mouths! I just love this new movement to "eat our weedies." Reminds me of a little vid we created along those lines, after interviewing our friend who turned her urban farm into a native plant garden:
oh thanks for this! i'll delight in watching it when the internet isn't choppy due to the weather!! so true that it's important to educate ourselves so we can teach our kids (and make sure they don't eat dangerous things :D hehe)!!
Thanks for the information. I think I would find the syrup much easier to swallow. I like the taste of molasses as opposed to just plain Yellow Dock.
yes, it is much easier to drink ;)
Hmnnn.... I don't know... those roots on the rock seem suspiciously like the roots you had for the tick bites. What was it? No, that wasn't it. something else. Your herbal book must be a real treasure too. Blessings.
hmmm roots for the tick bites? not sure that i remember writing about that! buuuut let me know if you think of it...
yes that book is such a blessing :D
Sounds much better. I know when I drink the teas which detox the liver they are indeed quite bitter. Anxious to try this with molasses.
:D yes it's delicious!! <3
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