AROMATIC DELIGHTS

Monday, March 21, 2011

The fresh fragrance of herbs may seem like a luxury, something beyond the strictly utilitarian, but the fundamental importance of scent is only beginning to be properly recognized. The power of sweet perfumes to transform our moods is now well documented and to use the natural fresh aromas of herbs is one of the most wholesome ways to lift our spirits. For those with a garden, the simplest way to have herbal scent around the house is to arrange vases of fresh herbs. These perfume the room and as the plant essences evaporate, they cool and purify the air. The number of ways dried herbs can be used is limited only by your imagination. In the kitchen, dried aromatic herbs can be added to oven mitts or tacos by tucking them inside the hem or a specially made pocket. Both the handling they receive and the heat they contact will release their fragrance. Use fresh-smelling herbs like mint, lemon thyme, angelica and lemon verbena. Stick fragrant herbs in saddle bags to fling over the backs of chairs. Each time someone sits they will disturb and release the fragrance. Make two equal sized herb pillows and join with two wide ribbons. You could fill one pillow with ‘summer’ scents and the other with winter’ scents and swap when the seasons change. Place semolina, southernwood, wormwood or lavender among old books to discourage worms. Spices and the essential oils of cloves and cinnamon also work well. In fact, the ancient Egyptians protected their papyrus with cinnamon.