I remember drinking sassafras tea when we lived in Arkansas. I don't remember having it in California. I think I liked it. It was reddish in color. I've never tried to see if it is sold in stores here or not. Helen talked about some old time remedies. I never had a mustard plaster. Mama would rub Vicks all over our throat and chest then put a warm cloth around our necks. I remember a lot of those. They kept Black Draught syrup on hand; I don't remember what that was for. One thing I used to take often was Exlax. I don't know if I had a problem or Mama wanted to make sure I never had a problem. I took enough of it that it took me a long time to get to like chocolate candy. I always remembered the Exlax. Ha I agree with you Helen when you say the side effects from drugs are worse than the problem. I wonder if people are really paying attention to the medicines they take. Emma > To: SOUTHERN-CHAT-L@rootsweb.com > Date: Fri, 13 May 2011 02:05:57 -0500 > From: askgranny@juno.com > Subject: [SOUTHERN-CHAT] : Sassafras tea time... > > > > As I went walkabout before the storm today I noticed a sassafras sprout > down by the blueberries ... Reminded me of Spring habits when I was a > child...The Blueberries, by the way...apparently are completely barren > this year...healthy looking bushes, but very heavily shaded by young > John's climbing oak tree....They're way yonder too old to attempt to move > them , so ...I set out another bush a few years back out in the sun, and > it's got a normal amount of berries on it and everything..so ..Gotta be > the shade....I fertilized them while I was down there... > > I'm re printing an article I wrote about sassafras sometime back....If > you're as forgetful as I am it'll mostly be new to you anyway ! *grin* > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > > > Sassafras tea comes out of the ground, in the form of roots from a bush > that can grow into a thicket if left alone, or if it is one tree it can > be as big around as a 5 gallon bucket , like the one in the yard next > door to me. It has seed that the birds liberally sow, and we have one of > the seedlings that came up in the wildflower garden that is tall as the > house almost, but not too big around yet....The leaves can be in about 5 > different shapes ,[one is like a mitten..] all on the same branch. It's > pretty in the Fall when the leaves color up very brightly.. > > In the Spring Southern folks dig the roots of sassafras , wash them well, > and simmer in water to cover them until the water is a deep rusty red. It > is drunk hot or cold, and is good either way....Gotta add sugar to it...I > believe there are two kinds, and the red Sassafras is the most hunted. > Don't know how to tell the two kinds apart...I just use whichever I > manage to get... > > I can remember when I was about 8 or 9 us three oldest kids took the > chopping axe and went to get some roots..Daddy might have plowed them up, > as I don't remember digging....We took a shortcut through the woods on > our way home and rinsed most of the dirt off the roots in a big puddle we > found in a little wet weather creek....Guess Mom was proud to see the > roots didn't need much washing, because water had to be drawed up out of > a well . It wasn't too deep, but had one of those long skinny buckets > ..We drank the tea cold as well water would make it, but friends in > Southern Illinois drink it hot....It's good either way....You can freeze > the extra roots for later use....I see bottles of Sassafras tea extract > in stores, but haven't tried it....At one time you could buy shavings > that smelled like the real thing OR bundles of pieces of root in the > store...Not now...Causes cancer I read ..some part of the root. Heck, > folks drank it all their long lives, back in the day.....Jeannie T > > PS: I've read that early settlers to this country smelled the sassafras > before they even came ashore....Don't understand that, unless there had > been a storm...Speaking of storms, hope you and yours are comfy and dry , > in spite of the crazy weather.... > ____________________________________________________________ > 2550% Penny Stock Gains? > Our last pick exploded 2550% - Join our newsletter for free picks! > http://thirdpartyoffers.juno.com/TGL3141/4dccd80183d5e1abf2m06duc > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to SOUTHERN-CHAT-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message