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Fragrant Herbal Beads

Category: Misc

Author: The Savvybearcat

Date: 1/1/2007

Rating:

(3.0) by 1 users

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Herb leaves or flowers - fresh or dried
Water - if using dried material
All-purpose flour
15 drop Essential oil - to match or complement - the herb

Instructions:

Strip off leaves or petals and discard stems and other coarse or
nonaromatic parts. Puree fresh plant material in a food processor,
blender, or old-fashioned meat grinder. A food processor breaks down
herbs faster than any other method and can be used to finish blending
the dough as well. You can finely mince the herbs with a sharp knife
instead, but the finished beads will be coarser than those made from
a puree or powder. Process dried herb leaves or flower petals in a
blender or spice mill, or rub the leaves across the bottom of a
fine-mesh sieve until you have a fairly uniform powder. Unless plant
material is processed into a fine powder or smooth pulp, coarse beads
will result.

Add 3 to 4 tablespoons of flour to the plant material, and enough
water, starting with 1 tablespoon (if using dried herbs), to make a
smooth dough. These are approximate amounts; you'll need more flour
if you're starting with a soupy puree, and more water if the herb
powder is very dry. When blended, the dough should be the consistency
of children's craft clay. If it seems too soft, add flour in small
amounts to improve it; if too stiff, ad a little water; if too coarse
or crumbly, try adding both flour and water until the dough is
workable. Don't add essential oil yet; it evaporates too quickly
during the blending.

Pinch off bits of dough and roll them into beads between your palms,
or roll a long "snake" (this always brings back memories of my
childhood) and slice off uniform lengths, then shape them into beads.
Work with a light touch and keep your hands clean to prevent the
dough from sticking to them. Essential oil can be added at this
point, or after the beads are dry. When sizing the beads, remember
that they will shrink a bit as they dry.

String the beads using a large darning needle and heavy carpet thread.
Leave at least 6 inches of thread bare to allow room for sliding the
beads as they dry. Tie a big knot or a button at the end to keep the
beads from sliding off.

Hang strings of beads to dry in a warm, airy place away from direct
light and heat. Drying take three to four days, depending on weather
and bead size. Slide the beads up and down the string periodically
to keep them from sticking to the string or each other. Store dried
beads in an airtight container to preserve their scent until you're
ready to assemble a necklace. String the beads with beading thread or
dental floss for strength and durability.

* Source: Kate Carter Frederick in "The Herb Companion" (Feb/Mar'93) *
Typed for you by Karen Mintzias