From the deep woods of Arkansas’s Ozark mountains, this earthy and richly resinous mixture springs from the very heart and soul of ancient winter celebrations. Package it in brown paper bags tied With green twine or a burlap ribbon and lavish it on friends. Its fragrance is meant to be shared and enjoyed by everyone during the dark of winter
Time Involved:
Assembly • 1 hour
Aging the mix • 1 week
| Botanicals: Picea abies; Juniperus communis; Abies balsamca; Pinus spp.; Juniperus virginiana |
8 oz (225g) fresh evergreen tips (spruce, juniper, balsam, pine, red cedar) |
| Pinus spp.; Picea spp.; Tsuga canadensis; | 1 oz (30g) assorted fresh evergreen cones |
| Betula spp (pine, spruce, hemlock, birch) Pimenta diocia | 3 oz (90g) allspice berries |
| Syzygium aromaticum | 3 oz (90g) whole cloves |
| Citrus spp | 1 oz (30g) dried mixed citrus peel slivers (orange, lemon, tangerine, grapefruit, lime, whole dried kumquats, key limes) |
Tools & Utensils
- Small kitchen scale with a weighing basket
- Pruning shears
- Paper bag
- Very large container (plastic box,stainless steel bowl, cardboard carton)
To create the botanical blend
- Cut the tender tips of the fresh evergreens into pieces about 12 in (30cm) long. These can be gathered on a crisp fall day and stored in a cool spot (45′-50’F; 7-10-C) until you are ready to create your holiday blend.
- Cut any large cones into 1-in (2.5-cm) pieces with pruning shears, but keep small cones whole. Store all of them in a paper bag until they are needed.
- Select a container that is large enough to hold and roomy enough to mix several quarts of greens and other botanicals.
- Cut all the fresh greens, including the branches, into 1-in (2.5-cm) pieces with pruning shears and put them into the container.
- Add the cones, allspice berries, cloves, and citrus peel slivers. Mix everything together with your hands. If the evergreen needles are sharp, wear heavy gloves.
- Leave the blend in the container for 1 week.
- Mix it every day so that the moisture from the fresh greens will be Absorbed by the spices and citrus peels. After a few days the fragrances will combine and the blend will develop a personality all its own.
Note:
Collect fresh evergreen cones. Store-bought cones have little fragrance,
so use them only if you are unable to find fresh ones.