2. Red Clover Blossoms 8 oz.

Trifolium pratense Becky, owner of Leave It To Us, is a very fastidious harvester.  Opening one of her bags of Red Clover Blossoms is a delight!  She has the natural knack of capturing the blossoms during their most fragrant moment and drying them without loosing their delicate scent or color.  This bag of blossoms will make approximately 70 cups of tea.

Red Clover, a European native, is commercially grown in the Untied States for pasturage, hay and green manure. It is considered excellent forage for livestock and poultry. This perennial has escaped from commercial fields and is now abundant on meadow land and along rural roadsides. The plant has several stems 1 to 2 feet high, arising from the one root. Leaves, which grow in threes, are slightly hairy with oval leaflets, ending in long point often lighter colored in the center. The flowers are red to purple, fragrant, and formed in dense terminal globular heads. The flower heads are gathered between May and September. The word clover most likely comes from the Latin word for club - "clava". The “clava” relationship stems from Greek mythology when Hercules carried a three-headed club in a cloverleaf shape.

Harvesting: Gather the blossoms during the late spring and early summer. If there is Red Clover nearby that has a whitish powder visible or looks mottled, move on to another patch, to avoid any which may be diseased.

Cautions: The toxic indolizidine alkaloid 'slaframine' is often found in diseased clover (even if the clover shows no external symptoms of disease). This alkaloid is being studied for its anti-diabetic and anti-AIDS activity.

Constituents: Isoflavones; biochanin A, daidzein, formononnetin, genistein, pratensein, trifoside; other flavonoids including pectolinarin and trifoliin (=isoquercitrin); Volatile oil, containing furfural; Clovamides; L-Dopa-caffeic acid conjugates; Coumarins; coumestrol, medicagol and coumarin; a galactomannan, resins, minerals vitamins, phytoalexins.

GENERAL USAGE
Cancer aid – Red Clover is one of the world's oldest and most common natural cancer remedies. In fact, one study found that 33 cultures use the herb against the disease. Research has shown anti-cancer activity, poultices of the herb have been used as local applications to cancerous growths. Internally, the blossoms are used in the treatment of cancers of the breast, ovaries and lymphatic system. Red Clover contains genistein, an anticancer compound that prevents new blood vessels from forming with in a tumor. Since tumors rely on new blood vessels to grow, genistein effectively starves the cancer. However, it may create problems for certain cancer patients. For example, women being treated for breast cancer with the drug tamoxifen should avoid Red Clover because tamoxifen prevents estrogen from reaching a tumor, and phytoestrogenic compounds in Red Clover could undermine that action. In this case, its possible Red Clover could feed, not starve, an estrogen-dependent breast tumor. Rocky Mountain Black Salve (recipe follows) has been successfully used to draw out cancers lying beneath the skin’s surface.

Cough remedy – The expectorant and anti-spasmodic action give Red Clover a role in the treatment of coughs and bronchitis, especially in whooping cough. A pleasant tasting syrup may be made by packing a container tightly with blossoms. Boiling hot water is poured over the blossoms and allowed to steep for 30 minutes. The liquid is then squeezed out of the blossoms, and the spent plant material is then discarded. And equal amount of honey is added to the liquid, along with the juice of one lemon for every pint of liquid. This is heated together over low heat for 30 to 45 minutes, then bottled and labeled. Take 1 Tbsp. as needed for cough control.

Gynecological aid – Red Clover contains high amounts of isoflavone compounds, such as genistein, which have weak estrogen properties. Research on both Red Clover and soy isoflavones is currently looking at their action as potential alternatives to estrogen in menopausal women. A double-blind study found that menopausal women had improved function of their arteries while taking Red Clover extract compared to placebo. This could mean menopausal women would have less trouble with high blood pressure or atherosclerosis.

Pediatric aid – Red Clover is one of the most useful remedies for children with skin problems. It may be used with complete safety in any case of childhood eczema. It may also be of value in other chronic skin conditions such as psoriasis. For skin problems it combines well with Yellow Dock and Nettles. It makes a pleasant tasting tea, which children tend to enjoy. Use 2 tsp. of the dried, crumbled flower heads per 1 cup of hot water. Three or more cups should be taken daily.

Immune system – Isoflavonoid compounds from Red Clover (Trifolium pratense) protect from inflammation and immune suppression induced by UV radiation. Drink several cups of tea daily or take 1 tsp. tincture in warm water three times throughout the day.

Tonic – Tincture (1 tsp. in hot water 3 times daily) or tea (3 tsp. dried flower heads per cup three times daily) is taken as a tonic to assist the body in recovering from various diseases including cancer of the bowels, breast cysts, liver congestion, tuberculosis, herpes simplex and for rebuilding energy levels after long and lingering illnesses. Red Clover works well with other herbs, often boosting their healing powers.

RECIPE   Rocky Mountain Black Salve
4 quarts liquid mutton tallow (which is approximately 8 pounds of very clean mutton tallow and is obtainable from the butcher)
5 oz. fresh Chickweed
5 oz. fresh Hound’s Tongue root
5 oz. fresh Mallow root
5 oz. fresh Oregon Grape root
5 oz. Red Clover blossoms
5 oz. Mullien flowers
5 oz. fresh Plantain leaves
4 oz. Burdock root
2 ounces of Beeswax
8 ounces Olive Oil
3 ounces Wheat germ oil
1 pint Pine tar (can be obtained from a nursery)

Finely chop all herbs and roots.

Cut up the mutton tallow; place it into a stainless steel pan. Cover and render in oven at 170 degrees F. Pour off the tallow as it renders, press out the remainder and throw away the crackling. Place the tallow back into the pan and warm up to a liquid. Place all the herbs in the liquified tallow base and place into the 170 degrees F. oven for 4 to 8 hours. Remove and strain through a fine wire strainer, add beeswax and put back into oven to warm to a liquid again. Add the olive oil, wheat germ oil and pine tar (do not cook after the pine tar is added or it will curdle), use a beater (hand or electric) to homogenize or whip while hot and then pour it into ointment jars. Do not try to move the jars until cool enough to be firm.