The Handmade Apothecary: Healing Herbal Remedies

by Vicky Chown, Kim Walker

Take a truly holistic approach to healing with this all-encompassing beginner’s guide to herbal medicine.
 
Did you know that daisies infused in oil could reduce bruises? That roses can relieve grieving and anxiety? Or that elderflower cordial can bring down a temperature? Handmade Apothecary is a fount of fascinating information about herbs and how each one works to improve your health and well-being. There’s an introduction to each of the body’s systems, from nervous to respiratory; advice on which herbs work best as treatments, and plenty of tips and time-tested recipes for vinegars, balms, oils, tinctures, creams, lotions, and syrups—so you can easily create your own herbal health kit.

Genres: Health, Nonfiction, Gardening, Cookbooks, Art, Reference, Nature

192 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2017

Reviews

[TheNeverendingTBR · Rating 5 out of 5]

Possibly the best herbal book out there.

It's filled with colour photographs for easy identification.

There's references to over 550 healing plants and herbs.

I would recommend this book to anyone looking to know more about herbs and essential oils, what properties they have and how to use them.

[Lucy · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent resource and very informative. The layouts and bindings have a nice, high-end quality and the overall presentation is clear and well structured. Photography is lovely and only a few stock images have been used. Instructions are clear. There is a tendency with these type of books (cookbooks especially) to focus on style over substance - but there is a lot of genuine and well presented information in this book. The only downside is this is geared towards U.K. foraging, so for Australians, this section may not apply so easily. Given that you can buy most things nowadays, this isn’t really a hinderance. No need to give this any less than five stars - for what it is, it does it really well.

[Jacky Mercury · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating

All sorts of facts, information and remedies dealing with well known herbs. I have learnt a lot and come away with useful suggestions for my tinnitus.

[Tash · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really lovely, well laid-out book with plenty of full-colour pictures. The first part gives instructions on how to prepare and make various products such as tinctures, ointments, and infused oils, along with recipes and relevant herbs laid out by ailment or body part. The second part contains profiles of common and less-common herbs & plants, with a picture for every one and tips on how to harvest and use them.

I can really see myself coming back to this over and over again for recipes and for reference: it starts with the very basics (useful for a complete beginner) but also gives guidance and ideas for creating your own mixtures and preparations. There are some particularly nice recipes, such as an onion & honey cough syrup, that I'll definitely be trying out in my own kitchen!

[Petra · Rating 5 out of 5]

A well-arranged book with tons of information and beautiful pictures. Perfect for beginners, but I'm sure even people with extensive knowledge of plants and herbs would enjoy this book.

[~☆starlight · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can't recommend this book enough so much information, recipes, ointments and remedies i was surprised how helpful and eye opening this book was! Its beautifully illustrated too! Highly recommend

[Apuella · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book a lot, it's written accessibly and engagingly, with short interjections about the history of plant use - I possibly wasn't the ideal audience, in that I don't plan to turn to herbalism to mend all my ills, but it was still interesting for a layman to read, particularly if you have an interest in foraging. It's really more of a reference, and if you're going to consult it often, I recommend purchasing the physical book rather than the Kindle version. My favourite fact gleaned from this book is that one reason why countries with hotter climates season and spice their food more liberally than cooler climates (aside from it being incredibly delicious) is in part due to the anti-microbial qualities of the herbs

[Opal · Rating 3 out of 5]

less recipes and more just a p long list of herbs and trees and spices and what they're used for. some useful info about preparation and general ratios for balms/oils/syrups etc though. also anytime they said "consult your local herbalist or a medical practitioner" it extremely felt like the publisher / editor had forced them to tack on the medical practitioner. idk i love my literal pharmaceuticals but also like to rub myself in lavender for a sleepy time so perhaps i am not the target audience for this book

[Hilary Knowles · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is beautiful. Its one I want to hold rather than read in digital form. The illustrations are excellent too. It is so easy to dip into and use as a reference book with clear information on herbs, varying names & nicknames used, and also many great recipes & suggestions on how to use them. As someone interested in medicinal herbs & their history & uses I wouldn’t be without this book.

[Melissa Gray · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic guide

I was so impressed with this book - it goes through the different body systems and herb profiles that specify their different uses. It also includes descriptions of how to make different remedies. I have made the chamomile latte several times and regularly refer to the index for which herbs are beneficial for particular ailments.

[Judith Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the best book I’ve ever read on the subject of healing herbal remedies- beautifully and clearly put together with wonderful photographs by Sarah Cuttle.

I borrowed a copy from the library but want to have my own copy to hand so am buying one for our house and one for my son and daughter in law’s use.

Highly recommended!

[Paula Harvey]

Very knowledgeable!

This is a very informative book with lots of recipes throughout. There is also links on where to buy certain products. I definitely recommend this, it's a fantastic book!

[Liz Bryne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh wow! What a beautiful and practical book. So easy to follow and a really wide range of wonderful ideas for natural remedies. Cannot wait for gardening season so I can harvest some goodies to try out a few of the recipes. I can see myself dipping into this time and time again.

[Fiona · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great little book, but it could have used more of a foraging segment.

[Kathleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really beautiful, not a lot of actual recipes.

[Emma Stone · Rating 5 out of 5]

Defo worth 5 stars-brilliant book on the topic

[Martha · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED this! If anyone has some apothecary or gardening book recs please let me know!!!

[Maria Crean · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful Book

I owned the hardback of this book which is really beautiful but I bought the kindle copy also as it was cheap and I wanted to always have it to hand. My favourite recipes are the blackberry and raspberry oxygen and the elderberry syrup which we make every year.