Wild herbs not only for the root bush

Where snowdrops and rosy-reds stifle the summer evening, where the queen of the meadows and her entourage stand in the dewy grass, where the spirits of the bottle are at home, there must also be a hidden treasure. "My treasure is the garden, says heidi rippel.
In fact, her garden is much more like a meadow, where countless wild weeds have taken up residence. The farmer's daughter and electrical engineer from pommersfelden has devoted herself to the "wild growth" of her garden dedicated. From wild herbs she conjures precious delicacies, tasty likors, aromatic oils and rooty vinegars.
"Wild growth" heidi rippel has christened her shop, in which she presents her own "compositions" sells. Not to do the rough rubbing, but out of joy and love for nature, she emphasizes. The herb pedagogue also passes on her knowledge in lectures, courses, workshops and culinary walks. "I want to convey that there is a lot growing on the roadsides that deserves attention." It's nice to get to know this unbelievable diversity. "And what one knows, one also appreciates."
"Wild herbs are the forerunners of today's cultivated vegetables and there are countless uses for them", says the pommersfelden woman. She has discovered a specialty for herself: how to use wild herbs in the kitchen? The result is a recipe that she presents in the manner of a fairy tale: delicacies made from fine elderberry and rose blossoms, garnished with stories. Or she conjures "fine from the aperitif to the dessert" from the queen of the meadows, better known as "madesub" is well known.
"Sunny herb power" heidi rippel fills bottles and uses them as likor. Stored like this, the power of summer is supposed to help us get through the dark season in good shape. Heidi rippel is convinced that this is the case: "when savoring herbs, you only have to remember how you picked and planted them yourself on a sunny summer's day, and a ray of sunshine falls on your soul."
However, she advises against using the herbs growing along the roadsides in the kitchen. Too coarse can be the pollution by dust, dog excrement or jerks of motor vehicles. The herbal padagogue therefore prefers to fall back on her wild meadow. "The beauty is that the herbs actually grow wild and all by themselves." With her, things are allowed to grow that others would rather not have in the garden as weeds: melde and mint, tansy and comfrey, evening primrose and wild carrot, chicory and st. John's wort.
If something is missing, she collects the seeds of the herb in nature and sows them in the garden. There are only a few poisonous wild herbs, explains the herbalist. However, she recommends never relying on one characteristic of the plant alone. "If in doubt, leave it!"

Valuable ingredients

From vitamins to secondary plant substances, wild herbs had far more valuable ingredients than today's intensively cultivated vegetables. Not to mention the freshness. Enriching a normal salad with wild herbs, making herb butter or curd cheese, roasting meat in a herb crust is simply a pleasure, she says.
Among the vinegar specialties, rippel distinguishes between herbal and fruit vinegars. For both, she uses female wine vinegar as a base. She is particularly fond of raspberry vinegar – because of its aroma. Vinegar with cornel cherries – diluted with a little water and a cherry as decoration – could even be served as an aperitif. For the likore she uses grain brandy and mixes it with berries or herbs. A likor with "stomach friendly" herbs act like a digestive liquor: they stimulate the flow of bile and ensure that fats are digested better.

Sacred numbers

At the moment many herbs are in full bloom. On "rough women's day, as the old bavarians call the feast of maria himmelfahrt, the root bushes are blessed in the churches. Heidi rippel naturally knows what belongs in such a herb bouquet. The number of herbs used is important, she explains. The sacred numbers are seven, nine and twelve. Seven is the number of the days of creation, nine is the potency of three and therefore associated with the holy trinity, and twelve is the number of the apostles and the tribe of israel.
Legends and stories surround the herbs and heidi rippel knows many of them: the watery blue blood of the waywarts is said to be the tranenubersate eyes of a girl who was waiting for her beloved by the wayside. Since he did not come, god had mercy on her and turned her into a flower. The yellow bedstraw, in the vernacular also "maria bettstroh" according to legend, was in the bed of the mother of god when she gave birth to the baby jesus. Probably because of its fragrance it used to be brought to the bedside of the women in labor.
It all started seven years ago: the agricultural offices offered training as a herb pedagogue back then. Heidi rippel took it and two years later had a certificate from the gundermann school in her hands.
A visit to heidi rippel's is a feast for the senses: cake and spice herbs line the path to the old farmhouse. In the small store, homemade delicacies shine in glorious colors in jars and bottles. An "autumn fruit vinegar for example, which whets the appetite when you look at it: cranberries and rowan, sloe, hawthorn and rosehip give it a fruity note.
Gansefinger, red clover, beifub and others ensure that the "summer herb likor" is booked can unfold its healing effect. In addition, a "fire oil" is tempting with chili gourmet to taste. The herb expert also has tips for the party: make "hugo" from elderberry syrup filled with secco, the sparkling trendy drink. Herbal pedagogue publishes annual program for the season from april to september. She also works with children in kindergartens, schools and vacation programs. It is often used for parties for "wild herb cooking" booked with previous collection.