Make this Mulling Spices recipe to use as a handcrafted herbal gift for family and friends this holiday season.
Mulling Spices Recipe
These spices are mixed into a festive, warming drink by
combining them with a favorite wine or with apple juice. Pack this
seasonal gift into a special jar with a small wooden scoop or
bundle 2 tablespoons into a 7-inch-square piece of cheesecloth.
Gather the corners and tie with a string and a long piece of
cinnamon stick or a dried strip of orange peel around the top.
• 2 parts cinnamon sticks, broken
• 1 part dried orange peel
• 1/4 part cloves, slightly crushed
• 1/4 part powdered nutmeg
• 1/2 part allspice, slightly crushed
• 1/4 part dried ginger
• Cardamom or star anise, slightly crushed, optional
1. Combine all of the ingredients. Simmer 2 tablespoons of the
spice blend (or one bundled sachet) in 1 quart of wine or apple
juice. The longer it simmers, the stronger it gets. If you’re in a
hurry, use more of the mixture, but don’t let it simmer as long.
2. Strain and serve.
Mindy Green is an herbalist, aromatherapist, educator, and writer. She is also an esthetician, a consultant to the
natural products industry, and director of education at the Herb Research Foundation in Boulder, Colorado. She is the author
of Calendula (Keats, 1998), Natural Perfumes (Interweave, 1999), and co-author of
Aromatherapy: A
Complete Guide to the Healing Art (The Crossing Press, 1995).
Read more about making herbal holiday gifts: Homemade Holiday
Gifts: Herb and Aromatherapy Recipes.