Learn about how to use the lovage herb for cooking, as a skin cleanser and an herbal bath.
How to Use the Lovage Herb
• Rub the salad bowl with fresh lovage.
• Make a lovage bouquet garni: Tie into a muslin bag 1 tablespoon chopped lovage, 1 tablespoon chopped parsley, 1 teaspoon savory, 6 whole peppercorns, and a bay leaf.
• Use the hollow stems as drinking straws.
• Grate the roots of mature plants and add to salad dressing.
• Make a skin cleanser with 1 cup chopped lovage leaves, 3/4 cup white wine vinegar, and 1 1/2 cups distilled water. Steep the mixture overnight and strain.
• For a relaxing bath, pour 1 quart of boiling distilled water over 1 cup lovage leaves, 1/2 cup lovage root, 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves, and 1 tablespoon eucalyptus leaves. Let steep until liquid is just warm, then strain and add to bath water.
• Dry flower stalks to use in wreaths and flower arrangements or as brushes for basting meat on the grill.
Linda Underhill is a freelance food writer in Alfred, New York. Her partner, Jeanne Nakjavani, is a gourmet cook and food developer in Bradford, Pennsylvania.
Read more about using the lovage herb: Plant Profile: Lovage Herb.
