Amish Recipes and Home Remedies

A few years ago I lived for a periood of time in upstate New York in an area where I had a lot of Amish neighbors. When I saw upstate New York I mean all the way up there on the St. Lawrence River where you could look across and see Prescott, Ontario. hile living there I used to buy all of my vegetables from their little stands by the side of the road. My husband had some lumber cut and a small storage built by the Amish. They do terrific work.

As they became used to seeing us around they began to wave as they passed our house in their horse and buggys. And when I stopped to pick out vegetables we began to talk about little things. As we became acquainted a woman would now and then mention a recipe and how they prepared their food.  It went from that to talking about some of their home remedies. I thought it would be interesting to share a few of them with you. They swear by these remedies. And who are we to scoff, we have Old Wives Tales.

i was facinated by the difference in the way we treat our wounds and the way we take care of our health.  I can't say if they work or not but there were always a lot of healthy looking children around on their farms.  As for the recipes, I found them interesting.  But, I never did try them.  Again they have a lot of healthy happy looking children they must be doing something right. 

 Whooping Cough Medicine

Ingredients:

1 lemon thinly sliced

1 quart water

1/2 pint flax seeds

Directions:

Simmer for 3 to 4 hours.  Do not boil.  Strain while hot.  Add 2 ounces of honey and then enough water to equal 1 pint.

Dosage: 1 tbsp 4 times a day.  In addition, a dose after each severe fit of coughing.

Snake Bites

There are a few different remedies for the snake bite.

• Recipe

Ingredients:

Yolk of one egg

salt

Directions:

Beat the egg yolk and mix with salt to the consistency of a good slave.  Applu to the snake bite as a poultice and change frequently until the poison is all out.

• Boil water and fill a small bottle 1/4 full and hold against fang marks to draw out poison.
• Take vinegar and salt enough to dip up with the hand.  Lay the salt on the bite and keep it on until the poison is drawn out. 
• For snake bites, stings or any poisonous bites: pound a lot of onions till soft, salt liberally and bind on as a poiltice.  Change often.

Fainting

A drink of vinegar is a sure cure for fainting.

Arthritis

10 tsp of apple cider vinegar added to a glass at each meal .  Add honey to sweeten.

High Blood Pressure

Eat grapes, apples, and cranberries or drink their juice.  Have a small amount of honey at each meal.

Bee Stings

• Soak with Listerine.
• Vicks applied to sting with give relief.
• Make a thick paste of baking soda and water.  Apply to sting and let dry.
• Cover sting with dampened salt.
• If you are away from home put wet clay or mud on sting.

 Sauerkraut

Shread cabbage like for slaw.  Press tight in quart jars.  Fill jars with boiling water.  For a 1 quart jar, add 2 tsp vinegar, 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp sugar.  Cover and let set for 6 weeks.  Cold pack for 30 minutes befor serving.

To Can Sweet Corn

Cut corn off of cob, put into dish and add salt a a little sugar.  Stir until well mixed.  Press in jars and put a fresh slice tomato on top.  Cold pack 3 hours.  Don't add any water to sweet corn and don't heat before canning.

Crispy Pickles

1 gallon pickles sliced.  Put in 1 gallon cold water with 1 cup salt.  Let stand 3 to 5 days.  Drain and wash in clear water.  Put in boiling water enough to cover pickles and add 1 tbsp alum.  Boil for 10 minutes.  Drain and make syrup.  Put in syrup and boil for about 10 minutes.  Put in jars and seal.

Syrup:

1 pint vinegar

1 pint water

6 cups sugar

put in spice bag:

1 tbsp celery seed

1 tbsp whole cloves

1 tbsp allspice

1 tbsp cinnamon