Autumn Time Remedy
October-Aesculus Hippocastanum
Poetry
Horse Chestnut
by Luke Samuel Yates
I have considered picking
these cow eyes from the ground
stowing them in woody-smelling bags
to moulder as I forget amongst
multi-coloured stickly bricks
(encumbered by cylindrical heads).
It would feel good again
to stash these off-spherical shapes
of marbled browns and creamy stain patches –
to roughly select the plummier specimens
fantasise about their potential
their spectacular performances
the effortless force, the explosion,
the sound and the pain of triumph
as an opponent’s pieces hit your velcroed shoe
still smoking.
Hello folks,
I’m writing this after having the best weekend with dear friends in Edinburgh. I was up there seeing my two beloved mentors, David Campbell & Linda Williamson. They were performing one of Duncan’s stories, an ancient tale that spans as far back as Sumeria: ‘The Fairy Horse of Earthdom’. Safe to say I have the blues this morning. The weekend was packed with song, story & laughter & my heart was filled with the ceilidh’s warmth. This morning, the absence of mirth & conviviality is tangible. The grey Yorkshire skies & rain are invoking a sense of loneliness. But, it’ll pass. The kitchen is still busy with windfallen pears & drying hawthorns & hips that I intend to make heart-medicine brandy with. My friend, Jo Blaker and I are also making a book! I’ll share more on that here when we’re closer to the finish line. For now, we’re remaining tight lipped. As hard as that is for us…And, I’ve started foraging walks. I ran my first one on the 14th October. It went incredibly well, so well I’ve decided to run this as a permanent feature next year. Keep posted on my instagram: @woman_ofthe_hedge
In any case, I digress. I was in two minds today whether to focus on Rosehips or Horse Chestnuts. In the end, I decided on Horse Chestnut, despite them being a little trickier to work with. I recently learnt about the medicinal properties of this plant & I wanted to share those learnings with you. But, do go carefully…the fruit of the Horse Chestnut, better known as the conker is toxic when raw. So, don’t go gobbling conkers!
Lore of the Horse Chestnut
Horse chestnuts are a relative recent addition to the European and American landscapes. With conkers being large and heavy, they weren't naturally distributed by birds and animals in the same way that most of our tree populations were. The tree was actually imported to Northern Europe and the US in the 17th century and only became a widespread part of the British landscape in the 19th.
One of the most popular uses of the conker outside it’s medicinal capacities is the game ‘conkers’. The game is played as follows - one player holds their conker hanging from its thread, and the other attacks it by swinging their conker at the dangling one. Then the roles are reversed, and the match continues until one conker smashes the other. The first game of conkers recorded apparently occurred in 1848 on the Isle of Wight, although there is an earlier mention of a similar game played with hazelnuts in Robert Southley’s memoirs in 1821. Game historians believe that such similar games had been played with other nuts and shells for centuries.
Despite the horse chestnut tree's relative recent arrival in our lands, it has accumulated a certain degree of folklore, aside from the game of conkers. The Encyclopedia of Superstitions, Folklore and Occult Sciences Vol. 2 (1903) by Cora Linn Daniels records that it is considered lucky to carry horse chestnuts in your pockets, noting that "carrying three horse-chestnuts in the pocket, can be a relief from giddiness!" In many areas it is claimed that carrying three shiny conkers in your pocket will ensure you will always have money. While in other places, particularly in the US, it is claimed that carrying conkers - or buck-eyes as they are called in America - ensure virility in a man.
The most common folk belief about conkers, and one that persists to this very day, is that placing conkers around your house will repel spiders. And bizarre as it sounds, this method of keeping spiders at bay is said to be effective by many arachnophobes… though scientific evidence of repellent compounds in the horse chestnut are yet to be found.
Properties
Digestion
The bark of horse chestnut is rich in astringent tannins, helping to protect the lining of the gut from irritation & inflammation.
It can be helpful in inflammatory problems, gastritis & ulcer and to curb diarrhoea
Immunity
The saponin aescin (a compound in the conker) has anti-inflammatory effects which can be helpful in joint pain
Taken as a hot decoction, it reduces fevers and is an old substitute for Peruvian Bark (Cinchona) which was used to treat malaria & intermittent fevers
Circulation
Aescin strengthens the blood vessel walls and increases elasticity. This improves blood flow & venous return, thus preventing the pooling of blood which causes piles & varicose veins.
Horse chestnut reduces oedema, cramps, pain & tension in the legs.
It reduces inflammation in the blood vessels
It may bring down high blood pressure
Horse chestnuts anti-coagulant properties reduce blood clotting
Externally
By contracting blood vessels, horse chestnut reduces fluid and swelling around the areas of trauma. This is particularly useful after surgery.
Creams or gels made from horse chestnut are excellent for varicose veins & ulcers, phlebitis & haemorrhoids as well as cellulite.
They can also relieve pain & swelling caused by arthritis, neuralgia, sunburn, bruises, sprains & sports injuries.
Cautions
To be avoided in pregnancy & lactation. It is also unsuitable for children. All parts are toxic when raw so use pre-treated preparations & avoid large doses. Avoid with anticoagulants & salicylates.
All notes from ‘A complete herbal tutor’ by Anne McIntyre.
Remedies
Harvesting Horse Chestnuts
When you come across a horse chestnut tree, take a moment to observe the ground beneath it. You will likely find a carpet of fallen nuts. Take care not to collect any chestnuts that are still encased in their spiky husks, as they are not yet ripe. Instead, gather the mature nuts that have fallen and are easily accessible.
Horse Chestnut Oil
You’d use this oil & apply it externally. Do not ingest.
Ingredients:
200 g horse chestnuts
1litre olive oil
Instructions:
Grind the dried horse chestnuts as finely as you can, Food processor ( min 750 watt) works great for grinding the horse chestnuts into a coarse powder.
Pour the crushed horse chestnuts into the olive oil and stir well.
Making a bain-marie with the pan and the bowl of oil & plant matter, place the bowl with the oil and chestnuts over a pan that is a 1/4 full of boiling water.
Turn the hob onto a low-medium heat, if you have electric make sures its a small ring & be more vigilant with the temperature checking as it’s harder to regulate temperature with an electric hob. Since every stove top is different, you’re going to need to monitor the temperature of your oil mixture to make sure it doesn’t get too hot. The ideal temperature is 40-42 C. ( Be careful; a higher temperature may burn the oil or destroy the medicinal qualities of the horse chestnuts)
Keep checking the oil every 15 minutes for the the first hour and then less often. Give the chestnuts a good stir every time you check the temperature. Maintain the olive oil temperature of about 40-42 C for 2 hours.
When it is done, allow the oil to cool for a while. Then strain through a cheesecloth, discard the spent chestnuts. Transfer oil to a clean bottle. Now it can be massaged gently onto varicose veins and spider veins.
Horse Chestnut Soap
Handmade soap offers a great solution, as it is free from harsh chemicals and can be customized with natural ingredients. Making your own soap allows you to have control over the ingredients, it’s a process whereby resilience and learning can be cultivated & it ensures a safe, cheap and environmentally friendly product.
Horse chestnuts are part of the soapberry family which means they contain saponins. These saponins have been utilised for cleaning purposes for centuries. And they are hidden inside the meat of the horse chestnut. So you need to crack the horse chestnuts to activate the saponin. Using saponins means to use a natural form of soap. It is slightly bubbled when the saponin is activated, not like we are often used to, but it contains just as much capacity for cleaning. You can use horse chestnuts for any cleaning job around the house such as laundry, for the floors, and the dishes.
Preparing the Horse Chestnuts
Removing the Husks
Once you have collected your horse chestnuts, it’s time to prepare them for soap making. Start by removing the spiky green husks, revealing the smooth brown nuts inside. You can do this by hand or with the help of a small knife. Take caution not to cut yourself during this process, as the husks can be prickly.
Crushing the Chestnuts
To release the saponins from the horse chestnuts, you will need to crush them into small pieces. There are several methods you can use, depending on the tools you have available. One approach is to place a chestnut under a tea towel and use a hammer to gently crush it. This method allows you to control the force and prevent the nuts from shattering.
Grinding the Chestnuts
After crushing the chestnuts, you can further break them down into a fine pulp by using a blender or a coffee grinder. This step is optional but recommended if you prefer a smoother texture for your soap. Simply add the crushed chestnuts to the blender or grinder and pulse until you achieve the desired consistency. Personally I pop them in a blender with some water to help them blend up nicely – use a sturdy blender as these chestnuts can be quite firm.
Making the Horse Chestnut Soap Solution
Soaking the Chestnuts
Now that you have prepared the chestnuts, it’s time to transform them into soap. Place the crushed or ground chestnuts into a heat-resistant container, such as a Pyrex measuring cup or a glass jar. Add hot water to cover the chestnuts, using a ratio of approximately 1 part chestnuts to 2 parts water.
Steeping for Saponins Extraction
Allow the chestnuts to steep in the hot water for at least 30 minutes. This steeping process allows the saponins to be extracted from the chestnuts and infused into the water, creating a soap solution. The longer the steeping time, the more concentrated the soap solution will become.
Straining the Soap Solution
After the steeping period, strain the soap solution to remove any solid particles or larger chestnut pieces. You can use a fine-mesh sieve, muslin or cheesecloth for this step, ensuring that the liquid passes through while capturing any remaining solids. The resulting liquid will have a milky appearance and a subtle nutty fragrance.
Using and Storing the Horse Chestnut Soap
Laundry Washing with Horse Chestnut Soap
To use the horse chestnut soap for laundry washing, simply add the desired amount of soap solution to your washing machine’s detergent compartment or directly to the drum. As a general guideline, start with approximately 1/4 to 1/3 cup of soap solution per wash load. Adjust the amount based on your preferences and the size of the load.
Storing the Soap Solution
If you have leftover soap solution, you can store it in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to a week. This allows you to make a larger batch of soap solution and use it over multiple laundry cycles. Before using the stored soap solution, give it a gentle shake to ensure that the saponins are evenly distributed. Or freeze it in bags in the amount you would use in a wash and take it out to defrost before popping in for that wash.
Additional Tips and Considerations
Scenting the Soap Solution
While horse chestnut soap has a natural nutty fragrance, you can enhance the scent by adding a few drops of your favourite essential oil. Lavender, tea tree, or citrus oils are popular choices that can provide a pleasant aroma to your laundry. Simply mix the essential oil with the soap solution before using it in your washing machine.
Avoiding Bleaching Effects
It’s important to note that horse chestnut soap may have a slight bleaching effect on dark or coloured fabrics. To prevent any potential discoloration, you can either test the soap solution on a small, inconspicuous area of the fabric or avoid using it for dark-coloured items. For whites or heavily stained garments, pre-soaking in the soap solution can help remove tough stains.
Experimenting with Different Soap Concentrations
Feel free to experiment with the concentration of the soap solution to find the right balance for your laundry needs. If you find that the soap is not providing enough cleaning power, you can increase the amount used per wash load. Conversely, if you notice any residue or excessive foaming, you can reduce the concentration.
(I’ve taken this recipe from the Totally Wild blog as this process is one I haven’t yet done myself & it’s good to be careful with these things!)
Samhain Blessings,
Hannah-may