Blessed Imbolc, folx!
For those of us who follow the Wheel of the Year, this festival celebrates the halfway point between the winter solstice and the spring equinox. It isn’t necessarily one single day, but a moment in time that can last from February 1st to 2nd, or even fall closer to the 5th. Spring is stirring, fertility is palpable, and small signs of awakening and growth are becoming visible all around us. This is certainly true for us here in Western Iberia, as birdsongs once again accompany early mornings, wattle started blooming in the last full moon of January, and all our chickens made a secret pact to start laying eggs at the same time. Are you noticing signs of spring where you inhabit, too?
As the days grow longer and warmer, I feel a deep stirring in my body, too. It’s like this every early spring, as the garden starts whispering my name, the seeds in their seedboxes ask for my attention, and I find my mind veering towards garden planning and all the new medicinal plants I want to grow this year. I become a little more social, after a winter most of us in the neighborhood have spent indoors by our woodstoves. I put on my boots and go for walks more often, gleaning oranges and mandarines on the way, taking along my foraging basket. Preparing an overnight nettle infusion becomes an evening ritual once again, and I feel a craving for bitterness.
Do you feel a craving for bitter flavors, too? Bitterness is an early spring staple, if you ask me, and for good reason. Bitter is both a flavor and an herbal action (herbal actions refer to the effect an herb has in the body) and something many of us may need after a cold, sluggish winter, where we tend to feel stagnated (sounds familiar?).
Bitter herbs and foods promote appetite and support the digestive system, as their taste on our tongue has a trickle-down effect through the digestive system, preparing the body for proper absorption and nutrition. You may have experienced that, when you chew on something bitter, you start salivating. This is just the beginning of that process, during which our digestive secretions, such as bile from the liver, insulin from the pancreas, and enzymes from the stomach, begin their work. In addition, bitters also act upon the nervous system, helping us feel calmed down and settled, ready to enjoy a good meal. I talk a little bit about bitters in my book, where I share the recipe for a delicious vinegar-based bitter tonic in the Spring section.
So, of course, during this Imbolc, to bask in the warm sun and welcome spring’s beauty (and the colorful meals to come!), it seemed pretty fitting to go on a little foraging walk to my secret wetland spot with clear running spring water, to collect one of my favorite bitter herbs: Rumex obtusifolius, also known as broad-leaved dock or, in Portuguese, labaçol, labaça-obtusa, manteigueira, ruibarbo-selvagem, erva-britânica, or paciência-aquiática.
Broad-leaved dock (Rumex obtusifolius) is a close relative to yellow dock (Rumex crispus), but I feel that it kind of lives in its shadow. Most herbal references you will find mention yellow dock, with fewer mentions of this broad-leaved cousin. However, both species have similar constituents and actions, the broad-leaved dock being more bitter than the yellow dock (and thus, slightly less inviting), and being the one that lives in close proximity to me.
Broad-leaved dock can be found growing throughout Europe in waterways and along shady paths, and has some pretty distinctive identification features that make it a rather easy herb to forage. I will not go into identification in this post, as I’d prefer to encourage you to check your local flora guides!
As always, remember to follow good foraging practices, only take what you need and leave plenty behind for your other-than-human kin, cross-check at least two different plant ID books, and avoid foraging for new-to-you herbs all by yourself (learning to identify a new plant in the wild is so much more fun and safe done with an experienced friend!)
The whole plant can be used, from the root up. Over the centuries, its leaves have made their way into dishes and salads (it is commonly found in many traditional dishes on these hills), the dry seeds can be milled into flour, and the root can be tinctured fresh or dried for use in decoctions. It is rich in vitamins and minerals, including iron. Besides the bitterness mentioned earlier, this plant is also astringent, alterative, cholagogue, diuretic, hepatic, and laxative, traditionally being used during Spring to cleanse and wake up the body after a long winter and to help with skin issues. Personally, I like turning to dock for digestive support when things are feeling a bit slow in my digestive tract. And my favorite way of doing so is through tincturing the bitter, yellow root.
A great place to learn more about herbs is Herbal Academy’s Herbarium membership, which is a true vault of information. My favorite part of it is the hundreds of plant monographs, all of them including thorough research and references, safety and dosage information. It’s such a handy resource!
Broad-leaved dock tincture
This tincture is made using the folk method, which, unlike the mathematical method, doesn’t follow specific proportions and is an easily accessible gateway into the world of tinctures. If you’ve never made a tincture before, it’s a good idea to seek some further reading into this preparation. Tinctures are generally made using alcohol as a solvent (although you can make alcohol-free tinctures using vinegar or glycerin). The alcohol extracts a wide range of plant constituents and acts as a preservative, allowing you to create a preparation that can have a shelf-life of up to 3 to 5 years, depending on the percentage of the alcohol used. Tinctures are strong! In terms of volume, they are much stronger than infusions or decoctions, and so the dosage is much smaller, too. I like taking my tinctures simply by placing a few drops under my tongue or adding the drops to water or infusions.
ingredients
A handful of fresh broad-leaved dock (Rumex obtusifolius) roots, well-cleaned and free of debris
Alcohol of your choice, at least 40% (80-proof), such as vodka or rum (I personally love the way rum combines with this herb!)
directions
Using a sharp knife and a cutting board, chop your roots finely. The finely, the better, to allow for a larger surface to be in contact with the alcohol. Transfer the herbs into a clean jar.
Pour the alcohol over the herbs, covering them by 2,5 cm (1 inch), and cap tightly. Label your jar with the date and the herbs used.
Store it in a warm place for 4-6 weeks, giving it a shake every now and then. Your broad-leaved dock tincture will become increasingly yellow!
Once macerated, strain through a fine-mesh sieve, pressing the herbs with the back of a spoon to extract as much liquid as possible. Funnel into dark tincture bottles and store in a dark place, where it will last for up to 2 years.
To use your tincture, enjoy a dropperful (approx. 30 drops / 1ml) about 15-20 minutes before a meal. Although broad-leaved dock is generally considered safe, it is not recommended in large doses (remember, it is a laxative, after all!). It should be used over limited periods of time, such as 2-3 weeks, and then paused. It is an herb to support seasonal transition and stagnation, but not an herb bestie like nettle, that you can hang out with every day without it getting a little bit too intense, you know?
As always, do your own research before starting to work with any new plant.
And there you go, friends. I hope you find joy and pleasure in connecting with this herb many of our ancestors have befriended throughout time. Which new herb are you looking forward to befriending this season, too?
Is the new season, be it spring or autumn (for my southern hemisphere pals!), starting to show up where you dwell?
Foragingly yours,
Cat 🧺
PS. If you’re intrigued by the dock (Rumex) family, I enjoyed this piece about yellow dock (Rumex crispus), and think you might, too: A Black Herbalist’s Guide to Breathing and Grieving with Yellow Dock.