Olive Season – The Organic Way

Olive Season - The Organic WayLike many other Mediterranean countries, Israel is blessed with the climate suitable to grow an array of fruits indigenous to the region as well as the land’s history. Olives are one of the oldest fruits known to man and have been mentioned in biblical texts all the way from the story of Noah in the Book of Geneses: “And lo, the dove returned to Noah, this time with a freshly plucked sprig of olive branch in her mouth”. Both the fruit as well as the oil are used extensively, not only in Israel, but all over the world. The benefits of using non-saturated olive oil in cooking is well known; and is gaining in popularity everywhere, despite the higher price for it, as compared to vegetable oils made from soy beans, corn, peanuts, and even canola. Olive oil was used to anoint kings in many ancient lands, and was used extensively by the ancient Greeks as both a protection against sunburn as well as to make their bodies ‘glisten’ during athletic competitions.

Olive oil comes in many varieties, and flavors, ranging from more acidic (and bitter) natural varieties, to the more refined types which foreign households are accustomed to using.

Today, one sees olive trees all over Israel; and many parks, private homes, and apartment buildings have olive trees gracing their lawns and gardens. Olives are ‘in season’ from mid-September to late March, depending on location and type of olives picked. The most popular type of olive is the round Maraschino which is grows in most locations as ranges anywhere in size from around 1 cm to 2 1/2 cm in length. These olives are either picked green or ripe, and can either be found in cans, jars, or in barrels in many grocery stores and open air markets. My favorites are the extra large Greek olives, most of which are imported either from Greece, Turkey, or Cyprus. They have a unique taste that appears to be from secret recipes handed down from generation to generation. One of the favorite types more indigenous to Israel and the Middle East is the Syrian olive which is longer and more pointed than the Maraschino. It is often found in open air markets and is usually ‘cracked’ or partially broken during processing to enhance its flavor, together with the addition of lemon wedges and garlic cloves.

I like to process my own olives, which, if done properly, taste better than the commercially processed ones. A simple recipe involves taking about two kilograms of freshly picked olives and soaking them in water for about two weeks, changing the water daily. After this process, place the olives in clean jars with intermittent layers of salt, lemon wedges and garlic cloves. Olive leaves can be added as well for both taste enhancement and eye appeal. Fill with water until full. Before closing the jars, add a layer of olive oil on top to enhance the flavor and prevent mold from forming. Place the filled jars in a dark place like a pantry for a minimum of 2-3 months before opening. It’s a good idea to write the date when the jars were filled so as not to open them too early. Olives not stored long enough will have a bitter taste.

Olive production has been recently hampered by pests like the Med-fly, which damages and deforms the fruit. For this reason, especially if you are ‘going organic’ and want olives from unsprayed trees, you will probably have to ‘cull out’ at least 20% or more of what you pick. The results are worth it, for you will not only have the pleasure of eating home processed organic olives, but the satisfaction of partaking in a tradition that is as ancient as the Bible itself.

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The Tulsi Plant: India’s Wonder Herb

Tulsi PlantThe Tulsi plant is a basil-like herb originating in ancient India; and has been used as an integral ingredient in organic medicinal products for thousands of years by holistic and homeopathic health practitioners who understand and appreciate the medicinal qualities of this sacred or holy basil. This amazing herb is now available in a number of quality organic medicinal products and food supplements, enabling you to maintain better health and improved quality of life. Tulsi users swear to the miraculous healing qualities that this “queen of herbs” has given them; and can do the same for you as well.

The most sacred herbs of India include Soma, Tulsi and Lotus, and of these Tulsi, no doubt, inspires the most personal devotion to the Vishnu, or Lord Krishna. Tulsi is considered to be a Goddess connected with Krishna. One legend notes that this Goddess was incarnated after spending a lifetime as a very close devotee of Krishna, becoming the herb Tulsi, which leads to one of Tulsi’s many names, Vishnupriya (the beloved one of Vishnu). There are some followers of Krishna who have such a high regard for Tulsi that they would never dream of actively consuming Tulsi as a medicine, but rather choose to passively receive her healing power from her presence alone, which explains why many temples in India, as well as private homes, are adorned with Tulsi plants.

India is well known for its natural diets, particularly since the majority of its population are Hindu, and as such are not meat eaters. Supplements liker Tulsi and other herbs help Indians to add variety to what would otherwise be very bland and uninteresting foods. Curry, that Indians call the ’spice of life’ also features prominently in their diets as well.

Tulsi has traditionally been used in India as a medicinal herb to treat everything from coughs and bronchitis, to skin diseases and malarial fever. It is also recommended to help increase sexual stamina, and is mentioned in the Kama Sutra, the ancient Indian book on love and sexual expertise. It is said that offering a young damsel a mixture of Tulsi leaves and betel nuts, is an expression of deep affection for her.

Modern uses for the Tulsi leaves and flowers include drinking them as a tea to counteract negative environmental effects on the body; and to rid the system of toxins.

The plant itself if rich in antioxidants, as well as vitamins A and C (if eaten fresh).

Types of Tulsi plants can differ, due to their natural habitat due to climate and moisture variations, as well as acid or alkaline content of the soil. For this reason, Tulsi plants harvested from different areas have different medicinal and food supplemental uses.

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Healing Properties of The Dead Sea

Healing Properties of The Dead SeaThe Dead Sea, located between Israel and Jordan, is an extremely saline inland sea, originally formed millions of years ago as a part of the great Syro-African Rift; which stretches from Israel’s northern border all the way to Kenya and Tanzania in East Africa. With an annual evaporation rate of more than 5 million gallons, the lake has an accumulation of salt and other minerals so dense that its salinity percentage averages between 25 and 35% – more than any other body of water in the world.

The immense healing properties of this dense, mineral mixture, combined with a rich oxygen atmospheric level, has made the sea very well known for its medicinal healing properties since ancient times. King Solomon, the Greek philosopher Aristotle, Herod the Great, and even the Queen of Sheba, were familiar with the healing qualities of the waters of the Dead Sea. In the Bible, the Hebrew Prophet, Elisha, prescribed to a famous general to dip himself several times in the waters of the Jordan (at the entrance to the Dead Sea), to be rid of leprosy. That ‘leprosy’ of General Sisra has now been assumed to be one of many forms of skin conditions including psoriasis, seborrhea, and others.

To this day, thousands of people visit the several hotels and spas on the shores of the Sea to bathe in its waters and gain relief from a variety of medical ailments, including the ones already mentioned. The minerals found in the mud of the Dead Sea are also very popular, and many people completely cover themselves with this mixture to obtain relief.

Hundreds of cosmetic products, made from these minerals, as well as the salt and mud itself, are sold all over the world, enabling people to enjoy the medicinal qualities of the Dead Sea in their own homes. The manufacture of these Dead Sea mineral products has grown into a multimillion dollar industry; perhaps even surpassing the revenues that both Israel and Jordan already receive from the sale of potash, nitrates, and other minerals mined from the shores of the Dead Sea. It is also said by many that just sitting or lying in the Sea’s extremely buoyant waters gives them an extreme calming effect, not found anywhere else.

Green Clean – Organic Cleaning Compounds Becoming More Popular Despite Higher Costs

Want to clean your house with worry of harming our environment? Then try organic and bio-degradable housecleaners instead of harsher commercial products. More and more ‘earth friendly’ cleaning compounds are appearing in both specialty shops and organic products stores these days. Though more costly (in America, organic and ‘natural’ soaps and cleaning compounds cost at least 50% more than standard brands like “Mr. Clean” and Ajax), people concerned about the effects of commercial detergents, bleaches, window cleaning fluids, and even furniture polish, are willing to pay the price, in order to help the environment. The ‘green’ products, alleged to contain these bio-degradable and environmentally friendly ingredients, note plant-derived essential oils and other similar compounds which can be disposed in the normal manner (i.e. in the garbage or down the drain or toilet) without worrying whether they will pollute the soil or water supplies.

The only problem at present, as noted by a spokesman for the American based Organic Consumers Association, is that these products have not yet been certified by U.S. Government regulatory bodies, such as the FDA and Federal Trade Commission.

Labels of many organic cleaning products, though claiming to contain ‘all natural’ and organic ingredients, still have not been officially proven to be so. If the products are noted to be “bio-degradable” for example; and without such ingredients as phosphates, chlorine bleach, and other similar ingredients, they still lack certification by an official government body to back up these claims.

A number of standard ingredients, such as phosphates for example, are actually natural, since they come directly from the ground and are not altered in their chemical composition. Many standard Israeli cleaning compounds, as well as soaps and detergents, contain phosphates and other similar compounds. Natural cleaning products are less available in Israel, though some of the older brands, utilizing ‘natural’ basic ingredients, like sand and soda ash, have been around for years.

With an annual American market of more $100 million per year for organic soap and cleaning products; more and more of them will eventually be sold in Israel as well. Families who still have grandmothers around, can testify that you can make your own ‘organic’ cleaning products, and be assured of what they contain. Some of these old favorites include using vinegar instead of window cleaner or drain cleaning products. Vinegar, in fact, has been used by women as a vaginal douche since time immemorial. Baking soda, also a favorite “old wives” cleaning product, has a variety of uses; from brushing teeth, to cleaning the sink and bathtub.

Even organic cleaners are not completely ‘friendly’ however; and one still has to be cautious when using – especially when small children are in the home.