Pectins are a group of white amorphous complex polysaccharides, often refered to as insoluble fiber.  This insoluble fiber is formed when the protopectins found in unripe fruit are converted into pectins as the fruit ripens.  Pectins are found in large amount in peaches, plums, currants and apples.  Apples contain by far the largest amount of pectins, with the Jonagold variety containg the most.

When pectin is mixed with water, a colloidal suspension is formed.   A thick gel is formed once this solution cools.  This is what makes the fruit used in jams and jellies to set up.

Milk thistle is a hardy annual plant native to southern Europe and the Middle East but is now found world wide.   It prefers warm, dry soil and is often found growing in locations inhospitable to other plants.  These hardy plants grow from 4-10 feet in height.  The leaves are wide with white blotches and are at the top of a single branched stem.  The red-purple flowers appear from May through September.  The flower of the milk thistle produces a small, brown hard skinned fruit from July to October.

The history of Milk Thistle’s use in traditional healing dates back to the ancient Greeks and Romans.  They used it to treat a variety of ailments with milk thistle, particularly  those connected with liver.  In fact, Pliny, a first century naturalist, said that it was “excellent for carrying away bile”. 

Nopal or prickly pear as it is more commonly called is a member of the cactus family. It is native to the entire western hemisphere as well as Africa, Australia and the Mediterranean. It is a large cactus that can range in height from less than a foot to over 7 feet tall. The pads of the prickly pear are actually the stems of the plant and are where the moisture is stored. Its flowers are range from yellow, to red, to purple and bloom from July to August. Once the flowers are pollinated they produce small oblong fruit about 2 ½ inches long. The use of cactus as a food source dates back to from between 5,000 to 7,000B.C. It was an important staple especially in arid regions. Archeologists believe that the cultivation of the prickly pear cactus allowed for the settlement of the arid lands of Mexico and the southwestern United States.

Dulse is a common red sea weed native to the North Atlantic and the Northwest Pacific Oceans.  It grows in the inter-tidal zone where the water is cold and fast moving and the bottom is clean.  The color of this seaweed ranges from light rose to a deep pinkish purple.  Dulse grows extremely fast.  Its strands reach 8-16 feet so quickly that during the summer, it can be harvested every two weeks.

Dulse has been used as a food source since the Norseman crossed the North Atlantic.  Regulation of the collection of dulse was introduced into Iceland in the 13th century.  Icelandic sagas tell the tale of a Viking warrior that was lulled to sleep with dulse in milk before he was slain.   

The dulse is harvested, dried and the used in a myriad of different ways.  It is high in protein making it a welcome addition to the diet of vegetarians and is found in many “green” foods.  It has a high mucilage content which makes it excellent for detoxification of the body, soothing to skin problems and promoting bowel health. Seaweeds are also used in the treatment of radiation poisoning and to counter the effects of radiation and chemotherapy in cancer patients.

Horsetails are the last remnants of huge tree like plants that thrived 400 million years ago.  Horsetail is closely related to ferns and is native throughout Europe, Asia, the Middle East and North America.  It is a perennial with hollow stems and shoots that closely resemble asparagus.  It has two distinct stem forms.  The variety that grows in early spring is brown in color and is topped by a spore containing cone.  The mature form of the herb appears in summer and has feathery branched stems.  These plants are closely related to ferns and can reach a height of over 6 feet.

Horsetail has been used in traditional medicine all over the world.  Since the time of the ancient Greeks and Romans, it was used to stop bleeding, treat ulcers, and wounds as well as a treatment for tuberculosis and kidney problems. Today the horsetail is still an important herb in traditional medicine.

Cranberries grow on low spreading evergreen shrubs in marshes or boggy land. The cranberry bush has upright branches with leaves that are flecked with white dots on the underside. It produces pink blossoms in June and July with the berries appearing soon after.  The cranberry is closely related to the blue berry, huckleberry and bilberry.

The use of cranberries dates as far back as the Iron Age.  The Romans were the first to record their medicinal properties.  They found the cranberry in use in the British Isles and brought them back to Rome.  The Romans used cranberries as a  treatment for gout.

Since being mentioned by herbalist Henry Lyte in 1578, the cranberry has been used to treat a variety of illnesses and conditions.  Modern science is beginning to confirm the cranberry’s usefulness in treating a variety of illnesses and it nutritional value.