The Fun In Functional

One day a guy tried to sell me a supplement made from the red colour that is naturally occurring in raspberries. ?áAt the time, I laughed and laughed. Raspberries are one of my favourite fruits, why would I start taking them in a capsules and miss out on the full experience of tasting them?

Many people take supplements of particular parts of plants. ?áResearch has helped state the benefits of these plant constituents in a precise manner and people can supplement with high doses of these constituents. ?áAnd in the case of raspberries, research tells us that the colour in raspberries are anthocyanin pigments. ?áFound in blue-red fruits, such as blueberries, blackberries, grapes, hawthorn, cherries, and raspberries, anthocyanin pigments are one of the 5 families of flavonoids. ?áFlavonoids function as plant pigments in colourful fruits and flowers and they are abundant in plants. ?áThey are known for anti-inflammatory, anti-allergic, anti-carcinogenic and antiviral properties. ?áAnthocyanidins are also important anti-inflammatories that aid in wound healing by reinforcing the natural cross link of collagen that forms the matrix of connective tissue. ?áAnd as I type this, I wish I was enjoying these little blue-red bundles of beneficial constituents.

In some cases, it makes sense to supplement the diet with therapeutic doses of particular plant constituents. ?áFor the most part, I prefer to get these beneficial plant constituents from the plants themselves. ?áI enjoy eating and drinking; it is as simple as that. ?áI also see a spiritual aspect to it all.

Water is a universal solvent. ?áWe get this because most of us at some point have witnessed someone making tea and coffee. ?áAlcohol is a fine preservative and solvent. ?áSugar is another fine preservative. ?áWhat do you get when you put the three together and add a few botanicals? ?áA stable liquid that can taste good and it can even be good for you.

If you enter the liquor store you will see many bottles that were originally tonics. ?áIn fact, many of our modern sodas were once used as tonics. ?áThese fermented beverages were important because they were stable drinks that people could rely upon. ?áNot only in terms of safety, but also as a product that would strengthen and sustain. ?áThe people making drinks knew the benefits of the botanicals they were using and made drinks to nourish others. ?áThese days though, I feel that beverages are often a mere shell of what they once were. ?áWe don’t know what is in the bottle, it is often much too sweet and it is sweetened with highly controversial sweeteners such as GMO high-fructose corn syrup. ?áIt might be coloured with a dye that is not nutritional in any way (there go my?áanthocyanins!) ?áThe flavours are to mimic tastes in particular ways. ?áIt may be generally regarded as safe, but it has nothing to do with nutrition! ?áIt is the experience, the flavour sensation that is important. ?áIt is assumed that you are not looking to these drinks for any benefit other than pleasure. ?á From this herbalist’s perspective, there is room for growth in our understanding of what we are ingesting. ?áRather than being pleased by a flavour that imitates something good, I would rather look for foods and drinks that taste good, because they are good for me. ?á(And, this is not to be confused with the trend in functional foods. ?áGood food is functional, pointe finale.)

I don’t want a world where all the pleasures of eating and drinking are gone. ?áI am not going to start a drab way of living that involves taking supplements as a means of sustenance. ?áAt the same time, it can be tricky as I shop for food and drink?ábecause I so often fall for something that looks good, but has little benefit to me, other than a taste experience!

So, this is how I do it: I make things I might want to enjoy in the months ahead. ?áThese are two simple examples. ?áThere are many ways to keep the fun in functional.

Raspberry Liqueur

Making a stable liqueur is easy. ?áUse quality ingredients that are clean and mould free. ?áUse clean vessels. ?áEnsure that at least 25% of the volume weight is either sugar or pure alcohol or a combination of the two.

Ingredients

300 grams raspberries (fresh or frozen)

200 grams sugar

700 ml vodka, cognac or brandy

And for a little more inspiration: add some other flavourings: vanilla bean, organic orange peel (avoiding the white pith) and honey.

Pour the above ingredients into a mason jar. ?áAgitate a little bit daily and let it sit for two weeks in a dark corner of your countertop. ?áUsing a cheese cloth and a sieve, strain the raspberries from the liquid. ?áDecant the liquid into a nice (clean) bottle with a good (and clean) stopper. ?áUse your creativity to make a charming label with the name of your product, ingredients and date that it was made. ?áServe as you wish, perhaps with sparkling water and a twist of lemon.

*after you are finished with the fruit, you can add it to a trifle pudding or you can bake it in a cake.

**Don’t use honey, unless you include a large amount of alcohol. ?áHoney and water will ferment turning your product into mead. ?áThis is not a bad thing, but it does require a little more knowledge and care.

Raspberry Vodka

200 g raspberries

800 ml vodka (40%)

This is the exact same method as the above recipe. ?áPour the above ingredients into a mason jar. ?áAgitate a little bit daily and let it sit for two weeks in a dark corner of your countertop. ?áUsing a cheese cloth and a sieve, strain the raspberries from the liquid. ?áDecant the liquid into a nice (clean) bottle with a good (and clean) stopper. ?áUse your creativity to make a charming label with the name of your product, ingredients and date that it was made.

Studies prove that consuming excessive amounts of sugar and alcohol is detrimental to the body. ?áModeration is key in fully enjoying the benefits of these beverages.

By: Tammy Schmidt, Montreal