COMMON WOOD SORREL

LEAVES & FLOWERS:

Wood sorrel has a pleasant lemony taste & is rich in vitamin C & also contains vitamin A.

It has diuretic, antiscorbutic & refrigerant action & a decoction made from its leaves is given in high fever. 

Wood Sorrel is used as a blood cleanser & will strengthen a weak stomach, produce an appetite, check vomiting & remove obstructions of the viscera.

The juice used as a gargle is a remedy for ulcers in the mouth & is good to heal wounds & to stop bleeding.
Sponges & linen cloths saturated with the juice & applied, are effective in the reduction of swellings & inflammation.
The poultice of the plant is believed to be capable of dissolving old tumors & masses of diseased tissue.
Also the leaves are crushed & applied locally to dispel boils & abscesses.

Wood Sorrel can be also useful to treat catarrh & urinary disorders, conjunctivitis, coughs, gingivitis, prickly-heat, stomatitis, sore mouths & throats,antiseptic & removal of worms.
It relieves heartburn, stomach upsets & slight liver complaints. For these, the tea is drunk cooled, 2 cups a day.
For jaundice, nephritis, eczema & worms the same amount is drunk warm.
The freshly pressed juice can be taken for stomach cancer in the early stage, cancer-like internal & external ulcers & growths.
The freshly pressed juice is dabbed directly on external growths.
The leaves are chewed for nausea.

PRECAUTIONS:

When used internally, some caution is advised due to the oxalic acid content of the leaves, the plant is contra-indicated for people suffering from gastritis or a calculus condition.
Those with a disposition to gouty conditions, rheumatism, arthritis, kidney or bladder complaints should refrain from its use altogether. Wood sorrel (like many other plants: Spinach, Broccoli, Rhubarb,Chard & Beet greens all contain large amounts of oxalic acid) contains oxalic acid, which can exacerbate such conditions.
Consumption of too much oxalic acid can hinder absorption of calcium & other minerals, so if you are very mineral deficient, eating this plant frequently can cause problems.
However, the oxalic acid in vegetables is broken down in cooking.

RECIPES:

Tea:

1 tbsp of the herb infused in 1 cup boiling water. No more than 2 cups per day. Excessive doses can cause hemorrhage & diarrhea due to internal irritation. Oxalate poisoning is the result.

Fresh juice:

The leaves are washed & put into a juice extractor.

The fresh leaves may be used in cooking wherever you would use lemon juice, especially when cooking fish. It imparts a lovely lemony flavor when the fresh leaves are added to the dish.
The juice of the leaves turns red when clarified & makes a fine, clear syrup, which was considered as effectual as the infusion.
Wood Sorrel leaves make a refreshing, thirst-quenching munch & are also added to salads, soups, sauces etc. This leaf should be used in moderation.

Delicious Wood Sorrel Salad:

2 dl sprouts
handful of chives, chopped
1 dl wood sorrel, chopped
2 dl cottage cheese
100 g cherry tomatoes, quartered
Just mix everything & enjoy!

Fruit Salad with Wood Sorrel:

1 cup of strawberries
1 pineapple compote
1 pear
1 handful of Wood Sorrel
0,5 lemon, juice
Chop & mix it all.
You can add some pineapple juice.

MAGIC:

The Celts associated the sprightly Wood Sorrel with the leprechauns. Still today in Ireland there are representations of leprechauns always holding a Wood Sorrel leaf. Leprechauns not only enjoy playing tricks on humans, they are also extremely skilled artisans & guardians of the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. To put the leprechauns in a good mood, the Irish used to place bread & milk or beer under the elder bush by the house & would sometimes receive a little help with some handiwork in return.

Use wood sorrel in rituals & spells for healing.