 |
The story behind
this is pretty amazing if true. In New Orleans, there was a plague... yellowjack
if I am not mistaken. More commonly known as malaria or yellow fever. Victims
homes were boarded up and abandoned because the spread of the plague was
not known at the time. These homes were robbed by four thieves. When they
were finally caught, the magistrate asked them how they stayed healthy
and they claimed that a Hoodoo woman had made this up for them.
The above story as well as this recipe were given to me by my High Priestess, Lady Lhianna Sidhe. It was told to her by Lord Athanor. Another version of why "four thieves" comes from From the July 1996 issue of Delicious! Magazine "The Healing Power Of Garlic" By Frances Albrecht, M.S., C.N. "Perhaps the most amazing use of garlic was in France in 1721, when four condemned criminals were given the unsavory task of burying plague victims. Surprisingly, none was stricken by this deadly disease, a feat attributed to their consumption of macerated garlic soaked in wine. Four Thieves Vinegar, the name given to this tonic, is still sold today in France." This second story seems to be the more common story, but since New Orleans was and is very French, I think the first one could also be true. Grin... besides! My HPS said so! Four Thieves Vinegar
Put the herbs in the vinegar. Shake well. Let is sit in the sun for two weeks. Open. Drop in six cloves of garlic. Cap it. Shake well. Let sit in sun for one week. Strain. Pour into bottles or jar. Seal with wax or add glycerin to preserve it. NOTE: How much glycerin would be necessary? Seems to me that the vinegar is a pretty strong preservative all on its own!
|
