Stock Your Fall Herbal Apothecary!
One of the most incredible things about herbalism is that it connects us back to ourselves and reminds us of our inextricable connection to the world around us. As herbalists, we look forward to each new season’s beauty and subtleties, which informs how we make our medicines, which herbs we collect, and what supplies we need to restock for our seasonal rituals. For fall, that means reading nourishing cookbooks and staying well with the help of warming foods, medicinal mushrooms, and immune-supportive herbs. Here’s what we’re stocking our shelves with this autumn!
Here’s what we’re stocking our shelves with this autumn!
Herbal Rituals for Autumn Health
Because fall is the time to conserve our energy, bolster our immunity, and warm up our internal fire, much of our herbal activity happens in the kitchen. Like the plants that shed their leaves and recede into the soil to absorb nutrients, we too will be fortifying our bodies to make it through the colder seasons and emerge rested and revitalized in the spring.
Nourish with Adaptogenic Soups & Herbal Broths
While soups may seem to be too simple to be a remedy, any herbalist will assure you they’re not. Nutrient-rich broths, porridges, soups, and stews are easy on digestion and offer simple nourishment in cooler times. Plus, they’re an incredible vehicle for herbal medicines, foraged greens, and edible seaweeds. Try incorporating some turmeric into your soups or astragalus to pep up your immune system ahead of the winter season.
Support Digestion with Warming & Enzymatic Spices
Spices are arguably some of the most underrated herbs. Many folks don’t see spices as herbal medicine, but the trick is all in the dose! Using a little more of these warming spices throughout the day can give you extra herbal benefits, including circulatory and digestive system support. Some of our fall favorites are cayenne, cinnamon, ginger, and turmeric.
Sip on Medicinal Teas & Tonics
We’re obviously biased towards teas, but it’s actually one of the best ways to take herbal medicine. Teas are simple to make, quickly absorbed by the body, and cost-effective. We try to incorporate teas with a purpose into our daily routine like our Reishi Mushroom with Rooibos & Orange Peel tea for sustained immune support.
Stock your Pantry with these Key Herbs
Buying culinary herbs in bulk and pre-stocking your pantry with herbal teas is the best way to stay motivated throughout the season and prepared for whatever should come. These are the herbs we depend on and incorporate into our fall rituals:
Strengthening & Adaptogenic Herbs
As the demands of work seem to turn up a notch after summer and school kicks into gear, supporting ourselves at the onset is one of the most important things we can do for ourselves. That’s why our herbalists recommend incorporating adaptogenic herbs well in advance of seasonal bugs and stressors. These hearty plants will give you an extra buffer through stressful times and seasonal shifts. Our go-to adaptogens for resilience are astragalus, eleuthero, and schisandra; all of which are available in Urban Moonshine’s Immune Tonic tincture.
Edible & Fortifying Mushrooms
We can’t get enough of them. Traditionally these herbal medicines have been highly revered for supporting longevity and overall oomph. There are so many more varieties that range in flavor, texture and benefits than your typical grocery store button mushroom, so we encourage you to be adventurous this fall! Whether you’re using mushrooms in foods or as an adaptogenic tea (like our Reishi Mushroom with Rooibos & Orange Peel tea), fall is the ideal time to add a bit of fortifying mushrooms to your diet.
Soothing & Immune-Boosting Herbs
While we always stay prepared, sometimes we just simply don’t feel 100%. This is when we turn to herbal allies that rev up the immune system. We love having both echinacea and elderberry handy in our Echinacea Plus Elderberry tea or Urban Moonshine’s Immune Zoom tincture. If you need some support for your throat, try demulcent and soothing herbs like slippery elm and licorice. Many of these herbs are front and center in our famous Throat Coat teas.






