Cloves as an Herb

(Eugenia caryophyllata)

The finest cloves come from Molucca and Pemba, where the trees grow better than anywhere else, but they are also imported from the East and West Indies, Mauritius and Brazil. Nearly one half of the world supply of Cloves is consumed in Indonesia. In Indonesia, Cloves are even mixed with tobacco to make a cigarette called 'kretek'.

Cloves contain a large amount of essential oil which is much used in medicine. When of good quality they are fat, oily, and dark brown in color, and give out their oil when squeezed with the finger nail. When pale color and dry, they are of inferior quality and yield little oil. Clove stalks are some times imported, and are said to be stronger and more pungent even than the Cloves.

Medicinal Uses for Cloves

The medicinal properties of clove oil reside in the volatile oil. Fresh infusion of Cloves contains astringent matter as well as the volatile oil.

Tea (other herbs and spices can be used or added to cloves such as allspice, bay, cinnamon and marjoram) has been used to relieve bronchitis, asthma, coughs, infection, tuberculosis, altitude sickness, nervous stomach, nausea, diarrhea, flatulence, indigestion, dyspepsia, gastroenteritis, side effects of lobelia, and depression. Several cloves added to other herbal teas is often used to alleviate mild depression and nervous irritability.

The essential oil is used in aromatherapy to treat infections, cold, and flu.

A common use for cloves is toothache. Clove tea, in combination with chamomile or sage, or a whole clove chewed, or one drop of clove oil placed directly onto the offending tooth helps alleviate pain. You can also use clove oil: Moisten a small bit of a cotton ball and place it within the cavity like a filling. The oil acts as an antiseptic and a topical anesthetic in dentistry. Clove oil will stop a toothache when applied directly to the cavity.

It is very warm and stimulating to the system, and is very useful with people who have cold extremities. Cloves will promote sweating with fevers, colds, and flu. It is often used in remedies for whooping cough.

Earache: A few drops in the ear canal with a cotton ball plug.

Sucking on a clove is said to control the desire for alcohol.

Cloves are also safe and effective for relieving morning sickness during pregnancy. The common remedy for this is 2 to 3 drops of clove oil in 1 cup of water or dropped into a sugar cube.

Cloves can also be used to detoxify metals from your body. Use a combination of equal parts basil and cloves with 1 teaspoon of the herbal combination being added to 1 cup of boiling water; steep 15 minutes. Take this concoction 2 times daily.

For macular degeneration and/or failing eyesight due to aging, an infusion, or a couple drops of clove oil added to tea has often been used.

For a mouthwash, use 3 teaspoons of whole cloves added to a pint of vodka and steeped 1 week. The essential oil is also used in a 1 to 5-percent ratio to the vodka.

Home made clove oil: Bruise the cloves and fill a small jar with them. Pour in olive oil to cover. Allow to sit 1 week, then strain out the oil and save. Repeat the process with the same oil at least once more, but best if repititions continue until the olive oil is saturated with the released clove oil.

Other Uses for Cloves

Place sticks of cloves into the skin of a whole lemon, covering it completely, and hang the lemon in closets or place in drawers to drive away insects. Pomanders made by studding a thin-skinned orange with cloves have been used to repel moths.

The bud oil is used in perfumery and to flavor toothpaste. The leaf oil is used to fragrance perfumes and soaps.

Folklore

Cloves were used by the ancient Romans, Greeks and Persians as a love philter (potion or charm). Also as incense, tea or elixir to enhance psychic ability and visions.

Culinary

Clove is a common kitchen spice most noted for studding ham, but also used with pot roast, beef tongue, in spice combinations for sausage, herbal teas, soups, peaches, tomatoes, and onions.

Important to cuisines of Russia, Scandinavia, Greece, India, and China.

Cloves are used to flavor meats, pastries, cookies, fruits, hot spiced drinks, chocolate drinks, puddings, marinades, breads, cakes, peas, curries, preserves, and pickles.

The oil and the extract are used commercially to flavor meat proucts, condiments, spiced fruits, candies, chewing gum, wines and liqueurs. The distilled leaf oil which is milder, is also used to flavor meats.

Red Clover Vinegar:Fill a pint jar with clover blossoms. Combine 1 cup red or white wine vinegar and 3 tablespoons clover honey and heat to boiling point. Pour into jar of blossoms. Cover and shake gently. Place in cupboard for 4 to 5 days; strain and bottle.