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season: early-spring
section: teas and remedies
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- dandelion root tea, roasted and brewed dark. a liver tonic after the heavy food of winter.
- violet leaf tea, mild and green. good for coughs that linger from the cold months.
- nettle tea, if you can find young nettles. iron-rich, good for the blood. wear gloves picking.
- a simple fire cider: apple cider vinegar, horseradish, garlic, onion, ginger, honey. steep for weeks. take a spoonful when you feel a cold coming.
- cleavers steeped fresh in cool water overnight. the old herbalists called it a spring cleanser.
- lemon balm tea from whatever survived the winter. calming, gentle on the stomach.

spring remedies are about waking up. the body has been indoors too long. bitter greens and sharp roots shake the dust off.