[Latin Name] Silybum marianum G.

[Plant Source] The dried seed of Silybum marianum G.

[Specifications]  Silymarin 80% UV & Silybin+Isosilybin 30% HPLC

[Appearance] Light Yellow Powder

[Particle size] 80 Mesh

[Loss on drying] £ 5.0%

[Heavy Metal] £10PPM

[Extract solvents] Ethanol

[Microbe]  Total Aerobic Plate Count:  £1000CFU/G

                   Yeast & Mold:  £100 CFU/G

[Storage] Store in cool & dry area, keep away from the direct light and heat.

[Shelf life]24 Months

[Package] Packed in paper-drums and two plastic-bags inside. Net weight:25kgs/drum

[What is Milk Thistle]

Milk Thistle is a unique herb which contains a natural compound called silymarin. Silymarin nourishes the liver like no other nutrient currently known. The liver acts as the body’s filter constantly cleansing to protect you from toxins.

Over time, these toxins can accumulate in the liver. Milk Thistle’s potent antioxidant properties and rejuvenating actions help keep the liver strong & healthy.

[Function]
1, Toxicology tests showed that:a strong effcets of protecting cell membrane of liver, in Clinical application, Milk Thistle

Extract has good results for the treatment of acute and chronic hepatitis, liver cirrhosis and a variety of toxic liver damage, etc.;
2, Milk Thistle Extract significantly improves the liver function of the patients with symptoms of hepatitis;

3,Clinical applications: for the treatment of acute and chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis, liver poisoning and other diseases.

Stevia grows best in upland areas in sub-tropical climate. In other places it can be grown as an annual. The plant prefers a lightly textured, well-drained soil to which organic matter has been added. It needs ample water so that the soil is consistently moist, but not wet. In hot, sunny climates it will do best in semi-shade. Propagation is from seed sown in spring, but germination rates can be low-expect half the seeds sown not to germinate. Plant seedlings out once all danger of frost is over. Leaves are best harvested just before flowering. The plants will also grow from cuttings,which are best taken in late winter.The concentration of stevioside in the leaves of Stevia increasing when the plants are grown under long day condition.While, cultivating stevia on a large scale, it can be grown in well-drained red soil and sandy loam soil. The soil should be in the pH range of 6.5-7.5. Saline soils should be avoided to cultivate this plant.

Stevia can be successfully cultivated all around the year all over India expect theareas, which receive snowfall, or temperatures go below 5 degree Celsius in winter.The summer temperatures actually do not affect this plant if the high summer temperatures have already been factored in the cultivation practices.Since seed germination rate is very poor,it is propagated vegetative. Though stem cuttings are used for vegetative tissue culture plants have proven to be the best planting material for Stevia. Tissue culture plants of Stevia are genetically pure, free from pathogens and haveexcellent vigor. The tissue culture plants can be planted throughout the year,expect during peak summer. An ideal planting density is 40,000 plants per acre with spacing of 25×40 cm in a raised bed system. The soil can be enriched with abasal dressing of 25 tons of well rotten farmyard manure/hectare

Soil Type
Stevia requires very good drainage any soil that retain the moisture for very long period of time are unsuitable for Stevia cultivation and should be religiously avoided.Red soil and sandy loam with a 6-7 pH are best for the cultivation of Stevia.

Raised bed preparation
Forming raised beds is the most economical way to grow Stevia. The raised bed should be of 15 cm in height and 60 cm in width. The distance between each plant 23 cm. This would give a plant population of around 40,000 per acre.

Planting Material
There are basically two options for multiplication. The first is the tissue culture and second the stem cutting. Tissue culture is the best option but many farmers are tempted to try the stem cutting method for multiplication. As per practical experience, stem cutting is sometimes more expensive to produce than the tissue culture since the success rate of the stem cuttings establishment is very low, it takes minimum of 25 weeks for the stem cutting to develop in proper feeding roots for transplantation (younger stem cuttings transplants have shown more than 50% mortality in first few weeks of transplants in main field).

Harvesting
Another important aspect of harvesting is the timing of harvest. It should be noted that at no point of time plants should be allowed to flower since after flowering the Stevioside percentage goes down rapidly and leaves are rendered unmarketable. Leaves are harvested by plucking in a small quantity, or the entire plant with the side branches is cut leaving 10 to 15 cm from the base.The first harvesting can be done four to five months after planting. Subsequent harvesting can be done every three months, for five consecutive years. The sweetener in the leaf is maximum till the plant flowers. Just before flowering, the plant should be cut completely leaving 10 cm from the ground. The new flush of leaves will sprout from here. The new plant will be ready for harvest again in three months. The plant yields around 3000 kg of dried leaves from an acre of plantation every year. Harvesting should be done as late as possible, since cool autumn temperatures and shorter days tend to intensify the sweetness of the plants as they evolve into a reproductive state.

Unlocking the sweetness in your harvest
Once all leaves have been harvested it’s required to dry them. This can be
accomplished on a net. The drying process is not one that requires excessive heat;more important is good air circulation. On a moderately warm fall day, stevia crop can be quick dried in the full sun in about 12 hours. (Drying times longer than that will lower the stevioside content of the final product.)
Crushing the dried leaves is the final step in releasing stevia’s sweetening power. The
dried leaves are powdered, sieved and the fine powder is stored in containers. This can be done either by hand or, for greater effect, in a coffee grinder or in a special blender for herbs.

Web: https://www.natureherbs.org | www.natureherbs.co
Email : natureherbs@ymail.com
Watsapp: +91 841 888 5555
Skype: nature.herbs

Make this creamy luxurious soup that’s entirely plant-based with nourishing miso and squash.

INGREDIENTS:

1 large red onion, chopped or julienned
generous pour of olive oil (about 4-5 tablespoons)
1/2 kabocha (pumpkin) squash, peeled and chopped
1 large butternut squash (or 2 small ones), peeled and chopped
splash of sherry (optional as you sauté the onion)
1 1/2 quarts veggie broth
1 cup raw cashews, unsalted
1/3 cup raw sunflower seeds, unsalted
pinch of sea salt
2 heaping spoonfuls white miso paste
pinch of turmeric powder, to season
pinch of cayenne or spice blend, to taste
toasted pumpkin seeds, garnish

DIRECTIONS:

In a large pot, saute the red onion in a generous amount of olive oil on low heat.

Allow the onion to simmer in its juices until it turns translucent, about 15-20 minutes.

Stir occasionally, until the onion has browned and sticks to the bottom of the pot. You can splash in some sherry at this point (optional).

Pour in the veggie broth. Add the squash and simmer on medium heat, about 20 minutes, until the squash is soft.

Once the squash is soft, turn off the flame and add in the cashews and sunflower seeds. Allow the cashews to soften in the hot broth for a few minutes until ready for blending.

Scoop out two heaping tablespoons of miso paste and put it in a Pyrex measuring cup to mix with a little broth. Ladle a little bit of the broth (without any cashews or squash pieces) and pour it into the measuring cup with the miso paste. Stir miso paste until smooth.

Pour the miso paste mixture into the pot and stir.

Season and blend the soup. Blend the soup in batches using a high speed blender. Pour the blended soup into a separate pot until all of the soup is blended smoothly.

Place the pureed soup back on the stove top and turn on the flame to low simmer. — Do not boil this soup because the miso will lose its nutritious probiotics. Miso is a fermented food. Here we are treating it as a seasoning, however, what also makes this soup nourishing is the healing properties of miso.

Only bring the soup to simmer as you season it with turmeric, sea salt, black pepper and a pinch of cayenne if you’d like a little heat. Serve with toasted pumpkin seeds as garnish and some crusty bread or nutrient-dense flax crackers spread with vegan butter. This soup makes quite a luscious meal on a cold night.

To save the remaining soup, pour into a container and save in the fridge for 3-4 days— you can freeze this for later as well. Reheat gently on the stove, bringing the heat just to simmer.

Bon appetit!

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Please comment below and let me know how you liked this recipe video! I’d love to hear from you.

xo Stephanie