Medicinal Burnet - Forgotten Remedy

Borage - The Overlooked Medicinal Herb - Will You Be Pickling Cucumbers or Trying Homemade Mayonnaise This Year? Give This Herb Space and Discover New Flavours in Gastronomy

What is Borage and Why Deserve Your Attention?

Borage (Borago officinalis), also known as starflower, is an annual herb that has been somewhat forgotten in modern gardens, yet it offers remarkable benefits for both health and the kitchen. This medicinal plant with distinctive blue star-shaped flowers has been used in folk medicine for centuries and is now experiencing a renaissance in natural gastronomy and herbal therapy.

Historical Use and Traditional Medicine

Borage has a long history in European herbalism. Ancient Greeks and Romans believed that borage brought courage and joy, hence the Latin saying "Ego borago gaudia semper ago" - "I, borage, always bring courage." In medieval monasteries, it was grown as an important medicinal herb for treating various ailments.

Traditional uses include:

  • Supporting the nervous system during stress and depression
  • Treating coughs and respiratory infections
  • Supporting kidney and urinary tract function
  • Alleviating rheumatic complaints
  • Skin regeneration

Nutritional Composition and Health Benefits

Borage Oil - Liquid Gold for Your Health

Borage oil, extracted from the seeds, is one of the richest plant sources of gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), containing up to 24% of this valuable omega-6 fatty acid. This makes it exceptional compared to other plant oils:

  • Supports healthy skin and helps with eczema, psoriasis and dermatitis
  • Regulates hormonal balance, especially during PMS and menopause
  • Has anti-inflammatory effects on joints
  • Supports cardiovascular health

Other Valuable Substances

Borage also contains:

  • Mucilages - soothe irritated mucous membranes
  • Tannins - have astringent and anti-inflammatory effects
  • Saponins - support expectoration
  • Minerals - especially calcium, potassium and iron
  • Vitamin C - strengthens immunity

Borage in the Kitchen - Discover New Flavours

Young Leaves with Cucumber Taste

Fresh young borage leaves have a distinctive cucumber-like flavour, making them excellent for culinary use. They're perfect for:

  • Salads - finely chopped leaves add freshness and an interesting texture
  • Cold soups - similar to cucumber, but with a richer taste
  • Smoothies and green drinks - a nutritious addition to your morning routine
  • Herb butters and spreads - for sandwiches and appetizers

Are You Pickling Cucumbers? Try Borage Instead!

Thanks to its cucumber taste, borage can replace cucumbers in pickling. Young leaves and flower buds pickle beautifully and offer an interesting alternative to traditional pickled cucumbers. They retain their structure and provide a unique flavour experience.

Homemade Mayonnaise with Borage - Original Recipe

Finely chopped borage leaves can be added to homemade mayonnaise for a fresh, herbal flavour reminiscent of cucumber. This original version is perfect for:

  • Dressing potato salads
  • As a dip for vegetables
  • Spread for sandwiches and burgers
  • Base for tartar sauce

Edible Flowers - Decoration and Taste in One

Beautiful blue borage flowers are edible and serve as both decoration and a flavourful ingredient:

  • Frozen in ice cubes for drinks
  • Fresh garnish for desserts and cakes
  • Addition to fruit salads
  • Decoration for cold platters
  • Candied flowers as sweet treats

Growing Borage in Your Garden

Sowing and Location

Borage is an undemanding annual plant that thrives even in less ideal conditions:

  • Sowing: directly outdoors from April to June
  • Location: sunny to partial shade
  • Soil: well-drained, nutrient-rich, slightly alkaline
  • Spacing: 30-40 cm between plants
  • Germination: 7-14 days at 15-20°C

Care and Harvesting

Borage requires minimal care:

  • Watering: moderately, doesn't tolerate waterlogging
  • Fertilising: light fertilisation during growth
  • Harvesting leaves: young leaves before flowering
  • Harvesting flowers: during full bloom, in the morning
  • Self-seeding: readily self-seeds, ensuring harvest for following years

Borage as a Companion Plant

Borage is an excellent companion plant in the vegetable garden:

  • Attracts pollinators - bees and bumblebees love it
  • Repels some pests
  • Enriches soil with minerals from deep roots
  • Excellent companion for tomatoes, courgettes, and strawberries

Using Borage for Health

Borage Tea

Borage tea is a traditional drink for supporting health:

Preparation: Pour 250 ml of hot water over 1-2 teaspoons of dried leaves or flowers, steep for 10 minutes, strain.

Effects:

  • Calms the nervous system
  • Supports expectoration in coughs
  • Has mild diuretic effects
  • Helps with feverish conditions

Borage Oil in Capsules

For therapeutic use, borage oil in capsules is most common, providing a standardised dose of GLA. Recommended for:

  • Skin problems (eczema, acne, psoriasis)
  • Hormonal imbalance
  • Rheumatic complaints
  • Supporting cardiovascular health

External Application

Borage can also be used externally:

  • Compresses from strong tea for skin inflammation
  • Borage oil for massaging dry and irritated skin
  • Baths with borage extract for relaxation and skin support

Safety and Contraindications

Although borage is generally safe, some caution is warranted:

  • Pyrrolizidine alkaloids - contain small amounts that may burden the liver with long-term use. Prefer products with guaranteed low alkaloid content
  • Pregnancy and breastfeeding - internal use not recommended
  • Liver diseases - consult use with a doctor
  • Medication interactions - may interact with blood-thinning medications

Recommendation: Stick to short-term use (maximum 4-6 weeks) or use products with removed pyrrolizidine alkaloids.

Conclusion: Give Borage a Chance

Borage is a versatile plant that deserves a place in every garden and kitchen. Whether you use it for pickling instead of cucumbers, add it to homemade mayonnaise, brew it as tea, or simply enjoy its beautiful flowers, borage will surprise you with its possibilities.

Its health benefits, particularly through valuable borage oil, make it a significant herb for natural medicine. At the same time, its culinary uses open new horizons for anyone who loves experimenting in the kitchen.

This year, give borage space in your garden and discover why our ancestors valued this plant so highly. You'll be rewarded not only with beautiful blue flowers but also with a crop you can use in countless ways - from pickling through mayonnaise to healthy tea.

Borage - the overlooked medicinal herb that deserves your attention!

Borage (lat. Borago officinalis) - also called starflower - is an annual plant from the borage family (lat. Boraginaceae). It is a somewhat overlooked medicinal herb, yet no less tasty and interesting. Borage originates from the Mediterranean (southern Europe) and the Orient, where it also grows in barren places. In our region, it is cultivated as a vegetable and naturally as a medicinal plant. However, borage cultivation is not as widespread as in other countries, where borage is appreciated as a healthy, tasty, refreshing and versatile vegetable. The herb of very young plants is utilized; later, completely young leaves are collected. They are used in sauces, especially cream sauces.

Borage is grown in gardens, on the edges of beds, on the edges of herb gardens. You can also grow it at home in a pot on the windowsill. In the bed, it very often becomes naturalized. This is due to the fact that it reproduces very well from seeds. Even though it is an annual herb, thanks to this self-seeding it will last in your bed in one place for several years.

Borage grows to a height of 30-80 cm. It belongs to the group of rough-leaved plants. The entire plant is bristly-hairy, vigorously and rapidly growing. The borage stem is straight, branching out on the sides. Borage leaves are glandular, narrowed at the base into a petiole. They have an ovate to elliptical shape. They smell like cucumbers. Borage flowers from June to August. The flowers are sky blue and large. In some mutations, white or pinkish flowers may appear. In some forms, even reddish ones. It is therefore also a very aesthetic medicinal plant. The flowers, like the leaves, taste like cucumbers.

The borage fruit looks like separate nutlet achenes. Annual seeds are black, curved at the tip, of considerable size (seed thickness 3.5 cm by 8-10 cm length and 5 cm width). Borage seeds contain oil.

In medicine, it was formerly used to treat inflammations. A decoction of leaves and flowers was used for cleansing and draining the body, also for fevers. Borage was and is a very honey-bearing plant, valued in beekeeping. Borage may also have antidepressant effects and calming effects. It acts as a diuretic. For ailments, a borage decoction is taken 2-3 times daily, one cup. The flowering borage herb is primarily collected and dried for decoction. It prevents excessive sweating of the body - if you would like to try, prepare a decoction of borage and wild strawberry, which you should take every other day for 4-6 cups. Borage must not be used long-term, as it can have a harmful effect on the liver. If its healing power suits you, instead of a regular dose of tea, use borage decoction alternately for baths and compresses.

Growing Borage

Borage (Borago officinalis) is not demanding when it comes to soil, so it can be grown anywhere. If you're looking for an ideal location, it thrives best in good fertile, slightly moist soil containing lime. And a sunny site. It does better in lower altitudes. Choose your garden bed location carefully, because where Borage can, it self-seeds, so although annual, it will persist in one location for several years. You need very few Borage seeds for sowing. We sow only a small bed, which will expand on its own over time. You can also sow Borage among other vegetables that mature faster and you'll harvest earlier, or conversely, you can transplant young Borage plants for consumption earlier. Borage doesn't require any special pre-cultivation, fertilizing, or watering. It needs space, so thinning to 20 cm apart is advisable. And don't let the plant get overgrown with weeds.

We harvest Borage either whole as young plants, pulling them from the ground complete with roots. Or on more mature plants, we gradually cut the youngest leaves. If you don't use the leaves immediately, you can stack them on top of each other and place them in a box or bag and store them in the freezer.

Preparing Healthy Dishes with Borage

In summer, everyone likes to seek out healthy dishes that aren't demanding to prepare and we can basically make them "quick quick" and they look beautiful on the plate. When preparing fresh summer salads for grilled meat, you can pleasantly surprise your BBQ guests with an unconventional herb. Plus, Borage flowers can be sprinkled with sugar and served as a sweet treat, so you'll please the children too.

TIP: Recipe! - Quick braised salad is prepared by adding garlic to foamed onion in a pan, adding blanched borage leaves and lightly salting. You can add a little cream, or add sour cream. And you can serve. Raw Borage leaves can be finely chopped and added to yogurt along with pepper, salt and olive oil to make an unconventional dressing for meat. It's also possible to add chopped borage to homemade mayonnaise. Gastronomy in summer is just flourishing, try as many different variations of dishes and flavors as possible. Then nothing will surprise you even in the most luxurious restaurant. The more flavors you taste, the greater connoisseur you'll become.

A simple yet colorful salad is prepared by tearing borage leaves, even into smaller pieces, adding olive oil, salt and pepper as a base. Borage leaves don't dominate the salad, they're there just as an herb, for taste and aroma. We can add tomato, celery stalks, bell pepper, and more. Those who like it can add yogurt or sour cream. Borage can also be used in simple potato salad with horseradish, egg and onion, where it replaces the taste of cucumber.

You probably won't want to replace your tried and tested pickling brine for cucumbers with a new, unproven one. For the adventurous - add borage leaves, grape vine leaf, a small sprig of tarragon and a sprig of dill to the brine.

Author: Hana Michalíková

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