According to the Peterson guide to Edible Wild Plants, the young shoots of the jewelweed are edible when boiled for 10-15 minutes in two changes of water. The plant is best known, however, for its medicinal qualities. Lee Allen Peterson explains: "Washing with the raw juice from the crushed stems and leaves soothes the sting of nettles and is reputed to prevent the rash from poison ivy." I'd heard of using them on bug bites as well, although Peterson does not mention this use.
"I don't know if that worked," mom commented upon first application. "It itches more now than it did before." We put a little more on and returned each to our own duties, and about a half hour later I followed up and asked how her mosquito bites were doing. "Okay," she said, without glancing up from her work.
Digging deeper for this entry, I found an excellent online resource regarding jewelweed from "Wildman" Steve Brill, long-time forager and author of Identifying and Harvesting Edible and Medicinal Plants in Wild (and Not-So-Wild) Places. Brill, who gives tours of wild edibles in New York City's Central Park (even after being publicly arrested for doing so), says that application to a new bite repeatedly for 15-20 minutes will provide relief and keep it from swelling, but that application to an old bite provides only temporary relief. As far as I'm concerned, it's been an hour since we applied our jewelweed salves and I'm still feeling relieved.
Excerpted from his book, Wildman Steve Brill's jewelweed page is an outstanding resource for the jewelweed seeker, replete with pictures distinguishing between the two types of jewelweed, an extended explanation and photos on how to identify the plant's young shoots, a thorough treatment of the many ailments that jewelweed can relieve and/or cure, and even instructions on how to preserve the plant for future use. One reader's comment recounts a story of a little boy who started going into anaphylactic shock due to an extreme reaction to poison ivy. She had him rub jewelweed all over while running back to the car and by the time they reached the emergency room, the reaction had disappeared!
The story has a basis in medical science. According to Brill, "Jewelweed contains two methoxy-1, four napthoquinineóan anti-inflammatory and fungicide that is the active ingredient of Preparation H."
I found the information to be very useful and therefore highly recommend checking out the jewelweed page or Wildman Steve Brill's website in general. You can even buy a jewelweed T-shirt from him if you feel so inclined:)
FYI: I'm going on the road again tomorrow, followed by a few days of camping, so entries might be limited for the next week. In the meantime, thanks for listening!
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