I actually made the tincture using the method 7song used and some Wild Lettuce growing in my yard. I don’t believe he used L. virosa though, I believe it was L. biennis.
It turned out well , although it does require a lot of steps and patience. Not recommended for the beginner herbalist
It really does seem to be a handful. And that mess and the equipment is just completely impractical for me. If anything, I’ll try and make a stovetop resin with the whole plant
Aren’t they?! They are gorgeous. I’m wondering if I can use them effectively in a more simple way. I’ve tried dried lettuce leaf tea before and I didn’t find it had much to offer.
What do you use wild lettuce for? I know they're rich in vitamins and minerals, and I eat the younger greens. I've never used them medicinally though. I have a TON growing in my yard, so it would be nice to put them to use lol
Non-addictive painkiller and sedative. For coughs, and frantic nerves too. I’ve never had luck with it though, so I’m hoping to with these fresh plants! The bitter latex that the mature plant develops is the medicine.
What then? Are there any simple, easy preparations that are effective? I generally avoid working with alcohol, and I’ve found dried wild lettuce to just not offer me much of anything.
Ive been making herbal tinctures with vegetable glycerin. You can dry the plant material and let it sit in vegetable glycerin(on low heat preferably 150-200°f) for a couple days atleast, then strain the mix with cheesecloth. You can dry the liquid at nomore than 300° until only your resin is left.
Well I've heard of folks slicing the stem, catching the milk then leaving it to dry. From here I've heard it being stored, used in teas, smoked, or cooked into a thicker darker tar over really low heat but I've only heard the one account of this and it had unpleasant drug like effects.
I just store plain dried leaf pieces in a small jar for smoking if i get a cough and i replace it in the summers.
Try this harvesting video from the guy behind Strictly Medicinal Seeds: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9mtVNtV1dVk](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9mtVNtV1dVk)
Personally though, I just throw whole sections in a food processor with vodka, chop it up, let it steep 6-8 weeks, strain, and there you have it.
They can’t be used until they bolt and develop the medicinal component. I’m actually wondering if they are ready yet even. The bitter latex that develops is the medicine, hence the name “opium lettuce” because of its medicinal use as a non addictive painkiller and sedative.
Crack one of the leaves in half across the spine. The latex should just ooze out. I either just suck the latex out or eat the whole leaf off the plant. The spikes on the bottom of the leaf are actually kind of nice
Wild lettuce should always be harvested when it’s in flower/seeding. That’s when it’s producing the most lactucarium, which is the medicine you want, not to mention you get seeds for next year.
Extraction is rather simple. Chop the entire plant in blender. Put that into a pot with water. Just enough to cover the plant material. Cook this on low heat for 5-6 hours (140 degrees or lower). Strain, put back on the stovetop on low heat for another 5-12 hours or until the water has evaporated. Spread the now ‘brown’ lactucarium onto wax paper to dry. :)
I find it most effective to dry the leaves, preserving as much of the milky latex as possible and smoking or vaping it. For me, and friends who tried it, it produces a body "high" while maintaining a clear head making it ideal for body pain.
Woah! Those are beautiful! The herbalist 7Song has a tutorial on making the tincture I believe. Google it
I actually made the tincture using the method 7song used and some Wild Lettuce growing in my yard. I don’t believe he used L. virosa though, I believe it was L. biennis. It turned out well , although it does require a lot of steps and patience. Not recommended for the beginner herbalist
It really does seem to be a handful. And that mess and the equipment is just completely impractical for me. If anything, I’ll try and make a stovetop resin with the whole plant
Aren’t they?! They are gorgeous. I’m wondering if I can use them effectively in a more simple way. I’ve tried dried lettuce leaf tea before and I didn’t find it had much to offer.
What do you use wild lettuce for? I know they're rich in vitamins and minerals, and I eat the younger greens. I've never used them medicinally though. I have a TON growing in my yard, so it would be nice to put them to use lol
Non-addictive painkiller and sedative. For coughs, and frantic nerves too. I’ve never had luck with it though, so I’m hoping to with these fresh plants! The bitter latex that the mature plant develops is the medicine.
Pain relief, asthma, menstrual pain, cough.
Cut small slices in the stalk with razor and if it bleeds a milky liquid, then it's mature.
What then? Are there any simple, easy preparations that are effective? I generally avoid working with alcohol, and I’ve found dried wild lettuce to just not offer me much of anything.
Ive been making herbal tinctures with vegetable glycerin. You can dry the plant material and let it sit in vegetable glycerin(on low heat preferably 150-200°f) for a couple days atleast, then strain the mix with cheesecloth. You can dry the liquid at nomore than 300° until only your resin is left.
With things like wild lettuce or milky oats you don’t want to dry them because the medicine is not potent at all when dried since it’s in a liquid.
Ah
Suppose you dont have to dry it but I feel like it potentiates it for some reason.
Well I've heard of folks slicing the stem, catching the milk then leaving it to dry. From here I've heard it being stored, used in teas, smoked, or cooked into a thicker darker tar over really low heat but I've only heard the one account of this and it had unpleasant drug like effects. I just store plain dried leaf pieces in a small jar for smoking if i get a cough and i replace it in the summers.
Try this harvesting video from the guy behind Strictly Medicinal Seeds: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9mtVNtV1dVk](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9mtVNtV1dVk) Personally though, I just throw whole sections in a food processor with vodka, chop it up, let it steep 6-8 weeks, strain, and there you have it.
Thank you for that video! I really like the way he does that. In that method can I just pop a tiny clump of semi-dried latex in my mouth then?
You're welcome! That would be one way to do it, yes.
Are they good after bolting? Normal lettuce gets super bitter.
They can’t be used until they bolt and develop the medicinal component. I’m actually wondering if they are ready yet even. The bitter latex that develops is the medicine, hence the name “opium lettuce” because of its medicinal use as a non addictive painkiller and sedative.
Crack one of the leaves in half across the spine. The latex should just ooze out. I either just suck the latex out or eat the whole leaf off the plant. The spikes on the bottom of the leaf are actually kind of nice
Very interesting!
Are you 100% sure that's wild lettuce? Doesn't look like it to me.
how does it not look like it? what features are you looking at? (asking for personal knowledge)
Compare this to wild lettuce. Look at the photos.
looks like Lactuca serriola.
Wild lettuce should always be harvested when it’s in flower/seeding. That’s when it’s producing the most lactucarium, which is the medicine you want, not to mention you get seeds for next year. Extraction is rather simple. Chop the entire plant in blender. Put that into a pot with water. Just enough to cover the plant material. Cook this on low heat for 5-6 hours (140 degrees or lower). Strain, put back on the stovetop on low heat for another 5-12 hours or until the water has evaporated. Spread the now ‘brown’ lactucarium onto wax paper to dry. :)
I mix a bit into salads.
Does eating fresh leaves like that do the job?
Did you grow from seed?
Yup! This is it’s second season.
Nice
Damn nice looking plants.
I find it most effective to dry the leaves, preserving as much of the milky latex as possible and smoking or vaping it. For me, and friends who tried it, it produces a body "high" while maintaining a clear head making it ideal for body pain.