Field mustard is a wild mustard plant. It is used in cooking as well as in traditional herbal medicine. Last but not least, the Bach flower Mustard is extracted from it.
Occurrence and cultivation of field mustard.
Field mustard is a wild mustard plant. It is used in cooking as well as in traditional herbal medicine. Field mustard is a cruciferous plant that was already known as a (un)herb in the Bronze Age. The herbaceous plant is annual, reaching heights of twenty to sixty centimeters. Its stem is hairy, and the stalked and strongly dissected leaves can grow up to twenty centimeters long. Characteristic of cruciferous plants is the four-petaled, sulfur-yellow flower, whose sepals protrude horizontally. The flower has six stamens, two of which are on the outside and four on the inside. The field mustard has a long flowering period, which lasts from May to October. As a fruit, it produces a pod that contains eight to thirteen black seeds. As a so-called archaeophyte, the wild mustard was introduced from the Mediterranean to the northern parts of Europe by agriculture before 1492, when Christopher Columbus reached America, where it reproduced independently and without outside help. Today, field mustard can be found in all temperate climates worldwide. Since wild mustard prefers nutrient-rich and base-rich soils, it is particularly common in so-called weedy areas of fields and fallows, along roadsides and even in rubble areas. It often occurs in large groups of plants.
Effect and application
Popularly known as wild mustard, field mustard traditionally enjoys great popularity in the kitchen. Here, its seeds are either added to those of white mustard, or its finely chopped leaves serve as a seasoning. The flower buds of field mustard are also edible – they are prepared like broccoli. Even the herbaceous parts of the field mustard are edible after a longer cooking time and can be used as a vegetable. Above all, however, the young leaves of the herb make a tasty wild vegetable. They also refine salads or herbal quarks. But be careful! As with real mustard, the leaves of the field mustard are pungent, which is why they are not suitable as the main ingredient of a salad, but rather as a spicy addition. The seeds of field mustard can be used to grow fine shoots that can be eaten fresh. The mustard oil contained is generally stimulating and can thus counteract metabolic weakness, digestive problems or loss of appetite. Recent studies have proven that mustard oil has an antibacterial and general germicidal effect. For this reason, it can also be used for natural preservation of food. Ayurvedic medicine makes use of the circulation-promoting properties of mustard oil: Here it is used for skin care and is popular for massages. In cosmetics, mustard oil is used as a base for some soaps. In the form of elixirs in which flower and gemstone meet, such as in the combination “field mustard and Vesuvian”, field mustard helps in naturopathy to set boundaries and to say no. In addition, it is also used as a natural healing agent. Since Ackersenf stands for clarity and finding meaning, it also helps to recognize when one’s own limit has been reached and when it makes sense to divide one’s own forces. Thus, it should replace listless perseverance slogans and set positive, powerful life impulses.
Significance for health, treatment and prevention.
As a wild mustard plant, field mustard is considered a weed in fields, but it can also be used as a medicinal herb. For example, the crushed seeds of field mustard can be used to make poultices that stimulate blood circulation. To counteract the irritation of the skin, a fatty cream should be applied before applying the mustard paste. Such a poultice of crushed mustard seeds is also known in naturopathy as a skin-irritating mustard plaster. It is used to alleviate fixed complaints of the locomotor system, such as rheumatic complaints, tension or lumbago. These patches can also help with sore throats and bronchitis. In general, however, the use of a mustard plaster is not recommended for acute inflammations, as these already produce too much heat. The rule of thumb is that mustard plasters are suitable for those ailments to which heat has a soothing effect. Field mustard is also used in Bach flower therapy.Here it is known as “Mustard” and is supposed to support the search for meaning and help against melancholy. Affected people no longer see any sense, the whole world seems black to them. Deep melancholy has settled on them from one moment to the next, without any apparent cause. Affected people therefore often do not understand why they suddenly feel so sad. The Mustard state is often related to an inner development, it precedes the next developmental step. The most essential characteristic of the Mustard state, however, remains that the person affected cannot explain the reason for his or her melancholy. The symptoms of the blocked Mustard state are similar to those of endogenous depression, but it can also affect people who do not suffer from clinical depressive states. If there is any doubt about this, a specialist should be consulted, as the treatment of true endogenous depression belongs in his or her hands. Patients who have overcome the negative, blocked Mustard state, according to the Bach Flower Theory, reach the positively transformed Mustard state. This is characterized by sunny cheerfulness, which is not lost even in difficult phases of life. Thanks to a newly gained inner clarity, those affected can now maintain their bright mood even in problematic situations. Mustard can support this process. The Bach flower is also used as a gentle remedy for postpartum depression, when the new mother cannot be happy about her new baby after the birth and is therefore plagued by feelings of guilt.
