Pirts wisdom

During summer time there is nothing better than a fresh pirts broom that has the most aromatic scent.

When making the broom – start with the herbs like yarrow, St. John's wort, nettle, meadowsweet and ferns since they lose persistence in the heat. Put around more strict twigs as willow, birch, linden, alder, hazel, rowan. For the best results tie the broom with a string made of hemp, linen or cotton.

As said in the magazine “400 padomi veselībai un skaistumam”, before steaming let the fresh brooms soak in lukewarm water for half an hour.

If you want to use brooms in winter, make them already in the summer. The best time for making the brooms is an early summer but you can make them even in July or August as well. Only then you have to be aware that brooms made in late summer might not hold so well and during the drying process they may turn yellowish.

It is best to use the bog birch with small, rigid leaves, which contains more essential oils.

During flowering collect the linden boughts which are best for sweating and pore cleanse. Pick most of the flowers for tea leaving only few of them for the broom.

Hang the stacked broom on the strings in the shade and let them dry. When the brooms are dried, put them in the cool and dark place to avoid leaves bocoming yellow.

After a month brooms are ready to be used. If you are planning to go to Pirts at the evening it is best to soak the brooms in lukewarm water to “wake them up”. Water has to be warm but not hotter than 60 degrees in order to avoid loosing their biological value.

If you have a large freezer, summer freshness can be enjoyed even in winter by freezing the fresh brooms, previously firmly wrapping them in plastic. Such storage is well suited for blossoming linden, cherry and black currant blades.