Cottonwood buds, the unknown treasure

My family just finished canning our last batch of our balm of Gilead. This stuff is truly amazing! The testimonials have been pouring in from friends and family that have experienced the benefits of cottonwood resin. Who knew all those big annoying trees that break in half every time a Montana wind storm comes our way would be worth their weight in gold? My husband and I use it almost every night now to help us sleep and I even use it on my baby's diaper rash. We have a friend who swears it took away his gout pain and a neighbor who uses it religiously for her arthritis. Why does it work so well? Cottonwood resin contains salicylic acid, which was the original substance used to create aspirin. So basically it's God's natural pain relief, and praise Him for sending this good stuff our way! Cottonwood resin is here today, gone tomorrow so you've got to catch it at the right time, before the buds turn into leaves when they are dripping red. This year was a bit early with all the warm weather but, when the cold finally crept in and the buds were out, foraging was great because the sticky buds were easier to pick. We've got this amazing salve for sale at our shop and are excited to hear your success stories!

Picking buds off a downed cottonwood in Wolf Creek