‘The Still Book’ AKA The Local Wild Blog
The Still Book, AKA The Local Wild Blog
When I first read about the historic Still Book, I was captivated by the idea of these handwritten collections of recipes, remedies, and household knowledge, lovingly curated and passed down through generations. The Still Book was the companion to the still room—a space where women would gather to craft herbal remedies, hone their skills in distillation, and blend medicinal concoctions for the well-being of their family and community. These books were filled with notes on the healing properties of herbs, formulas for electuaries, and tips on beekeeping and food preservation, offering a glimpse into the daily rhythm of women who tended both hearth and health. These books were kept in Still Rooms, popular in England and all the way to the American Colonies, the still room was at the heart of the home—serving as a space for science, hobbies, and practical needs. The Early to late 1600s saw the Golden Age of the Still Room. The name "still room" comes from the use of a small still, a device used for distilling waters, tinctures, and essential oils from herbs, flowers, and fruits. The use of still rooms continued to thrive through the 18th century and into the early Victorian period. However, by the mid-19th century, the role of the still room began to decline as societal and technological changes reshaped domestic life.
In much the same way, I envision this space as a Modern Still Book—a place to capture, share, and celebrate the power of herbal medicine, the magic of raw honey, and the ways in which these time-honored traditions continue to support wellness for families today. Just like the women who worked in their still rooms centuries ago, I want to bring you into my process, usage, and information to inspire you to integrate these practices into your own home.
What Is a Still Book?
Historically, the Still Book served as both a journal and a reference, documenting the herbal lore, practical recipes, and observations that shaped daily life in the still room. Often kept by the lady of the house or a trusted herbalist, it was a personal guide and a precious source of wisdom that could be adapted season after season. The entries might include everything from an electuary recipe for soothing colic to the perfect proportions for a calming lavender tincture or notes on which herbs were flourishing that year in the garden.
The Still Book was more than just a collection of instructions—it was a living, breathing document that grew and evolved along with the needs of the family and the knowledge of the women who filled its pages. It held not only the practicalities of herbalism but also the subtle nuances that came from years of experience: how to blend for a loved one’s particular constitution, the best way to store a batch of herbal vinegar, or the little rituals that made tending to the family’s health a beautiful, sacred act.
An expert from ‘Still Rooms andStill Room Books’ by ROSETTA E. CLARKSON, 1949 on the subject “The household book for the many recipes and rules was the still room book which contained the best in every family and was handed down through many generations much as our grandmothers cherished old cook books with recipes marked "good". In the still room books the favorite recipes were marked "probatum X". One would always find in the still room book the secret method for making the pot-pourri that was kept in huge covered jars in the main hall and uncovered when the smoke grew too dense. These rules had been handed down through generations of the family, perhaps added to or subtracted from as newer mistresses married into the home. When the young bride came from her own home to her new abode, if she were at all squeamish, she soon got over it for she not only was Lady Bountiful to her husband's retainers, which comprised the surrounding village, but she was usually veterinarian, surgeon, apothecary and general practitioner to every man, woman and child of the village. Her guide and help was her precious still room book. It was unorganized and unclassified, without benefit of index or table of contents, containing a miscellany of culinary recipes, medicinal cures, details of laundering, care of clothes for the winter, poultry raising, preservation of meat after slaughtering, care of broken bones in man or beast, midwifery, making of cloth from shearing of the sheep to the finishing of the woolen cloth, all perhaps within a few pages of each other.”