Calming Chamomile Tea
Chamomile is an awesome herb with the potential to help you get a good night’s sleep. The easiest way to receive the herbal benefits of chamomile is to drink chamomile tea. This tea process involves harvesting the plant’s flowers, drying them, and infusing them with hot water. I love the act of making home-grown chamomile tea and think it can be as soothing as the tea itself. There is something especially rewarding about making tea from a plant you’ve grown yourself.
Some claim that chamomile has benefits like relieving anxiety, reducing internal inflammation, and calming the mind and body. Scientific research supports these claims with studies now proving that Chamomile can help with inflammation, restlessness, and immunity (Gupta, 2010).
I personally advocate chamomile for its calming, sedating effects. If you struggle to sleep at night or have a tough time falling asleep then this might be the herb for you. (NOTE: If you are allergic to any plant in the Daisy family Asteraceae then I do not recommend consuming Chamomile tea.)
Below are instructions on how to make homemade chamomile tea, including how to harvest the plant’s flowers and dry them for long-term storage. Note there are two types of chamomile used readily for teas. They are Matricaria chamomilla, known as German chamomile, and Chamaemelum nobile, known as Roman chamomile. German chamomile has a sweeter taste when brewed and I recommend using this type for tea. Roman chamomile can be used in place of German chamomile and will still deliver the desired effects, however the tea tends to taste slightly bitter. If you are making Roman Chamomile tea you can use extra honey to counteract this taste.
How to Harvest Chamomile
Chamomile flowers begin blooming in early summer and continue opening up until fall. The flowers we want for tea are the ones with swelling flower heads and petals that point slightly downward.
To harvest chamomile flowers simply snap the blooms off their stems as close to the flower as possible. Using a pinch and pull method you can easily harvest the blossoms without herbal snips. Try to remove all the foliage and stems from the flower, pinching the stem close to the back of the flower head. This is to avoid bitterness forming in the tea. The green foliage of chamomile is not as sweet as the flowers. After harvesting the flowers you will then need to dry them out for long-term storage.
How to Dry Chamomile Flowers
Drying chamomile flowers can be done in many different ways. What works for me may not work for you, so I’ve included a few options that will all get the job done:
The easiest method of drying is air drying. I arrange the flowers in a single layer in an open container and leave them to dry in the kitchen for a few days. This can also be done outside in a shaded location, just be sure to keep the blossoms secure so they don’t blow away in the wind.
If you have a food dehydrator you can dry chamomile flowers this way. Simply place the flowers in your dehydrator on low heat for a few hours until they are dry. Watch over them to ensure the blossoms do not burn.
You can also leave the stems on the blossoms and tie them together in bunches. Hang these bunches up in a well ventilated area to dry. After a few days they should be crunchy and you can break the flowers off their stems. These flowers are then ready for storage.
When storing your chamomile tea blossoms you should use a glass jar or other sealed container. Make sure the blossoms are thoroughly dry before placing them in the jar. Moist flowers can cause mold and should be left to dry out before long term storage. After a few days in the jar you should open the jar to let any humidity out. For me this naturally happens when I go to make chamomile tea. After you let the remaining humidity out of the jar the chamomile flowers can be stored in the pantry for up to a year.
German chamomile flowers drying in an open container.
How to Make Chamomile Tea
Now that you have harvested chamomile flowers you are ready to make home-brewed chamomile tea! You can make chamomile tea with fresh flowers, however I find this can make the brew a bit bitter. If you are using fresh flowers, use more than you would dry flowers. For dry flowers use 1 tablespoon of dried flowers to 1 cup of hot water. For fresh flowers use 2-3 tablespoons of fresh flowers to 1 cup of hot water.
To brew chamomile tea, place the tablespoon of dried flowers into the teapot and pour hot water over it. I have a tea infuser that I use to brew a single cup. You can use whatever works best for you, whether that be a french press, a cup, or a teapot. If you are using more water simply up the amount of chamomile to keep the same ratio. For example, if you are brewing two cups worth of tea then you'll need two tablespoons of dried chamomile flowers.
Let the flowers brew in the water for 4-5 minutes until the brew takes on a light golden color. Strain the blossoms out of the tea. Your tea is now ready to be enjoyed! You can add honey or lemon if you’d like, as this tea can be pretty mild in comparison to some other herbal teas. I like to add fresh peppermint from my garden into the tea for a minty sweet flavor. I recommend experimenting a bit until you find your perfect home-brewed chamomile recipe.
If you have thoughts or questions on chamomile tea let me know in the comments below. I hope this has helped you become a better herbalist. As always, thank you for reading and happy growing!
Sources
Gupta, Sanjay. “Chamomile: A Herbal Medicine of the Past with a Bright Future (Review).” Molecular Medicine Reports, vol. 3, no. 6, 28 Sept. 2010, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2995283/, 10.3892/mmr.2010.377.
