I’m a Big Fan of Tea

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I’m a big fan of Tea, 

especially herbal teas you can make for free.

Goldenrod tea is a good example. 
This prolific herb which spills over the landscape in southern Ontario in late August and September, is not the allergy-causing plant ragweed, which it often gets mistaken for.

Historically, Goldenrod was applied to the skin to help heal wounds, prevent infections and as a diuretic tea. Aboriginal people chewed on the leaves to relieve sore throats or toothaches.

After the Boston Tea Party, which was significant in the American revolution, colonists dumped all their favourite Green and Black Tea and then made a tea of Goldenrod and called it “Liberty Tea”.

In addition to being tasty, Goldenrod tea is considered helpful for addressing seasonal allergies. A lot of people mistakenly blame goldenrod for their allergy misery; however, a cup of goldenrod tea may just help alleviate all that sneezing and sniffling. 

Goldenrod is easily foraged, and those sunny yellow flowers make it a snap to spot toward the end of the summer in meadows and along the side of the road. Additionally, goldenrod can make a striking addition to your garden.

Wherever you get your goldenrod or other medicinal plants for that matter, be sure it’s from an area that hasn’t been sprayed with chemical pesticides.

Like many other herbs, drying goldenrod is as simple as tying bunches together and hanging them upside down, in an airy place, in the shade. In dry weather, goldenrod flowers and leaves should get brittle and crumbly within a week.
Once the plants are fully dry, remove the dried flowers and leaves from the stalks. 
Discard the stalks and save the dried leaves and flowers.

Keep the leaves & flowers as whole as possible so that the healing elements are 'intact'. Store dried goldenrod leaves and flowers in an airtight container. Use the flowers and leaves to make goldenrod tea.
 
You can make goldenrod tea with either fresh or dried goldenrod, though the flavor will be slightly different, and you’ll find the flavor improves with dried goldenrod. The flavor and medicinal qualities are considered best just before or just as goldenrod’s flowers open. If you’re planning on drying some of your goldenrod, choose plants whose flowers haven’t opened yet to avoid lots of the fluff you’ll get with fully open flowers.
 

To make Delicious Goldenrod Tea:

• Place 1 tablespoon of dried Goldenrod per cup in a tea infuser

• Add freshly boiled water

• Steep, covered for 20 minutes.

• Drink warm or at room temperature, whatever you prefer.

 

Simply put, Goldenrod Tea is a soothing, herbal, late-Summer to Fall hot tea drink with a sweet, “anise-like” scent that gives the tea its flavor. Enjoy it alone, with honey or your favorite sweetener and who knows it might just have the added benefit of providing some allergy relief.


Comments

  1. TransCanadaHwy5 February 2023 at 12:15

    Interesting post. We grow and dry a lot of Peppermint tea, and are looking forward to trying out some Goldenrod.

    ReplyDelete

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