Collection and preparation of chamomile. How to dry chamomile at home

One of the most affordable medicines, simultaneously used both in folk and in traditional medicine, is chamomile officinalis. It is she who successfully helps to fight the flu, colds, headaches and even indigestion, and besides this, it has a calming effect and promotes sleep.

You can buy chamomile at any pharmacy, but it is better to collect and dry chamomile yourself. Drying chamomile- This is not such a difficult task as it seems at first glance. The main thing is to find exactly medicinal chamomile in the variety of meadow herbs, which differs from ordinary chamomile in a convex, but at the same time hollow core, as well as in rather short and rare petals.

Rules for collecting chamomile officinalis

Despite the fact that chamomile blooms from May to September, collect it for subsequent drying and use in medicinal purposes should be no earlier than mid-June. At the same time, the weather should be dry and sunny, and the place for collecting herbs is located far from industrial zones, highways and railways. It is best to collect chamomile in the morning, but not early, that is, when the morning dew has already dried up. Cut flowers, namely they are necessary for the preparation of medicinal herbal infusions, you need together with a part of the stem with scissors or a knife, carefully folding it into a basket so that not a single one is crushed.

Drying chamomile flowers

Dry chamomile should be immediately after collection, so that it does not have time to darken and graft. First of all, the plants should be sorted out from foreign herbs, earth and debris, after which the flowers should be separated from the stem and thin layer spread on a sheet of thick paper or cloth. To protect against insects, it is advisable to cover the flowers with gauze, not forgetting to stir them three times a day for even drying. The place for drying herbs should not be hot (up to 40 degrees), well ventilated and protected from direct sunlight.

The drying process itself lasts about 6-7 days, and this is very important, since under-dried chamomile will darken and rot, and over-dried will crumble. Subject to all these conditions, not only the natural aroma of the plant will be preserved, but also its appearance, and the healing qualities will be as high as possible.

Storage and the easiest way to brew

It is best to store dried chamomile in sealed cardboard boxes, cloth bags or tightly sealed. glass container. Storage time - no more than 1 year, after a useful plant simply loses its medicinal properties.

In order to enjoy the taste of a fragrant herbal drink, it is necessary to perform certain manipulations, namely, pour 1 tablespoon of dry grass with a glass of boiling water, cover and insist. This infusion will help with a sore throat or mild insomnia, more serious problems with health require other proportions of dry grass and boiling water, as well as other methods of brewing.

Chamomile is the most popular and accessible means against many diseases, it is widely used both in folk and traditional medicine. It has anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, disinfectant, as well as antispasmodic and wound healing effects. For cooking medicinal infusion, decoction or tea collect the color of the plant, for baths, compresses - flower stalks, leaves and part of the shoots.

How to collect: we save useful properties

Chamomile blooms from May to September, but for medicinal purposes, the plant should be harvested from mid-June. The healing properties of chamomile also largely depend on how it is collected, at what time of the day, in what place.

This wonderful flower grows everywhere: in fields and forests, on grassy slopes, near rivers and reservoirs, along roads.

For cooking medicinal tea you need to collect only pharmaceutical chamomile. It differs from other species in its strong aroma and structure of the receptacle. It is in it that the most is concentrated useful substances(vitamin C, essential oils, carotene, organic acids, zinc, potassium).

If the receptacle is cut lengthwise, then there will be a small cavity inside - this is the main hallmark chamomile. In addition, its petals are rare and short, and the core of the flower is slightly convex.

Chamomile inflorescences are recommended to be cut with a knife (somewhere at the level of a third of the length of the stem from the ground) and preferably those that have not yet faded (their white petals are not lowered down) - after all, it is in the first three days of flowering that they contain the highest concentration of nutrients. Experienced herbalists advise collecting chamomile only in dry weather and preferably in the morning, when the morning dew dries. Usually, on a hot afternoon, all flowers fade a little (this also applies to chamomile), they reduce the level of metabolism, the production of vitamins, so it is better not to collect medicinal herbs at this time of the day - their usefulness decreases significantly.

Chamomile, like any plant, very well absorbs all toxic substances contained in the air and the earth, therefore it is strictly forbidden to collect it within the city, along highways, railways, landfills, near zoo farms. best place for harvesting flowers, there may be an area remote from human habitation: a forest edge, a field or a meadow.

How to dry and store

After harvesting, it is desirable to process the collected plants as soon as possible: clean them from lumps of earth, withered flowers, and accidentally plucked herbs. Then, with hands or scissors, the flowers should be separated from the stems and placed to dry.

Properly dried raw materials should be in a dark, cool place. Under direct sunlight and high temperature in a dried plant, all useful substances are destroyed, it ceases to be curative. And then instead of fragrant healthy tea from chamomile, you get just a delicious herbal drink. The drying place can be a well-ventilated attic or shed that protects from sun, rain and wind. In the house, you can dry chamomile, for example, on the mezzanine.

The inflorescences are distributed in a thin layer on a spread out cloth or paper, the main thing is that air circulates between them, and they do not lie in a slide, otherwise, this can lead to their “rotting”. To dry evenly, chamomile should be stirred and turned three times a day. It is also necessary to ensure that insects do not sit on the flowers, but it is best to cover the top with gauze, which does not prevent air from entering.

How to dry chamomile? - photo recipe for preparing blanks from medicinal flowers

How to dry chamomile? There are several ways to dry chamomile flowers at home. The fastest and best option associated with an electric dryer, which we will use in this photo recipe. It is in this electrical appliance that required mode drying, which allows you not to worry at all that useful plants do not dry out or, on the contrary, dry out. Also, chamomile can be dried in the oven, but in this case, the process of drying the flowers will have to be carefully monitored. Important point drying chamomile is that its never dry in direct sunlight. In this way everything beneficial features chamomile flowers will be lost forever, and the dried flower blank will become completely useless.

Chamomile - valuable medicinal plant, which is fully saturated with biologically active substances. Due to this, chamomile flowers are widely used in folk medicine. This plant cures more than one disease, and, in general, has a positive effect on the entire body.

From chamomile officinalis brew beautiful healing decoctions and infusions, and also add it to all sorts of flower teas. Thanks to such homemade flower tinctures, it is possible to quickly heal sore throat. In addition, the chamomile plant is wonderful cosmetic product, so it is also used as face masks, which perfectly moisturize the skin.

READ ALSO: How to dry dried apricots at home

So, let's start preparing the drying of chamomile at home, using the following for this step by step recipe with photo.

Ingredients

The right time to pick chamomile is early morning when the morning dew is completely gone from the plants. To create a flower blank, it is necessary to tear off only chamomile flowers, the stems of the plant should be left, because many flowers will still grow on them.

The collected flowers must be thoroughly washed, but this procedure is not enough for daisies, since daisies may contain various small insects, which will eventually ruin the entire flower preparation for the winter. Therefore, the flowers should be soaked in salt water for ten minutes. The amounts of salt and water are listed in the ingredients of this recipe. After soaking, chamomile should be rinsed under cold water.

We spread the processed wet chamomile flowers on a paper towel for ten minutes. During this time, the paper will absorb all the excess moisture from the chamomile plant.

We spread the dried flowers evenly on the pallet of the electric dryer and cover them with a special lid.

After a while, we take out the pallet from the dryer and leave it for half an hour so that the chamomile flowers cool down. Then we transfer them to any tea box or other airtight container.

The shelf life of dried chamomile is up to two years if stored in a dry place.

Dried medicinal chamomile ready for the winter. For an initial test, you can brew a teapot of tea from it and enjoy natural taste and aroma.

To achieve a richer flavor palette of a flower drink, it needs to be brewed for at least two hours.

Source: http://nazimu.info/kak-sushit-romashku.html

Chamomile pharmacy: rules for collecting and drying at home

Chamomile has unique healing properties. It is able to relieve inflammation, disinfect, heal wounds and relieve spasms. Chamomile is widely used in medicine, both traditional and folk. To save maximum amount useful substances, you need to properly collect the raw materials and dry it. We will talk about all the intricacies of this process in this article.

Rules for collecting chamomile

Common chamomile is often confused with the common wild flower, also called common chamomile. Chamomile officinalis differs in the structure of its bud. If the flower is cut into halves, then it will have a cavity inside. Also, pharmacy chamomile can be recognized by short white petals and a convex core. The foliage of the plant is heavily indented, and the aroma has a pronounced honey hue.

German Mashkov in his video will tell you in detail how to distinguish ordinary chamomile from pharmacy

Basic rules for the collection of medicinal raw materials:

As given plant very common, you need to choose places for its collection that are environmentally friendly. Places where household waste is stored, roadsides, railway lines and other polluted places should be especially avoided.
The best time to pick chamomile is from mid-June to August.
The plant must be collected in morning hours immediately after the dew has disappeared. If the dew was too plentiful, then it is better to postpone the collection.
The weather during collection should be dry and sunny.
Flowers are cut with sharp scissors or a knife.
Chamomile buds are separated from the stem, rather than cut off the whole plant.
From the flower head, a stem no more than 3 centimeters long is left.
If it is necessary to prepare green mass, for example, for baths and compresses, then the cut is made at a distance of 30 centimeters from the top. At the same time, you need to cut branches from different bushes in order to allow the plant to fully recover.

Collection, drying and storage of chamomile

Safer are those plants that are sold in pharmacies. You can independently collect raw materials only in places remote from enterprises, military training grounds, and highways. Besides, medicinal herbs need to be able to distinguish from other species.

Collection of raw materials

Medicinal raw materials of chamomile are inflorescences that contain the largest number biologically active substances compared to other parts of the plant. To distinguish chamomile from plants similar to it, you need to cut the receptacle with a knife. In the "correct" chamomile, it should be hollow, not solid.

Although chamomile blooms from May to September, raw materials should not be harvested at the end of the growing season, as it is almost unsuitable for medicinal purposes. It has little essential oil, and, in addition, during the drying process and during storage, the achenes will spill out, deteriorating the quality of the raw material.

It is best to collect "baskets" that have just begun to bloom. In such inflorescences, the receptacle is hemispherical, reed flowers are directed upwards or arranged horizontally. These flowers will not crumble during drying and storage, they will retain their color and useful properties when dry. If the receptacle has a conical shape, and the marginal flowers are omitted, then the inflorescences are overripe and unsuitable for medicinal purposes.

Usually during the summer they make 2-3 collections of raw materials.

You can not harvest chamomile in wet weather and early in the morning, when there is still dew on the grass. If the inflorescences are not fully opened, it is better to come for them the next day. Experts recommend collecting chamomile from 8 to 17 hours.

Inflorescences must be carefully cut at the very base with scissors or combs for picking berries. At the same time, it is necessary to ensure that foreign impurities (sand, leaves, stems, etc.), as well as flowers affected by fungal diseases, do not get into the raw materials. It is best to collect chamomile in spacious wicker baskets or plywood boxes with low sides, since raw materials do not wrinkle in such containers.

When harvesting, you should not pull out plants with roots, pluck all the inflorescences on one bush. It is impossible to devastate the entire plantation, it is necessary to leave part of the flowers for reproduction.

Drying of raw materials

Immediately after sorting, the raw materials should be dried well. Special dryers with a regulator are best suited for this. temperature regime. The temperature during this treatment should not exceed 45 °C. You can also dry raw materials in the attic, and in dry weather - on fresh air under a canopy or in the shade of trees. The inflorescences should not be exposed to direct sunlight, as this leads to the destruction of the essential oil.

Raw materials are laid out evenly with a layer of no more than 5 cm on sheets of cardboard or special frames with a stretched nylon or metal mesh. Chamomile can be dried in a darkened heated room. It should be well ventilated and free from foreign odors.

In the process of drying the inflorescences, it is necessary to gently stir from time to time so that air penetrates into the thickness of the raw material.

Well-dried chamomile is tough to the touch and has a strong fragrance and darker color than fresh flowers. Under-dried inflorescences will rot during storage, over-dried ones will crumble into dust.

Storage of raw materials

Store dried chamomile in glass or metal jars, cardboard boxes. The container must be clean and tightly closed.

Containers with dry raw materials are placed in cabinets or dark, dry rooms without foreign odors.

It is important to remember that over time, the beneficial properties of plant materials are lost, so it is necessary to observe the shelf life of herbs. Under all conditions, chamomile does not lose its healing qualities within 2 years.

In many cases, chamomile is used as part of collections, which include various parts of plants (flowers, stems, leaves, fruits, seeds, roots, bark). Each of the collection components must be processed separately. So, leaves, flowers and bark are crushed with a knife, roots are crushed, fruits and seeds are ground with a coffee grinder or a special mill. Then the crushed parts different plants mix.

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Safer are those plants that are sold in pharmacies. You can independently collect raw materials only in places remote from enterprises, military training grounds, and highways.

In addition, medicinal herbs must be able to distinguish from other types.

Collection of raw materials

Medicinal raw materials of chamomile are inflorescences, which contain the largest amount of biologically active substances in comparison with other parts of the plant. To distinguish chamomile from plants similar to it, you need to cut the receptacle with a knife. In the "correct" chamomile, it should be hollow, not solid.

Although chamomile blooms from May to September, raw materials should not be harvested at the end of the growing season, as it is almost unsuitable for medicinal purposes. There is little essential oil in it, and, in addition, during the drying process and during storage, the achenes will spill out, deteriorating the quality of the raw material.

If the receptacle has a conical shape, and the marginal flowers are omitted, then the inflorescences are overripe and unsuitable for medicinal purposes.

Usually during the summer they make 2-3 collections of raw materials.

Drying of raw materials

Immediately after sorting, the raw materials should be dried well. Special dryers with temperature control are best suited for this. The temperature during this treatment should not exceed 45 °C. You can also dry the raw materials in the attic, and in dry weather - in the fresh air under a canopy or in the shade of trees. The inflorescences should not be exposed to direct sunlight, as this leads to the destruction of the essential oil.

In the process of drying the inflorescences, it is necessary to gently stir from time to time so that air penetrates into the thickness of the raw material.

Well-dried chamomile is tough to the touch and has a strong fragrance and darker color than fresh flowers. Under-dried inflorescences will rot during storage, over-dried ones will crumble into dust.

Storage of raw materials

Store dried chamomile in glass or metal jars, cardboard boxes. The container must be clean and tightly closed.

Containers with dry raw materials are placed in cabinets or dark, dry rooms without foreign odors.

Chamomile has unique healing properties. It is able to relieve inflammation, disinfect, heal wounds and relieve spasms. Chamomile is widely used in medicine, both traditional and folk. To preserve the maximum amount of nutrients, you need to properly collect the raw materials and dry them. We will talk about all the intricacies of this process in this article.

German Mashkov in his video will tell you in detail how to distinguish ordinary chamomile from pharmacy

Basic rules for the collection of medicinal raw materials:

Since this plant is very common, you need to choose places for its collection that are environmentally friendly. Places where household waste is stored, roadsides, railway lines and other polluted places should be especially avoided.
The best time to pick chamomile is from mid-June to August.
The collection of the plant should be carried out in the morning immediately after the dew has disappeared. If the dew was too plentiful, then it is better to postpone the collection.
The weather during collection should be dry and sunny.
Flowers are cut with sharp scissors or a knife.
Chamomile buds are separated from the stem, rather than cut off the whole plant.
From the flower head, a stem no more than 3 centimeters long is left.
If it is necessary to prepare green mass, for example, for baths and compresses, then the cut is made at a distance of 30 centimeters from the top. At the same time, you need to cut branches from different bushes in order to allow the plant to fully recover.

Observing all the rules for collecting pharmacy chamomile, you can count on good quality medicinal raw materials.

Drying a plant like chamomile should attract the maximum amount of your attention. The quality of the medicine obtained from chamomile will depend on how correctly the dehydration process is followed.

After collecting the flowers, you need to start drying as soon as possible.

The main and most the right way conservation of pharmacy chamomile is natural outdoor drying.

The choice of the place of drying is very important. It should be dark, dry and well ventilated. In no case should the plant be dried under direct sunbeams. Bright light destroys all useful substances.

Flowers are laid out on fabric or lattice. The layer of raw materials should not be very large. If the flowers are laid out in bulk, then the natural heating process inside the “heap” will lead to decay of the raw material.

It is important that the buds are located quite loosely, this will maintain normal air circulation.

Medicinal raw materials also need to be protected from insects. To do this, it is covered with a gauze fabric that allows you to "breathe".

Several times a day, chamomile needs to be stirred and turned over.

The air temperature during drying should be between 25 - 35 degrees. If a weather deteriorated, then the containers with flowers should be transferred to the house and dried at room temperature.

To dry chamomile with whole stems, use the tying method. To do this, bundles are formed from raw materials, which are then hung at some distance from each other on a rope, upside down. The best place for drying bunches of chamomile is an attic dark room.

Drying natural way takes approximately 10-14 days. Well-dried flowers, when rubbed between fingers, crumble, and the stems become brittle to break.

If there is no time for drying medicinal raw materials, or there is no suitable room for this, then chamomile can be dried using an electric dryer for vegetables and fruits.

Grass or flowers are laid out on the grills of the device and drying begins at a temperature of 35 - 40 degrees. If the unit does not have the ability to control the temperature, then this drying option will not work.

Watch the video from the channel “Family Kramarenko. Mother Single" - Dried chamomile

How to store dried chamomile

Dried medicinal raw materials should be stored in cardboard boxes or linen bags. If you plan to use glass containers for storage, then you need to remember one thing - the grass needs to breathe, so instead of a tight lid, you should use a sheet of parchment.

The maximum shelf life of chamomile is 1.5 years