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What is chamomile and what is it used for?
Chamomile (Matricaria recutita = Matricaria chamomilla) is a medicinal
plant that is widely used in Phytotherapy. Its active principles are alpha-bisabolol and chamazulene, present in the essential oil, with sedative and anti-inflammatory properties.
Where does chamomile grow?
The place where this plant is most abundant, from personal experience, is in fields. Chamomile grows in wheat or cereal fields, as it likes sunny, well-drained sites.
Chamomile picking
In Spain, the optimal time to harvest chamomile is around the month of May, when it is at the peak of its flowering. Because it is usually a rainy month, the plant has to be harvested before it rains. The best time to harvest it is at midday, when the heat of the sun removes all the moisture, which will improve its conservation.
Material and method: what parts of the plant are cut?
Clean scissors and a large bag or sack are needed. We should wash our hands before collecting the plant or put on clean gloves during the task.
Although in the markets sometimes we find very large bunches of chamomile, it is more practical, for domestic harvesting, to cut only the part of the plant that interests us. It is not necessary to cut more than that, because the rest of the stem is discarded at the end, nor should the bushes be uprooted.
The collection method will consist of cutting only the flower heads, that is, only the flowers and a bit of the stem (to be more practical and not having to cut each flower, one by one). Approximately 5-10 centimeters from the end of the plant.
Normally chamomile is abundant in fields, so we can collect a good amount, which will serve us for the whole year.
Process of drying chamomile
Just as we got home, after collecting chamomile, it has to be placed in a place to dry. It is not advisable to keep the plant in the bag for a whole day or more, as it collects moisture and will not keep well.
- Prepare a dark, dry and cool place, well ventilated, to dry chamomile
- It can be placed in a wooden or plastic box, with holes, with kitchen paper underneath and on top (to avoid dust). Another option, if we have a lot of plants, is to place a clean sheet on a clean floor in a room (that is not transited) or on top of a large table, and spread the plant over the sheet.
- It is important that the flowers are as far apart as possible from each other, to avoid being crowded together, as much as possible.
How long does it take for the plant to dry out?
Depending on temperature and ventilation, chamomile can be ready to bottle
in 2-3 weeks.
How to preserve chamomile?
It is important to wash your hands before handling the plant, since it will be kept for a long time, and any contamination would result in mold.
If we are patient, the ideal is to select only the flower heads, with clean scissors, and discard the part of the stem.
It is bottled in clean glass jars. Label the container with the date and content.
Make sure that there is no humidity in the flowers, that they are very dry. Do not squeeze the flowers during bottling, so they will keep better.
Camomile expiration
Chamomile lasts a long time, but since nature provides us with it annually, the rule should be that the dried plants in the pantry expire after one year, just at the time to store the new harvest. Keeping it for more than 2 years will result in less essence.
* Related information: How to dry medicinal herbs
More information on chamomile
