IN folk medicine have their own recognized leaders. This popularity is due the widest spectrum beneficial properties of individual representatives of medicinal plants.
One of the champions of popular love is chamomile. The use of this herb to one degree or another will be useful in cases related to human health. The nature of the ailments may vary.
Chamomile is a universal remedy
The main effects observed when using drugs prepared on the basis pharmaceutical chamomile:
- soothing;
- antiseptic;
- anti-inflammatory;
- astringent.
The uniqueness of this plant, in addition to its versatility, also lies in the fact that there is no age restrictions. From the first days of life to old age use of tinctures, decoctions, chamomile baths.
Chamomile from a botanical point of view
Chamomile or Matricaria chamomill (lat.) - this annual plant belongs to the Asteraceae family, has a highly branched stem, small petals and leaves similar to dill. The height reaches 35-40 centimeters. Distinctive feature This type of chamomile has a convex hollow center. It grows along roads, in fields, in wheat and rye crops, and is also cultivated by farms.
What parts of chamomile are used medicinally?
Matricaria chamomill flowers are used to prepare decoctions, tinctures, and teas. Harvesting should occur during active flowering. Fully blossomed baskets are cut off or pinched off. Withering, faded buds are unsuitable for use.
If the goal is chamomile baths, then you will also need the herbaceous part of the plant - the stem with leaves. The above-ground part is mowed at the level of the lower leaves.
Collection and preparation of pharmaceutical chamomile
A prerequisite for the effectiveness of products prepared from medicinal herbs is properly collected and dried raw materials. The preparation requirements are quite strict, but the more serious the approach to this event, the more more benefit the body will receive.
Experienced herbalists know that each plant must be harvested at its proper time. When the maximum concentration of valuable substances has accumulated in it. When should you collect chamomile? June, July, August – best timing collection of chamomile.
Plants intended for harvesting medicinal raw materials should be cut only in dry weather! It’s even better if the day is sunny and hot. It is these conditions that are most favorable for maximum preservation of the essential oils contained in the flowers of Matricaria chamomill.
So, the morning dew dries up, the sun rises higher and you can go for fragrant herbs, armed with the necessary herbalist equipment.
Equipment for collecting herbs
- Scissors, well-sharpened pruning shears - a herbalist who respects himself and nature will not pluck herbs with his hands, risking causing unnecessary harm to the plant, tearing it out unnecessarily by the roots and injuring himself.
- A canvas bag or backpack is for the grassy part, a basket is for the flowers. With this method of carrying, the greens and flowers will not get steamed, as can happen in a plastic bag, the inflorescences will not wrinkle or crumble.
How to properly dry chamomile
After the grass is collected, the next one comes important stage workpieces - drying. While the plant is in the ground, it continuously feeds, absorbs and releases gases from environment. The task of the harvester is to prevent damage and decomposition of cut herbs, and to stop the transformation processes in the plant as quickly as possible. Only in this case it is possible to save on high level those substances for which the collection took place.
The stems of chamomile and its flowers should be cleared of any remaining soil, laid out in one layer on a newspaper or cloth, and left in the shade. It would be a good idea to cover the grass with gauze on top to protect it from insects and dust. It is strictly not recommended to dry chamomile in the sun, as this will destroy useful compounds accumulated over months of growth. Ideal temperature for drying chamomile - 35 degrees Celsius. At the same time, in 6-7 days the grass dries completely without becoming too dry.
The place in which the medicinal herb is dried must be ventilated and blown. This could be, for example, an attic or a veranda. You can also dry the raw materials in the oven. In this case, the door should be kept slightly open. However, this drying method is not best option. With a natural, unforced process, the preservation of healing compounds is much higher.
Be healthy!
Chamomile - quite common medicinal plant, found in the central zone of our country. It grows almost everywhere - on roadsides, in fields and at the edge of forests, near ponds and rivers - everywhere you will find this familiar white flower. Regular chamomile should not be confused with medicinal chamomile, since regular chamomile has healing properties to a much lesser extent. In the practice of using odorless chamomile, both flowers (inflorescences) and stems and leaves are used.
Pharmaceutical (medicinal) chamomile differs from ordinary odorless chamomile in its strong aromatic odor and hollow inside flower, reaching a height of 20–40 cm. Its memorable aroma is caused by the presence of the substance coumarin in the plant cells; its smell is very similar to the smell of sweet clover. Chamomile blooms from May to September, but medicinal properties she acquires only starting from the month of June.
It is necessary to draw your attention to the fact that chamomile is quite rare in nature; for the most part it is either grown in specialized farms or sown in vegetable gardens and personal plots. Therefore, you will most likely have to deal with ordinary chamomile, which grows in abundance throughout the middle zone.
Chamomile collection should begin in mid-June, when it blooms most in forests and fields, since people have noticed that the type of chamomile that is collected either at the edge of the forest or in the field is more useful. Chamomile should be collected only in dry weather, in the early morning hours, when photosynthesis processes are activated in the cells of all plants and increased production vitamins and others useful substances. If there is heavy morning dew, chamomile should not be collected - it is better to choose a dry and warm morning for this.
Since pharmaceutical chamomile flowers are used in practice, it must be collected at the beginning of flowering and during the period of full flowering - it is at this time that chamomile contains greatest number healing substances. In the evening hours, the level of metabolism in plants decreases, but on hot days, collecting them is not recommended at all, as some wilting of the flowers and the plants themselves occurs - this rule relevant for all types of medicinal herbs.
It is not recommended to collect chamomile near roads and railway lines, near landfills, oil storage facilities and animal farms - chamomile flowers perfectly absorb everything toxic substances from the environment and groundwater. The best choice is an edge lost in the forest or a field far from roads and human habitation.
Pulling out a chamomile by the roots is sheer barbarity, because next year nothing can grow in this place. Chamomile stems should be carefully trimmed with a knife at a third of the length from the ground.
Collected flowers should not be stored unprocessed for a long time; they should be immediately separated from the stem and placed to dry. Before drying, chamomile must be carefully sorted, cleaned of other accidentally found plants, rotten or wilted flowers and lumps of earth.
Only high-quality samples of collected chamomile should be dried - the flowers should be large and reach a height of 20–40 cm, but if you do start collecting regular (non-scented) chamomile, then use plants at least 50 cm high.
Drying itself is a very responsible operation, on which the future value largely depends. medicinal herb. If dried incorrectly, the amount of medicinal substances in chamomile may decrease or be completely lost. You cannot leave chamomile in its raw form for a long time, as it will quickly begin to warm up, darken and rot.
This process is not affected by storage conditions - cold or warm, nor by the presence or absence sunlight, because decomposition processes will begin in plant cells and the only way to keep chamomile fresh is in the refrigerator.
The immediate purpose of drying is to stop internal chemical processes in the plant. Under the influence of enzymes, the decomposition of all substances begins in it - the so-called autolysis process, characteristic of all living cells after dying. The evaporation of moisture stops the development of mold fungi and bacteria, which reduce the quality of the prepared chamomile.
You can’t dry chamomile in the sun, as straight sun rays destroy everything medicinal substances in the tissues of the cut plant - in the sun, chamomile will simply cease to be healing and lose color. Drying should be done in a cool, dark place, in the shade, away from insects and sun.
For successful and high-quality drying, you must carefully select the location. There should not be sunlight, high humidity or too low a temperature. If you are drying outdoors, make sure that your medicinal raw materials are not exposed to the wind or open air.
Such a place could be a shed or a well-ventilated attic, especially under an iron sheet roof - when heated in summer, it creates optimal temperature regime for drying grass and flowers. Under no circumstances should you use artificial drying on a stove or in an oven - all the medicinal components of chamomile will be destroyed by high temperature.
As aid drying of raw materials can be carried out in special dryers that provide a temperature of 35–40 degrees. However, the medicinal properties of chamomile after artificial drying may change for the worse.
Chamomile can be dried either in its entirety or in the form of cut flower heads - spread on the balcony or veranda of your home soft cloth and place the chamomile on it in a thin layer so that the flowers do not lie in a heap and sufficient air circulation is maintained between them, otherwise self-heating of the raw material and its destruction is possible. Cover it with gauze or some other air-permeable fabric on top and place it on a series of racks or shelves that are located one above the other.
Most optimal temperature for drying - no higher than 30–40 degrees. The scattered chamomile should be lightly stirred as it dries so that it dries evenly, and the plants themselves should be carefully turned over several times a day.
In inclement weather, chamomile can be dried at home - on the bed of a cooling Russian stove, if available, or simply on the mezzanine. Another folk way– drying chamomile in room conditions in the form of bunches. Tie the collected flowers into small bunches and hang them on the wall at a distance of 20–30 cm from each other. This way you can store the dried chamomile for for a long time, because the bunches feel great in room conditions.
Try to keep this wall out of direct sunlight during the day, otherwise your chamomile will become just dry and brittle grass. Tie small bunches, approximately 5–7 cm in diameter. Drying reduces the moisture content to 8-15%, after which the dried plant acquires following signs: Chamomile leaves and flowers are easily rubbed between the palms, and the stems break rather than bend. The usual drying ratio is 1:5, that is, from 100 kg of raw materials, approximately 20 kg of dry plants are obtained.
Thus, the weight of chamomile is reduced by 70–75%. After proper drying Neither the smell nor the appearance changes. Chamomile flowers do not tolerate walls painted with oil, synthetic or nitro paint, as they quickly become saturated with the smell of this paint and lose their medicinal properties, because from the surface of such a wall there is constant evaporation of the drier and other components contained in the paint.
After drying, the chamomile should be sorted, low-quality flower heads and insects should be removed, and then packed into cardboard boxes, depending on the quantity available.
Each box must have a paper label with the name of the herb in it. If there is a lot of dried chamomile, then the best way to store it is in small bags made of natural fabric, approximately 200–300 g in each.
Chamomile should be packaged in them and placed in a cool dark place, where it can be stored in this way for a long time. Do not allow insects to reach the contents of the bags, and under no circumstances use cellophane bags for storage - chamomile must “breathe”, otherwise the flowers will turn rancid and the decoction will have bad smell and taste.
Dried flower heads can be stored in glass jars, but in this case the jars should not be covered with a plastic lid. It will be better if you use two- and three-liter jars, tying their necks with fabric. It is better to keep bunches of chamomile, dried entirely, in the already mentioned cardboard boxes in a separate ventilated room - a loggia or barn. Low winter temperatures will not harm the plant, but chamomile should not be stored in a cellar or underground due to the high humidity usually present there - the flowers will go rancid.
Long-term storage of crushed chamomile requires compliance with certain rules and appropriate preparation.
There is a way to package crushed chamomile into separate small boxes, for example, tea boxes. You can grind dried chamomile either in a special mill, if available, or simply by cutting it with scissors. This storage method makes it easier to prepare decoctions and infusions, since the flowers are almost ready for brewing.
Do not throw away empty tea boxes, but pour finely crushed chamomile into each used 100-gram paper bag - this is a unique way of dosing it for preparing decoctions, because 100 g of raw material will be equal to half a glass.
This storage method will ensure good preservation of the medicinal plant; chamomile will be inaccessible to the ubiquitous domestic insects and will retain all its healing properties. Chamomile should not be placed in the same package with other medicinal plants; store all dried and prepared herbs separately - this is an old folk truth.
Chamomile, dried in bunches, can remain on the wall for up to one and a half years, while maintaining all its medicinal properties. Do not place dried chamomile in pots or other metal containers, or store it in the refrigerator. In a factory setting, dried chamomile is pressed into small briquettes, which makes it possible to pack a larger amount of raw material in a smaller volume.
You can totally get creative and come up with your own way of storing chamomile - the main thing is that all the simple above requirements are met, and then you will always have an effective medicine at hand.
Green
Description
How to dry chamomile? There are several ways to dry chamomile flowers at home. The fastest and best option connected to an electric dryer, which we will use in this photo recipe. It is in this electrical appliance that the required drying mode is set, which allows you not to worry at all that useful plants will not dry out or, on the contrary, will dry out. You can also dry chamomile in the oven, but in this case you will have to carefully monitor the process of drying the flowers. Important point drying chamomile is that it Never dry it in direct sunlight. This way everything beneficial properties chamomile flowers will be lost forever, and the dried flower preparation will become completely useless.
Chamomile - valuable medicinal plant, which is fully saturated 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.
Excellent brews are made from chamomile healing infusions and infusions, and also add it to all kinds of flower teas. Thanks to such homemade flower tinctures, it is possible to quickly heal sore throat. In addition, the chamomile plant is a wonderful cosmetic product, so it is also used as face masks, which perfectly moisturize the skin.
So, let's start preparing to dry chamomile at home, using the following step by step recipe with photo.
Ingredients
Steps
The right time The time to collect chamomile is early in the morning, when the morning dew has completely disappeared from the plants. To create a flower preparation, you need to tear off only the 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 that will ultimately ruin the entire flower preparation for the winter. Therefore, the flowers should be soaked in salted water for ten minutes. The amounts of salt and water are listed in the ingredients for this recipe. After soaking, the chamomile should be rinsed under cold water.
Place the processed wet chamomile flowers on a paper napkin for ten minutes. During this time, the paper will absorb all excess moisture from the chamomile plant.
We place the dried flowers evenly on the tray of the electric dryer and cover them with a special lid.
After a while, we take the tray out of 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 reaches two years if stored in a dry place.
Dried medicinal chamomile is ready for the winter. For initial testing, you can brew a pot of tea from it and enjoy the natural taste and aroma.
To achieve a richer flavor palette of the floral drink, you need to brew it for at least two hours.
Enjoy your tea!
Chamomile is considered a natural antispasmodic; decoctions and teas are used during complex treatment inflammation of the stomach, intestines, duodenum. Sluggish inhibited bile secretion is a threat not only to well-being, but also appearance: Skin becomes sallow and unhealthy. Addiction to chamomile drinks improves the process of bile secretion. If poor nutrition leads to increased gas formation, then chamomile tea eliminates this unpleasant symptom.
- As soon as the morning dew has completely disappeared, you can start collecting flowers. Only ripe and blossoming flower heads are torn off. The stems are left and many other flowers will appear on them.
- Flowers are washed with cool running water. In most cases, this single “hygienic procedure” can be limited. But uninvited guests can settle in yellow daisy heads. They are so small that you can’t even see them at a quick glance. If you suspect the presence of insects, soak the flowers for 10 minutes in a weak saline solution: 1 teaspoon of salt dissolved in a liter cold water. Then the flowers need to be rinsed thoroughly under running water.
- Wet flowers are poured onto clean white sheets or a paper towel, left for 10 minutes, during which time the flower mass is turned a couple of times so that all the moisture remains on the paper.
- The prepared flowers are placed on the tray of an electric dryer, leveled, and covered with a lid.
- Drying time – 18 hours.
- Dried flowers are poured into metal tea boxes or any containers with tight lids.
- Chamomile tea can be brewed in a thermos, allowing it to steep for 2-3 hours. The result is a concentrated, pleasant drink that does not require sugar. If the tea is brewed for 5 minutes in a teapot, the concentration will be lower and the color will not become rich. The abundance of blooming chamomile is a good reason to make preparations for external and internal use. The strained broth is frozen in square molds, resulting in chamomile ice.
Chamomile, or as it is also called, chamomile officinale, has been used in folk and folklore since ancient times. scientific medicine. For more than one millennium, this plant has not lost its popularity, as it has important beneficial properties. Chamomile extract is used in making cosmetics, essential oil It has also found its use in the manufacture of medicinal and cosmetic preparations.
Description
Chamomile is an annual herbaceous plant with a strong, specific, but rather pleasant odor.
The root of a flower is either taproot or branched. The color of the root is light brown.
The stem is straight, erect, and can reach a height of up to 60 cm. The stem may branch from the base. The stem is hollow inside, ribbed-bearded on the outside, leafy to the very top.
The leaves are sessile, alternate, up to 6 cm long.
The inflorescences look like conical baskets, their diameter is about 2.5 cm. They are located on the tops and on the side shoots. Together, all the inflorescences form a corymbose inflorescence.
The petals are multirowed and have a diameter of up to 8 mm. The shape of the leaves is small, imbricated, oblong.
Spreading
Chamomile is distributed throughout almost all of Europe, as well as in many areas North America and Asia. In many countries, chamomile is cultivated as a medicinal plant, revered for its beneficial properties. Varieties with increased content essential oil and aulene. As for Russia, chamomile grows here in most European regions, except Lower Volga region and the Far North, also in the Ciscaucasia, in Dagestan, in Western and Eastern Siberia, in some areas of the Far East.
Chamomile grows in steppes and meadows, as well as a weed plant in gardens, on borders and wastelands, along roadsides, in row crops and grain crops.
Collection and preparation
The plant is harvested during the flowering period, when the white petals are arranged horizontally. Collection is carried out every 2 - 3 days, during the flowering period, which lasts up to 15 days.
Dry flowers in the shade, in the open air, or in a ventilated area. When drying, plants should be laid in an even thin layer.
Please note that during collection it is necessary to separate chamomile from other types of this plant. Otherwise, the unclean collection loses many of its properties, moreover, it may be unsafe.
The dried plant should be stored in a tightly closed container, for example, a glass jar. If the plant is stored in a cloth bag, the essential oil will evaporate. You shouldn't store herbs in plastic bags at all.
The shelf life of the dried plant is 1 year.
Application
The medicinal properties of chamomile infusion are used in the following cases:
- As an anti-inflammatory agent;
- As an antiseptic;
- As a pain reliever;
For diseases:
- Intestines;
- Biliary tract;
- Liver;
- With increased gas formation;
- For sore throats;
- For stomatitis;
- At various allergies as lotions.
Chamomile is used to prepare home and professional cosmetics: creams, lotions, masks, shampoos.
Recipes
Preparation of the decoction:
Chamomile - 10 gr. flowers (approximately 4 tablespoons of dry raw materials) pour a glass of very hot water, boil for about 30 minutes in a water bath. The broth is cooled until room temperature, decant and squeeze out the remaining raw materials.
The resulting decoction should be stored in a cool place for no more than 2 days. After 2 days, the decoction loses its beneficial properties. It should be taken several times a day, after meals, half a glass.
The decoction is also used externally, for example, for washing cavities, gargling, medicinal baths, cooking cosmetic masks, rinsing hair.
For external use, you can also use an extract from flowers. To prepare it you need 3 tbsp. pour a glass of boiling water over dry raw materials and leave for 1 hour in a closed glass container.
For the treatment of diseases respiratory organs and routes using inhalation. The healing properties of this procedure include a soothing analgesic and antiseptic effect.
Inhalations are prepared as follows:
For children under 7 years old: The infusion is brewed in a small teapot, a rubber tube is put on the spout, through which you need to inhale the vapor of the infusion for about 5 minutes.
Over 7 years old: The infusion is brewed in a saucepan, over which the child is seated and covered with a blanket over his head. Vapors are inhaled for up to 10 minutes. After which it is advisable to give the child tea with honey and put him to bed.
Essential oil
Chamomile oil has a dense consistency, bluish color, and a slightly sweet smell. Natural oil– the product is quite expensive. It has the following medicinal properties:
- antiseptic;
- painkiller;
- antispasmodic.
Apply orally in the amount of 2 drops per 1 tsp of honey.
Application in cosmetics
The decoction is used to care for sensitive, dry skin. Chamomile has a whitening effect, eliminates inflammatory processes, reduces allergic inflammation, gives the skin healthy looking and color. Also, its properties are relevant for insect bites and thermal burns.
As for professional cosmetics, chamomile essential oil is added to creams. In combination with woody, lavender, citrus oils they are used to create colognes.
Chamomile decoction is used to stimulate hair growth. It can also be found in the composition of many professional shampoos. If chamomile is regularly used as a rinse, your hair will be strong and beautiful. In some cases, the medicinal properties of the decoction or oil can cope with dandruff.
Restrictions on use
Contraindications:
- Anacidic gastritis;
- Stomach ulcer;
- Tendency to diarrhea;
- Heavy menstruation;
- Mental disorders;
- Treatment with homeopathic methods;
During pregnancy, you should take no more than 2 glasses of chamomile decoction a day. The properties of this plant are such that it helps stimulate the production of estrogen by the ovaries, and this can lead to miscarriage or childbirth. ahead of schedule. However, if you take the decoction in small quantities, it can help cope with the toxic state.
Overdose symptoms:
- Headaches;
- Weakness;
- Cough and hoarseness;
- Intestinal disorders.