How to properly prepare the collection of thyme? What are the features of plant storage? How to dry thyme for tea? You can learn about all this from our material.
General description of the plant
Before telling how to dry thyme at home, let's look at its description. The plant is a perennial drought tolerant shrub. Such grass has branched stems, the height of which reaches an average of 20 cm. Thyme has elliptical small bright green leaves. The latter are attached to the stems on short petioles. In the upper part of the shoots, purple flowers are formed, collected in capitate head baskets. The fruits of the thyme are brown nuts that have an ellipsoidal shape. The plant has a pronounced sweetish, fairly spicy smell.
Habitat
Thyme is widespread in southern European countries. From time immemorial, the plant has been cultivated and used as a spice in Greece, Tunisia, Morocco, Spain. Such fragrant grass grows in the Canary Islands, in North Africa. Hundreds of varieties of thyme are traditionally cultivated in Greenland. In the expanses of post-Soviet countries, the plant can be found in the central and southern parts of Russia, throughout Belarus, Ukraine, the Crimea, and the Caucasus.
Under natural conditions, thyme grows in forest zones. Such a healing herb prefers pine forests with their sandy soils. You can meet the plant in the meadow, in the ravines, at the edges. Occasionally, thyme grows in meadows, rocks, in rocky terrain.
Chemical composition
Thyme herb contains in its structure the following elements:
- Tsimol.
- Ursolic and oleic acids.
- Carvacrol.
- Gum.
- Organic pigments.
- Tannins.
- Mineral salts.
- Terpenes.
When should a plant be harvested?
Considering the question of how to dry and store thyme, you need to pay attention to the features of the collection of raw materials. Harvesting the plant is recommended during the flowering period. Most often, inflorescences begin to form in the last months of summer. The process ends in September-October.
According to popular beliefs, the best time to gather thyme is the great Orthodox holidays - the Trinity and the Assumption of the Virgin. It has long been believed among the people that during this period such a herb acquires special healing qualities. If the harvesting of raw materials takes place with the aim of using the plant as a spice, in this case the shoots should be cut off as late as possible when the maximum amount of aromatic essential oils is concentrated in the plant.
How to dry thyme at home?
In order to harvest raw materials, they resort to drying in natural conditions. It is noteworthy that in this case, the plant can lose up to 60% of the initial mass, since a substantial amount of moisture leaves it. So, how to dry thyme at home? The procedure involves the following actions:
- First you need to find a device on which the shoots of the plant will be laid out. For these purposes, you can use a metal pan or tray, a piece of sheet metal, a dense linen fabric.
- The selected plane should be covered with paper, and then laid out on it with a uniform layer of raw materials.
- How to dry thyme? For harvesting, the collection of plants is placed in a well-ventilated area. In such conditions, thyme should remain for at least a week. With high humidity or poor ventilation, the grass may whirl, mold, and deteriorate.
- How to dry thyme so that it does not deteriorate? For this, the raw materials must be regularly turned over. In rainy weather or with the onset of frost, grass should be brought into the room.
- During drying, the temperature of the surrounding space should not exceed the value of 35 ° C. Otherwise, the essential oils with which the shoots are saturated will simply disappear. Thus, the plant will lose its rich aroma and lose a significant part of the healing properties.
- To avoid contamination of the collection, its destruction by insects, during drying, the raw material is covered with gauze or fine mesh.
How to find out that the drying is finished?
So we learned how to dry thyme. But how to understand that the plant is ready for use? This will be evidenced by a change in the shade of the shoots from bright green to dark color. The stems will become stiff to the touch, they can be easily broken with minimal pressure.
With a sufficient level of drying, the leaves will easily become detached from the stems. Inflorescences when compressed in the fingers will become easy to grind.
What is thyme stored in?
It is important to know not only how to dry thyme, but also in what conditions it must be stored. The best option for storing raw materials will be glass containers. You can also use canvas or cotton bags. Suitable for these purposes and cardboard boxes. It is necessary to place the plant in such containers in a dry, well-ventilated place.
Dried raw materials are not recommended for distribution in plastic bags. Here, the healing grass will sing. This, in turn, will lead to a rapid loss of its original qualities. Compliance with the above tips will allow you to store and use thyme for several years.
Useful properties of thyme tea
Having figured out how to dry thyme, you can begin to prepare a healing drink. Teas from this herb have been known since ancient times as an effective tool in the treatment of colds.
Active elements in the structure of the plant contribute to the elimination of insomnia, a feeling of chronic fatigue. For this reason, these teas are recommended for people with a weakened body.
Tea with thyme is an excellent means for thermoregulation. On hot days, its use will have a refreshing effect. In a cold, a drink will fill the body with warmth. At the same time, tea is allowed not only for adults, but also for children.
A decoction of healing herbs is good for dysbiosis. With regular use, the drug inhibits the pathogens of pathogenic microflora of the organs of the gastrointestinal tract. The substances in the plant stimulate internal secretion.
Many herbalists note that tea from thyme helps expel helminths from the body. Children are given it in order to prevent ascariasis, the destruction of pinworms. A decoction of such grass will help babies get rid of the formation of an abundant amount of gases.
Folk recipes
The following drinks can be prepared on the basis of thyme:
- A few tablespoons of dried chopped raw material is poured into a glass of boiling water. This is added a spoonful of green tea. The broth is infused for 15 minutes. Such a decoction eliminates coughing attacks, softens breathing, and has an anti-inflammatory effect.
- A tablespoon of thyme and a similar amount of mint is poured with boiled water. The composition is boiled over low heat for 5 minutes. The tool is infused until it cools, and then filtered through a fine sieve. When used regularly, instead of regular tea, it helps reduce the risk of respiratory illness.
- Thyme, pharmacy chamomile, rosemary and melilot are mixed in equal proportions. The composition is brewed and infused before cooling. They drink this tea several times a day, which improves skin condition.
- Several inflorescences of the plant are combined with a tablespoon of any tea. Raw materials are brewed in a teapot and insisted for 15-20 minutes. Use the remedy before bedtime. Such tea helps to improve sleep and reduce general irritability. A positive effect is manifested on the third day.