We all know that Chamomile can be a nice relaxing tea at the end of the day but did you know chamomile has a host of other benefits as well? It can help with insomnia, anxiety, tension, muscle aches and cramps, inflammation, cold and flu symptoms, and even crankiness. Chamomile is also a common ingredient in gripe water which can help calm babies with gas and/or colic issues. This herb may work gently but it really is a powerhouse when it comes to its uses.

German Chamomile

Chamomile (Matricaria recutita) has a strong aromatic smell with a somewhat bitter and mildly sweet, fruit flavor. The plant has small, green lacy foliage and white daisy-like flowers with bright yellow centers. When the flowers are in full bloom they can be harvested and then dried so they can be used as tea and in other recipes. If the flowers are left on the plant, they do self-sow easily so it’s good to keep that in mind in case you don’t want it spreading too much. German Chamomile does best in full sun and well-draining soils. Roman Chamomile is another kind that you may see when you’re seed shopping or looking around but it is a different plant. It can still be used dried for tea but it produces far fewer flowers and works better as a perennial ground cover.

German Chamomile Photo Courtesy of Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds/RareSeeds.com

German Chamomile is most well known for being made into tea but it can also be used to make tinctures, salves, essential oils, syrups, infusions, and baked goods. If you’re on Pinterest, there are a ton of different recipes using Chamomile. One easy way to incorporate Chamomile without too much work, is Chamomile infused honey. This honey can be used in drinks, on oatmeal or toast, and even over ice cream. Check out the recipe below and let us know how it turns out for you!

Chamomile Honey

What You’ll Need:

  • Jar & Cap
  • Chamomile flowers (enough to fill your jar halfway full)
  • Local, raw honey
  • Optional: Lavender

How to Make It:

  1. Put your Chamomile flowers in your jar along with Lavender if you’re using it.
  2. Pour the honey into the jar over the flowers and give it a stir so you have more room in the jar.
  3. Continue pouring in honey until your jar is full or you’ve used all the honey you are wanting to and give it one more stir before placing the cap on the jar.
  4. Leave the jar sitting on your counter for about a week and turn the jar over whenever you pass by it so the Chamomile has a chance to move through the honey and flavor it properly.
  5. After a week, strain out the flowers and put the honey back in the jar and enjoy!

If you’re located in/near our area and you’d like to purchase some of our German Chamomile plants, you can click here.