Make and Use Chickweed Tea

For the inexperienced gardener, or those only focused on vegetables and high quality flowers, chickweed is a terrible weed that is summarily uprooted, removed, and killed. For those in the know, chickweed has been used for hundreds of years and an assortment of purposes. Chickweed is a low-lying plant that grows in a tangled mess on the ground. It has a green stem and little egg-shaped leaves. Its tiny white flowers are star-shaped from which it derives its Latin name, Stellaria media. It grows and flowers just about all year and is hardy through frost and sometimes snow. Its English name comes from the fact that it is fed to and loved by chickens, especially the seeds.

For people, Chickweed has an enormity of uses. First, it is a salad vegetable. The leaves can be eaten raw and are great for healthy digestion and intestinal balance. Because it is a diuretic, it is a great aid for metabolism and weight loss.

Chickweed is also commonly made into a tea. As a tea, it has been used to treat various ailments and conditions, including: blood cleansing, mucus-dissolvent, coughs, bronchitis, flatulence, constipation, hemorrhoids, joint inflammation, rheumatism, gout, kidney weakness, skin problems, eczema, psoriasis, ulcers, sore legs, itching, wounds, and pimples.

The tea can either be drank, up to two cups per day, or applied topically to affected areas as a poultice, or in a bath. The basic rule is that internal problems are solved by drinking, and skin or external problems are solved by applying.

The bad news about chickweed is that it does not dry well and it does not store well either. As it dries, chickweed loses most of its potency. The good news is that it has a super long growing period and can be freshly harvested throughout the year.

The best way to make chickweed tea is through infusion. Leaves can be used whole or crushed slightly by rubbing them through your hands. For best results, you will want to place the leaves in a ball infuser. This is used primarily for loose teas and consists of a metal ball filled with small holes that twists apart. Place 2 tablespoons of chickweed in the ball infuser and into a cup. Pour 6 oz of boiling water into the cup and steep for about 3 minutes. The tea is now ready to drink. Larger batches can be made for topical use.

The next time you see that chickweed in your garden, don't get rid of it. Add it to your fresh salads and use it for tea. It will promote healthy living and could be just the cure for any number of ailments from which you have been suffering.