HerbDried flower
Chamomile
Matricaria recutita
Apple-scented blossoms for a quiet evening cup or a linen sachet.
German chamomile is a kitchen flower, not a rarity. The dried heads smell faintly of apple and honey. Use them as a covered infusion, or tuck a spoonful into a cloth bag for the linen cupboard.
Traditional uses
- A mild bedtime tea when you want the day to stop talking
- A small sachet in a pillowcase or drawer
- A warm compress cloth wrung out after a gentle steep
How to prepare
- 1
Infusion: 1–2 tsp dried blossoms per cup, just-off-boil water, cover 6–8 minutes, strain.
- 2
Sachet: 2 tbsp dried flowers in muslin, knotted. Refresh when the scent fades.
- 3
Do not boil the flowers hard — they go grassy.
Kitchen & home
- Steep a pot for guests after supper.
- Add spent blossoms to a bath once they have cooled.
- Keep a jar of whole heads, not powder — they keep their perfume longer.
Go gently
- Skip if you have a ragweed or daisy-family allergy.
- Kitchen use only — not a treatment for illness.
