Although the days of hop cultivation on farms are very much declined, you can still find wild hops trailing in the hedgerows.
This perennial climber takes its name from the Anglo Saxon word 'hoppan' which means, to climb.
Male and female flowers are borne on separate plants, and it's the cone shaped female flowers, and new hop shoots that are used in natural medicine.
How To Gather And Store Hops
Hop flowers ripen in September and should be a greenish yellow colour with a papery feel, when picked. Hops can be dried and stored in an air tight jar.
Hop Flowers For Natural Herbal Remedies
Hops Benefits
Hops benefits: Hops are known for their sedative properties, in fact clinical trials in Germany have proved that hops are as effective in helping sleep disorders.
Hops herb is also useful in combating nervous problems such as stress and anxiety. The bitter elements of the hop help the digestive system work more effectively
Hop sprouts are a surprisingly tasty vegetable, (hops are easy to grow from cuttings and unless you can identify a hop sprout in the wild, I'd advise you to grow your own.) Take the young sprouts that appear from the ground in spring, boil them as you would asparagus and serve drizzled with butter or olive oil and a little salt. Hop sprouts purify the blood and are a good source of fibre?
Hops Remedies
Calming hop tea: Take four hop flowers and place in a cup, pour on boiling water, cover leave to cool and infuse for up to fifteen minutes. Drink a small cup twice a day between meals to combat stress and anxiety.
Relaxing hop bath: Take two handfuls of hop flowers and add to a pan with a three pints of boiling water, cover and leave to infuse for at least thirty minutes, add to bath water before bed to relax your muscles and to combat insomnia.
Insomnia beating hop pillow: You will need quite a lot of hops for this (about 2 carrier bags,) the quickest and easiest way to make a hop pillow, is to take an old pillow case and stuff it with hops (you could add valerian, lavender or any other herbs conducive to sleep to your hop pillow,) when your pillow is nicely stuffed with hops etc, just sew up the open end and pop it inside a pretty pillow case.
Warnings For Using Hops Home Plant Remedies
Do not use if pregnant.
If breast feeding use only a small amount.
Do not use if suffering from depression.
Hops Have A Narcotic Relation
I bet you didn't realize that the hops herb is related to the a narcotic plant, hence their sedative properties.
Botanic Choice Hop Flower Tea
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