Sunday, October 04, 2009

Mullein Harvest 2009

I grow mullein in my garden for a few reasons: I never have to plant it, the birds love it, it is pretty, and it makes a fantastic decongestant!

You can see how I use it in the garden here.

And you can see how I use it in my kitchen here.

To dry the leaves, I usually just clean them with either a little water or brush them off with a soft brush (like a paint brush) and then lay them on baking racks to dry for a couple of weeks. The results have been good, but I recently tried a drying method that works even better and faster. I just got some cheap thread, strung them up and hung the string of it in my kitchen.


I left a few mullein growing around the garden here and there just for picking off the leaves throughout the summer. I pick all but a few in the center to keep the plant alive so it can continue to produce leaves. Here is my harvest so far this year, dried and packed for storage:

Last year I had filled that big jar in the back, and it was gone before March. This just might get us through the winter this year.

2 comments:

Chloe m said...

I have to tell you that I harvested some Mullein, thanks to you! I am hoping we don't have a bad cold and flu season. Do you mix it with any thing else when you make tea? Or just drink it straight?
Thanks
Rosey

Sylvana said...

Rosey Pollen, it tastes and works great on its own, but you can add a little creeping charlie as it also is a decongestant. Just be sure to use a filter (I use a paper coffee filter) when you brew the tea. I like to add a little local honey as it boosts the immune system and is yummy.