How to collect linden flowers. When to collect linden. Folk recipes for lime blossom in medicine and cosmetology

What could be better than a cup of fragrant linden tea with honey on a cold winter evening. Linden tea is also very useful: it helps with colds, sore throats, and improves digestion. Linden blossom can be bought at a pharmacy, but it is much more pleasant to prepare it yourself.

Linden flowers should be collected away from busy roads, industrial enterprises, it is better to collect them in a park or in a forest somewhere outside the city. The ideal time for collection is the first half of the day, when the dew has already dried. If it is raining outside, then it is better to reschedule the collection of linden to another day when the weather is sunny.

Flowers are suitable for harvesting, which are already half bloomed, and the second half of the flowers are in buds. If the flowers have begun to fade, then it is too late to collect them. Choose a lime color without pests, diseases, damage.

How to dry linden

Outdoors

Spread linden flowers in an even thin layer on a clean cotton cloth or white paper. Dry in a shady, well-ventilated place, stirring several times to dry evenly, for 2-3 days.

in the dryer

To make the drying process faster, you can dry the inflorescences in a dryer. To do this, lay the flowers in an even thin layer on pallets. If the dryer has a special mode for drying herbs, then select it accordingly. If there is no such regime, then we set the temperature to 40-45 degrees and dry the plants for about 7-8 hours.

The video from Helpful Hints shows how to dry linden

Ready-made flowers are brittle to the touch, yellowish in color, almost do not smell.

How to store lime blossom

Dried inflorescences should be stored in paper bags or bags made of natural fabric in a dark, ventilated place.

Keeps its beneficial properties of linden for three years.

Now you can easily prepare lime blossom for fragrant healthy tea. Assembled with your own hands, it will bring more pleasant emotions than purchased.

The healing properties of linden have been known since ancient times.

In folk medicine, linden has been and is the main assistant in the treatment of colds, diseases of the digestive tract and the cardiovascular system. Crushed linden buds softened abscesses and stopped bleeding, compresses were made from linden leaves, which saved headaches, and inflammatory processes in the oral cavity were removed with the help of linden decoction. A spoonful of linden honey on an empty stomach in the morning, washed down with a glass of lukewarm water, is now recommended as a means to strengthen the immune system.

How to collect lime blossom.

If you want to stock up on lime blossoms for the winter or make a lime tincture, the time to start preparing for collecting and drying lime blossoms is late spring. Linden blossom is harvested during the period of active flowering of the tree - from mid-May to the end of June. You can start collecting flowers when most of them have blossomed, and the rest are still in buds.

It is recommended to collect linden flowers in the first half of the day, in warm weather (up to +25 C) with variable cloudiness and humid air, when nectar is intensively released in them. You can not collect flowers during rain and dew. Linden inflorescences are poorly separated from adjacent leaves, so they are recommended to be carefully cut with scissors. For tea, inflorescences with linden wings are collected. The buds themselves should look nice and healthy, with no damage, rust, or yellowing of nearby leaves. For a small family, 0.5-1 kg of fresh flowers is enough for a year.

Drying and storage of inflorescences.

Prepared flowers are spread evenly on a tray and, covered with gauze, which will protect against insects, are dried for several days outside in a shady, well-ventilated place. You can dry the inflorescences in the oven or electric dryer. To do this, it is necessary to hold the inflorescences in it for several hours at a temperature of + 40-45 C.

Dry raw materials are stored in a dark place in paper bags, thick canvas bags, in a wooden, glass or ceramic vessel, which is well closed with a lid. Plastic dishes are not suitable for storing inflorescences. Linden tea.

When brewing linden tea for 1 liter of hot water (90-95 C), put 1-2 tbsp. spoons of inflorescences, and then let it brew for 15-20 minutes. Linden tea has a tonic, antipyretic, diaphoretic, diuretic, anti-inflammatory and expectorant effect. It is drunk for diseases of the respiratory tract, inflammation of the genitourinary system, to activate digestion and for inflammatory processes in the stomach and intestines.

Linden tea contains phytohormones, similar in composition to female sex hormones (it is no coincidence that linden is considered a female tree). It is recommended to drink it for women with menstrual irregularities and during menopause.

In no case should you abuse linden tea (drink constantly or replace ordinary teas with it). Linden activates the protective functions of the body, increases sweating, stimulates cardiac activity, but with regular consumption, this leads to an additional burden on the heart and overexcitation of the nervous system. Excessive stimulation of the body has the opposite effect and can lead to insomnia, irritability, high blood pressure and pain in the heart.

Linden infusion.

If you have not drunk all the brewed tea, you can wash your face with the remaining infusion or freeze it into ice cubes and wipe the skin of your face and neck with them in the morning. With regular use, the skin becomes soft, velvety, fine wrinkles are smoothed out, and inflammation goes away.

Linden infusion can treat neurosis, convulsions, fainting and hypertension. For its preparation, it is recommended to pour 2 tbsp. spoons of dried flowers with a glass of boiling water, insist for an hour, strain and take 1/3 cup 3 times a day before meals.

Linden tincture.

To prepare lime liquor you will need: 5 handfuls of fresh linden flowers (only flowers!), 1 liter of alcohol (95%), 1 kg of sugar.

To begin with, you should scald a suitable glass bottle with boiling water, put linden flowers on the bottom, pour alcohol and two glasses of spring water. Close tightly, put in a dark cool place and from time to time visit the future liquor and shake the bottle.

After two weeks, strain the tincture through cheesecloth and pour hot syrup into it (1 kg of sugar, 1 sachet of vanillin, 0.5 l of water). Stir the tincture, pour into bottles and cork tightly. And you can drink it in late autumn or winter. It helps with colds, insomnia and bouts of the blues.

Jam from linden flowers.

And in conclusion, a unique recipe for linden jam. To prepare it, you will need 1 kg of dried linden flowers, 400 ml of water, 3 g of citric acid, 1 kg of sugar.

The flowers are washed in a colander with running water, dried and laid out in an enameled basin. At the same time, sugar syrup is prepared: boil sugar and water in an enamel bowl for 5-7 minutes until the sugar is completely dissolved.

The syrup is strained, passing through several layers of gauze, then brought to a boil again and the flowers are poured over them. In order for the flowers to be completely immersed in sugar syrup, a flat plate is placed on them and pressed down with a load.

After the flowers are completely impregnated, the jam is boiled in one step until cooked, and citric acid is added at the end. Store in sterilized jars.

Yesterday we went for a walk in the city park. Such an aroma is worth it!.. Linden is blooming - it's time to make a small preparation for the winter. Tea with linden in winter near the fireplace is something ... Therefore, today we went to collect linden blossom. Not far from the city there is one place where you can have a great rest in the shade of linden trees, and, of course, collect linden flowers for fragrant and healthy tea.

How to collect lime blossom?

There are several rules for picking linden so that the tea is really healthy and tasty:

• linden is harvested during active flowering, when more than half of the flowers have blossomed (you do not have much time, so try to be in time)
• collect linden at noon (at this time all the flowers are open)
• a prerequisite for collecting linden blossom is dry weather (after rain or dew it is better not to harvest linden)
• flowers need to be cut off or cut off together with bracts (these are peculiar “wings - leaves” near the inflorescences.
• do not collect damaged linden inflorescences (with dark spots, yellowed bracts, affected by pests)
• collect linden only away from highways and industrial enterprises
• do not break the branches of the linden tree, because next year you will also want to inhale this honey aroma and collect linden blossom for tea.

We usually collect two medium packages - this is enough for us until spring. In general, from one kilogram of raw flowers, approximately 300 g of dry tea is obtained. For a glass of tea you need 8 - 10 linden flowers.

How to dry linden?

Drying linden takes from 4 to 10 days. Do not dry linden in direct sunlight. With this method of drying, the lime blossom will lose all its healing properties, the flowers will be dark, and the tea will not taste good.

What do we have to do:

• spread the lime blossom on paper or fabric in a thin layer
• you need to dry the linden in the shade, in a ventilated place
• turn the flowers 2-3 times a day so that the inflorescences do not rot
• if the weather is humid outside and there is no way to find a dry place for drying, you can slightly dry the linden in the oven at a temperature of no more than 40 degrees

How to store dried lime blossom?

Properly dried linden has a yellowish color, the flowers become fragile, break easily, the inflorescences are practically odorless. In order for the linden to retain its properties, it is better to store it in bags made of dense fabric in a dry, dark place. At high humidity, store linden in a glass jar under a tight lid (but with this method of storage, linden loses its healing properties faster - such a storage period is not more than a year).

We had a great summer day in the forest, spent it with benefit! Harvest and dry linden using these simple rules. Linden tea from a pharmacy, of course, is healthy, but collected with your own hands is tastier! Drink linden tea and do not get sick!

Drying flower petals at home is not so difficult. Dry petals and inflorescences can be used for various purposes. For example, sachets are made from them (natural flavors - pillows for the home), used for cosmetic purposes. They also prepare fragrant herbal teas that are very popular lately.

Such teas with the addition of petals and various medicinal herbs, berries, and fruits were drunk in Russia long before black tea appeared in the country. Such drinks contain vitamins, various biologically active substances that have the most positive effect on the human body. They tone up, relieve stress, improve mood. In addition, they do not contain caffeine at all, unlike traditional tea.

Today we will learn how to properly dry linden, rose petals. In the future, you can use them for your own purposes. You can insist and prepare cosmetic tonics, lotions. A decoction, an infusion of them can be added to the bath when bathing or filled with a small pillow-flavoring. And, of course, use them when brewing tea.

Linden blossom

It must be said that linden flowers have not only a pleasant, honey aroma. They are used in folk medicine, as they have pronounced healing properties. For example, lime blossom is used as an anti-inflammatory, tonic, diaphoretic, sedative. Dried linden blossoms are used to brew a tea that helps cure colds, and also has all the properties of a vitamin drink.

How to dry:

Harvest linden flowers on a sunny day, in dry weather. It is best to do this in late June, early July, in the early morning. Collect only blossoming, healthy, not damaged by pests or mold inflorescences.

At home, lay them out on white paper in an even layer. Of course, it is better to do this in the attic, or in a well-ventilated area. You can dry it outside, in the shade, covered with gauze. Dry for approximately 1 week. Sometimes it may take more time.

Well-dried inflorescences become brittle, brittle, excellent and quickly rubbed in the palms. Pour them into linen bags or transfer them to a dry three-liter jar. Well-dried lime blossom can be stored without losing its medicinal properties for about 2 years. From a kilogram of fresh flowers, about 300 g of dried flowers are usually obtained.

garden roses

The rose is called the queen of flowers for a reason. This plant is not only very beautiful, it has a wonderful aroma. Its petals contain a valuable essential oil, which is used by cosmetologists and perfumers around the world. Fragrant petals are also rich in biologically active substances. Therefore, the flowers are used for medicinal purposes.

Rose oil and rose water are prepared from fresh petals. They make jam, make syrup. Dried petals are added when brewing tea. From infusions, decoctions make cosmetic lotions, homemade flavors.

But you need to know that flowers from the store cannot be used for drying. They are treated with chemicals to keep them longer. They also use a lot of chemicals in their cultivation. Therefore, it is better not to use these plants for the preparation of medicinal teas and cosmetics. For our purposes, ordinary garden roses grown in our own garden are quite suitable.

How to dry properly:

First you need to collect flowers. Cut the most fragrant, freshly blooming roses. It is best to do this at dawn, early in the morning. At this time, rose petals are filled with beneficial oils and active substances.

Lay the flowers on a flat surface, separate the petals. They must be whole, healthy, not damaged by insects or diseases. Now you can dry them using several methods:

Method number 1. Dry the petals on a towel if damp. Then lay out in one thin layer on white thick paper. Dry in a well-ventilated, shaded area. Or outdoors, but always under a canopy, in the shade. Turn them over periodically. Rose petals dry from 1 to 3 weeks. It depends on the size of the flowers and the degree of their initial moisture content.

Method number 2. You can dry the petals in the oven or use an electric dryer designed for drying fruits, mushrooms, herbs, etc. Spread the petals on a pallet, dry for 4 to 8 hours on low heat (30 to 40 degrees). Linden can also be dried in the same way.

From 1 kilogram of fresh raw roses, 120 g of dry roses are usually obtained. Store petals in linen bags or dry glass jars with lids.

Method number 3. Remove the bouquet from the vase, tear off the leaves. Tie with thick woolen thread, and then hang in a ventilated, but dark, warm room with buds and flowers down. Make sure that the buds do not rub against each other. It is better that they are less in contact.

Dried flowers will retain their original shape. The bouquet will dry completely in about 3 weeks. Remember that roses lose their color when dried. Red flowers hold their color best. But pink and white become gray.

Roses dried in this way are used only for decorative purposes. Their petals are not used for making teas.

It is difficult to find an old Russian estate without linden alleys. Due to its unpretentiousness, linden is often used in landscaping the streets of large and small cities in central Russia. It is often found in the wild. Under favorable conditions, linden can live for more than 500 years, and all this time, every year, it will give a person a valuable medicine - linden blossom.

Collection and storage of lime blossom

Each medicinal plant has its own collection time. The fact that it is time to collect linden flowers is reminiscent of a sweet aroma coming from the thick of the crown and dispersing for tens of meters around. This happens at the end of June or beginning of July. Yellowish flowers are collected in an inflorescence. Inflorescences are cut along with the legs, in which most of the flowers have already opened, but have not yet begun to fade. The day is chosen without rain, preferably clear and dry. It is best if it is in the morning (but not early morning) or in the afternoon.

Collection rules

No matter how dense and attractive the thickets of linden growing along the road may seem to you, you cannot pick flowers from these trees. Along with useful substances, you will receive many dangerous elements, including radioactive ones. Pluck lime blossom only from trees near which cars do not drive and there are no harmful industrial enterprises. In a big city, such a place is quite difficult to find. But if you really care about your health, then you can go out of town or go into a secluded park area.
No need to break branches, trying to speed up the work. In extreme cases, you can cut off small thin branches. Flowers are chosen only healthy, without traces of rust, without damage by pests. In this case, they will bring you the maximum benefit. Do not delay the collection, because in nature time cannot be turned back. If you do not have time, you will have to wait a whole year or buy ready-made flowers in a pharmacy.

Drying and storage

Dry lime blossom, like most medicinal plants, in a shaded and well-ventilated place. Previously, these were attics of houses, today you can use the space of balconies, an oven or a special dryer. The temperature should not exceed 45 degrees. Inflorescences are laid out in a not too dense layer on a tray or on a tray. If drying takes place in the open air, then cover with a very thin cotton material (gauze) from above.
When the flowers dry well, they are laid out in paper bags, cloth bags or tin cans. If there are not very many flowers, then you can sew one large bag of cotton fabric, pour all the lime blossom into it, and then take it out as needed. If for some reason you have not used the flowers for three years, then it is better to throw them away and prepare fresh raw materials.

Linden Blossom - Properties

Linden flowers have many medicinal properties, but the most famous of them are anti-inflammatory and diaphoretic. That is why linden color has long been used for colds. A decoction of linden was always given to a patient who was in a feverish state. It was used to treat bronchitis. With inflammation of the mucous membrane of the pharynx and tonsils, inflammation in the oral cavity, rinsing with linden decoction was performed.

As a diuretic, lime blossom is used to treat diseases of the kidneys and other organs of the urinary system.
The next direction in which linden is used is the treatment of certain diseases of the stomach. The substances that make up its composition contribute to the secretion of gastric juice, and also affect the outflow of bile. When using a specially prepared decoction, spasms in the stomach are relieved, colic stops.

The sedative properties of linden lead to the fact that a decoction of it is drunk during insomnia and with nervous disorders, with headaches, excruciating migraines. By using lime decoction, you can eliminate some of the symptoms of menopause. Apply baths prepared on the basis of linden decoction.

cosmetic effect

The cosmetic effect of lime blossom is widely known. In industrial cosmetology, its extract is used and fragrant shampoos and creams are produced. At home, you can make lotions and masks based on decoction, use ice cubes to rub the skin, just wash your face.
All these properties are due to the fact that linden flowers and perianths contain a huge amount of useful substances. These are trace elements, polysaccharides, vitamins, ascorbic acid, carotene, tannins, saponins. The smell is created by essential oils. The healing properties of flowers provide bioflavonoids. Today, researchers continue to study some of the substances that make up the lime blossom.

Linden blossom - contraindications

It should be remembered that linden blossom well expels water from the body and increases the load on the heart, so you should not get carried away with drinking a drink from it. Apply flowers only when necessary. Do not carry out long-term self-treatment, limited to a maximum of ten days of decoction. If you yourself do not dare to use the remedy, then it is better to ask an experienced person for advice or go to the hospital.

Folk recipes for lime blossom in medicine and cosmetology

It is impossible to list all recipes based on lime blossom. However, there are a few basic rules for its use.

Linden flower tea

The simplest remedy is tea. One tablespoon of crushed dried inflorescences is poured with a glass of boiling water. Initially, the drink has a clear, slightly yellowish color. When it stands for a while, it becomes more saturated, light brick color. If you suspect a cold, this tea is drunk with honey at night.
I must say that tea from linden inflorescences can be drunk during pregnancy. It will not affect the development of the fetus, and will help the expectant mother to maintain health, get rid of cough, and calm the nervous system.

Lime blossom decoction

The second common use of medicinal flowers is a decoction. To make it, you should boil lime blossom in water over very low heat or in a water bath for several minutes (5-7). The ratio is the same as for tea, only the amount can be increased proportionally. The resulting decoction is useful as an expectorant, as well as for the treatment of kidneys, inflammation of the bladder, and relieving stomach cramps.

Infusion for gargling and mouthwash is prepared as follows. Make a strong brew (1.5 tablespoons per 200 ml of boiling water). Insist it for half an hour, and then filter. Thoroughly rinse the throat with infusion in the morning and evening, while adding half a teaspoon of soda.

Linden flower baths

Lime blossom baths are used to relieve nervous tension. Take a glass of dried inflorescences and fill them with about two liters of water. Bring the water to a boil and boil for no more than 5 minutes. Then the broth is infused for about half an hour. Wash well before taking a bath. Then, clean, warm (about 37 ° C) water is drawn into the bath and the prepared broth is poured into it. Immerse the body in a bath with a decoction and lie or sit in it for no more than 20 minutes. There is no need to rinse after the procedure. Just pat your body dry with a towel.

Linden color in cosmetics

In order for the skin of the face not to be afraid of the cold, not to turn red, to become velvety and tender, rubbing with ice cubes can be used. To do this, brew linden tea, as usual. Cool it, strain and pour into ice molds, then placing in the freezer. Rub the frozen decoction on the skin in the mornings and evenings. This is both a massage, and rubbing of nutrients, and hardening.

To prepare a nourishing mask, you need to take a glass (approx. 50-80 ml) of fresh infused linden blossom broth, add the same amount of cream and one yolk to it. All this is mixed up. Next, you need to dip a clean napkin into the mixture and use it to apply a thin layer of the mixture on your face. Wash off after 15 minutes. For a noticeable effect, masks are made 3 times a week for a month.

It is good to rinse your hair with a filtered decoction of linden after you wash your hair. This rinse helps to get rid of dandruff, relieves inflammation and itching of the skin. In addition, the hair becomes more elastic and shiny.

Accept with gratitude all natural remedies, use them wisely. Only in this case you will feel the beneficial effect of the medicinal properties of lime blossom.