It’s still hot outside, people are sweating and craving refreshing drinks. Chamomile tea comes to mind at the very end – perhaps only when your stomach hurts from too many ice-cold soft drinks. It has many uses in the health sector, but first and foremost it is one thing: a tasty, calorie-free drink whose raw material we can pick in the meadow.

Frequent beauty

Chamomile flowers are often found in the wild – not to be confused with daisies, whose flowers are much larger than those of chamomile. Chamomile belongs to the Asteraceae family, is an annual herbaceous plant and grows between 15 and 80 centimeters tall. Chamomile is characterized by its aroma, which is particularly noticeable when it is crushed, but can also be perceived as you pass by. They flower from May to September.

Well known to mothers as an ingredient in tummy teas, chamomile is also very popular as a tea for stomach and intestinal complaints or abdominal pain in women. It tastes pleasantly mild and is also suitable as a drink between meals. Especially in the warmer months of the year, extra drinking is a must. The body produces more sweat, we spend a lot of time in the sun – all aspects that can dry out the body. It is important to take countermeasures in good time. While we normally need to drink 1.5 to 2 liters a day, we can certainly drink more during the warmer months.

Chamomile tea as a thirst quencher

Although (mineral) water is always a good choice as a thirst quencher, variety makes drinking more palatable. For example, unsweetened teas are an effective calorie-free drink. When drunk warm, not only do the valuable ingredients of chamomile tea have a positive effect on gastrointestinal complaints and menstrual pain, but the warmth also has an antispasmodic effect. It is good to drink three cups of freshly brewed chamomile tea in small sips throughout the day. If you’re worried about the summer temperatures, you can still reach for a cup. Drinking warm liquid continuously in small quantities causes slight sweating, the body is cooled without the sweat immediately running down your face – and we are also able to replenish it sufficiently.

But chamomile tea is not only a pleasure when warm or hot. Served chilled and attractively garnished, chamomile tea can be a delicious aperitif or a healthy addition to smoothies.

Chamomile: home-picked from the wayside

If you want a delicious self-made tea, there are a few things to bear in mind when collecting it: The real chamomile should be collected. Other varieties are not poisonous, but their effect leaves a lot to be desired. They can be recognized by their strong characteristic scent, among other things. True chamomile is mainly found in fields and along roadsides. But they can be found in meadows, wasteland and waste ground, in vineyards and on walls. The collection points should be as remote as possible – picked directly at the roadside, the flowers contain too many pollutants from exhaust fumes.

Only the flower heads are collected and dried in a warm, dark place. Pour boiling water over about two teaspoons of chamomile flowers in a cup and leave to infuse for 10 minutes. Now you have an effective and refreshing drink despite the hot temperatures. If you store the treasures you pick yourself in an airtight container, you can prepare a delicious hot drink whenever you feel like it or need it.

Chamomile tea – not just for drinking

Chamomile tea helps us to hydrate our body when we drink it. If we rinse our mouth with it several times a day for a few minutes, chamomile tea cures inflammation of the gums and the mouth and throat, something we can certainly bring back with us as a summer souvenir from badly rinsed glasses in the beer garden. Applied externally, it is an effective antiseptic and has a healing effect on allergic or inflammatory skin diseases. The infused flowers can also be used to make compresses that can be applied to inflamed eyes or boils, and homemade chamomile cold pads are also very effective against sunburn.

Pollen allergy sufferers should enjoy chamomile (tea) with caution, as the flowers are often contaminated with pollen from other plants. If you are allergic to composite plants, you should also exercise caution. The same applies to the interaction with medication.

Pure nature – a pleasure all year round

Chamomile, a classic among herbal teas, not only provides us with sufficient liquid all year round when we drink it as a tea, but is also effective against many ailments. If we pick at the right place at the right time, we can benefit from the plant’s full spectrum of effects – the tea will do the trick.