Summer is here, everything is lush green and nature’s herb garden is also in full bloom. When you are out in the countryside, the scent of the essential oils of the plants wafts from everywhere, making you want to sink into the colorful splendor. But the summer splendor is not just a feast for the eyes; when made into delicious tea, we can use the power and beauty of nature to do something good for our body and soul.
Midsummer: time for St. John’s wort
“There is no herb to be found in all countries that can help heal wounds, bruises, sprains and old rotten injuries”. This is what Paracelsus knew about St. John’s wort. Nowadays, the plant with the yellow flowers is known as a sunshine for the soul, available as lozenges, capsules or tincture. You don’t necessarily have to go to the pharmacy to benefit from the many effects of St. John’s wort – harvested at midsummer, the herb can be used to make an effective and tasty tea.
Tea in summer? Just then! It’s hot, we spend a lot of time outdoors, move more and sweat. It’s all about drinking, drinking, drinking – even a tea with an effect. Our normal fluid requirement is around 2.7 liters a day. We take in some of this through our food; we should drink approx. 31 ml per kg of body weight, but not more than approx. 150-200 ml per quarter of an hour, as our body cannot absorb more than this in this time. If we lose more fluid than we take in, the proportion of water in our blood, which is normally around 90 percent, falls. The blood becomes more viscous and the heart has to work harder. Above all, however, our brain needs enough fluid, which is where a deficiency first becomes noticeable; we become tired and unable to concentrate. It’s good to have a cup of tea or two to supplement our drinking plan.
Turning herbs into tea: when to collect?
There are many species of St. John’s wort in this country. However, only the true spotted St. John’s wort(Hypericum perforatum) has a healing effect due to its composition and the content of active ingredients (including hypericin). The best time to collect St. John’s wort is on June 24 – St. John’s Day, which is the feast of the birth of John the Baptist. On this day, St. John’s wort is in full bloom and is also said to be at its most medicinal. Older traditions attribute this to the day of the summer solstice. On June 21, the longest day of the year, the sun is at its highest point and shines with full power. St. John’s wort, which has been considered a pure sun plant since Paracelsus’ time, receives the full power of the sun once again on this day. In earlier times, it was taken for granted that the healing effect of St. John’s wort was also at its greatest on this day.
Correct collection and brewing
But it’s actually less complicated. St. John’s wort should be harvested when it is in full bloom. If you want to use it for tea, cut off the top fourth of the stems, tie them into bunches and leave them to dry upside down. Once the bouquets are completely dry, the leaves and flowers can be crumbled off the stems and stored away from light in a screw-top jar.
To make St. John’s wort tea, put two teaspoons of the dried herb in a cup, pour 250 ml of boiling water over it and leave to infuse for 10 minutes, covered. To refine the taste, you can add a little honey. If you prefer it iced, you can prepare a delicious St. John’s wort iced tea with elderberry. To do this, brew 500 ml of St. John’s wort tea, pour it into a carafe and season with elderflower syrup. The drink is then placed in the fridge to cool. Elderflowers frozen in ice cubes are a special eye-catcher – turning tea for the mind into an eye-catcher at any party. St. John’s wort tea in its various forms is not only a delicious drink that provides the body with additional fluids in summer and soothing warmth in the colder months, but also an effective natural remedy for mood swings and sleep disorders.
Don’t overdo it straight away
A lot helps a lot – but not in the case of St. John’s wort. Due to its photosensitizing effect on the skin, you should not drink more than three cups of the herbal tea per day, especially in summer. If we consume too much, our skin reacts more sensitively to sunlight and we get sunburnt more easily.
If you drink three cups of St. John’s wort tea throughout the day, you have already consumed some of the extra fluids you need due to the summer weather. The rest is best covered with mineral water or fruit juice spritzers. This provides the body with sufficient fluids without consuming too many calories and thus creates a basis for a good nervous system.
Drink happily
Just collecting the beautiful yellow flowering St. John’s wort plant brings sunshine to our hearts – if we then drink the freshly brewed, home-picked tea throughout the day, the taste brings back wonderful memories of the experience of nature. In addition, our body gets the bonus of fluids that it needs in summer. You quench your thirst with mineral water and can then tackle summer activities with renewed vigor.
