When to harvest thyme for drying. How to properly dry and store thyme to preserve its aroma and healing properties

A relatively low shrub (from 5 to 40 cm), popularly known as (in the Ukrainian version - thyme) turned out to be not just what many consider it to be, but also an excellent means of combating various diseases. It has long been used by folk healers, knowing exactly how to cook medicinal composition, and when to collect raw materials for tea, from what diseases it will help, how to brew this miraculous drink for beginners - we will tell further.

The benefits of dried thyme

The composition includes many useful components, in particular bitter and tannins, fats, gum, oleic and ursolic acids, vitamins B and C. Such a rich set explains the possibility of providing a wound healing, antiseptic and disinfectant effect on human body, and it can be used both for preventive purposes and to eliminate the unpleasant symptoms of certain diseases. In addition, the herb has been successfully used in Food Industry, medicine and cosmetology.
The main advantage of the plant, which became the reason for its widespread use in, is the ability to expand the bronchi and promote expectoration, which is very important in the treatment of bronchitis, whooping cough and prolonged cough. In addition to this, do not underestimate the importance of thyme infusions and decoctions in relieving inflammation.

All compositions prepared on its basis are successfully used for rinsing the mouth with stomatitis, gingivitis and diseases associated with the pharynx: pharyngitis and tonsillitis. In the latter case, the infusion is more often used for inhalation, while the decoction is more suitable for washing purulent wounds and creating lotions in the fight against boils and acne.

With the help of compresses based on the plant, you have a chance to get rid of sciatica, neuritis, sciatica, and an infusion of herbs will eliminate abdominal pain, minimize the manifestations of gastritis and relieve gastrointestinal colic, alleviating the general condition of flatulence and constipation.

Did you know? One of the most common names for thyme is " bogorodskaya grass”, which is directly related to the feast of the Trinity. It is this plant in old days decorated with icons of the Mother of God.

Tea with the addition of Bogorodskaya herbs increases appetite, is well suited for reducing fatigue and normalizing labor activity, as it improves metabolism and can strengthen the body. By the way, the hypnotic and sedative property of the herb helps to fight nervous disorders, depression and insomnia. By hanging bags of dry grass in the house, you will significantly improve your psychological state and even relieve migraines, although in the latter case, to eliminate unpleasant symptoms, it is better to wash your hair with a decoction of the plant. Separately, it is worth mentioning the beneficial effects of decoctions, infusions and thyme oil on men's health, which is especially important in the treatment of impotence and prostatitis. Infusions are taken orally, baths are taken with decoctions, and the oil is rubbed into the perineum.

Some folk healers also use the plant to rid people of alcohol addiction, because it is difficult to underestimate its impact on the body weakened by toxins. Moreover, the constituent components of the plant also perform a hepatoprotective function, since they save a person from toxins that appear as a result of the breakdown of ethanol. Over time, with regular use of grass, even persistent alcohol intolerance develops.

Did you know? According to botanists, it is more correct to call thyme, since it is from the Greek concept of "thymon" that the genus was named. No confusion should arise here, because this is one and the same plant, in addition to its medicinal properties, it also has value for the food industry (it is used as a component of pickles and marinades).

When and how to collect

Both in cooking and in folk medicine, only the aerial part of the plant is used, namely the leaves, flowers and stems. Harvesting of useful raw materials begins in the flowering process. When cultivating a plant on its own suburban area, its collection in the first year of life on the site will fall on the last summer month, and in some cases, the harvesting of flowers can be carried out only on next year. The duration of flowering of an adult plant takes enough long time: flowers appear in May and remain until September.

According to folk beliefs, the most suitable time for cutting thyme are two large religious holidays- Trinity and Assumption of the Virgin. Many believe that the material prepared on these days will have special characteristics. medicinal properties, of course, if it is going solely for treatment. In case you are more interested taste characteristics, it is better to collect it during the flowering period, when the maximum amount of essential oils is present in the composition.

To obtain the aerial part, it is important to use only sharp ones or a knife, with which they cut off the top of the thyme with shoots and leaves.

Important! You can not break out the plant by hand or completely uproot it, otherwise it will cause the rapid death of the shrub. In order for thyme to continue its reproduction, some part of it must be left untouched.

It is worth remembering that you can not collect thyme two years in a row in the same place, since the cut plant will recover for several more years.

Does it need to be washed

It is clear that before using any plant or fruit, you want to wash them in order to protect yourself from microbes and other harmful deposits on them. However, if you are engaged in collecting and harvesting, then this cannot be done before drying for teas and decoctions. A washed plant will rot, rendering it unusable.

If you are very worried about the purity of raw materials, then carefully choose the places of its collection. Plots near roads, areas next to residential buildings and industrial areas the best place for this.
A truly high-quality plant can be found in clearings and forest edges, and even in such places it is necessary to ensure that the flowers are not covered with dust or other small contaminants.

Important! In cases where you decide to collect thyme not for the winter, but want to keep it fresh by, the raw materials will need to be washed under running water. After drying (it is only allowed to blot the plants a few times with a paper towel or napkin), it will be possible to cut the thyme and, placing it in a freezer bag, send it to freezer. In this state, the duration of storage of thyme is about two years.

Drying Features

So, we figured out when and how thyme is collected for the treatment of certain ailments, now it remains only to decide how to properly dry, use and store it. Considering that not all houses have special electric ones, it is much easier to use natural and affordable methods for this purpose - the energy of the wind and the sun, which heats the air currents.
The whole process is divided into the following steps:

the choice of container for the task (for example, a thin tray, sieve, tin, or generally ordinary dense material);
covering the surface with paper and spreading grass (or flowers) thin layer;
placing the tray in a well-ventilated area with sufficient airflow (closed rooms are not suitable as all collected material may rot).

How much time the plant will spend under a canopy depends on several factors and, above all, the length of daylight hours. On average, this figure is in the range of two to five days, and in order for the thyme to dry on all sides, it must be periodically turned over. In the event of a sudden cold snap or increase in humidity, containers with collected grass must be brought into the room, otherwise it will absorb moisture and begin to rot.

Considering that thyme contains enough a large number of essential oils, the air temperature during drying should not rise above +35°C, which will help preserve the valuable components of the plant.
To protect the collected material from exposure to dust and, you can cover the grass with gauze or use a thin mesh for shelter, and certain signs will indicate that the drying process has come to an end:

leaf plates become darker, but do not lose their usual green color, they seem more dense to the touch;
they begin to fall off and at the same time make a rustling sound;
the stems lose their elasticity and crumble even with slight bending;
the structure of the flowers also becomes more rigid and the petals break when compressed.

Important! In the process of drying, the plant loses moisture, and with it its mass, sometimes even up to 60%.

How and where to store

When you have completely dried raw materials in your hands, it's time to start choosing a place and preparing it for storage. To begin with, using a large sieve, all the collected and already dry material is sieved, while separating unnecessary stems. Then the finished grass is packaged in glass containers or in dense cardboard boxes, making sure that the layer of thyme does not exceed seven centimeters.
As alternative cloth bags can also be used, but in any case they must be placed in a dry and periodically ventilated place. Proper storage, as well as the collection and preparation of raw materials performed according to the instructions, will act as a guarantee of the preservation of the healing properties of the plant.

Thyme, or as it is also called creeping thyme and Bogorodskaya grass, is a medicinal plant with a fragrant aroma. Outwardly, it resembles a small creeping shrub that blooms with very small lilac-pink flowers.

The ancient Romans, Greeks and our ancestors - the Slavs extolled medicinal properties of thyme and considered him very strong folk remedy, which is endowed with divine power. In his writings, Avicenna mentioned him, and the soldiers of Rome took baths with this herb to get vitality and cheer up.

Properties and composition of thyme

The Slavs more often used this plant for various pagan rituals, fumigated rooms with it, made infusions and decoctions, which they treated various diseases. They believed that the aroma of this herb drives away evil spirits, treats fear in children, and also provides protection from the evil eye and damage.

Its second name - Bogorodskaya grass - thyme received due to the prevailing in Ancient Russia traditions - decorate an icon with bouquets of this grass Mother of God on the day of the Assumption of the Virgin.

Creeping thyme is distributed in almost all areas Russian Federation, and there are about 30 of its species. But in the United States, Canada and Europe, this plant is grown specifically. In addition to all this, the plant is an excellent honey plant, for which he received his recognition from beekeepers.

This fragrant herb is widely used in cooking. Dried vegetation is added to sauces, soups, minced meat and for frying fish. thyme makes ready meal not only tastier and saturates it with a bright aroma, but also improves the performance of the digestive tract. In Turkey, Greece and Spain, the plant is necessarily added when pickling olives. Tea from this herb with the addition of honey and other herbs perfectly fights colds.

All the medicinal properties of thyme are due to its composition.. After all, it contains thymol, organic acids, useful bitterness, tannins, vitamins C, B, gum and resins, flavonoids, carotene, as well as required amount micro and macro elements, for example: calcium, potassium, phosphorus, magnesium, zinc, selenium, sodium, manganese, copper and iron.

The best time to accumulate in the plant useful substances- this is its flowering, therefore, in order to dry the plant, it is better to collect it during flowering. 100 g of crushed plant contains only 66 kcal, thyme is a low-calorie plant.

Thyme: useful properties

This herb has many healing properties - such as: expectorant, anti-inflammatory, antiseptic, analgesic, sedative, antispasmodic, disinfectant, wound healing. In addition, it normalizes sleep well, expands the bronchi and enhances the secretion of gastric juice.
The plant is one of the oldest medicines. Infusion from it can be used inside, rinse oral cavity, apply for inhalations, poultices, lotions and compresses. Thyme infusion is especially good for treating children's coughs, and this remedy is also used to treat hard drinking, women's diseases, insomnia, whooping cough, and disorders of the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract.
Compresses and baths from useful herbs are used to eliminate pain from gout, articular rheumatism, bruises, tumors. If the patient has bad smell from the mouth, then the infusion of the plant is used inside and for rinsing the mouth. Due to the fact that the plant contains essential oils, it gives freshness to the breath, and also normalizes the work of the stomach and is very useful for heartburn.
For kidney disease and Bladder thyme is also useful, and its leaves eliminate headaches - they make a bandage on the forehead, and you can rinse your head with infusion.
If you sew the leaves of this plant into the pillow, then insomnia disappears, nervous system will come in order.

thyme tea eliminates dysbacteriosis in children and adults, you need to drink it in the morning before breakfast. Creeping thyme leaves can be simply rubbed in your hands and smelled of them. The essential oils that they contain have antibacterial properties, and for colds, this plant is a must.

The use of thyme

In order to cook infusion from Bogorodskaya grass, you need 1 tbsp. l. brew its leaves with 200 ml of boiling water, leave for about 1 hour and then strain. It must be used when colds with honey for 1 tbsp. l. 3 times a day.
You can insist creeping thyme on alcohol - for 1 liter of 70% alcohol, you need to take 100 g of grass. You need to use it 3 times a day, 15 drops after meals.
For cooking decoction from creeping thyme you need 1 tbsp. l. herbs pour 2 tbsp. water and boil over low heat for 2 minutes, and then leave for half an hour and strain. It is necessary to drink it ½ cup 2 times a day for colds, coughs and inflammatory processes.
To make tea, you need 1 tsp. crushed grass flowers pour 1 cup boiling water, leave for about 5 minutes, if desired, you can add sugar or honey and drink the resulting tea from Bogorodsk grass.
To take a bath with this useful plant, 400 g of grass should be brewed with 4 liters of boiling water and infused for 15 minutes, then cooled to 37 ° C, strain and pour into the bath. Such procedures are suitable for gout, arthritis and rheumatism.

Thyme: contraindications

This herb has very few contraindications, but still, when using it in the treatment of any disease, you need to know about them. . During pregnancy, it can not be used, as well as in violation of the kidneys, liver and thyroid gland. But for women who are breastfeeding children, contraindications do not apply, because tea with Bogorodsk grass activates lactation.

In any case, before using this herb, it is necessary to properly consult a qualified specialist and only with his consent begin a course of treatment with this plant.

When to harvest thyme?

They collect creeping thyme for the Trinity, but it is possible in late summer - early autumn. It is best to cut this grass with a knife, then root system is not damaged. The collected Bogorodsk grass can be cut immediately, without washing it first, and then passed through a meat grinder.

The resulting slurry must be poured with boiled cooled water - 1 liter of water is taken for 5 kg of grass. After 1.5 hours, juice should be squeezed out of it using a juicer or a press. After it can be preserved - for 250 ml of vodka you need to take 750 ml of juice.

For drying, thyme is harvested in the morning, like others. healing herbs, At the beginning of June. The flowers of the plant should be dried in a dark place, and then placed in a paper bag. If the flowers of Bogorodsk grass were dried in a dark, unventilated place, then they will not lose their smell and color.

Thyme has been used to treat many diseases since ancient times., nowadays specialists traditional medicine also actively used. Not always medications, bought in pharmacies, bring a positive effect due to chemical elements included in their composition. However, before using this plant in the treatment of diseases, it is better to consult a specialist, because each organism is individual!

Since ancient times, the medicinal plant thyme has been known to people as a wonderful remedy for many diseases.

It can be found everywhere and even grown on your own. personal plot, in a place protected from the wind, but at the same time well lit by sunlight.

Nowadays, thyme enjoys a huge amount of attention and is also used for medicinal purposes, as before.

When to harvest thyme

It blooms amazingly beautiful and very fragrant plant from May to August. And it is at this time that it should be harvested for the winter.

The harvesting process has several secrets and nuances that you should be aware of.

Thyme should be harvested in sunny, dry weather from 8 am to 5 pm;

In order to carefully cut branches with leaves and flowers, you should use a sharp knife or sickle;

Thick lignified shoots that are near the ground cannot be touched, and even more so, you cannot pull out the plant along with the root;

The ideal time to harvest thyme is June and July.

How to dry thyme

In order to properly dry this plant, you should follow some rules:

Do not dry thyme in the sun, only in the shade and in a well-ventilated area (under a canopy or in the attic).

Do not dry thyme in a dryer, as during this procedure the valuable essential oils contained in this plant evaporate.

Most often, the plant is laid out on a clean cloth, or hung in small bunches.

The grass should be mixed periodically and this should be done very carefully.

Ready, well-dried plant should be easily separated from the stem.

After the thyme is thoroughly dried, it should be sorted out, i.e. separate rough and blackened stems, and stems that are covered with bloom.

Thyme should be stored in bags made of cotton fabric. For more long-term storage(but not more than 2 years) glass containers are suitable.

Now you know when to harvest thyme, how to dry and store it. And what is the use of this plant and how to use it correctly at home?

The healing properties of thyme

1. Anti-inflammatory effect on the whole body.

2. Antiseptic, which helps to destroy all harmful microbes.

3. Expectorant action, especially helpful in chronic bronchitis.

4. Painkiller, for people suffering from periodic headaches and joint pains.

5. Sedative effect, helps to normalize the nervous state and improve sleep.

6. Regenerating, for large and small wounds, bruises.

Tinctures prepared from the plant are actively used for oral administration, inhalation and in the form of health compresses.

Thyme helps people suffering from hard drinking, children with a strong cough, women with periodic pain.

Baths based medicinal plant help people with gout disease or articular rheumatism.

If a person is tormented by bad breath, then it is necessary to take teas with thyme. It will improve the functioning of the stomach, freshen breath, and also help stop heartburn.

A decoction of thyme is used to rinse the head severe pain or tie a few leaves to the forehead, which helps to get rid of migraines.

The use of the plant is effective for people suffering from diseases of the bladder. It is good to use plant-based essential oils for the prevention of colds.

How to cook thyme

1. To make tinctures at home, you need to pour one small spoonful of the plant with boiling water, let it brew and store in a thermos. Take a teaspoon three times a day.

2. To prepare an alcohol tincture with thyme, you will need: a dry plant and 70% alcohol. The herb is infused with alcohol for several days. It is taken 15 drops three times a day after or before meals.

3. To prepare a decoction, you need one small spoonful of dry herbs for two cups of boiling water. Heat everything over low heat for a few minutes, let it brew and strain. Take for colds, coughs or inflammatory processes at least half a cup once a day.

4. Thyme is consumed like regular tea. To do this, the plant is brewed in a teapot and honey or sugar is added to taste, directly into the mug.

5. Plant-based baths are used once a week for a general healing effect. To prepare water for the procedure, you need to take 400 gr. dry thyme and pour 4 liters of boiling water. Infuse for 15 minutes, then strain and add to the bath.

Precautionary measures

In general, like any medicinal plant, thyme has its own list of contraindications. Therefore, before using it, it is best to consult a doctor.

Creeping thyme is one of the wonderful honey plants from which bees make amazingly fragrant honey. A dry plant, along with other herbs, is used in the ritual of incense in churches.

It should be especially known that thyme can actually affect the body both excitingly and relaxingly, depending on the dosage and method of application. Fresh grass is an excellent addition and seasoning to the diet, in particular, its sprigs give a peculiar taste to the sauce, first and second courses (especially peas and beans).

In addition to the above, they perfectly eliminate the effects of insect bites. Thyme hung in the closet will always prevent the appearance of moths. Fresh grass has long been used in pickling tomatoes, cucumbers, squash. Thyme spice is almost indispensable in the preparation of game and fish dishes.

Thyme: harvesting and drying

How to prepare thyme for tea

As indicated in the titled article, thyme blooms in June (second half of the month) and July (first half). Raw material fee medicinal plant it is allowed to do it twice: during flowering (preferably at the final stage of the flowering process in July) and after the appearance of fruits (end of August). However, the first collection is more preferable from all points of view (the healing effectiveness of thyme, the preservation of the guarantee of the future harvest, and others). On the large areas mowers are used, for individual collections - scissors, secateurs and knives.

When harvesting, branches with flowers are cut (it is possible with stems), but, as a rule, above 15 cm from the surface of the earth, since shorter cutting or pulling out of plants with roots will destroy the next year's crop.

How to dry thyme for the winter

Drying is carried out only vivo in the shade, for which they use ventilated sheds, haylofts, sheds. Raw materials dried in warm and dry weather without direct sunlight have the most healing properties.

Special conditions apply to the storage of harvested raw materials: only in fabric bags or glass jars with a stable room temperature, the drops of which provoke the formation of condensate. Safety should not exceed two years.

Tea with thyme: medicinal properties

Thyme teas are very popular because (in addition to the usual energy effects on the body) they have various therapeutic effects. When coughing, honey is added to them, and for gastric (intestinal) diseases, sugar is excluded.

Thyme: how to brew for cough

Boiling water (0.2 l) is poured into dry leaves (5 g), a half-hour water bath is made, cooled, filtered, cooled in the refrigerator (while the medicine lasts up to 10 days). Use in a dose of 30 ml (with preheating) - twice a day without reference to food intake. The effect of expectoration after the start of the reception will appear on the second day.

Tea to eliminate general nervousness

5 g of flowers and leaves are mixed with a normal dose of tea (any). Brew in a teapot 0.3 liters of boiling water (with the lid closed, the infusion lasts 20 minutes). This dose will be enough for two people. Drink 150 ml at bedtime (once). The healing effect appears on the third day. The severity of the reception is not necessary.

Tea with thyme for colds and catarrhal bronchitis

Half a liter of boiling water is poured into 10 g of grass, they soar for 5 minutes in a bath, give 10 minutes of infusion, and filter. Reception of 70 ml is carried out 5 times daily in a warm form (it is allowed before a meal - half an hour, and also after two hours after it).

Thyme for flu prevention

Boiling water (0.2 l) is poured into 10 g of a herbal mixture (1: 1) of thyme and sage, the infusion is carried out in a thermos (2 hours). They drink four times daily at a dose of 70 ml for the prevention of influenza, with influenzal bronchitis and laryngitis.

Treatment of eye diseases

The progression of myopia, cataracts, glaucoma (especially in old age) stops thyme with honey. A pound of honey (liquid) is poured into fresh grass (70 g). In a week the medicine will be ready. Daily intake of it (orally) at 25 g (three times a day) will restore ocular metabolic functions while simultaneously inhibiting degenerative processes in the eyes.

Thyme for alcoholism

The combination of thyme and wormwood allows you to completely defeat alcoholism. Water (0.25 ml) is poured into 10 g of their mixture (4: 1), kept for 5 minutes in a water bath, insisted for half an hour, filtered. Three times a day, take a dose of 20 mg. The treatment course lasts up to three months. Usually, after half a month of drinking a decoction, patients begin to show rejection of alcohol.

Thyme oil: application

It is sold in pharmacies and is widely used in cosmetology for the manufacture of shampoos and balms in order to preserve hair. It restores hair that is weakened and affected by dyes and perms, perfectly copes with nail fungus. Its hot compresses relieve pains of rheumatic origin. Thyme oil stops the processes of decay in meat. For example, in meat broth it keeps bacteria from multiplying for three days.

It restores normal digestion, and therefore shows healing in diseases of the stomach and intestines. Oil restores the body after illnesses. However, when using it, it must be diluted without fail, otherwise burns are possible. Moreover, at bath reception it needs to be dissolved first. It activates the body's ability to resist infections due to an increase in white blood cells, which is required for recovery from illness. For purulent skin inflammations, dermatitis, eczema, a mixture of oil (3 g), a neutral nourishing cream (5 g) is used.

Contraindications to the use of thyme

These include almost all acute diseases of the stomach, kidneys, liver. It is undesirable to use pregnant women and lactation. In exceptional cases, preparations from thyme are allowed for children up to the age of three years. Infrequently, individual intolerance to thyme preparations is manifested, which is due to the rich presence of essential oils in it.

Thyme: harvesting and drying (video)

From the steppes of Kazakhstan to the forests of Russia, Ukraine and Belarus, in the Caucasus and the Crimea, along the sandy slopes and on the forest edges, you can find thickets of thyme. This undersized semi-shrub practically spreads along the ground, raising its thin branches with small ovoid dark green leaves to the sun.

As soon as thyme is not called: Bogorodskaya grass, creeping thyme, lemon scent, chebrik, thyme ...

This plant has long been famous for its medicinal properties. Thyme is good for diseases of the upper respiratory tract, as an anesthetic for sciatica and neuritis.

As soon as the mass flowering of thyme begins, herbalists begin to harvest this miraculous herb for the future.

thyme harvesting

Thyme blooms almost all summer: May to August. During flowering, thyme thickets are covered with pink-purple, purple-red or white flowers, collected in small spikelets. During the flowering of thyme, the whole area is filled with a pleasant strong fragrance, attracting bees. After all, thyme is also an excellent honey plant!

During mass flowering, you need to harvest thyme. To do this, with a knife or a sickle, above-ground thin leafy twigs are cut along with peduncles, leaving only thick lignified shoots near the ground intact.

Thyme should be harvested in dry weather. The best time for the procurement of raw materials from 8 to 17 hours when the plants have already dried out after dew. Then the grass withstands drying better, and the flowers do not lose their color.

Thyme is a perennial plant. In order not to reduce the thickets of thyme and in subsequent years it was possible to harvest this grass again, the plant is not pulled out by the root. By the way, this also applies to other medicinal herbs.

To obtain high-quality raw materials, thyme must be properly dried.

Drying thyme

Thyme do not dry in the sun. Therefore, cut branches with peduncles are spread in a thin layer in the shade: under a canopy or in the attic, but always with good air circulation in order to prevent the cut grass from rotting.

The grass must be periodically mixed for uniform drying.

The end of drying can be easily recognized by the type of plants. Well-dried stems become brittle, and the leaves are easily separated from the branches (fall off), making the characteristic sound of dry grass.

Then the dried thyme stalks are threshed on nets, separating coarse branches (they are not suitable for raw materials), using sieves and winnowers.

High-quality raw thyme consists of crushed leaves Green colour and brownish-red flowers. Only a small part of thin branches is allowed (no more than 5%). Therefore, the dried raw material is obtained much less, and it is only 25-30% of the original volume.

Properly harvested thyme does not lose its aroma even after drying.. If you rub it in the palms, then the aroma of the plant is greatly enhanced.

The taste of dried thyme herb is pungent and spicy with bitterness.