Pineapple Weed Tea
For many years, I walked right by this little plant, without a clue as to the enormous flavor the tiny cone shaped flowers were packing .
And...oh ya....it's got medicinal properties too.
It's mid May here in central Illinois and pretty much every disturbed roadside, gravel driveway, and walking trail is littered with an abundance of pineapple weed.
(Also commonly referred to as "Wild Chamomile")
The fern-like leaves are easily distinguishable.
You can harvest just the larger cones until you have what you need, or you can certainly pick the entire plant so that you can work on a level higher than 6 inches off of the ground. Trust me, your back will be thankful.
For one cup of tea, you will want to harvest about 2-3 Tablespoons worth of heads. The more heads, the stronger the tea.
The heads are very sweet with a Citrus flavor.
Boil a pot of water (just enough for the tea.)
When the water begins to boil, turn off the burner and then dump the heads into the water.
Allow them to steep in the hot water for about 10-15 minutes.
You will notice the water changing color, and the scent of the pineapple weed may even fill the room, depending on how strong you are making the tea.
When you are satisfied that you have done your job, just strain the heads out of the tea and make sure it is not still too hot to drink.
Medicinal properties are believed to aid in the relief of colds as well as upset stomachs. It is considered a mild sedative and has also been known to relieve stress as well as cramping.
At the very least, it did make my disgustingly horrible well water taste tolerable enough to drink ;)
