August, for me (aside from watching films about pensioners moving to India), has been all about tracking down the best tea recipe to put all of my fresh summer
marigolds to work. I came up a little shorthanded ... Apparently, something my great-grandmother would have considered common knowledge is now somehow one of the great mysteries of the known universe. The only natural method that I could find (that did not include drying the flowers in a microwave, of all things), or one having any sort of resemblance to a recipe was for an antiseptic tincture that I adapted for tea-time:
- 1-2 Cups rinsed Marigold petals (snipped right above the green calyx that holds the petals on the stem).
- 4 Cups boiling water.
- Combine in French Press and steep until a rich, golden-red color appears, or combine in another suitable container, and strain to serve.
Sweeten with your desired sweetener if you're into that sort of thing (mine happens to be a pinch of Stevia).
That's it!
The taste is somewhat reminiscent of a dandelion tea, not exact, but the same kind of "body" is what you can expect. This has definitely turned into a new favorite, and don't be timid, the more aggressively you snip the blooms from a marigold plant, the more it responds all summer long -- well into October (which makes sense with it being the "birth flower" for that month), and even into a very wet November last year around my neck of the woods. Hopefully, by then I'll have my instructions perfected for drying & storing the petals in order to enjoy the tea throughout the chilly, hibernation months. Until then ... Enjoy!
