Last year, when I blogged about eating the stems of rosebay willowherb (I hadn't learnt how to get the best out of them, then), Magdalene left me a comment to say that the flowers can be used for teas (amongst other things). More recently, Jade of Wild Pickings talked about using the flowers in salad or making a syrup.
Flowers of rosebay willowherb (Chamerion angustifolium)
Inspired by these, I decided to try the tea. For my first attempt, I picked sixteen of the individual flowers, put them in a mug, added hot water and drank. It tasted of hot water, pretty much. I tried again with all of the flowers that you see in the picture above, which was 56 of them (I like to keep track of these things). This takes up quite a lot of a mug.
 |  |
| Lots of flowers in a cup | With hot water |
Interestingly, adding hot water completely washes out the colour from the flowers, and it doesn't make the water particularly pink, either. As for the taste, well there was more flavour, but still not very much. It was pleasant enough, but not worth picking all those flowers for, I don't think.
Also harvesting this week
Strawberries, both wild and cultivated
Raspberries
Cherries (just a couple - last ones)
Blackcurrants, for cordial, and probably other things too. I haven't finished processing these yet.
Potatoes
Peas, including some for the freezer
Mint
Dandelion leaves, for ale
Honeysuckle flowers, for the same ale
Also drinking
Elderflower champagne
Foraged food challenge summary page here.
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