Yarrow Flowers
Yarrow is one of the oldest herbs in the human pantry, a feathery wildflower with a pleasantly bitter, faintly peppery flavor that has been steeped into tea for centuries.
What It Is
Yarrow grows across meadows and roadsides throughout North America and Europe, its flat-topped clusters of tiny white flowers easy to spot in summer. The dried flowers carry a clean, slightly medicinal aroma with a gentle bitterness underneath. It has a long history in folk traditions on nearly every continent, most often brewed as a tea.
The flavor is hard to pin down: somewhere between chamomile and a mild bitter green, with just enough edge to make it interesting. That bitterness is part of the point, and it softens when blended with sweeter herbs like mint or lemon balm.
What To Do
For tea, use about one teaspoon of dried flowers per cup. Pour water that is just off the boil over the flowers and steep five to ten minutes, depending on how strong you like it. Strain and drink plain or with a little honey. Longer steeping deepens the bitterness.
Yarrow also works in herbal blends and has a tradition as a bittering agent in homemade wines and ales, where it was used before hops became standard. Store dried flowers in a sealed container away from light and heat, and use within a year for the best flavor.
