Tips for harvesting chamomile for homemade tea

My chamomile has a ladybug visitor. Photo by Diane M. Lilly, 2022.

I’ll let you in on a little secret—chamomile is my favorite herb! I have to tell you, I have developed quite an infatuation with this gorgeous little flower. Two years ago, I planted chamomile in pots that eventually ended up on my back patio.

Chamomile is part of the daisy family, as evidenced by the slender white petals stretching out from knobby yellow buds…And this herb is so deliciously fragrant! Typically, chamomile is an annual—meaning it only blooms once and then dies—but this flowery herb is a prolific self-seeder, so it comes back for me every year just like a perennial. There are two main types of chamomile—German chamomile, which grows tall with tiny flowers, and the Roman variety, which grows shorter with slightly larger blooms. Either variety of chamomile will bloom through the entire warm season, which in these parts is from mid-spring to early fall.

Chamomile growing in my garden. Photo by Diane M. Lilly, 2022.

So, my big idea was that I wanted to drink homemade tea with my fresh chamomile. (That’s been a mixed bag…but I’ll get to that later.) As I do more research into this aromatic herb, I am discovering more and more possibilities for uses in my home, from using it in recipes to essential oils and so much more. This journey of exploration should be educational! 

But first, a few tips on how to harvest and store chamomile, and at the end, I’ll discuss my attempts at making that homemade herbal tea…

How and when to harvest chamomile…

Generally speaking, I harvest throughout the summer, picking the blooms as needed. You do not harvest all the flowers at once, but instead harvest frequently by snipping off only the flower bud itself and only the flowers whose petals are fully open and not drooping. Harvest the chamomile in the morning for the best flavor and to lessen the stress on the plant.

Freshly picked chamomile flowers. Photo by Diane M. Lilly, 2022.

How to prep and store chamomile…

Chamomile can be used fresh, but, in my experience, the flavor seems better when it is left to dry out first. Dried chamomile can become the seeds for next year’s crop (in case your plant does not self-seed) or can be used in amazing recipes. There are a couple of ways you can dry out the flowers. One way is to spread the flowers on a baking sheet and put them in the oven at a very low temperature (no more than 250˚) for a few minutes. Another way is to lay the buds on a tray and leave them in a dark, dry place for one to two weeks. Some people splurge and buy a dehydrator—which can be purchased for as little as $70—to speed up the drying process. After the chamomile is thoroughly dried out, it is ready to be stored in a glass container. Ensure there is no moisture before sealing in a container--otherwise, mold can develop, and we don’t want that!

How to make homemade chamomile tea…

According to my research, there are many benefits to drinking chamomile tea. The best option is always to use your homegrown process-free chamomile. Chamomile tea is said to be a calming beverage that can help you get to sleep. I have personally found that this tea relieves the menopausal bloating I’ve been experiencing lately. And it is said that drinking chamomile tea regularly significantly reduces anxiety. I am no doctor (do your own research and draw your own conclusions), but it sounds like this little daisy-like flower is more than just a pretty face! Oh, and did I mention that the same recipe you used for tea can be used as a hair rinse and lightener?

The process of making chamomile tea is quite simple…You will need 2-3 tsp dried chamomile to one cup of boiling water for your tea. (If using fresh chamomile, you’ll need 6-8 tsp to one cup boiling water.) Steep the flowers for 3-5 minutes (you can steep for longer if you want a more potent brew), then pour the tea through a strainer to eliminate the heavy particles. 

So, for my first few attempts at making this herbal tea, I rinsed the flowers off, then spread them out to dry for slightly less than an hour before steeping them in boiling water. I used a coffee filter with a small sieve to separate the heavy particles, which worked well. One of the things I did notice—which I was not thrilled with—was that the tea seemed bitter. On subsequent attempts, I made sure to leave out any stems and leaves and lessened the time the brew steeped (from around ten minutes to more like 5 minutes), which seemed to help reduce the bitterness.

Chamomile flowers drying on a paper towel. Photo by Diane M. Lilly, 2022.

Chamomile seeping in hot water. Photo by Diane M. Lilly, 2022.

Through my most recent attempts at making homemade chamomile tea, I have discovered that dried chamomile works much better in terms of taste. This time, the flowers were dried in the oven on low heat (which also helped kill tiny bugs) and left to sit out covered with a paper towel for a day before use. Once the flowers were dried, they were steeped for almost 5 minutes in hot water and then strained. I added a few spritzes of fresh lemon and store-bought honey for additional flavor. I’d say the third time was the charm! The tea tasted just right!  The next time I make this homemade tea, I may let it steep for two extra minutes because I want just a smidgen more of the chamomile flavor. But, I must say, this last time, I got much closer to achieving a terrific-tasting homemade chamomile tea! 

Once I get my recipe down pat, I will share it as a separate blog post, so stay tuned!

Chamomile on a baking sheet after drying in the oven. Photo by Diane M. Lilly, 2022.

Another batch of chamomile seeping in hot water. Photo by Diane M. Lilly, 2022.

Lemon wedge for my freshly brewed chamomile tea. Photo by Diane M. Lilly, 2022.

Cup of freshly brewed chamolie tea with a lemon wedge. Photo by Diane M. Lilly, 2022.

A visitor on my chamomile! Photo by Diane M. Lilly, 2020.

​Related blogs you may want to read:
Learning how to harvest and use fresh mint from the garden
Tips for planting seeds indoors
How to repot a pothos plant
How to propagate bromeliad pups
Six herbs I planted indoors
Growing tomatoes and cucumbers for my garden
It’s planting season again

​This article may contain a few items or commercial mentions, but I only used them for demonstration purposes only. I am not endorsing any particular product or receiving any monetary gain for this blog.