Chamomile: Your Fall Season Rescue Herb
By Amy Lupton
Chamomile is a Fall Season Rescue Herb!
Chamomile is one of my favorite herbs for seasonal changes, especially the expansive summer into the cooling nature of fall. It is wonderful for immunity boosting, respiratory support, relaxation & sleep, and peaceful dreams!
As a family, we love chamomile tea, and we even give it to our bees in a syrup water when the seasons are very stressful. I also use it in our chicken food and scratch seasonally, the birds love it.
Chamomile & Immune Strength
Chamomile is a comforting herb that helps your body keep the immune system balanced and calms inflammation. Not only does chamomile fight off bacteria and viruses, but it can also help you relax.
Research shows that regular chamomile tea can increase antibacterial activity, help clear sinuses, and support immune response, especially during cold and flu seasons.
Why Chamomile Boosts Immunity
Anti-inflammatory power: Chamomile reduces production of pro-inflammatory molecules, helping keep the immune response healthy & balanced.
Antibacterial & antiviral effects: Chamomile is known to combat bacteria & viruses, supporting the body's defenses against infections.
Stress reduction: By soothing anxiety & promoting relaxation, chamomile indirectly supports immunity, since chronic stress can weaken our immune system.
Folklore of Chamomile & Restful Sleep
Chamomile holds ties to dreams because of its calming, tranquil nature.
In dream interpretation, chamomile represents peace, emotional stability, and spiritual healing, its soothing qualities invite restful sleep & serene dreaming.
Some traditions see chamomile as embodying the gentle blending of solar energy (vitality, positivity) with dream energy (insight, comfort) making it a plant associated both with waking strength & sleeping restoration.
Kids & Chamomile
Chamomile is considered safe for children in moderate amounts and is often used to relieve cold symptoms, soothe sore throats, and support sleep, which helps the immune system. Bonus: Add local honey for an even better effect!
It can help ease sniffles, coughs, and upper respiratory discomfort in children, and its anti-inflammatory and immune boosting properties may support their resistance to infections.
Note: if you have a ragweed allergy, avoid chamomile.
Some of our fave ways to drink and eat chamomile!
Drink Chamomile
The tea is wonderful before bed or if you need some relaxation. Chamomile Tea is found almost everywhere, or you can order a bulk organic chamomile and make it yourself.
We love to have chamomile tea before bed, with a small amount of honey to sweeten the dreams. 😊
Bonus: You can use the spent wet tea bag as a compress for sinuses on the skin.
Eat Chamomile
These are a fun treat for a weekend breakfast or afternoon tea party 😊
Blueberry & Chamomile Scones
Serves: 12 scones
Ingredients
2¾ cups gluten-free all-purpose baking flour*
¼ cup castor sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
5 tablespoons unsalted butter, cubed
½ cup freeze-dried organic blueberries
¼ cup (4 grams) dried chamomile
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
¾ cup cold whole milk, divided
¼ teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Using fingers, rub in butter as lightly as possible until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in blueberries.
Place chamomile in a fine-mesh sieve. Using the back of a spoon, press chamomile through sieve and into a small bowl, discarding large stems. Add 1 tablespoon chamomile to flour mixture, stirring until combined.
In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, ½ cup plus 2 tablespoons milk, and vanilla extract. Add egg mixture to flour mixture, stirring until a dough begins to form. Working gently, bring mixture together with hands until a dough forms.
Turn out dough onto a lightly floured* surface, and knead gently until smooth by patting dough and folding it in half 6 to 8 times. Using a rolling pin, roll out dough to a ¾-inch thickness. Using a 2¾-inch flower-shaped cutter dipped in flour*, cut as many scones as possible from dough, rerolling scraps. Place scones on prepared baking sheet. Freeze scones for 20 minutes**.
Preheat oven to 350°.
Brush tops of cold scones with remaining 2 tablespoons milk. Sprinkle remaining chamomile in a circle in center of scones.
Bake until edges of scones are lightly golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Serve immediately.
Notes
*We used a homemade gluten free flour mix, but you can use regular gluten containing flour or a pre mix like King Arthur’s Gluten-Free Measure for Measure Flour.
**At this point, scones can be frozen completely and then transferred to an airtight freezer bag for longer storage. Bake frozen scones without thawing, according to recipe instructions.
If you are a research geek like me, here is a few studies done on chamomile you can look at.
Studies about chamomile and immune health:
Chamomile Tea: New Evidence Supports Health Benefits
A Comprehensive Study of Therapeutic Applications of Chamomile
