From time immemorial Thyme was revered as a divine herb, capable of returning a person not only to health, but also to life. The plant is very popular among the people, especially among the Slavs. Even during paganism, our ancestors put Thyme on fireplaces, burning incense to the gods. And now they use it Thyme herb for fumigating premises, for example, cowsheds, after calving cows, for fumigating milk pots, they also smoke frightened children with it.
Names of Thyme
People call Thyme also: Thyme, Bogorodskaya herb, Savory, Incense. Latin name - Thymus vulgaris.
Where does Thyme grow?
Thyme widespread throughout Russia. It also grows in middle lane, and in the Urals, and in Siberia and especially in the Caucasus.
Thyme can be found on open places: Thyme loves meadows, forest glades, forest edges, and also grows in the mountains.
What does Thyme look like?
Thyme (Creeping Thyme ) - a small fragrant subshrub up to 30 centimeters high (usually lower because it spreads along the ground).
Thyme stem thin, brown, creeping, woody at the base, often takes root, forming additional roots.
Thyme leaves small oval, with white cilia along the edge.
Thyme flowers pink-violet or pink, two-lipped, collected in loose heads.
Thyme cannot be confused with another herb due to its special structure and bright fragrant aroma. Once again, you will no longer confuse its smell with anything else.
Thyme flowering time
Thyme blooms for a long time - from June to August, giving people its aroma, fragrant tea and healing.
Collection and preparation of Thyme
Collect Thyme, like many herbs better in the morning in dry weather. Thyme grows in dense creeping bushes, so it is not difficult to find and collect.
Use flowering sprigs of Thyme. Collect carefully so as not to pull out or damage the roots. You can cut it, you can use your hands: with one hand you hold the stem from below, with the other you sharply break it and, as it were, cut it. If you accidentally pull out Thyme by the roots, do not throw it away, but plant it in the garden or near the house.
Dried Thyme on outdoors in the shade, scattering a 5-7cm layer on paper or fabric, turning over periodically.
Medicinal properties of Thyme
About the properties of Thyme Theophrastus and Avicenna also wrote. Modern experts who claim that “Thyme helps insecure, sensitive, nervous people to open up; restores strength and awakens emotions...” (annotation to one of the patented tonics). So feel free to add Bogorodskaya herb to your dishes and tea (knowing the limit, of course).
Thyme It is considered a very strong antiseptic. It also has anti-inflammatory, analgesic, expectorant, bronchodilator, antispasmodic, mild hypnotic, anthelmintic and many other properties.
Thyme against cough
Thyme effectively treats lung problems. So, with bronchitis or bronchial asthma Thyme infusion will help.
Helps with dry throat and laryngitis collection from Thyme with leaves of Chamomile and Plantain flowers.
Thyme against impotence
In the treatment of prostatitis and impotence regular use will help tea with Thyme. You can add it periodically St. John's wort, Linden or Rosehip.
Thyme restores strength
Baths with Thyme will help recover and cleanse the skin. It is enough to boil the Thyme, filter it and pour the broth into the bathroom. You should take a bath for 20 minutes.
Thyme oil You can stimulate biologically active points, thereby adding energy. You can prepare the oil yourself. Why should thyme grass be filled with vegetable or olive oil and insist for a month. The longer you wait, the better. Before use, the required amount of oil should be filtered and rubbed clockwise into points on the body.
Thyme - external use
Thyme externally used for the treatment of non-infectious skin rashes, psoriasis, wounds, burns;
Thyme is used for rinsing hair anti-dandruff.
Thyme is used for joint pain, rheumatism, bruises and sprains, do baths, wraps, compresses with thyme;
Thyme tincture copes with joint and muscle pain - it should be used as a rubbing. To prepare the tincture, half a half-liter bottle should be filled with fresh leaves and flowers of Thyme. Then pour in a couple of glasses of vodka and leave the bottle for 2 weeks to steep. After this, the tincture is filtered and the herb is squeezed out. With this tincture you can not only rub your joints, but also take it orally after meals, 30-40 drops.
Thyme - Contraindications
The active ingredient in Thyme is thymol. In case of overdose, thymol can provoke hyperfunction of the thyroid gland. You should also not take Thyme for pregnant women. And also for those who suffer from kidney disease, peptic ulcers duodenum and stomach.
Application of Thyme
Thyme widely used in both official and folk medicine. The easiest way is to brew Thyme tea(with Thyme).
- an unusually healthy and tasty drink. Tea with Thyme- a wonderful remedy that will help you in the fight against a huge number of ailments. This drink is very good for treating throat problems. You just need to throw a few sprigs of thyme into boiling water. After the tea has brewed and cooled, add honey to your taste and drink this drink little by little throughout the day.
If you feel tired and broken, you are overcome depression, then this aromatic, tonic drink will come in handy. Thyme drink not only can it take a person out out of depression, but is also actively used in rehabilitation after brain injuries.
Thyme tea has a wonderful warming effect in the cold season and is just as good quenches thirst when outside the window there is scorching summer heat.
Water infusion of Thyme: Pour 1 tablespoon of thyme herb into 2 cups of boiling water. Leave for 1 hour, in a thermos;
Alcohol tincture of Thyme: mix thyme herb with alcohol or vodka in a ratio of 1:5, tightly close the container with a lid and leave in a dark place at room temperature 7 – 10 days. Then the tincture must be filtered through several layers of gauze or through a filter bag. It is better to store the tincture in a dark place. The dose is only a few drops;
Thyme oil (Thyme oil) (not to be confused with thyme essential oil!): pour 100 g of chopped fresh herbs into 0.5 liters of refined oil (preferably olive oil), then leave the mixture in the dark in a closed glassware 14 days;
Thyme Powder: Finely grind the dried thyme herb in a mortar to the consistency of powder. Store in a closed glass container.
Thyme Seasoning
Thyme has a pleasant strong odor and a pungent, strongly spicy, bitter taste.
The aromatic, vitamin-rich leaves of Thyme are used as a spice. It improves the taste, imparts aroma, and gives a bitterness. Remains one of the leading spices in baking. Improves the smell and taste of vegetable dishes, especially potatoes and cabbage.
Thyme How seasoning for fatty foods, it not only significantly improves and enriches the taste, but also promotes its digestion.
Thyme goes well with egg dishes and cheeses. Its popularity for smoking foods is undeniable; no spice enhances the taste of lentil, pea and bean soup like Thyme. In fresh and dried form, Thyme is used for pickling cucumbers, tomatoes, and squash.
Thyme leaves added to salads, borscht, vegetable soups, chicken broths. Thyme is flavored with cheeses, added to sauces, marinades, fried dishes (potatoes, mushrooms, eggplants), added to spicy mixtures, added to pickling vegetables (cucumbers, tomatoes, etc.), healing teas and aromatic drinks are prepared with it. .
Thyme - interesting facts
Thyme, unlike most antibiotics, is one of the few herbs to which modern microbes cannot develop resistance.
The Slavs used Thyme to appeal to the Gods. To do this, flowering twigs are thrown into the fire, they look at the smoke, and inhale it. Thyme helps to establish a connection with the Gods and ancestors. Thyme is used in many rituals both among the Slavs and other peoples.
There is still a belief in Ireland that with the help of Thyme you can see fairies. To do this, you just need to wash your eyes with dew from a Thyme bush at dawn after Walpurgis Night.
Long time Thyme was a symbol of military valor and male strength. Thyme baths and thyme tea were popular pre-battle morale boosters for Roman legionaries and Scottish Highlanders. In the Middle Ages, noble knights wore scarves with embroidered Thyme leaves.
Collection and further preparation of the plant for use
Thyme has a second name - creeping thyme (you can find out the difference between thyme and thyme). Its name is based on appearance plants, because thyme is a small creeping shrub with small lilac flowers. It grows in small clusters in remote areas, which causes some inconvenience for its collection.
Interesting! for the body was known to our grandmothers!
Due to the lack of popularity of using the herb, collecting it yourself at home (as a rule, people buy ready-made dried bunches), not many people know when to cut thyme for drying. But least of all people know!
Important! Collection and drying directly affects its preservation of beneficial properties, since further growth of the plant leads to the loss of microelements important for treatment, such as vitamin C, B, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, iron, organic acids, tannins and many other chemical components.
Thyme: harvesting and drying
Since ancient times, the Slavs have used the herb to prepare various decoctions and perform magical rituals. The smell of grass, according to legend, can drive away evil spirits from the house. And in modern megacities sometimes there are houses and apartments with bunches of dried plants near front door. Even for rituals and fumigation of houses, our ancestors followed the rules of cutting and.
When to collect thyme for drying
It is customary to collect thyme on the eve of light day. Orthodox holiday Trinity. Today this custom has been somewhat forgotten, so people simply start collecting in the early June morning. In principle, this is also correct. At this time, the plant has fully grown, blossomed beautiful flowers, and the presence of dew will allow you to “carry” the thyme home.
It is necessary to collect only the tops of the grass - these include the inflorescence itself and the short stem. When collecting, always use a hand pruner or regular knife. It is not recommended to uproot a plant, since there are no beneficial properties in the root system, which means it is not worth “ruining” it.
After assembly, creeping thyme is laid out on cotton cloth in the shade and without wind. The laying out is not done in a thick layer so that it dries faster. Avoid exposure to direct sunlight. Otherwise, you will not achieve drying, but only slow withering.
Important! If you did not have time to prepare the collection at the beginning of summer, you can do this in late summer and early autumn. At this time, the grass also contains the full range of beneficial substances.
To wash or not to wash thyme before drying
When thyme has already been harvested, many people ask the question: “Do I need to wash the herb before drying?” Often this question arises among people who have “switched” to management healthy image life, and for the first time turned to collecting and drying plants. The plant must not be washed under any circumstances! There are several reasons:
- Thyme must be collected in remote areas away from pollution - roads, residential buildings and other buildings.
- It is better to collect at forest edges and clearings.
- Flowers must be clean, free of dust and other small contaminants.
- Washed thyme will only begin to rot during the drying process, which will render the plant unsuitable for use.
Please follow the instructions simple rules to take advantage of a financially economical, but at the same time very useful medicine. Proper drying thyme is the key to effective use.
Thyme (Thyme, Oregano) is an essential oil-bearing low-growing shrub that has gained popularity all over the world due to its healing, decorative and aromatic properties.
The first mentions of this noble plant were found in Sumerian cuneiform tables dating back to 3000 BC. The ancient Egyptians used thyme in the embalming process. At the same time, the ancient Greeks used low-growing shrubs in their baths and burned them as incense in temples, believing that it would give them courage. According to the descriptions of Horace (65 - 8 BC), the Romans actively grew this spicy crop to attract bees, and also use smoke to purify the air in their rooms.
In the European Middle Ages, it was used to repel insects and placed under the pillow for sound sleep without nightmares. It was believed that a sprig of thyme embroidered on a warrior’s clothing would give him courage and protect him from misfortune in battle. There are numerous references to the elegant shrub in Danish, German and Russian folklore.
What does thyme look like (photo)?
Biological characteristics
Common thyme (lat. Thýmus) – perennial evergreen The Lamiaceae family is native to the northwestern regions of the Mediterranean. There are several hundred species that are currently widespread throughout almost all of Eurasia, northern Africa and America, Scandinavia and Greenland. In Russia alone there are more than 170 species of thyme.
It is generally accepted that thyme grows only in forest clearings and forest edges, but this is not entirely true. This spicy shrub has adapted to almost all environmental conditions. Wild thyme can be found in the steppe and pine forest sands, on rocky slopes and cliffs, limestone outcrops and sandy-clayey areas.
Perennial shrubs and subshrubs reach a height of 15-35 cm. The stems of the plant are woody with creeping shoots and vertical flowering branches. Depending on the species, the leaves can have an elliptical or rounded shape, smooth or jagged edges, and a solid or variegated color. The flowers are collected in capitate or elongated inflorescences of purple, white, yellow and pink shades. The fruits of the plant are small, black-brown in color, oval in shape.
Oregano is known for its healing properties, it contains such components as thymol, tannins and bitter substances, flavonoids, organic acids, gum and mineral salts.
Growing conditions
Oregano grows actively in well-drained soil with a slightly alkaline or neutral reaction (soil pH 5.0-7.5). Not a good fit medicinal plant clayey and excessively wet soil. Mulching the soil can be done with any available material: peat, gravel, small pebbles or even crushed stone.
For a fragrant shrub, you should choose a well-lit, warm place. The plant develops well under straight lines sun rays. Due to its unpretentiousness, thyme will grow in the shade, but the shoots will be weak, the flowering will be short and not so fragrant.
Let's start growing thyme - planting is the first step
Thyme grass, depending on the variety, can be annual or perennial. Perennial Best grown from cuttings or by dividing rhizomes. Annual thyme does not require propagation from seeds.
Rhizome division
Dividing a bush, due to its simplicity, is the most popular method among gardeners. Oregano can be propagated as early as March-April, when spring frosts have passed and shoots have emerged. Usually a three or four year old plant is planted. How to plant thyme? The procedure itself is simple: you need to dig up the bush, carefully so as not to damage the roots, divide it into 2-3 parts and replant it in a prepared place.
Cuttings
Flower growers rarely use rooting of cuttings; as a rule, the plant itself spreads throughout the garden. The stems of thyme, spreading along the ground, have root rudiments at the bends. When cuttings, the necessary stems are cut off, the lower part is freed from leaves and planted in the ground. When rooted in spring period, some experts recommend covering the shoots glass jar for better growing season, but this is not a prerequisite. Although this will clearly reduce evaporation and create its own microclimate. What is important... With sufficient watering and favorable weather conditions, thyme will quickly sprout its first leaves.
How to grow thyme from seeds?
The main advantage of seed propagation is the ability to obtain a huge number of plants. You can sow seeds both in autumn and in early spring. Since the fragrant shrub is frost-resistant, it can be planted in the ground when there is still snow. If you are concerned that the seeds will not germinate, wait until it warms up in April. The ideal temperature for seedlings is 15-20 C.
Before planting, you need to dig up the soil, break up the clods and apply fertilizer. After some time, seeds should be sown on the surface of the prepared soil, sprinkling them with a layer (no more than 1 cm) of river sand. The sown area is covered with film.
On average, seeds germinate in 1-2.5 weeks. Since they grow densely, the plants need to be thinned out. For better growing season there should be a distance of about 15-25 cm between plants, and 30-50 cm between rows.
How to grow thyme at home?
Since thyme develops slowly from seeds, many gardeners prepare seedlings before planting in the ground. The landing method is the same as in open ground: seeds are carefully distributed over the surface of the prepared soil and sprinkled with sand.
The soil mixture should be light; a sand-peat mixture in a 1:1 ratio is best.
Approximately two months after germination, the seedlings are ready to be planted in the ground. In order for the seedlings to better adapt to transplantation, they can be left outside during the daytime.
What does thyme like? Thyme care
Noble herb does not require special attention in care. In the first year of planting, medicinal grass needs weeding and loosening. In the second and third years of the growing season, it is necessary to add humus and feed with mineral fertilizers.
There is no need to water thyme every day, the roots ornamental shrub may rot. It is better to water from time to time without fear of drying out the plant. Thanks to moderate watering, the leaves will be rich in color and the inflorescences will grow larger.
Although thyme is not prone to pests and diseases, sometimes aphids or thrips can be seen on the bushes. If aphids appear on the leaves and stems, ants, attracted by the treat, may begin to build nests in the roots of the plant. Extended insect nests can cause damage and destruction of the thyme root system. Oregano can also be susceptible to whitefly and spider mites.
When does thyme bloom?
The fragrant shrub blooms long and profusely, from May to September. Newly planted plants will begin to bloom by the end of summer or the next year after planting.
When to collect thyme for drying?
For medicinal purposes, raw materials are collected after the start of flowering. The special days for gathering are considered to be the church holiday of Trinity and the Dormition of the Virgin Mary. It is believed that thyme has special healing properties at this time.
For culinary purposes, it is better to prepare thyme before flowering: experts say that during this period the plant retains maximum amount essential oils.
When collecting thyme, it is better to do this by cutting off the branches with a sharp knife, but you should not break or pull out the plant. Thyme is prepared in the same way as any other medicinal herb: placed on a rack or tied in bunches in a well-ventilated, dark room. Where they are dried in a tied state.
Representatives of the Thyme genus will be a wonderful decoration alpine slides, rock garden or sidewalk paths. Thyme is considered a favorite spice of chefs around the world and is especially valued for its healing properties.
The flowers of this herb attract the attention of bees with their fragrant smell. Since she has therapeutic effect, people collect it and use it as folk remedy against diseases, such as influenza, nervous diseases, eye diseases, and for its taste also as a seasoning for dishes, such as sauces, pickles. But in order to stock up for the winter, you need to know not only how to dry thyme, but also when to collect it.
How to properly collect thyme
Another, more familiar name for this herb is thyme. It can be found both on mountain slopes and fields, and in suburban areas, where it is grown for decoration. The collection time depends on what the grass is being collected for.
There are several ways to properly dry thyme at home. Each housewife can independently choose the most convenient one for herself.
To properly dry thyme for medicinal purposes, it must be collected during flowering. And this happens from mid-June to September. But better days will church holidays and daytime from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in sunny weather.
If the goal is to make tea and use it as a seasoning for dishes, then the collection should be carried out before flowering begins. Since at this time the grass is most concentrated essential oils.
If grass is planted on the site independently, then it may not bloom until August or even next year
When collecting, it is important to carefully cut the plant, since if you try to break it off, it will be pulled out by the roots.
How to dry thyme correctly
Thyme can be bought ready-made at the pharmacy. But homemade spices will be more aromatic. There are various options for properly drying thyme at home.
For these purposes you can use modern equipment for drying herbs and vegetables. But it is best to use the old methods, proven by our ancestors.
- The collected grass is formed into bunches and hung in a well-ventilated place. Preferably out of direct sunlight.
- Thyme is laid out in a thin layer on a baking sheet. Periodically it needs to be tossed to dry thoroughly.
Thus, after 4 days the grass will be dried. But, if you need to speed up this process, you can use the oven. However, the temperature should not be more than 35 degrees, as this causes essential oils to evaporate; it is advisable to maintain it at about 25.
You can store them either in bunches, provided that there are all possibilities for this, or grind them to get rid of the stems. You can also grind it completely using a blender or mortar.
Almost any storage container is suitable:
- ceramic jars;
- glass containers with a tight lid;
- dense fabric bags;
- small cardboard boxes.
Should be stored in a dry place for no more than 2 years.
Since the herb loses its healing properties over time, it is best to stock up every year. In this case, it will be more fragrant and healthy. The drying process does not take much time and effort, so it is better to take care of a new supply of this miracle spice every year. There are several ways to dry thyme correctly, from which each housewife will choose the most convenient for herself.
Creeping thyme is one of the wonderful honey plants from which bees make amazingly fragrant honey. The dry plant, along with other herbs, is used in incense rituals in churches.
You should especially know that thyme can actually have both a stimulating and relaxing effect on the body, which depends on the dosage and method of application. Fresh grass is an excellent addition and seasoning to the diet; in particular, its branches add a unique taste to sauces, first and second courses (especially peas and beans).
In addition to the above, they perfectly eliminate the consequences of insect bites. Thyme hanging in the closet will always prevent the appearance of moths. Fresh grass has long been used in pickling tomatoes, cucumbers, and squash. Thyme spice is almost irreplaceable when preparing game and fish dishes.
Thyme: harvesting and drying
How to prepare thyme for tea
As stated in the above-mentioned article, thyme blooms in June (second half of the month) and July (first half). Raw materials collection medicinal plant It is allowed to do it twice: during flowering (preferably at the final stage of the flowering process in July) and after the fruits appear (late August). However, the first collection is more preferable from all points of view (the healing effectiveness of thyme, maintaining the guarantee of a future harvest, and others). For large areas, mowers are used; for individual harvests, scissors, pruners and knives are used.
When harvesting, twigs with flowers (possibly with stems) are cut, but, as a rule, above 15 cm from the surface of the earth, since shorter cutting or pulling out plants with roots will ruin next year's harvest.
How to properly dry thyme for the winter
Drying is carried out only under natural conditions in the shade, for which they use ventilated barns, haylofts, and sheds. The most healing properties are found in raw materials dried in warm and dry weather without direct sunlight.
Special conditions apply to the storage of harvested raw materials: only in fabric bags or glass jars at a stable room temperature, changes in which provoke the formation of condensation. Storage should not exceed two years.
Tea with thyme: medicinal properties
Thyme teas are very popular because they (in addition to the usual energy effects on the body) have various healing effects. When coughing, honey is added to them; for stomach (intestinal) diseases, sugar is excluded.
Thyme: how to brew for cough
Boiling water (0.2 l) is poured into dry leaves (5 g), a half-hour water bath is made, cooled, filtered, and cooled in the refrigerator (the medicine will last up to 10 days). Use in a dose of 30 ml (with preheating) - twice a day without reference to food intake. The effect of expectoration after starting to take it will appear on the second day.
Tea to eliminate general nervousness
5 g of flowers and leaves are mixed with a normal dose of tea (any). Brew 0.3 liters of boiling water in a teapot (with the lid closed, the infusion lasts 20 minutes). This dose will be enough for two people. Drink 150 ml before bed (one time). The healing effect appears on the third day. Strictness of reception is not necessary.
Tea with thyme for colds and bronchitis
Pour half a liter of boiling water into 10 g of herb, steam in a bathhouse for 5 minutes, infuse for 10 minutes, filter. Take 70 ml 5 times daily in a warm form (allowed before food intake - half an hour, as well as two hours after it).
Thyme for flu prevention
Boiling water (0.2 l) is poured into 10 g of herbal mixture (1:1) of thyme and sage, and the infusion is carried out in a thermos (2 hours). Drink 70 ml four times daily to prevent influenza, influenza bronchitis and laryngitis.
Treatment of eye diseases
The progression of myopia, cataracts, glaucoma (especially in old age) is stopped by thyme with honey. Half a kilo of honey (liquid) is poured into fresh grass (70 g). In a week the medicine will be ready. Daily intake of 25 g (orally) (three times a day) will restore ocular metabolic functions while simultaneously inhibiting degenerative processes in the eyes.
Thyme for alcoholism
The combination of thyme and wormwood allows you to completely defeat alcoholism. Water (0.25 ml) is poured into 10 g of their mixture (4:1), kept in a water bath for 5 minutes, infused for half an hour, filtered. Take a dose of 20 mg three times a day. The treatment course lasts up to three months. Usually, after drinking the decoction for six months, patients begin to develop aversion to alcohol.
Thyme oil: application
It is sold in pharmacies and is widely used in cosmetology for the manufacture of shampoos and balms to preserve hair. It restores hair that is weakened and damaged by dyes and perms, and copes well with nail fungus. Its hot compresses eliminate pain of rheumatic origin. Thyme oil stops rotting processes in meat. For example, in meat broth it keeps bacteria from multiplying for three days.
It restores normal digestion, and therefore is beneficial for diseases of the stomach and intestines. The oil restores the body after illnesses. However, when using it, it must be diluted, otherwise burns may occur. Moreover, with bathing it must first be dissolved. It activates the body's ability to resist infections due to an increase in white cells in the blood, which is required for recovery from illness. For purulent skin inflammations, dermatitis, eczema, use a mixture of oil (3 g) and a neutral nourishing cream (5 g).
Contraindications to the use of thyme
These include almost all acute diseases of the stomach, kidneys, and liver. It is not advisable to use by pregnant women or during lactation. In exceptional cases, thyme preparations are allowed for children under the age of three years. Individual intolerance to thyme preparations rarely occurs, which is due to the rich presence of essential oils in it.
