When you have a large crop of mullein from the garden or farmstand, you don't have time to casually include it in complicated recipes or to frantically figure out how to use it up before it goes bad without getting sick of it. You want to make the most of your harvest and to actually enjoy it.
Here at Plant to Plate, we like to keep things simple! Here are some of my favorite ways to use or preserve mullein:
- Add the flowers to salads. Mullein leaves are technically edible and could, in theory, be used in salads. However, they are covered in many small hairs that make them unpleasant to eat.
- Add the flowers and roots to soups and broths. Mullein leaves can also be added to broths that will be strained well.
- Make infused oil. Mullein leaf- or flower-infused oil can be used in both culinary and herbal preparations. The flowers are commonly made into an ear oil.
- Make a tea. Mullein leaves and flowers best suited for infusions. Be sure to strain teas containing mullein leaves extra well, even incorporating an extra straining layer like a cheesecloth or coffee filter. Mullein roots are best in decoctions.
- Add it to a tea blend. Mullein leaves can also be added to tea (infusion) blends. These blends could include other respiratory-supportive herbs such as peppermint, thyme, sage, chamomile, elecampane, elderflower, and/or cherry bark.
- Make a syrup. Mullein can be made into a syrup on its own or in combination with any of the respiratory-supportive herbs mentioned above. Learn how to make an herbal syrup in this article.
- Make a tincture. An herb:solvent weight ratio of 1:5 at 40% alcohol is suggested for a mullein tincture.
- Dry it to save it for later. See our How to Dry Your Herbs articles here for more information.
Further Reading
Growing mullein? Check out these quick facts like its best growing conditions, companion plants, and expected yields.
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