I’ve been thinking about hops. I am not alone in this consideration. People have been pondering the conical flowering vine for centuries. Thomas Jefferson, in the spring of 1794, wrote in his garden journal that hops were “Objects for the garden this year.” [i] Here in New England many old farms come with complementary hops, whether you want them or not. They were often a staple on old farmsteads.
In colonial times hops were used as a preservative and bitter flavoring in the beermaking process. Herbalists would use them as a sedative, to clean the kidneys, or to settle stomachs and nerves (bitters) – as was advised and written about by herbalist physician Nicholas Culpeper in the seventeenth century.[ii] Hops were fed to livestock and sometimes eaten as an early spring green (considered tonics).
Hops, after years of being type-cast in IPAs, are having a renaissance. The same sedation that hops can deliver, is being utilized as a substitute for alcohol in beverages – Hopwater perhaps being the most well-known. Hops adds a depth of flavor and relaxation to simple syrups and teas.
I am glad to see others enjoying the plant I have come to love. I hope if you are planning your garden (and have a lot of strong trellises and room) that you think about the humble hop. Maybe try a little hop tea and see what you think.
Hop Tea Recipe: 1 T dried hop flower, 1 T lavender flower, 1-2 T honey – steep and enjoy
*it will make you sleepy - perfect for the end of a long day!
[i] Edwin Morris Betts, ed. Thomas Jefferson’s Garden Book (Washington: Thomas Jefferson Foundation, Inc., 2012) 208.
[ii] Nicholas Culpeper, Steven Foster, ed. Culpeper’s Complete Herbal (New York: Union Square & Co., 2019 [1653]) 121-122.
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