Who knew those pesky ‘weeds’ could do just the trick on a hot summer day
After months of battling with the dandelions, clover and other green grass killers, Brett thought I had lost my mind when I actually purchased red clover from North Oshawa’s farmers’ market last Saturday. I’m sorry, but I just can’t help myself when a vendor is friendly, funny and has a contagious enthusiasm for the fruits and vegetables they are selling. Especially when they lure me in with a cool new ingredient I’ve never tried using before, like red clover buds.
As soon as I arrived home I began brewing the clover on my stove top, preparing myself a refreshing cocktail, a cocktail that I had little hope for but ended up really enjoying. For me, the naturally subtle flavour reminds me more of a homemade iced tea than lemonade but the tartness of the lemon does come through, followed by the rich honey and then the earthiness of the steeped clover. It tastes “healthy”, that’s the best I can describe it. I felt I was drinking something good for me and I enjoyed it, which is good because I was the only one in the house that would touch the “weed juice”.
Intrigued, I did a little research on our tasty clover friend and actually discovered that red clover is a *source of many nutrients including calcium, chromium, magnesium, niacin, phosphorus, potassium, thiamine, and vitamin C. It contains the minerals needed by bodily glands, thus frequent use can assist in bringing about hormonal balance. Red clover also helps to soothe the nerves. In addition, red clover has been found to contain isoflavones, antioxidants, as well as a few substances with anti-tumor properties.
So next time you find yourself in a deep *sigh* over yard maintenance, spare yourself some mowing, kick your feet up and enjoy a fresh glass of lemonade 🙂
Well, it looks more appetizing once drained
Red Clover Lemonade
Courtesy of Svetec Farms
Makes about a pitcher worth / about 4 cups
Ingredients:
- 3 cups red clover blooms
- 4 cups water
- 1/4 cup lemon juice
- 4 tbsp local honey
- Rinse the red clover blooms under cold water.
- Boil the blooms and water for about 5 to 7 minutes.
- Using a thin colander or cheese clothe over a bowl, strain the petals from the water. Add the lemon juice and honey to the strained water.
- Stir and chill for one – two hours.
- Stir, pour over ice and enjoy! xo
* Sources: University of Maryland Medical Centre and all4naturalhealth.com
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The Red Clover lemonade is a best seller at our house – I barely get a glass when I make! – which is a good thing actually since it contains a high dosage of niacin – which is why pregnant or nursing mothers or people that are niacin sensitive like me. Regardless – I love it. The last time I made it I discovered after I boiled the red clover down that I had run out of lemons (kinda hard to make lemonade huh) – so I substituted lime juice and threw in some strawberries for flavor -the result was great! I would also try using some orange slices instead of strawberries next time – Experiment – make it your own and enjoy! Great basic recipe!