Red Clover

How To Identify

Red clover has three leaflets with a faint whitish chevron shape on each and the leaflets and stalks are slightly hairy. When in bloom, the flowers look like pinkish/purple pom-poms made of many individual florets. Each flower head can be between 1/2 – 1 inch in size and the stems can grow up to about 12 inches tall.

Benefits

Because clover is in the family of legumes, farmers often plant it as a cover crop to fix the nitrogen in their soil.

Medicinally it is used for respiratory complaints such as asthma, whooping cough, and bronchitis. It is also effective for chronic skin ailments such as eczema and psoriasis. Because it contains phytoestrogens that are similar to the female hormone estrogen, it excels at female health including relief of menstrual and menopausal symptoms. There are also studies that indicate red clover may be useful in preventing and treating breast cancer.

How To Find

Red clover likes open sunny areas and can often be found in fields along paths and roadways. It prolifically blooms from midspring to early summer but will offer-up flowerheads sparsely throughout the summer months.

Gathering

Gathering is pretty simple; just pluck the flower heads off the stems, removing any leaves that may accidentally come with them. Once you have your harvest, wash them gently with water. They can be used fresh or they can be dried for later use.

How To Use

Clover flowers can be used fresh or dried to make a mildly sweet tea. To prepare a cup, steep about 2 Tbsp. of clover flowers by pouring boiling water over them and allowing to infuse for 15 – 20 minutes, then strain and serve or simply stuff a tea ball and steep in your favorite cup or mug.

They can be used fresh by plucking the florets from their base and sprinkling them into salads, rice dishes and other meals. They’ll not only add a pleasant color but also their medicinal benefits.

If dried, strip the florets from and discard the tough base. The dried florets can then be used as a flour extender replacing up to 25% of the flour called for in baking recipes.

An infusion can be made from the leaves by steeping about 1/4 cup of leaves for 1-2 hours, straining the liquid into a mug and consuming warm.

Preservation

To preserve clover flowers, place them into a paper bag, or on a screen (window screen or similar) and allow them to dry in a dry dark place with good airflow. They can also be dehydrated using very low heat or no heat in a standard dehydrator or freeze dried. Oven drying isn’t recommended as the heat can damage the medicinal benefits.