Make an infusion of thyme leaf - PEP BB medicine.sand.thymeinfusion

Thyme infusion. I photographed it side by side with the decoction to show the color difference, although there is more herb in the decoction because I will be diluting that into other drinks, like lemonade or kombucha for a nutritional boost.
I added ginger to the infusion and it was much tastier than I thought,  plus the whole kitchen smelled herby.
- a picture of your thyme being harvested
- a picture of the infusion being made
- a picture of the finished infusion

It's a horrible, rainy autumnal day outside. I've got the wood burner going and I wanted to do something warm in the kitchen to prepare for the winter.

I harvested some thyme from the herb garden and made a hot-water infusion by pouring freshly boiled water over the leaves and young stems. I left the infusion to steep for 10 minutes and then strained it. I'm sipping some now as a tea.

Total greenhorn here. I went down the rabbit hole and read through dozens of articles here, mostly from a year or two ago when this section was setup. Although journaling isn’t a requirement, I decided there’s no point just ticking the boxes without learning and recording at the same time. I use Agenda App for all my household projects including cooking and recipes. It’s the natural place for me to document as I go along.

I use thyme in my cooking. Two years ago we moved into a rented house with a scrappy bit of ‘lawn’ by the backdoor - it was an overgrown weed patch growing, almost no dirt, lots of builders rubble and a very rocky subsoil. It’s also south facing and in full sun, so perfect for herbs.

I dug it over, removed as much man made rubbish as possible and planted mint, rosemary, chives, oregano, lavender and thyme. Two years later and a brutal winter, it is thriving and a major bee magnet when a herb is flowering.

This spring I added more varieties of thyme, right next to the stone retaining wall. My favourite is a variegated variety and my go to plant for this badge.

I picked four or five two inch sprigs. I then measured a mug of water and poured into a small stainless steel pan. I heated the water until tiny bubbles formed and then removed it from the heat. Next, I added the thyme and put a lid on it. After about 8 minutes, I poured the water into a mug and then enjoyed a really lovely mug of infusion. Wow - I’m amazed, so refreshing. I was expecting it to be a little bitter or require some sweetener, but it was wonderful au naturale.

I've been making these when I get the hint of a sore throat, which I often do from a job that involves a lot of talking. I find they really help keep my symptoms mild.

I tried this. I discovered my stomach does not like thyme tea. Maybe better as a gargle.

I love thyme. It tastes great, it smells even better, and it holds an endless capacity for puns.

Also good in infusions. I was a bit worried about my stomach after reading Mk Neal over me here, as I have a history of my bowels being pretty shite. But this worked out well for me!

Time for some thyme leaf infusion.  My thyme crop isn't exactly thriving, but it didn't take much to make a pleasant infusion.

I harvested thyme from the garden and infused it in boiling water for 10 minutes (I covered the cup after I took the picture). It was a very refreshing drink to have in a break from cleaning the kitchen.

Thyme tea ❤

I steeped thyme in boiling water for 10mins.

For this BB, you will create an infusion of thyme leaf. Infusion is a method of extracting desired compounds from plant material by steeping the material in hot or cold water, depending on the plant and its attributes.

To show you’ve completed this Badge Bit, you must post a picture or 2-minute video of:
- a picture of your thyme being harvested
- a picture of the infusion being made
- a picture of the finished infusion

A nice thyme tea for my nasty cough.

Thyme harvest last fall as part of this BB:

https://permies.com/wiki/152263/pep-natural-medicine/PEP-BB-medicine-sand-drythyme#2540263

https://permies.com/t/152263/a/252019/20241019_133904.jpg