It’s Calendula season here in Southern New England and I’ve been eager to get to know this beautiful flower better.
I first met Calendula in the fields of my CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) farm share. I was immediately enchanted by its bright orange color (they seem to grow exclusively orange flowers) and cheerful appearance. I have been drying and using its petals in my magic to bring in happiness and solar energy for a number of years but I am very interested in its healing and culinary applications.
Calendula (Calendula Officinalis) is often called “Pot Marigold” but should not be confused with the very toxic Marigold that is often associated with Mexican folklore and the dead. It is edible and has a host of powerful benefits to the human body when applied topically or internally. Herbal Academy states that it is vulnerary (assists in promoting healthy healing of tissues), Anti-inflammatory, Hernostatic (staunches bleeding), Topically analgesic (pain-relieving), Astringent, Antiseptic, Diaphoretic (helps to promote sweating), Lymphagogue (support lymphatic health), Cholagogue (bile stimulating), and an Emmenagogue (supports menstrual health).
Last year, I tried to cook with it by adding it to a quiche but didn’t notice a lot of perceptible flavors. That might be great if you want the many culinary benefits of Calendula medicine without any added flavor but for me, I like to taste my flowers.
This year, I decided to try a Calendula iced tea recipe that was suggested by a number of different herbalists on Insta. The recipe itself was simple – equal parts hot water and calendula, steep until the tea got cold naturally. I let the tea cool in the later afternoon sunlight on my working kitchen altar to empower it.
Finally, I got to experience its flavor! Calendula is a bitter flower (especially when you include the greens which is where a lot of the medicine is) and quite bracing. The flavor reminds me quite a bit of Genziana, an Italian liquor made with an infusion of gentian root. My partner really enjoyed it as ice tea (especially with a bit of forsythia syrup to sweeten it) but it wasn’t tasty enough for me to repeat. At least as a fun and tasty afternoon tea.
Come cold and flu season, I may feel quite differently. I’ll dry some whole flower heads just in case.