Almost ripe!
What to do with those hop cones ripening on your vine? Making beer is the first thing that comes to people’s minds as this plant is what gives brews their distinctive bitter flavor but there’s a lot more you can do!
What exactly is hops?
- Hops are hardy perennials that can grow up to 26 feet in a season.
- The name hop comes from the Anglo-Saxon hoppan, to climb.
- Female hops (Humulus lupulus) bear cone shaped flowers, also called strobiles. When ready to harvest these are yellowish green, papery to the touch and have a strong smell. Pick the cones and dry them until they snap when bent in half and shatter. For storage put them into freezer bags and freeze until used.
- The bittering agent in the cones is called lupulin.
- Hops grows best at 38 to 51 degrees latitude which is why 75% of the crop is grown in eastern Washington.
Be careful where you situate this plant. I happily planted my variegated variety to tastefully cover an archway only to discover that contact with the trailing branches makes me itch like crazy. In addition to climbing high, the roots go very deep so make sure that wherever you plant it you want it to stay because eradicating it can be very difficult – from a now wary hops planter.
Drying for pillow making.
How to Use Hops
- The most common use today is in brewing beer where the cones impart a bitter flavor and potentially inhibit the growth of undesired yeast during brewing.
- The young shoots can be eaten like asparagus in the spring. (This can also be a good way to keep this rambunctious plant under control in a small garden.)
- The leaves and flowers can be used to make a delicate light brown dye.
- A pillow made of the dried cones is said to promote sleep.
- A tincture of the cones is used in herbal medicine to reduce anxiety and promote sleep. (As dosage can vary depending on growing conditions only take hops internally when prescribed and prepared by someone who is well versed in their use.)
How do you use this versatile plant? I would love to hear!
I'd love to hear from you!