Hops are a climbing plant that not only plays an important role in beer production. The fruits can be used as medicine. Since hops are not poisonous, young sprouts can be eaten in spring. So there are many possibilities for using hops.
What can hops be used for?
Hops are used in many ways, e.g. in brewing beer for a tart aroma, durability and foam, as a calming tea, as a spring vegetable (sprouts), in natural medicine (against restlessness, pain) and as a climbing plant in the garden for privacy.
The versatile uses of hops
- Beer brewery
- Tea for calming
- Sprouts as spring vegetables
- Fruits in natural medicine
- Climbing plant as a privacy screen in the garden
Using hops in brewing beer
Hops are essential when brewing beer. The lupulin contained in the fruits is used. It gives the beer its bitter aroma, ensures durability and, above all, the foam on freshly tapped beer.
It is necessary to dry the hops so that they can be stored. It can also be processed into pellets that are added to the beer mash.
Processing hops in the kitchen
The young hop sprouts that emerge in spring are a little-known, very he althy and tasty spring vegetable. It can only be harvested for a few weeks.
Hop sprouts can be processed in the kitchen in the same way as asparagus. When cooked, the vegetables taste nutty and quite spicy.
Use the ingredients of hops
In natural medicine, hops are valued because of their many ingredients. These include: tannic acid, bitter substances, lupulin and essential oils.
The hop cones are made into tea or tinctures. They work against restlessness, inflammation and pain.
Growing hops as an ornamental plant in the garden
Hops is a climbing plant that grows many meters high and forms a dense privacy screen in summer. The plant is therefore grown on fences or in pots on balconies and terraces. Hops are also well suited for greening pergolas.
The perennial ornamental and useful plant requires little care. All that is important is a suitable climbing aid on which the long shoots can wind up.
Tip
The saying: “The hops and m alt are lost” means that all further efforts are in vain. It can be traced back to domestic beer production. If something went wrong, the beer was unusable, so the hops and m alt were lost and could no longer be saved.
