You may have only heard of hops in regards with brewing beer. Its use in beer making has given this plant a huge significance around the world! But hops have more than just the one purpose in life.
In the earliest days of culinary history, hops were used as a kitchen herb. The young shoots are edible, but the plant’s purpose soon changed. By the ninth and tenth century, brewers in France and Germany were using hops as a preservative. Beers brewed using the plant could survive longer in storage.
Hops crossed the Atlantic Ocean in the 1600s; the plant became an important crop in the 1800s. Hop growing moved westward through the nineteenth century. A mildew epidemic in 1920 ended New York State’s reign as the top hops producer in the United States. Most of the nation’s hops are now grown in the west: in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and California.
Herbalists put a lot of faith in hops. The plant was used as a fever reliever, an expectorant, a sedative, a dewormer, an estrogen stimulant, and a gas reducer. Hops were used in internal remedies for rheumatism, jaundice, insomnia, itching, stomach cramps, and diarrhea. Externally, hops have been used in poultices for skin infections, boils, and skin discoloration.
Not all of those uses have been scientifically proven. However, hops do seem to have some sedative properties. Workers in hops fields tired more easily than others; experiments on animals did show that hops slowed the central nervous system in mice, birds, and frogs. Abraham Lincoln and King George III are both believed to have used pillows stuffed with hops. If you want to try a hops-filled pillow, you may need to add some batting and/or other herbs to muffle the rattling of dried hops.
Hops may also have some antiseptic properties, and can be useful externally applied to inflammations.
Use your hops as quickly as possible — studies have shown that just nine months of storage can reduce chemical vitality by as much as eighty-five percent.