Make a light goldenrod flower tea

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This is the cup to make when the flowers are fresh, fragrant, and clean. It’s also the best starting point if you’re new to goldenrod.

Use:

• 1 to 2 teaspoons dried goldenrod flowers

• 8 ounces just-boiled water

• A lid or saucer to cover the cup

Steep for 10 to 15 minutes, covered. Strain and drink warm.

Covering the cup matters. Aromatic herbs lose some of their volatile qualities with steam. If you’ve ever made peppermint tea and watched the scent disappear into the room, you’ve seen it happen. Goldenrod flowers are not as volatile as peppermint, but the same idea applies.

The taste should be golden, lightly sweet, slightly drying, and gently aromatic. If it tastes flat, the flowers may be old. If it tastes dusty, they may have been harvested too late.

Fresh flowers can work too. Use roughly twice as much fresh herb as dried herb, since fresh plants contain a lot of water.

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Make a balanced flowering top infusion

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This is the classic goldenrod preparation for general home use.

Use:

• 1 tablespoon dried flowering tops

• 8 to 10 ounces hot water

• A covered mug or small teapot

Steep for 15 to 20 minutes, then strain.

This pulls more body than a quick flower tea, without becoming too tannic. It’s a good everyday-style preparation during goldenrod season or when you want a stronger cup from dried herb.

If the stems are thick, strip the leaves and flowers off before drying or before tea making. Thick stems don’t add much to the cup and can make storage awkward. Tender upper stems are fine.

For a quart jar infusion, use about 1 ounce dried flowering tops per quart of hot water if you want a strong herbal infusion. Steep covered for 1 to 4 hours, then strain. This makes a much stronger preparation than a casual cup. The flavor will be greener and more drying.

If you’re sensitive to tannins or tend to get queasy from strong herbal infusions, start with the lighter mug method instead.

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Make a leaf-forward mineral infusion

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Leaf wants more time than flower. If you steep goldenrod leaf for five minutes, you’ll get weak green water and miss the point.

Use:

• 1 tablespoon dried goldenrod leaf

• 10 ounces hot water

• A covered jar or teapot

Steep for 20 to 30 minutes for a strong cup.

For a long infusion, use a larger amount of dried leaf and steep for 2 to 4 hours. This draws out more of the mineral and tannin side. It won’t taste as pretty as a flower tea, but it has more substance.

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Goldenrod leaf also works well in blends with nettle, oatstraw, raspberry leaf, violet leaf, or red clover. Those herbs aren’t interchangeable, but they share that “green infusion” style. If you like mineral-rich teas, goldenrod leaf can sit comfortably in that category.

Don’t boil goldenrod leaf hard for a long time unless you know you like the taste. A simmer can make the tannins rough. Hot water infusion is usually enough.

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Use cold infusion when you want a gentler cup

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Goldenrod can be cold-infused, especially when the leaf feels too drying in hot tea.

Use:

• 1 to 2 tablespoons dried leaf or flowering tops

• 16 ounces cool water

Let it sit for 4 to 8 hours, then strain.

Cold infusion gives a softer taste and often less bite. It won’t extract the same way hot water does, but that can be the point. In late summer, cold goldenrod tea with a little lemon balm or mint can be refreshing without feeling heavy.

Keep cold infusions in the refrigerator and drink them within a day.