Red clover lemonade may have been one of the items Mary Poppins kept tucked away in that big bag of hers. The first time I sipped it the “spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down,” lyrics danced around in my head while my tastebuds rejoiced. Making a “medicine” that cost merely pennies that even the most reluctant child would drink is nearly a thing of magic, folks.
The only difficult part of making red clover lemonade for me personally, is getting to all of the beautiful and healing clover before our horses and goats munch it all down. It is so not good for horses to eat too much clover, so I really feel like all of my foraging and wildcrafting is doing them a favor.
Red clover in my opinion it is actually purple; I have absolutely no idea why it is called red clover, Sometimes you will encounter flower heads that are a more pink shade, but at least in my little patch of heaven on Earth in Appalachia, clover comes in two varieties: purple and white. The smaller white clover has natural healing properties as well, but does not taste nearly as sweet.
Red Clover Nutrients
| Vitamin A | Vitamin B |
| Vitamin B2 | Vitamin C |
| Calcium | Magnesium |
| Niacin | Chromium |
| Potassium | Phosphorus |
| Thiamine |
Red Clover Lemonade Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 to 1 ½ cups red clover flower heads fresh, frozen, or dried
- 3 cups water
- ½ to ¾ cup lemon juice
- 7 tablespoons honey
Instructions
- Wash the red clover flower heads and remove any leaves or stems.
- Pour the 3 cups of water into the medium cook pot and bring to a boil.
- Toss in the flower heads and boil for about five minutes.
- Strain the mixture, keeping only the liquid.
- Allow the mixture to cool for only approximately 1 minute.
- Stir in the honey and the lemon.
- Stir the mixture to thoroughly combine.
- Chill the red clover lemonade and serve over ice.
Notes
- Measuring cup
- Strainer – fine mesh recommended
- Medium cook pot
- Spoon
- Measuring spoons
The best time to forage and harvest red clover is just after it blooms. Never forage anywhere that you do not have permission or know with absolute certainty that the area has not been sprayed with chemical pesticides or herbicides.
If red clover does not grow in your region or you stumbled across this article in the middle of winter, dried red clover buds can be purchased online.
Here’s a taste test video for hot and cold red clover tea:
Here’s another taste test video with the kids for the actual red clover lemonade:
Tara lives on a 56 acres farm in the Appalachian Mountains, where she faces homesteading and farming challenges every single day, raising chickens, goats, horses, and tons of vegetables. She’s an expert in all sorts of homesteading skills such as hide tanning, doll making, tree tapping, and many more.