Hops Plants

About

Usually grown for brewing beer and other fermented drinks, growing your own Hops Plants is something anyone can do, whether you are starting your own microbrewery or not! The experience of homegrown Hops is quite rewarding and easy, all wrapped up into one. The process of mastering this art is truly what it means to be a gardener today! The hop for his profit I thus do exalt, It strengtheneth drink and it flavored malt; And being well-brewed long kept it will last, And drawing abide, if ye draw not too fast. - Thomas Tusser’s Five Hundred Points of Good Husbandry All About Hops A climbing perennial, with unique, layered, and dangling bright green ‘flowers’. Plus supple canes full of lovely chartreuse foliage, the Hops plant ( Humulus ) is as uniquely pretty as it is a useful flowering/fruiting vine ! Inside each fragrant flower ‘cone’ is a tiny yellow pod called lupulin. These contain the resins and essential oils that are the source of bitterness, aroma, and flavor in all of our favorite beers . They can also impart floral, fruity, or citrus flavors and aromas. Oddly enough, Hops are part of the Cannabaceae family of flowering plants! First documented for use in brewing beer in the 9th century Germany. Not only imparting flavor, Hops has antibacterial properties that help reduce spoilage. The US is just barely ahead of Germany in terms of producing Hops for the beer industry, and most of us have the perfect climate to grow these vertical climbing plants without worrying they will take up too much space! But Hops are not just for brewing ‘hopped beer’! The strong antibiotic properties of Hops have been used to make herbal teas , as alternative antibiotics mixed into chicken and livestock feed, and as a bacterial inhibitor in the processing of sugar, and make a delicious, non-bitter iced tea and beer that picks up on this Hops floral/herbal aroma. Hops cones are also used to make delicious teas (similar to Black Tea), and are also fantastic for ornamental use in the