**Will It Brew: White Sweet Clover** (*Melilotus alba*)

Foraged in Northern Ohio, USA

*This is the sixth in my “Will It Brew?” series, exploring foraged plants and how they taste after being soaked in water. Well, how the water tastes, actually.  Thanks for following along!*

**Found:**  
Roadsides, pastures, ditches and disturbed areas. I see it along railroad tracks, since in my area there are tons of those. Just make sure you pick from places that are not sprayed or near busy roads. And not railroad tracks. There is tons of coal dust that comes off those, along with other stuff. I picked this along a little used farm road, a ways back from the track to avoid the dust from the path. 

**ID Notes:**  
White sweet clover has tall, slender spikes of tiny white flowers, often blooming in drooping rows along a central stalk. The plant is bushy and branching, with trifoliate leaves (three leaflets per stem), and a distinctive sweet scent when in bloom, especially when crushed. It can grow 3 to 6 feet tall and is often found in sunny, open spaces. Not to be confused with red or yellow clovers, or the fluffy white clovers found in your yard. 

**Preparation:**  
For the hot tea, I trimmed the stems to be mostly all the flower sections with just a bit of leaves. I used a good handful of flower stems for the cup. For the cold brew, I just bent a good, big handful of stems into the jar for each trial. There is tons of this growing everywhere, and blooming now, so I wasn’t stingy. 

**Taste Test:**

**Hot Brew (2 minutes)**: The vanilla scent disappears almost instantly. Even with a short steep, the flavor turns into plain wet grass. Pretty disappointing if you're chasing the aroma.

**Cold Brew (72 hours in fridge)**: Now we’re talking. After 24 hours, the flavor *started* to match the scent, but I felt it could be better, so I put it back in the fridge.  At 72 hours the flavor had bloomed  into a beautifully cool drink with a sweet herbal note that tastes like a fragrant summer day. I added white sugar and it became a really lovely drink with vanilla and meadow flavors. I’ve got another jar in there now steeping for another three days, (which is perfect because you shouldn’t drink this too often due to its coumarins). It was such a nice cold tea. 

**Verdict:**

**Will it brew?** Yes. 

Brew it hot, if you like wet grass tea. Use a long, cold steep in the fridge you like a sweet smelling and tasting tea. 

**Best as:** A cold brew for a summer’s day. 72 hours brewing in the fridge was the sweet spot for the flavor. 

**Would I try again?** Absolutely. It was mild and the white sugar made it a treat. 

**Flavor Strength:** Summer meadow on ice. A really lovely cold brew herbal tea. 

**Notes:**  To combine with other teas, add those on the last 12 to 18 hours of cold brew, depending on their strength. I like adding blackberry leaves about 10 hours before drinking for a fruity and more tannin-ish addition. 

***Caution:*** Sweet clover contains *coumarin*, a natural compound that gives it that sweet, hay-like scent. In its natural form, coumarin is generally considered safe in small amounts (like a cup of tea now and then), but large quantities or spoiled/damaged plant material can ferment into *dicoumarol*, which is a blood thinner and potentially toxic in huge amounts.  
For safety, use fresh and you should avoid any danger. If saving for later, always dry sweet clover thoroughly and store it in a cool, dry place, with desiccant pouches if possible.  If it smells musty or moldy rather than sweet and grassy, toss it out.  
As always, moderation is key. If you are on blood thinners, have liver issues, or are pregnant or breastfeeding, it’s best to skip this one or consult a healthcare provider first.

 This is *not* the same as culinary or white clover (*Trifolium repens)* or red clover  (*Trifolium pratense L.*) Know your plant and don’t overdo it. Use in moderation. 

Will It Brew: White Sweet Clover (Melilotus alba), (Click the title to open the post in formatted form. There are 5 photos)