Hyssop flowers in close-up at La Ferme À Ciel Sur Mer in Charlevoix, Québec

How to Use Hyssop: Tea, Tincture, and Essential-Oil Safety

Hyssop is a genuinely versatile herb once it is dried: it makes a bracing, aromatic tea, a traditional tincture, and one of the more distinctive infused honeys in the herb garden. It also has a concentrated essential oil that calls for real caution. This guide covers how to use the dried herb at home, and where the sensible limits are.

We grow and dry Certified Organic Hyssopus officinalis at La Ferme À Ciel Sur Mer in Charlevoix, Québec. For what hyssop has traditionally been used to support, see our companion guide to hyssop tea benefits; this post is about the how, not the why. Please read the safety section at the end before you begin, since hyssop is one of the herbs where it genuinely matters.

Dried Organic hyssop leaf and flower, ready to brew as tea

How to Make Hyssop Tea

Tea is the simplest and most common way to use hyssop, and it is where most people start. Hyssop is bold and aromatic, with a bitter, minty, slightly camphoraceous character, so a little goes a long way. Keep the cup covered while it steeps: hyssop's flavour and aroma live in its volatile oils, and a lid keeps them in the cup instead of drifting off in the steam.

  • Use about 1 to 2 teaspoons of dried hyssop leaf and flower per cup (250 ml) of just-boiled water.
  • Cover and steep for 5 to 10 minutes, depending on how strong you like it.
  • Strain and sweeten if you wish. Honey pairs especially well with hyssop's bitterness.

If the flavour is stronger than you expected, use less leaf or steep for less time next round. Hyssop rewards a lighter hand than a mild herb like chamomile.

How to Make a Hyssop Tincture

A tincture is a way of preserving hyssop's aromatic compounds in alcohol so they keep for a long time and can be used by the drop. It is a traditional folk preparation, and the classic method is straightforward.

  • Fill a clean glass jar loosely with dried hyssop leaf and flower.
  • Cover completely with a 40 to 50 percent alcohol such as vodka, leaving no herb exposed.
  • Seal, label with the date, and steep for four to six weeks in a cool, dark place, shaking every few days.
  • Strain through cheesecloth into a clean dropper bottle and store out of the light.

Because hyssop is a herb that deserves care, keep a tincture like this for occasional, modest use rather than daily habit, and read the safety section below first. If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or have a seizure disorder, skip it entirely.

How to Make Hyssop-Infused Honey

Infused honey is the friendliest way to enjoy hyssop, and it turns the herb's bitter edge into something warm and rounded. It is lovely stirred into tea or hot water.

  • Stir a tablespoon or two of dried hyssop into a jar of raw honey until the leaf is coated and submerged.
  • Let it infuse at room temperature for one to two weeks, turning the jar now and then. For a faster infusion, warm the jar gently in a water bath over low heat for a few hours, taking care not to overheat the honey.
  • Strain out the herb if you prefer a clear honey, or leave it in and simply spoon around it.

Hyssop Essential Oil: Aromatherapy and Topical Use Only

Hyssop essential oil is a different thing entirely from the dried herb, and this is the part to read carefully. The steam-distilled oil is highly concentrated and rich in pinocamphone and isopinocamphone, two compounds that can affect the central nervous system. It is used in some aromatherapy and, well diluted, in topical blends, valued for its sharp, clarifying aroma.

But hyssop essential oil should never be swallowed. Even small amounts taken internally have been linked to seizures in case reports, including in a child. If you use the oil at all, use it only for its aroma or in a properly diluted topical preparation, keep it well away from children, and avoid it completely if you or anyone in the household has a seizure disorder, or if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. When in doubt, the dried herb as tea is by far the safer way to enjoy hyssop.

The Hyssop We Grow

Everything above works best with well-grown, well-dried herb. We harvest our hyssop at first bloom, when its aromatic oils are at their peak, and dry it gently to protect exactly the compounds that give the tea and tincture their character. It is Certified Organic, grown and dried on our farm in Charlevoix, and cut and stored to keep its colour and fragrance. If you would like to try it, you can find our Organic hyssop here, and if you would like to grow your own, our guide to growing hyssop from seed walks through it.

A Note on Safety

Hyssop is a herb with real activity in the body, which means it deserves a careful read. Dried-leaf hyssop tea at the modest preparations described here is generally well tolerated by healthy adults. Beyond that, a few limits genuinely matter.

Hyssop's volatile oils contain pinocamphone and isopinocamphone, which can affect the central nervous system at concentrated doses, so hyssop should be avoided entirely during pregnancy and breastfeeding, and by anyone with a seizure disorder such as epilepsy. Keep it away from young children, and speak with a healthcare provider before using hyssop if you take anticonvulsant or other CNS medications. Above all, hyssop essential oil should never be ingested. None of this is meant to alarm; it is simply the responsible end of using a potent traditional herb well.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you drink hyssop tea?

Yes. Dried-leaf hyssop tea at modest preparations, roughly 1 to 2 teaspoons per cup, is generally well tolerated by healthy adults, and it is the most common way to use the herb. It should be avoided during pregnancy and breastfeeding, and by anyone with a seizure disorder. Hyssop essential oil, which is a different product, should never be ingested.

How much hyssop tea can you drink?

For healthy adults, an occasional cup or two made with about 1 to 2 teaspoons of dried herb per cup is a typical, moderate use. Hyssop is bold and best enjoyed in moderation rather than in large quantities or continuously. If you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or have a seizure disorder, you should not drink it at all.

Is hyssop essential oil safe to use?

Hyssop essential oil should never be swallowed, as internal use has been linked to seizures. Used only for its aroma or in a well-diluted topical preparation it is used in some aromatherapy, but it must be kept away from children and avoided entirely by anyone who is pregnant, breastfeeding, or has a seizure disorder. For most people, the dried herb as tea is the safer choice.

Can you cook with hyssop?

Yes. In small amounts the dried or fresh leaf is used as a culinary herb, adding a bitter, minty, slightly anise note to broths, savoury dishes, and baking, much like a strong sage or rosemary. Use it sparingly, as its flavour is assertive. The same sensible limits around pregnancy, breastfeeding, and seizure disorders apply.

How do you make a hyssop tincture?

Fill a clean glass jar loosely with dried hyssop, cover completely with 40 to 50 percent alcohol such as vodka, and steep sealed in a cool, dark place for four to six weeks, shaking every few days. Strain into a dropper bottle and store out of the light. Keep it for occasional, modest use, and avoid it entirely if you are pregnant, breastfeeding, or have a seizure disorder.

Want to learn more? Check out our other guides on hyssop:

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