The Kräuterey

Regional herbal products from Trins

Especially in winter, a soothing and warming herbal tea is just the thing to boost your well-being on a cold day. If you don't want to do without regionality and quality in your tea, the Kräuterey in Trins in Gschnitztal is not only a great alternative to conventional tea, but also offers natural cosmetics, incense and herbal salt.

"Die Kräuterey" has been run by Brigitte and Josef Hofer for around 20 years and is located in Trins in the Gschnitztal valley at the "Erbhof Altwirt" farm. The farm, which was a farm with cattle breeding before 2000, is now a farm with herb cultivation. Brigitte "the herb grower" attended the technical college for fruit and wine growing and trained in the field of medicinal and aromatic plants. The herbs for the wide range of products are grown in a large garden behind the house and in a sunny field just outside the village. They are BIO Austria certified from seed to plant and then to the finished product.

The cultivation, care, harvesting and processing of the herbs as well as the bottling, packaging and labeling of the end products is mainly done by hand. The whole family often helps out. The Kräuterey grows a variety of herbs and flowers in Trins. Some of them are: Lemon balm, mallow, cornflowers, mullein, milk thistle, rose petals, mint, camomile, marigold, lady's mantle, yarrow, ribwort, nettle, basil, rosemary, sage, thyme, tarragon and lavender.

When harvesting, there are certain basic rules that should be followed. For example, herbs have the best availability of essential oils on the third sunny day, from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm, when bees are at their busiest. On this day, the plant makes sure that it evaporates as little as possible. It therefore closes the oil cells on the underside of the leaves and/or the stems. The herbs should also not be completely moist when they are harvested, as this would be a breeding ground for mold. The harvest period runs from May to October, with the main harvest period taking place from July to August.

Care should also be taken when drying herbs. The main constituents of herbs are essential oils, which is why a drying temperature of 38 degrees must not be exceeded. A natural drying process takes up to 15 days, depending on where it takes place. For an ideal end result, an automatic dehydrator is suitable for drying the high-quality herbs. The Kräuterey itself dries its herbs in a drying room.

Developing this skill and handling the herbal knowledge was a real adventure and "learning by doing", says Brigitte. The exciting thing about it is that you never completely stop learning and always discover new things over time. Even though the herbs contain many good nutrients and active ingredients, the Kräuterey products are foodstuffs and not medicines like those sold in pharmacies. The company must therefore adhere to certain guidelines. The various types of tea therefore have creative fantasy names. For example, a tea that is suitable for throat complaints is not called "cough tea" but "throat cleaner", another tea that has a calming effect on the stomach nerves is not called "stomach tea" but "joie de vivre".

Whether fresh herbs in summer, frozen in winter, decorated food with flowers, herbal teas, herbal salt and spices, fresh pesto and much more, herbs offer endless possibilities for incorporating them into everyday life and thus enhancing your own diet.

Kräuterey products are not available in wholesale. You can buy them in Trins at the Kräuterey - Erbhof Altwirt by appointment, at the Bauernladele in Steinach, at the Vinothek Nagele, at the Bauernkiste and in selected specialty stores. Direct delivery with an online order list at www.kräuterey.at is also possible.
In addition to the delicious herbal teas, the Kräuterey also has syrups, herbs, herbal salt, herbal pillows, incense and even natural cosmetics in its range.

Tip: If you would like to get to know the farm better and immerse yourself in the world of herbs, you can also book a group tour with Brigitte on request. To the Kräuterey website