MAKE YOUR OWN HERBAL TEA

Herbal tea gardens are a great way to enjoy your favourite teas straight from the garden. Tea herbs are visually appealing and delightfully fragrant.  They also attract birds and butterflies which delight in the seeds and nectars that the plants produce.  Your tea garden will allow you to sit among these beautiful creatures while sipping on your favourite cuppa.

Many tea herbs are easy to grow and do well in pots and small spaces, so you can enjoy delicious home-grown tea year-round.  Although you can use fresh herbs for tea, most home herb tea growers prefer to dry the leaves and flowers to store for use throughout the year.

USING FRESH HERBS:
To brew tea from fresh herbs, simply chop up the leaves or flowers and  pour boiling water over the herbs.  Allow them to steep for three to five minutes, strain the leaves and enjoy your tea with sugar, honey or sweetener if desired.  A slice of lemon goes well with some herbal  teas.

USING DRIED HERBS:
To dry your herb leaves, spread the individual leaves or sprigs of herbs on a rack or a baking tray lined with cheesecloth.  Place them  in a warm spot out of direct sunlight. Turn the leaves regularly, about every 12 hours or so. This method should dry the herbs in 2-3 days, allowing them to keep all their flavour.  To use in tea, simply follow the steps as mentioned above.  Allow them to steep for three to five minutes and then strain.

The general rule of how much herb tea per cup is approximately 1 teaspoon.  But experiment with the amounts, as well as the time you steep your tea to find your personal preference.

Tea pots with built in strainers can make the process of enjoying your herbal tea very simple.  You can also choose to make up your own tea bags from coffee filters.  You can get the details here:  HOMEMADE HERBAL TEA BAGS.  They’d make a wonderful homemade gift for any tea-lover.

Find out what our choice of TOP 5 HERBS FOR TEA is.