Drinking herbal tea is a wonderfully delightful pleasure for me because it has no caffeine, no tannin, no calories; it tastes wonderful and is pretty cheap. If drinking tea does not come to you naturally, you can easily start a daily routine of tea drinking by adding it your breakfast or early morning snack.
Some people have been brewing herbs to cure ailments for 100s of year. Some herbal teas can give you some extra pep while others can help you relax a little. Another group of herbs can ease nausea and others unclog your head.
A bed or two of your favorite tea herbs will get you through the long, cold winter with yummy hot tea and you can use the fresh herbs for your summer iced teas.
Fragrant herbal teas are simple to make directly from your herb garden. Just clip off a few leaves of your favorite chamomile, peppermint, spearmint or fennel and you’re ready for tea time.
Making your own herbal tea is not hard. If using dried herbs, use one teaspoon for each cup of tea. If you are making a pot of tea put one teaspoon per cup (plus you should an additional teaspoon for better results).
If you are making your tea with fresh herbs, you will need to use 2 to 3 teaspoons for each cup of tea because the fresh herbs are not as concentrated as the dried herbs.
Make your own custom tea mix from several herbs, which I think is better than only using one. Add lemongrass or rosehip to your beebalm tea for a tangy, citrus tea.
You can use all of these herbs in your teas:
- Beebalm: Want extra citrus in your herbal tea? Beebalm will make it happen. Beebalm has a light hint of orange, even though it’s part of the mint family of herbs. Beebalm was initially used in a tea by the Oswego Indians in Canada. You can use it the same way they did, to relieve your upset stomach. You can even make it to ease with your sore throat.
- Hibiscus: There are so many varieties of hibiscus to choose from when you plan your garden. If you are planning your garden for tea, I recommend the rose mallow kind because it has a slight taste of citrus. There is also the marsh mallow type (think marshmallow in taste). This particular kind can assist you with your sore throat or help if you are prone to ulcers. Regardless of the type of hibiscus herb you use in your tea, the petals are all you need.
- Lemon Verbena: If you enjoy lemon like I love lemon, then you will love lemon verbena, which has the fragrance and flavor of lemon whether you brew fresh or dried in your hot or iced tea. This is an especially good herb to add to your green tea, which make it much more palatable.
- Rosehip: Drinking an herbal tea that has rosehips is a good way to get your vitamin C. It contains more than a typical vitamin. The high vitamin C content is most likely the reason why they tend to help with cold and flu prevention.
You might also enjoy one of the mints, lemon balm, or lemongrass in your next pot of tea.
Don’t forget that herbal teas make good gifts—it does not cost much and your friends and family members will certainly appreciate it.
Good luck with your herb gardening. Be sure to let me know how your herb garden grows.
Here is more information on Tea Herb Gardening. Here is a website with a free mini-course dedicated to Herb Gardens.
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