A wonderful way to begin to use herbs in tea is simply to place a handful of fresh sprigs in a gallon of water with five or six black tea bags, and place this outside in the full sun for several hours to make “sun tea.” Special glass jugs are available in department stores for this purpose. They usually have a spigot at the bottom of the jug, and a screw-top lid. Herbs that I like to use in sun tea are all the mints, lemon balm, lemon verbena, and anise hyssop. My recipe for sun tea is included on the next page of this booklet.
Many teas are delicious alone, but you will soon begin to experiment and combine flavors for tasty blends. How about a tea-tasting party? If your friends each bring a teapot, you can brew the teas individually and then pour some together to make interesting combinations. Keep a pot of hot water nearby for those who prefer a weaker blend; they can dilute the tea in their cup with the water. After you harvest and dry the herbs from your tea garden, you can make blend combinations before you mix the ingredients together for packaging in bulk.
Below are some ideas for combinations and blend recipes — but I will admit that one fall, as time was running short for harvest, I picked all my tea herbs, dried them, combined them in a tin I labeled herb garden tea, and the result was delicious! I only wish it could be duplicated.
This tea is made to be shared with a friend on the front porch during a lovely summer night. Steep 1 large fresh monarda flower with about a dozen fresh lavender flower heads in 2 cups of water for 10 minutes. Pour over ice cubes and enjoy! Compatible additions include lemon balm leaves, lemon verbena leaves, and chamomile flowers.
LAVENDER MINT TEA
Mix 1 part lavender flowers and 2 parts mint leaves. Additions for more interesting blends include rosemary, lemon balm or lemon verbena, and rose geranium.
SUN TEA
Make sun tea by placing 6 tea bags in a glass gallon jug. Add handfuls of any of the lemon herbs and mints. Steep in the sun all day; at suppertime remove the herbs and tea bags, add 1/3 cup sugar and the juice of a lemon, and pour over ice.
ANISE TEA
Make a jar of anise-flavored tea by using dried anise hyssop leaves and a few spoonfuls of fennel seed. Lemon verbena or anise basil leaves can be added to the blend. Boil the seeds in the water, then remove from heat and pour over the leaves to steep.
Mix dried rose-scented geranium leaves with a few whole cloves and crushed cinnamon sticks. Add dried lemon peel, or add fresh lemon after brewing. Adding a tea bag when brewing this herbal tea gives it body.
NIGHTTIME TEA
Some herbs are known for calming and soothing properties. Try making this tea with 1 part catmint, 1 part chamomile, and ½ part catnip.
ORANGE MINT TEA
Use a citrus-flavored mint, such as orange bergamot, or any mint herb. Add grated dried lemon and orange rind, cloves, cinnamon, and calendula petals or ‘Lemon Gem’ marigold leaves.
LEMON BLEND TEA
Mix equal parts of fresh lemon balm leaves and fresh or dried lemon verbena leaves. Add grated and dried lemon peel (about 1 tablespoon per cup of lemon herbs). Steep about 1 cup of the mixture per teapot of water for about 20 minutes. Optional lemon herbs may be added, such as lemon-scented geranium leaves and lemon thyme. Then add some calendula petals for color.
Mix 1 part each of orange mint, peppermint, and cinnamon basil, plus ½ part dried orange peel. Add a little minced vanilla bean to the mixture.
APPLE-SAGE TEA
Mix 3 cups of apple mint leaves, 1 cup of sage leaves, and 5 crushed cinnamon sticks. Additional spices may be added, such as cloves, all-spice, and cardamom. You can also add cinnamon basil or a lemon herb if you wish.
BODY-FRESHENING TEA
This tea is believed to keep you fresh and help eliminate body odor. It comes from the book The Herbal Home Spa by Greta Breedlove.
Steep either 1 tablespoon fresh or 1 teaspoon dried thyme or peppermint in boiling water for 20 minutes. Drink three times a day.
These two tea punch recipes come from The Herbal Tea Garden, by Marietta Marshall Marcin.
LEMON BALM PUNCH
Pour 2 quarts of boiling water over 2 big handfuls of fresh lemon balm leaves. Allow to steep for 20 minutes, then strain. Add 2 tablespoons of honey and allow the mixture to cool. Just before serving, add ice and 1 quart of ginger ale. Float sprays of mint on top. Serves about 15.
MINTALE
1 cup equal parts fresh orange mint, apple mint, and spearmint
2 cups boiling water
2 tablespoons sugar
1 large bottle of ginger ale
Juice of 1 orange and 1 lemon
Infuse the mint in the 2 cups of boiling water. Cool, strain, and add the other ingredients plus ice. Float sprigs of apple mint on top of the punch.
Fruit juices can be added to herbal teas to make punches. Try pineapple juice with rosemary tea; sweeten to taste and garnish with lemon slices. Apple juice combines well with sage and mints, and grape juice with lavender. Add some ginger ale or lemon-lime soda to make a sweeter and bubbly blend. Garnish with sprigs of the herb you used in the infusion, or make an ice ring decorated with herb sprigs.
Some spicy additions to herbal tea blends include whole cloves, cinnamon sticks or pieces, allspice, cardamom, ginger, and star anise. Vanilla beans also can be minced and placed in a blend of tea herbs.
Seeds from anise, fennel, and dill release more flavor when bruised, and are excellent tea additions. Add these to blends at the last minute, just before steeping. Here are some other ideas:
• Coriander seeds and caraway seeds add a refreshing tang.
• Dried citrus peel adds flavor.
• Dried rose hips are high in vitamin C. They add a tart flavor, so they’re best in complementary combinations with lemon verbena and mints.
• Berries can be dried and added to tea blends — try blackberries and cranberries.
• The petals of unsprayed roses also find their way into tea blends. They are sweetly aromatic.
• If you are not opposed to traditional tea, add a bag of green, black, or oolong tea to a pot of herbal tea to give body and depth to the blend.
If you aren’t sure you want to grow some of the herbs mentioned here, buy small amounts of fresh or dried herbs and use them in the blends. Those you like, you can grow next season.
As I mentioned in the beginning, your herbal blends make wonderful gifts. Take the time to be a little creative in your presentation. I sew small bags of homespun material or calico, place the tea in a zipper-locking bag inside the little pouch, and tie it up with a raffia bow and card describing the tea blend, the herbs it contains, and how to brew it. A basket containing the herb blend, a mesh tea ball, honey, and a decorative teacup or mug is also a suitable gift for many special people!
If you would like to take the time to package the loose tea into tea bags, heat-sealable tea bags are available. Simple fill with a teaspoonful of dried herbs and then seal with a quick touch from a hot iron. Make sure you place the filled bags in a sealed tin or jar or zippered bag to preserve the freshness.