Herbs in the yard are useful for more than just attracting beneficial insects and showing off your culinary prowess to your loved ones. One more use for your herbs is to grow them as tea garden plants. You probably already have some herbs on hand that can be used to make tea. Let’s check out some great tea herbs.
Which Herbs Are Ideal for Tea?
The following is a list of plants that can be used to make tea, along with suggestions for which parts of those plants to use.
- Mint — Digestive and relaxing leaves
- Passionflower – Leaves, relaxing and sedative
- Rose Hips – Buds after the bloom has faded, high in Vitamin C
- Lemon Balm — Calming leaves
- Chamomile – Buds that are calming and beneficial to a sour stomach.
- Echinacea, Immunity & Buds
- Milk Thistle — Buds, detoxification
- Angelica — Root, digestive
- Catnip — Leaves, calming
- Raspberry — Leaves, female reproduction
- Lavender — Buds, calming
- Nettles — Leaves, detoxification
- Red Clover — Buds, detoxification and detoxify
- Dandelion — Blood tonic, root
- Linden — Flowers, digestive and calming
- Lemongrass — Stalk, digestive and calming
These are only a few of the many beneficial plants used to make herbal tea, and there are many more.
- Calendula
- Basil
- Feverfew
- Horsetail
- Hyssop
- Lemon Verbena
- Motherwort
- Mugwort
- Skullcap
- Yarrow
- Eleuthero
How to Make Herbal Tea?
First, if you want to learn how to make herbal tea, pick a dry morning to pick your plants. It’s best to harvest your tea leaves early in the day before the sun’s heat has a chance to extract the herb’s essential oils. Some herbs are best dried for later use, while others can be used in a brew right after harvesting.
There are a few approaches to drying herbal tea plants, but the most important factor is to maintain a consistent, low heat. You can use a food dehydrator or a microwave with a paper towel lining to dry the sprigs in a single layer. Put it in the microwave for a minute and keep an eye on it to make sure it doesn’t burn. Keep microwaving in 10-second increments, venting the microwave between uses so that moisture may escape until the food is dry.
Keep the oven at 100–125 degrees F (3–52 C), with the door slightly ajar, and check on the food often. Herbs for tea can be air-dried, but they must be carefully protected from dust by being placed in paper bags with holes cut in them before being hung. Herbs can absorb odors and develop mold if dried in a musty environment, so keep them away from the basement.
Label your herbal tea plants once you’ve gotten them ready as described above. Dried herbs can be stored in airtight containers or zip-seal bags, but they should be labeled with the type and the date they were harvested.
Dried herbs should be kept in a cold, dry place. Alternately, you might freeze herbs for tea in ice cube trays or airtight plastic bags. Ice cubes flavored with herbs are a terrific way to add flavor to iced drinks like tea or punch and can be easily stored in freezer bags.
How to Brew the Best Tea Plants?
One sprig (or 1 tablespoon (15 mL)) of fresh herbs should be used per cup of tea, and the herbs should be bruised (torn or crushed) to release their oils. Since herbal teas typically lack color and require longer to brew than conventional tea, their readiness is determined more by taste than appearance.
Depending on your preference, you can infuse or decoct your tea. Infusion is a more delicate method of oil extraction, and it can be used with either fresh or dried plants. In an enameled saucepan (metal could impart an unpleasant flavor to the tea), bring cold water to a boil, then add the tea. One teaspoon (5 mL) of dried herbs per person plus one “extra” for the pot is the standard recommendation while preparing tea. The herbs can be placed in an infuser, a mesh ball, a muslin bag, or something similar. After steeping for 5-15 minutes, drain the infusion and fill the rest of the cup with boiling water.
Seeds, roots, and hips are best used as a decoction. Crushing the components first is necessary for extracting the oils. Mix with 2 cups (480 mL) of water using 1 tablespoon (15 mL). To prepare, bring the water to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 5-10 minutes. Please strain liquids before consuming.
Herbal teas can be combined in an infinite number of ways, so experiment and enjoy the aroma, emotional and health advantages of a homemade herbal tea garden.
