One of the best things about herbal tea is not only the flavor and benefits. It’s the opportunity to grow many herbs by yourself and make your own blends. Although Camellia sinensis, a plant used for making real tea, can nowadays be grown at home too, it’s still very difficult to make your own black or green tea at home. This is where herbal teas win.
The ease of growing them at home gives you an opportunity to try many different flavors and enjoy them at any time. But apart frombeing delicious and refreshing, herbal teas may offer numerous health benefits – from boosting the immune system to making you fall asleep more easily.
Making Herbal Tea
Herbal teas are very easy to make at home. Although you can easily enjoy make herbs on their own, take a step further and try making your own blend. You can make herbal tea blends from both fresh herbs and dried herbs.
Make a small amount first and adjust the ratio of ingredients to your taste. Some ingredients are stronger than others, so change the amounts slowly to keep the balance. IF you make larger quantities, store the tea in the airtight container. If you are using a glass jar, always keep it away from light.
To brew, use about one teaspoon per cup and steep for 5-10 minutes in boiling water.
Homemade Herbal Tea Recipes
1. Lemon and elderflower tea for fighting common flu
Elderflowers and lemon might easily become your most favorite herbal tea in the world. While lemon tea is a no stranger to tea drinkers, elderflowers are still not as widely used as they deserve. Some studies showed that elderberry flower may have help to relieve the flu symptoms[1]. However, the best part of elderflower tea is – the flavor. Because of its unique and sweet flavor, these flowers are popular for making syrups and flavoring soft drinks and water. They blend amazingly well with lemon too. You can use both fresh and dry flowers. Wash them before use. Elderflower usually grows freeley in nature and start blooming around May.
Blend: (for 1 cup)
- 1 spoon of elderflowers
- 1-2 teaspoons of lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon of honey
2. Ginger tea
Fresh, dried, pickled or powdered, ginger tastes well in any form and in any dish or drink – especially in tea. Ginger tea is the only tea we absolutely recommend making with fresh instead of dry ingredients. Peel, wash and slice ginger into thin slices. Then add it to a small saucepan together with 1 ½ cup of water and a few peppercorns. Bring it to a boil and let it simmer for another 10-15 minutes. Strain, add honey and drink. Why adding peppercorns to a blend? Both ginger and peppercorns may warm you up, may offer benefits for the digestive system and positively influence the mood[2].
Blend: (for one cup)
- ½ – 1 inch of fresh ginger
- A teaspoon of honey
- A few peppercorns
3. Mint and lavender
Upgrade the simple mint tea by adding a touch of lavender flowers. Lavender may help with relaxation, and help freshen the breath. Together with mint it gives a delicious and potent tea with relaxing, antimicrobial, antiviral and antioxidant properties[3].
To brew mint and lavender tea, use about 1 teaspoon of dry leaves. Bring water to a boil and let it cool for a few minutes. Oversteeped lavender tea may become bitter. You can easily fix this by adding a spoon of honey. Once brewed, you can cool it down and serve with honey and ice as iced tea.
Blend: (for 2 cups)
- 1 spoon of mint
- ¼ spoon of lavender flowers
- 1 teaspoon of honey
4. Chamomile and lemon blam
When you combine two tasty herbs with relaxing properties, you get the most delicious sleepy time tea in the world. Lemon balm or melissa is a herb from a mint family with mild minty and lemony flavor. It blends well with the sweet herbal flavor of chamomile.
Blend: (for 3-4 cups)
- 1 spoon of dried chamomile flowers
- 1 spoon of dried and crushed lemon balm leaves
5. Herbal chai tea
Nothing beats a cup of warm chai – in any season. While the real chai is made with strong black tea, herbal chai has no caffeine at all. This warm and soothing drink can be made with powdered or crushed spices. The best base for a herbal chai is pure rooibos tea. It’s strong enough to hold all the spices and blends well with milk. Rooibos is naturally lightly sweet, and won’t have a bitter taste even if over-brewed.
Blend: (for 4-5 cups)
- 4 spoons of rooibos tea
- 1 teaspoon of ginger powder
- 2 inches of crushed cinnamon bark
- ½ -1 teaspoon of crushed cardamom
- ½ -1 teaspoon of cloves
6. Cinnamon and apple
Cinnamon and apple tea is true classic in the world of herbal fruit teas. You can make them from cinnamon stick and cinnamon powder, and with fresh and dried apple pieces. For making the best homemade fruit teas, fruit drying machine could come in handy. However, if you don’t have one, you can make this tea from fresh apples too, or even dry them in an oven on a very low heat. If possible, choose organic apples. If you are using cinnamon stick and making a larger amount of tea for later, crush it first.
Blend:
- 1 spoon of dried apple pieces
- ½ spoon of crushed cinnamon bark
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only. It’s not intended to replace medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Every person is different and may react to different herbs and teas differently. Never use teas or herbs to treat serious medical conditions on your own. Always seek professional medical advice before choosing home remedies.
References
[1] https://www.nccih.nih.gov/health/european-elder
