Herb Gardens

Since my last few posts to Herb Gardens have been about herbal teas, I’ve decided to add detailed information on how to go about brewing a cup of herbal tea.

Brewing Methods
When using seeds or roots in your tea, you must first lightly crush them, using a mortar and pestle, or place them in a zip lock bag and crush them with a rolling pin. Don’t use a coffee grinder or blender as you will end up with a powder, which is okay for most culinary purposes but too fine to be used in beverages. Add the crushed seeds to any other ingredients you are including in your tea blends.

For each serving of tea you want to make, bring 1 cup of water to a boil in a non-metallic pan. An enameled, non-stick or glass pan works well. Remove the pan from the heat and add 1 teaspoon of dried or 1 tablespoon of fresh herbs to the pan. Let this mixture steep for between 3 and 4 minutes. This shorter infusion time yields a refreshing beverage, letting the mixture steep any longer may result in a bitter tasting beverage.

Place a lid on top of your container while it steeps to prevent it from cooling off too quickly. Strain the herbs from the water and pour the infusion into your favorite mug or tea cup. You could also use a French press, or tea pot with a built in infuser basket when making larger amounts of tea. Just be sure to adjust the amount of herbs you use according to how many cups of tea you are making. Those little tea balls you find in some kitchen gadget stores can also be used to make a single cup of tea.

If you prefer iced tea, double the amount of herbs used. Don’t double the amount of time you steep the herbs, as the tea could end up developing a bitter taste. Use 2 teaspoons of dried or 2 tablespoons of fresh herbs for each cup of water you are using when making iced tea. The extra amount of herbs used allows for dilution by the melting of ice cubes that you have added to your iced tea.

Additions to Your Tea
You may add any of the following ingredients, in moderation, to help enhance the flavor of your herbal tea:
-honey
-white sugar
-sugar cubes
-peppermint candy pieces (kids love this idea)
-brown sugar
-demerara sugar
-lemon slices
-orange slices
-lime slices

I’ve never been a fan of adding milk or cream to my tea. A cup of coffee, definitely, but I prefer to serve my tea with a bit of honey and sometimes add a slice of lemon.

Take care,
Lynn Smythe AKA Herb Witch