Colt Serrano
Herbal tea can be an incredible way to relax or give a boost of energy, as well as treat various conditions or illnesses, such as indigestion, headaches, nausea, aches and pains and more.
Making herbal tea blends yourself can be an enjoyable and fulfilling process, providing an intimate way to connect with plants while being more environmentally-friendly than buying prepackaged tea bags. But before diving in to DIY herbal tea blend recipes there are a few considerations you must keep in mind before commencing this DIY endeavor.
At first, it is crucial that you determine the intention for each herb in your tea blend. This will guide your research on which ones are appropriate and will impact both its flavor and your tea’s aroma. When making decisions based on both intention and flavor it will ensure the best blend possible!
Once you have established the purpose and ingredients for your herbal tea blend, the next step should be formulation. Herbalists usually employ parts as units of measurement; recipes will often call for 2 parts lemon balm (Melissa officinalis), 1 part spearmint (Mentha spicata), and 1/2 part rose petals (Rosa spp). Utilizing parts allows flexibility and ease in creating herbal tea blends.
When creating herbal tea, pairing similar plant parts is often best to ensure the most beneficial properties from each herb are extracted into the final product. This is particularly important with delicate or easily damaged or bruised plants like flowering herbs; however this may not always be feasible since some have very different characteristics when dried and prepared as tea; mixing hardy with delicate herbs in one blend will likely result in weaker results than using just one herb alone.
An herbal tea often begins with ingredients like oatstraw (Avena sativa), chamomile flowers (Matricaria chamomilla), mullein leaves (Verbascum thapsus) or peppermint (Mentha x piperita). These mild-flavored herbs don’t pack quite the punch that stronger herbs do such as Echinacea purpurea (Echinacea purpurea) and yerba mate (Ilex paraguayensis).
Herbalists may incorporate other ingredients to their tea blends for additional health benefits or to create unique flavor profiles. Fruit and berries are a common addition, as they’re naturally sweet without caffeine – perfect for an invigorating morning cup or relaxing nightcap of herbal tea! However, care must be taken with this as some are high in sugar content which could potentially harm some individuals like diabetics. A good rule of thumb would be no more than 1 teaspoon per cup (and more to taste if desired), to ensure an exceptional cup of herbal tea while leaving plenty of space for other ingredients to come into your blend!
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