Monday, May 11, 2009
ACHS
President Dorene Petersen showed workshop participants Saturday, May 9,
how to harvest fresh garden herbs for making herbal tea.
When
making herbal tea for pleasure, the selection of herbs included is
personal. To help make herbal selections, though, Petersen invited
participants to first rub the herb between their fingers, which
releases the volatile oil and aroma, then to place a small piece of the
herb on their tongue. Both exercises help gauge the strength of the
herb. For example, rosemary has a fairly pungent taste; therefore, when
making an herbal tea blend, you may want to include smaller amounts of
rosemary than, say, peppermint.
Making balanced herbal teas from
fresh herbs takes a bit of practice. However, during the workshop
Petersen offered these tips:
1. You can make herbal teas from
fresh or dried herbs at a 2:1 ratio, because fresh herbs contain more
water. (For example, 1 teaspoon dried peppermint or 2 teaspoons of
fresh peppermint.)
2. If using fresh herbs, Petersen prefers an individual teapot with a built-in strainer.
3.
If using dried herbs, purchase empty tea bags so you can make and store
your own blends. (This is also useful when traveling. For example, you
can make a stress-relieving tea if you are a nervous flier.)
4. Pour your water while it is boiling.
Here is a list of some herbs you can try for herbal tea and their use:
- Lemon balm leaves: Headache and insomnia
- Calendula flowers: Indigestion, skin troubles
- Chamomile flowers: Headaches, nervousness, indigestion, ulcers, arthritis, and infection prevention
- Lavender flowers: Headache and nervousness
- Nettle leaves: Kidney troubles, hypertension, gout, hay fever, PMS, and scurvy
- Thyme: Colds, indigestion, cough remedy
For more blending herbal tea tips, download this free informational packet from the workshop.