Make Herbal Tea



Suffering from a cold? An herbal tea can be the perfect, natural substitute for taking pills and cough medicine. Want to relax after a long day? Herbal teas are also good at helping one relax or sleep. Herbal teas are wonderful at anytime of the day, but they can be a bit tricky. They are also good for people on de-tox diets. They can be a good substitute for Order-Coffee

Ingredients

  • Herbal tea leaves/bags of choice
  • Water
  • Sugar, honey, or other sweetener

Steps

  1. Know the reason for which you need the tea. There are many herbal tea selections to try.
    • Relaxing - if you are trying to get some rest, look for a tea with chamomile as the main ingredient.
    • Uplifting - lavender, thyme, and spearmint are also good things to look for in a blend.
    • Soothing - if you are trying to soothe a Treat-a-Cold you'll want something with eucalyptus, ginger, cinnamon, and/or licorice root.
  2. Determine how much tea you will be making. The least you should ever heat up in a kettle is two cups. Any less then that, and you run the risk of boiling your kettle boil dry. Put the kettle on the stove (or plug in the electric kettle) and bring the water to boiling.
  3. Gently warm your tea cups and teapot by running the tap water as hot as possible and fill teapot & teacup(s) with the water. Put lids on each to keep in the heat. By heating up the cups and pot, your tea will keep warmer longer, and you lessen the risk of having a teacup or top shatter.
  4. Add the herbal tea. When the water has come to a rolling boil, empty the teapot of warm water and add the herbal tea leaves/flowers or tea bags. The general rule when making a pot of tea is to add a teaspoon of leaves (or a tea bag) for each cup and one for the pot. If only making tea for one in a cup or mug, then add the bag or leaves to the mug and pour the boiling water over them.
  5. Steep for at least 5 minutes. While steeping too long can bring out the bitter tannins in black, green, or white teas, herbal teas are different. They generally don't have many tannins and therefore can be steeped anywhere from 5 to 10 minutes. Use extra tea leaves to make a stronger tea;not a longer steeping time.
  6. Strain if needed.If you have used loose tea leaves, and don't like leaves floating in your tea, then pour hot tea through the strainer into each cup.
  7. Sweeten to taste. Tint Sugar or honey may be used to taste. However, some herbal teas are naturally sweet. One should taste each tea by itself first before deciding if milk and honey are needed.
  8. Finished.



Tips

  • Herbal blends can also be made at home. Bulk herbs can be purchased at health food stores, and these can be mixed and matched along with spices, dried fruits and essential oils to make customized blends. The process of coming up with a good blend can be a tricky (but also a creative and rewarding) project.
  • Some brands of herbal teas are Celestial Seasonings and Yogi Tea. For relaxation, you can try Celestial Seasonings "Sleepytime" tea. For a chest cold, try Yogi "Breathe Deep" and "Throat Comfort" Teas.
  • A good way to measure water for tea is to use the mug or teacup you will be drinking out of as a measuring device.

Warnings

  • Sometimes a tea combination may cause stomach upset and it may be difficult to know which of these is the culprit.
  • If you have any allergies to any plant life, you should talk to your doctor before drinking herbal teas. Some teas may be fine, but others may cause a serious reaction. Furthermore, if you have allergies, herbal teas are normally fine for you, stay away from them during the allergy season.
  • If taking MAO inhibitors or other prescription drugs, consult your physician or health care professional before use.
  • Not to be used during pregnancy or while nursing.

Things You'll Need

  • herbal tea of your choice (1 heaping teaspoon leaves per 8 ounces water)
  • water, freshly drawn & not reboiled
  • tea kettle
  • teapot
  • small tea leaf strainer
  • teacup with a lid or saucer to use as a lid

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Sources and Citations

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