The Essence of Summer Tea – Making your own herbal teas

I have several kinds of herbs in my garden. Some are for cooking and some are for teas. I love to put together my own flavors and, as summer comes to a close, what better time to create those delicious herbal teas to sip on when the weather calls for something warm to drink!

Making your own tea

Herbal tea blends are really a matter of what you like. You can use a single herb, like chamomile or mint, or you can blend two or three herbs together. Adding dried fruit also adds a little extra flavor.

I dry my herbs on the top rack of my indoor greenhouse, no lights. You need dark, dry air with some circulation.

Rubber band the ends, then hang the bundles upside down. How long it takes depends on the density of the herb. Lemon verbena or mint will take less time than thicker herbs like lavender or sage. Let them dry until the crumble but are not so dry there is not flavor left.

I use my dehydrator to dry different fruits – strawberries, orange peels, apple pieces – all make great additions to tea.

Cut them into thin slices, then dry until they have very little moisture left in them. You can do this in the oven at about 180 degrees for a few hours, or in a dehydrating machine, like I have.

Once they are dried enough, chop them up to mix into the herbs.

If you’re looking for a little darker tea, add some of the dried fruits to some loose black tea.

Making the Essence of Summer herbal tea

This tea is made of lemon verbena, lavender and strawberries. It’s light and naturally sweet. Like any tea, the longer you steep it, the stronger the flavor will be.

Start by adding the ingredients to a mortar or clean coffee grinder. The grinder will make a finer blend but will need to be put into tea bags. The mortar and pestle will make a coarse grind that will work in a tea diffuser.

After the herbs are blended, put a couple of teaspoon into tea bags. Close and store in a sealed plastic bag to keep it fresh.

If you are not using tea bags, an air tight container will keep it for a few month.

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Essence of Summer Herbal Tea

This tea is made of lemon verbena, lavender and strawberries. It's light and naturally sweet. Like any tea, the longer you steep it, the stronger the flavor will be.

Course: beverage

Cuisine: garden fresh, herbal

Keyword: herbs, lavender, lemon verbena, strawberries

Servings: 10 servings

Author: HelenFern

Ingredients

• 1 cup dried lemon verbena
• 1/4 cup dried lavender flowers
• 1/4 cup dried strawberries, chopped

Instructions

1. Start by adding the ingredients to a mortar or clean coffee grinder. The grinder will make a finer blend but will need to be put into tea bags. The mortar and pestle will make a coarse grind that will work in a tea diffuser.

2. After the herbs are blended, put a couple of teaspoon into tea bags. Close and store in a sealed plastic bag to keep it fresh.

3. If you are not using tea bags, an air tight container will keep it for a few months.

Recipe Notes

 

© Copyright 2023 The Lazy Gastronome

Tea Blend Ideas

Here are some ideas of herbs that make a tasty cup of tea:

• Lemon balm and orange peel
• Peppermint and lavender
• Rosemary and peaches
• Basil, lemon balm and lavender
• Green tea, lemon verbena, ginger
• Black tea, apricots, ginger
• Black tea, orange peel, lemon balm

© Copyright 2023 The Lazy Gastronome

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