Mints and balms (lamiaceae family) are among the easiest of the herbal plants to grow. It doesn’t take much to get them started, and it’s very difficult to kill them. And to add, there are so many different varieties of mint and plants within its family, that you can mix and match flavors to create teas and waters to suit whatever your mood. I tend to select varieties with more subtle “mintiness”. The citrus mints fall nicely into this category. Some of the other fruity flavors like pineapple and apple mint are close behind. Here are a few herbal mint tea blends that I find refreshing just before my Saturday morning garden rendezvous or as a calming end to a busy day. Lemon Balm Tea ¼ cup fresh lemon balm leaves or 2 Tbsp dried leaves 12 oz water Sweetener Pineapple Lemon Balm Tea 1 Tbsp dried pineapple mint 1- 1½ Tbsp dried lemon balm 8 oz water sweetener Citrus Tea Blend 1 Tbsp dried lemon balm ½ Tbsp dried orange mint ½ Tbsp dried apple mint 12 oz water Sweetener A quarter cup of fresh leaves is about the equivalent of 2 tablespoons of the same leaves dried. Some herbalists say the flavors are more intense when leaves are dried rather than fresh, so you use less. I haven’t tested this theory yet since I’ve only been drinking teas from my garden for two years. I definitely don’t claim to be an expert at this, and I am not a doctor of medicine. So, please do you own research and do what is best for you. (I actually do have an earned doctorate- in education:) That said, you can prepare your herbal tea by dropping the herbs into a cloth tea bag or metal tea infuser. Place the blend into the kettle of water and bring the water to boil. If you don’t have a tea diffuser, it’s okay. You can even put the leaves and plant parts directly into the water to boil, then use a fine mesh sieve to separate the liquid from the leaves and stems. There are many who prepare tea this way. I usually boil the water first or heat it in the coffee maker. Then I pour the boiling water right into my tea cup over the diffuser or strainer that I’ve filled with herbs. Most times I use dried herbs, but you can also mix a combination of dry and fresh. If you choose to add the herbs last, you will need to steep the tea for at least 10-15 minutes. The longer it steeps, the bolder the taste. However, be careful that you don’t leave it so long it grows bitter. The flavor is also more intensified if you place a top over the tea to keep the steam in. Once the tea is ready, there are a few ways to sweeten it. I didn’t include a measure for this since people have different preferences. I prefer my tea less sweet than others. (Some may question my southern roots for this reason.) Honey is often used as an organic option. Stevia is a herb you can grow in your tea garden to sweeten beverages. Add them right into your herbal tea blend dry or fresh. You’ll only need one to three leaves for one cup of tea. Be warned. Stevia may alter the taste of your blend just a little, and it is sweeter than sugar. Finally, you may choose to use white or raw sugar. It's that simple. Boil. Strain. Sweeten. Sip. Adding just a few herbs to your garden can yield enough leaves to spruce up your tea life throughout the summer and well into winter. Don’t forget to compost the discarded plant material to feed your garden. ~Penny Candy Read A Refreshing Cup of Tea if you are interested in learning about our early introduction to peppermint, spearmint or chocolate mint.
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Last summer we finally plunged into drinking herbal teas from plants grown in our garden. We had common mint, peppermint, and spearmint that were nearly growing out of control. We had to do something. And quick! I often tell the story of how we’ve killed many flowers and trees over the years simply because we weren’t familiar enough with the way clay soil disrespects so many plants. But guess what? It doesn’t kill mint. Despite our efforts to plant it in a garden box to contain it, the stuff creeped out into the blackberry patch, it’s poking through our asparagus and it’s moseyed its way to the front of the chicken run. It’s everywhere- especially in the places we had no desire for it to grow. So, we started researching what we could do with all this mint. It all began with a simple soothing peppermint tea that wakes up your senses with a refreshing tingle. The kids swore it tasted like mouthwash, but it had some soothing qualities. We then added lemon balm. I absolutely love the taste. It has the same effect, but the lemon fragrance and flavor makes it much more tolerable and pleasing to the taste buds. Chocolate mint has a dark, earthy flavor. Although I can tolerate the tea, some people prefer it for cooking. I’ve thought about using it in chocolate brownies to give them an unexpected kick. Tinkering with these mints has really piqued my interest in herbal teas. I’ve always preferred tea over coffee. In fact, when we moved from Charleston back home, we filled an entire 30-gallon black trash bag with tea alone. But there is something about snipping leaves from my own backyard that has got me rethinking my whole tea game. So, with the total renovation of our garden, I decided to dedicate space to a tea garden. We have a few plants in the space already, English lavender, lemon thyme, stevia, and rosemary. But many of the plants we intend to dry this year are interspersed throughout the yard, in pots, beds and patches. We’re debuting a few more mint varieties: apple, grapefruit, orange, and pineapple. Each one is so unique. Aside from their intoxicating scents, each one holds its own beautiful qualities. The leaves on apple mint are fuzzy and soft to the touch. The citrus plants both have orange and red tints that compliment their greenery. Pineapple just may be my favorite with its variegated leaves. It makes a beautiful addition to a container garden or patio display. In addition to mints, we’re growing chamomile, echinacea (purple coneflower), bee balm (monarda/bergamot), calendula, and yarrow. Some of these were already a part of our pollinator garden, while others were added to enhance our herbal teas. We have not tried raspberry leaves and rose hips, but we have so many, we will definitely be testing them out as well. When I was a little girl, I remember my parents pulling mint from a ditch in our back yard to make a refreshing tea. In the winter, my mother would boil slivers of ginger root and lemon peels to treat our colds. Occasionally, a few slices of onion would be added. She often talked about wandering through the woods with her father looking for wild native plants that had healing properties. While our grandparents and great-grandparents knew how to forage the land to keep themselves healthy, younger generations are void of this gift. It is my hope that I can learn more about the very weeds we so feverishly rush to yank from our gardens each year and gather facts on how to use them for our benefit.
~Penny Candy |
AuthorI'm a wife, mother, daughter, educator, writer and hobby farmer. Welcome to my world of simply living. Archives
December 2023
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