It took me two embarrassingly long years to get a mug of tea from my garden that didn’t taste like grass. The secret to a good cup of leaves? Use more than you think you need. Pair a strong flavor with more subtle flavors to bring the best out of them both. I like to always add at least one flower to my leaves, such as calendula, chamomile, lavender, etc.
Not every herb is ready at the same steeping time, so I try to opt for the lowest common denominator. Chamomile and lavender tend to get bitter more quickly than peppermint or lemon balm, which can be steeped for ages with only positive outcomes.
And don’t try shoving all these leaves into one of those little ball strainers. If you don’t have a good loose leaf strainer, stop by the Trading Post and pick up our favorite for your future brewing. Until then, just steep the leaves in the water and strain them out with a sieve.
Herbal Tea with Fresh Herbs
1
servings10
minutes8
minutesA comforting mug of herbal tea from fresh leaves right out of the garden. Substitute anything for anything and you'll still probably end up with a really enjoyable cup. Rule of thumb? Double the yummy to the medicinal.
Ingredients
Your favorite mug
A loose leaf tea strainer
Boiling fresh water
2 TBSP chamomile flowers
1 TBSP of peppermint leaves
1 TBSP of lemon balm leaves
1 TBSP of monarda leaves
1 tsp honey
Directions
- Turn on your kettle.
- Wash and pick the leaves and flower heads off your herbal bouquet.
- Add fresh herbs to a loose leaf tea strainer and set inside your mug.
- Pour hot or boiling water over the herbs and cover for 8 minutes. Chamomile tends to get bitter after 9-10 minutes, so I don’t recommend over-steeping unless using medicinally, in which case, try 15-20 minutes.
- Uncover and press the leaves to get out all the juicy goodness.
- Add honey to taste and enjoy!
