Do you buy herbal tea? Did you know you can easily make your own homemade herbal tea? Not all herbal teas must be made with dried herbs too. Have you tried making an herbal tea with fresh herbs?
I drink a lot of homemade herbal tea. I used to drink a lot of herbal tea because I was always cold and because I just like hot tea, but recently I’ve learned that I enjoy cold herbal tea too. That’s a plus in the summer. I’m embarrassed to say, it had never occurred to me to drink it cold.
Where to Get Herbs for Your Homemade Herbal Tea
You can get so many kinds of dried herbs these days. There’s no limit to the all the different types of teas you can make. And you can find recipes all over the web for any mix of herbal tea you could ever want. Here’s a look at some of the places to find herbs for your own herbal tea blends.
Grow your own herbs
Growing your own herbs isn’t just for cooking. You can grow almost anything you like for herbal tea too.
Growing your own herbs and drying them or using them fresh is an awesome way to enjoy herbal tea. You’ll always know where the herbs come from and never have to worry what might have been sprayed on them.
Going to the store
Most organic markets sell all kinds of fresh and dried herbs. Where I live there are several organic stores with a litany of dried herbs and flowers that can be used in teas. Fresh herbs can be found almost everywhere.
Stopping at your farmers markets is another great way to find herbs. Some of these won’t be dried, but you can easily dry them yourself. You can buy them in bulk from a farmer and dry them for making tea during the off months.
Shopping Online
There are several online sites that sell organic herbs. Actually, one of the online sites I have bought from I found through one of the organic markets I shop at locally.
Here are a few I’ve used before. I’m sure there are more out there, so you can do your own research and maybe you’ll find a few more I haven’t found yet.
Shop your own spice rack
You probably have a mess of herb that make great teas in your own spice rack. Did you know that rosemary, basil, sage as well as other cooking herbs make great teas?
First, check the date on your herbs. As long as they’ve been kept in your cabinet closed up they won’t likely be bad, but the older the herbs, the more flavor they will loose and any benefits they may provide will diminish with time.
If you research the herbs you have in your kitchen you’ll discovery they have so many more uses than just adding great flavor to your food. The’re just as amazing mixed in teas.
I have a mix of dried herbs I use to help with arthritis pain in my fingers. I did my research on specific herbs I like and then created a mix that tasted good to me. Some of those herbs come out of my kitchen cabinet. If I drink it daily, I’ve discovered I don’t have any arthritis issues in my hands anymore. While, I can’t say it would work the same for you, I could tell you that it’s a good tasting tea that I’d drink even if it didn’t ease the pain in my hands.
Don’t Be Afraid To Try
Start with the herbs you have in your kitchen cabinet. You might be surprised. Do your own research regarding the benefits of each herb and decide which you would like to try first.
Then taste them. Decide on which flavors you like the best. You probably have some idea already from cooking with them.
Maybe mix a few together. You’ll only need a teaspoon or so for a cup of tea, so it’s not like you’ll lose a lot if you don’t like it. Add a little honey if you prefer some sweetness.
Then you can go to those organic stores nearby and buy a few more. Maybe try something new. You can buy them online too. Some of the online stores I use have huge selections.
Write it down
The one thing I am forever doing is mixing and not writing down my mix ratios. A few of them that I really liked I have yet to reproduce because I didn’t write down my herbal mix and ratio.
I like to mix bigger batches in quart jars and then label them. My kitchen is full of Mason jars filled with herbs and tea mixes. You can buy the labels that wash off so your jars are easy to reuse. Or you might find that perfect mix and just keep filling your jar over and over.
Before you know it, you’ll be a mixing master, at least for those homemade herbal teas you like the most. And isn’t that what’s most important, making the tea you most enjoy for you and your family?
I hope you enjoy mixing tea blends specifically to your taste. Let me know what you made and if you made it for a specific purpose or just because you liked it. It’d be great if you’d share your recipe too, but you can keep it a secret. A lot of us are always looking for a good tea mix. I’ll put some out shortly.
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Until next time –
Health, Wealth & Blessings ~ Tracey
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