Homegrown Herbal Tea?

[tortoise]

Does anyone make herbal tea entirely from ingredients you've grown?

I tried a blueberry tea which I love and I think I can replicate next year.

What's up with nettle tea? How do you not get stung by it?

 

[rodeogirl]

So do I, I got my sage and mint from my mom but this was my last year since she sold the house. But I got about 3 lbs of sage and 2 lbs of mint.

 

[milkmansdaughter]

This is an old thread, but I was reading it today looking for information on nettle tea. @sumi, you might find this thread interesting.

I did not know to separate mint or that mice didn't like it. I did know it can be invasive. I've got a lot of mint and oregano that made it through last winter. I'll add more herb beds this year.

 

[Britesea]

Congestion and Allergies: Burdock, Cardamom, Cayenne, Coltsfoot, Couch Grass, Garlic, Juniper, Nettle, Parsley, Peppermint, Pine, Pleurisy Root

Cough: Coltsfoot, Feverfew, Horehound, Mullein, Oregano, Thyme, Valerian

 

[frustratedearthmother]

I'm going to have to pay more attention to what's growing on the side of the road around here. I do know where there's a good stand of cat tails. Wonder if the neighbor would be upset if I dug some up and planted 'em in his pond?

 

[lcertuche]

I buy fresh ginger to keep in the freezer. When I am sick I will grate it and make tea out of it for my stomach. It works better than anything for a queasy stomach. Also, has a lot of anti-inflammatory properties for pain.

 

[lcertuche]

I picked a few blackberry leaves this Summer and dried. I wanting to try it for tea, just waiting for cooler weather. I planted some mint this Spring but it didn't do anything. I can't even find it now. I figured it would go crazy by the pond but I guess it got waterlogged. I didn't know mint could be killed.

 

[Hinotori]

I eat cooked nettles. They very much remind me of spinach. just wear gloves when picking. it doesn't take much heat to neutralize the little hairs.

 

[sumi]

I'm going to try and grow herbs again next year. The cold and chickens wiped out my oregano and the basil didn't last long out of the supermarket, ditto the rosemary. Note to self: do not buy plants at the supermarket again…

The only homegrown herbal tea I can remember drinking was chamomile. That was very nice.

 

[Britesea]

A friend gave me a cutting of chocolate mint, which I have managed to root in a glass of water. Now I have to get it into a pot. She also warned me that if you grow different kinds of mint, keep them far apart; if they are too close together, they will cross or something, and you end up with just a generic minty taste.
I planted a bit of ginger root this fall, and it now has three full leaves, woot!
I have made tea from our wild chamomile and mint, also nettle tea (I dry huge amounts during the summer so we will have plenty for the winter months). I've also added herbs like borage and lemon balm to my black tea.