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Using fresh herbs for tea
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Posted by melikeeatplants 9 norcal (My Page) on Sat, Dec 10, 11 at 20:22
Does anyone cut these herbs fresh and steep them for tea?
Are any of them better dried?
I have growing:
Yarrow
Bee Balm
Mint
Oregano
Marjoram
Lemon Balm
Lemon Verbana
Lavender
Dwarf Leaf Curry
Cilantro
Parsley
Rosemary
Sage
Dill
Various Thymes
Chives? (Seems more like an onion plant than herb) |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Using fresh herbs for tea
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| All herbs on your list can be made into a tea, and all can be used fresh or dried. The thing you need to do now is to find out what medicinal effects each one has - and its contraindications and risk factors. Some will surprise you, not necessarily pleasantly. Any herbal tea is a medicine, and should be treated with due respect as such. |
RE: Using fresh herbs for tea
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| Chives are an herb generally used in cooking as opposed to tea. Onion soup - yummy! Onion tea, I don't think so! ;) FataMorgana |
RE: Using fresh herbs for tea
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| Yeah I didn't think chives would work, figured I would ask if it had been done though. Daisy,
If I'm drinking one cup a day but that herb always varies (so no herb twice in the same week) hopefully that would work. At most something like 4 cups a month of the same thing. Is there anything that can damage you on the list at levels like that? Any tricks for using them fresh in tea? I've only ever tried lemongrass tea with fresh cut leaves. Everything else I've ever had was dried. Thanks |
RE: Using fresh herbs for tea
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What does one do with yarrow? I keep seeing the leaves for sale and wondering what it's usueful for besides attracting bees?
Is the dwarf leaf curry good? Does it taste like curry? |
RE: Using fresh herbs for tea
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- Posted by batya Israel north 8-9-10 (My Page) on
Tue, Dec 13, 11 at 14:11
I use fresh yarrow leaves when I've cut myself in the kitchen. Rush outside, grab a bunch, smash them up (in a pinch once I just chewed on them) and put them on the bleeding finger. Worked like a charm, stopped the bleeding. Can be used on (in) noses, too.
IMO, oregano, marjoram, cilantro and parsley are great fresh or dried, in cooking. Parsley can be strong medicine, as is sage. I like dried sage better for burning, or fresh for cooking. Lavender is great fresh or dried for making things smell good, although using it for calming is very good too, whether as a tea or having it as a pillow over your eyes.
Just because you use it in cooking doesn't mean you don't get the medicinal effects as with drinking tea.
I heartily second Daisy - you need to be aware of the properties of what you use. Mint, sage, lavender, your whole list really - all are medicinal herbs. |
RE: Using fresh herbs for tea
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| I noticed that you didn't list basil (maybe because it's winter?), which is one of my favorite culinary herbs for tea. I make a basil and lemongrass tea which is my favorite herbal tea. My second favorite is mint - chocolate mint is fantastic for tea! I also often use lemon balm, sage and thyme in various teas. Thyme is especially nice - I like the lemon and orange varieties for teas. With all of these, my best tip is to muddle the herbs well after you've poured hot water over them to steep. This helps to make a stronger tea. With most culinary herbs, medicinal doses are a cup a day or more. Think of how much food contains these herbs in many cultures. However, I'm not as familiar with medicinal herbs (yarrow, for example), so I'd look into that more. |
RE: Using fresh herbs for tea
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| Lemon verbena holds its flavour well when dried, and is great in a tea when combined with mint. Dwarf leaf curry is, I believe, called a curry bush out here, and unlike the curry plant, has only a soft fragrance which disappears when cooking, so we add it to dishes at the last moment. |
RE: Using fresh herbs for tea
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| You are correct Julia I didn't include Basil because it's gone now (as is the chamomile). I do have some frozen basil though and it tastes great thrown in a soup at the last minute. Much better than dried basil (although I've never dried my own, just the store bought kind). Batya if all my herbs are "medicinal" it leads me ask what herbs aren't? Knobbly do you grow Lemon Verbena? Will heading cuts make it grow out more? It seems to like to grow straight up on long stems. |
RE: Using fresh herbs for tea
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| If anybody can name a HERB which does not have medicinal properties, I'd be glad to know of it. There are many PLANTS whose medicinal properties are not yet discovered. They are not herbs. |
RE: Using fresh herbs for tea
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I have lots of lemon grass and I also have a wonderful lemon which isn't a Meyer lemon, it has more orange qualities to it, the outside looks like an orange. I make one of my favorite teas with a piece of smashed lemon grass and a good sized wedge of my orange/lemon.
This can also be made with brown sugar and brandy for a wonderful hot toddy. |
RE: Using fresh herbs for tea
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| hmmm....Meyer is believed to be a cross between an orange and lemon. Maybe if you posted a picture of it on the citrus forum you could get an id. |
RE: Using fresh herbs for tea
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| We drink tea almost daily year round using mints, lemon verbena, lemon grass, lemon balm, stevia, and more. We dry plenty during the growing season to make it through the winter, but even a few of these are available now here in our zone 7 because each year I take my lemon grass from the pot in the spring, cut it into three pieces, two of which I plant in the garden (they make huge ornamental plants), and one I replant in the pot with fresh potting mix. I brought the pot in before frost, and am still cutting fresh lemon grass from it in the house. I also grow the stevia and lemon verbena in pots, so I get some of those in the winter as well, though lots of leaves drop. In the garden I also grow chamomile, bee balm, lemon thyme, and black currant (the leaves make an awesome tea if you get the right kind). We cut oregano when it is covered in flowers to dry for tea - it is a great tea for when we are dealing with colds and such. As well, we use sage and sometimes a small amount of rosemary in teas. A strong sage tea is good as a gargle to sooth a sore throat. I'm still looking for more things to include in our flavorful tea garden. We grow some of the other things you mentioned, dill, parsley, cilantro, chives, savory, thyme, lovage, tarragon, but I really consider those culinary herbs rather than tea herbs. And lavender is good for the nose, probably wouldn't drink/eat it. |
RE: Using fresh herbs for tea
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| Do you use your stevia dried or as an extract? I use stevia extract from the store and would like to start growing it. |
RE: Using fresh herbs for tea
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| I use fresh stevia leaves (they don't dry well), lemon balm leaves (don't dry well), and lime basil (don't dry well) leaves. In my experience with stevia, NEVER let it flower, it always dies after it flowers for me. I have also never tried to grow it from seeds, but I am going to soon |
RE: Using fresh herbs for tea
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| I dry oodles of lemon balm each year. They dry well for me. I just air dry them on screens. Food dehydrators on the lowest settings are too hot and do not work with lemon balm. How do you dry them? FataMorgana |
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