Blending Your Own Herbal Teas

Points to remember:

• Begin with a high mineral. These herbs will give your tea body. Two great high mineral herbs are: Nettles and Alfalfa.

• Choose a couple of herbs with volatile oils, herbs with good scent and are flavourful. These plants include: Peppermint, Lemon Balm, Rosemary, Sage.

• Plants high in flavonoids will give your tea a mildly sour taste. Adding one of these plants supports absorption of minerals and other nutrients. These plants include: Hawthorn flowers and leaf, Elder Berry, Rosehips.

• Bitter tasting herbs are important for good digestion and relaxation. A herb does not need to be strongly bitter to offer these effects. These herbs include: Chamomile, Mugwort, Dandelion leaf.

Formulation principals

• The bulk of your tea is made up of plants high in minerals

• Then add your plants with flavonoids. If using berries, they are heavier than the other plants in your tea, by weight they will have the highest percentage

• Gently add plants high in volatile oils or those with a bitter flavour. They have a strong flavour and can overpower the other herbs. Remember you can always add more, but it is difficult to remove a plant once it is mixed with others.

Infusing your herbal teas

• I prefer my tea loose in the teapot, not constrained in a tea ball.

• The traditional ratio of herb to water is 1 tablespoon of herb to 1 cup of water. I prefer 1 tablespoon of herb to 2 cups of water, for a more pleasant tea. (Of course this depends on the plants in the tea as well.)

• Boil the water and pour over the herbs.

• Steep for 20 minutes.

• I often re-use the same tea throughout the day by adding more water.

• When preparing your tea, think kind thoughts for yourself and the tea.

• Try to sit down and relax while sipping your tea