I've been trying out different types of medicinal teas.
This morning was a combination of mint and lemon balm - I picked a large handful of fresh herbs (a mix of both), popped them in the diffuser of my small teapot and let brew for 5mins. Nathan really enjoyed a small cup, Danielle not so much.
Mint teas are good if you need to relax, help with digestive problems (think after-dinner mints) and relieve headaches. Lemon balm (also a member of the mint family) has similar benefits in calming as well as aiding in digestion.
This evening I moved onto a sage tea (pictured above). A large handful of fresh sage leaves chopped up and popped into the diffuser and brewed for 5mins. A little honey can be added if needed, but when using fresh leaves it is not likely to be bitter (however is using dried herbs they can be).
5 comments:
Hmmm I am really enjoying herb teas :) Apple mint is my fav so far. My sage is still too small to make tea with but I'll try it when I can :)
Do you know if the taste is directly related to how much of the good stuff is in the drink? I'm guessing so... but the thing is, I like weak drinks so I'm not sure if I'm getting as much benefit from them medicinally. So far it's no big deal because I just drink them for taste, but I'm curious.
Brewed for 5mins when using fresh herbs is not very strong. From my understanding so far, you don't want to overbrew (up to 10mins is fine), as teas with volatile oils will release and they can become bitter which isn't really a good thing - safest when brewed for a brief time. I have found I enjoy the teas better when I am thinking of them medicinally - however, it's not about torture and I am finding them quite pleasant - but I'm more likely to drink them for a need than every day. When the herbs are made into infusions that is a bit different and they are left for much longer (hours), but they are made with dried herbs in that case and different types of herbs.
Enjoying your posts Nikki - and I LOVE your teapot!!
Hi Johanna! It is a neat teapot - it's my tetsubin made from cast iron and has a couple of little Japanese tea cups that go with it.
Mint and lemon balm sounds delicious. What type of mint did you use?
Jerusha
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