Did you know that your garden is full of tea ? Yep . Many attractive herbs and wildflowers we develop in our gardens , as well as workaday blossom and vegetables , can yield satisfying herbal teatime throughout the year . As the world around us spins ever faster , is n’t it endearing just to sit down for a few minutes with a ardent cup of tea to solace the soul ? It ’s even better with friends !
Here are some of my favorite herbal teas to grow :
Plenty ofother plantsyou might not have considered can be used to create teas , including goldenrod ( know as Liberty Tea during the American Revolution ) , stinging nettles , licorice , passionflower , genus Liatris , and glorious bee balm with its tangy crimson pennant . Some of the delicious and surprising fruit and vegetables that are perfect for tea include little citrus trees of all form , peppiness , and maize ! Try roast corn whisky Camellia sinensis — a Korean specialty — and you ’ll trust it ’s coffee … but at a fraction of the monetary value .
What ’s crucial to know is n’t how to grow these plant , but how to harvest and maintain their aromatic persona for the freshest relish and maximum shelf life . Below are tips for harvesting teas so you’re able to continue enjoying them , even after you put the garden to bed .
When To Harvest
Pick Leaves Early
If you plan to expend the leaves of a plant to make tea , the best clip to come out harvesting is shortly before the plant bud and produce flower . Once flower production begins , the plants ’ energy is all plump to the flush and subsequently the ejaculate ; the result is that bequeath fade and become tougher , and lose their most likable flavor lineament . Be on the outlook in spring : When plants put on their luxuriant first emergence , harvest time is near — don’t wait for June 21 .
Flowers Must Be Fresh
If flowers are your goal , harvest when bloom are in their prime quantity , before the petal have get down to moderate and fade . Sometimes you may desire flower buds , such as rosebush buds or lilac buds , so harvest the onrush of bud every few days .
Time of Day Matters
No matter what you are harvest in the realm of herbaceous plant and flowers , the time of day you harvest has a unmediated shock on the quality of the tea . The ideal metre is early morning time , just after the dew has vaporize but before the direct sun dilutes the plant ’ aromatic oils .
Watch the Weather
Keep an eye on the weather single-valued function . Because herbs and other industrial plant parts keep best if they are not wet to begin with , attempt to harvest on the morning after an evening rainfall . Rainwater wash your plants ’ leaves and flower petal and then dries quickly and naturally without any pettifoggery . Your plants are clean with no manipulation that might bruise the tender component .
How To Dry
While you could — and should!—make tea straight from fresh leaves or flower by macerating the plant and just tot piddle , it ’s also unspoilt to preserve a bumper craw for yearlong use . To do this , you ’ll need to dry the plant material so it does n’t go bad .
Air Drying
The easiest direction to dry herbs for afternoon tea is to hang bundled plants together or dry them on screen , both in a ace - dry attic . Then loosely carry the part you want and store them in meth jars . In waterless role of the country , this method is a snap , but elsewhere may not be so easy . It may take 24-hour interval or even calendar week to air - dry out some plants , and they require frequent monitoring .
Dehydrator
A more exact dry out method is to employ an electric or solar - powered dehydrator . Never use an oven for dehydrating teas , as oven temperatures do n’t go humbled enough and can demolish much of the feel and odour by overheating .
Afood dehydratorfeatures temperature control condition starting at 95 degree F , which is the mise en scene for herbs and spices . evaporation to the proper moisture level — about 85 percentage generally — takes only a few hours in most case . Your house will smell out wonderful in the summons !
Because herbs dry at a lower temperature than many other plant used for making teas , do n’t mix batches of plant stuff .
How To Store
Store teas in glassful jar in a cool , dark place . annul area near the stove and in direct sun . Air temperature over 60 degrees F can shorten the flavor life of a tea , and sunlight makes their pretty colour fade .
Take these extra steps to preserve your garden ’s herbal bountifulness , and you ’ll be sip fresh afternoon tea all year long . ”
