Hi. I'm interested in making tea, and I have no experience at all. I don't have any tea/herb plants yet, but plan on buying some soon. I want to make all kinds of teas. I see lots of tea recipes posted here, and they're getting me excited.
How do you prepare the herbs and flowers for tea making? Do you dry them first - how? Do you use a dehydrator? How long do they store? Do they store best in the freezer? Which plants do you use the flowers, which plants do you use the leaves, and which plants can you use both the flowers and leaves? Can you add fruits like mangoes or papayas, and how do you prepare them? Thanks!
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HonoluluGirl
- Senior Member
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- Joined: Fri Mar 02, 2012 7:01 pm
- Location: Hawaii
Oh, so many questions HonoluluGirl. And, I thought you were just interested in sweet tomatoes!
Once again, you may need some very local advice because of the difference between climates.
That said. You should try herbs both dried and fresh. Tastes vary but so does the flavor reflect the processing. I'm kind of so-so about catnip fresh but especially enjoy it after it has been dried.
Drying may be difficult in humid climates. I don't know much about that, this region of the Wild West is quite arid during the summer and fall. A small bunch of herbs, hung under the roof of my deck, will dry very, very quickly. In just a couple of days, I'm comfortable with bringing them in and putting them in a bag for later use. The bags that I like to use are the waxed ones like you may get from the pharmacy but a plastic bag will do. They keep for months and months in my kitchen cabinets.
You may want to just rinse your freshly cut herbs well and put them in a zip-lock bag and place them in your freezer. I do that with both lemon verbena and anise hyssop - two of my favorite tea herbs.
The anise hyssop seems best to me just as it begins to flower. There may be quite a bit of the purple blooms showing up but I do not want it getting close to going to seed. But anyway, that is me. You should think about what flavors and commercial herbal teas you enjoy and what you will be able to grow. Then, experiment - it is part of the fun!
Steve
Once again, you may need some very local advice because of the difference between climates.
That said. You should try herbs both dried and fresh. Tastes vary but so does the flavor reflect the processing. I'm kind of so-so about catnip fresh but especially enjoy it after it has been dried.
Drying may be difficult in humid climates. I don't know much about that, this region of the Wild West is quite arid during the summer and fall. A small bunch of herbs, hung under the roof of my deck, will dry very, very quickly. In just a couple of days, I'm comfortable with bringing them in and putting them in a bag for later use. The bags that I like to use are the waxed ones like you may get from the pharmacy but a plastic bag will do. They keep for months and months in my kitchen cabinets.
You may want to just rinse your freshly cut herbs well and put them in a zip-lock bag and place them in your freezer. I do that with both lemon verbena and anise hyssop - two of my favorite tea herbs.
The anise hyssop seems best to me just as it begins to flower. There may be quite a bit of the purple blooms showing up but I do not want it getting close to going to seed. But anyway, that is me. You should think about what flavors and commercial herbal teas you enjoy and what you will be able to grow. Then, experiment - it is part of the fun!
Steve
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rainbowgardener
- Super Green Thumb
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Steve gave you an excellent answer. I will just add you don't need a dehydrator for drying. I dry most of mine, because I like to make tea blends. Mostly I hang them upside down as Steve suggested. Tie the bottoms of the stems into a bundle and then hang them upside down inside a paper bag, like a grocery bag. The paper bag keeps them dark and helps keep it a little dehumidified, since the paper absorbs humidity.
As soon as they are dry (crumble easily) strip them from the stems. I wouldn't store in plastic, I use either glass jars or paper envelopes.
If it is too humid to air dry them, you can also oven dry them. Set your oven on the lowest setting. Spread your leaves (stripped from the stems) and flowers on a cookie sheet or something like that. Put them in the oven and then turn the oven off after maybe fifteen minutes (without opening it, so it stays warm).. You want to dry them, not bake them. Leave them in the oven for at least a few hours. If they aren't dry at that point do another cycle.
As soon as they are dry (crumble easily) strip them from the stems. I wouldn't store in plastic, I use either glass jars or paper envelopes.
If it is too humid to air dry them, you can also oven dry them. Set your oven on the lowest setting. Spread your leaves (stripped from the stems) and flowers on a cookie sheet or something like that. Put them in the oven and then turn the oven off after maybe fifteen minutes (without opening it, so it stays warm).. You want to dry them, not bake them. Leave them in the oven for at least a few hours. If they aren't dry at that point do another cycle.
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HonoluluGirl
- Senior Member
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- Joined: Fri Mar 02, 2012 7:01 pm
- Location: Hawaii
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PunkRotten
- Greener Thumb
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- Joined: Sat Apr 16, 2011 8:48 pm
- Location: Monterey, CA.
I am doing it this year. I am growing Chocolate mint, Sweet mint, Peppermint, Lemon Balm, Chamomile, Lavender, Anise Hyssop, Sage, Rosemary, Yarrow etc.
So far I have been harvesting some Mint and putting it in my dehydrator. I have had a few cups of tea with just straight mint it is pretty good. I don't have enough of the other stuff yet to really harvest (except sage and rosemary).
So far I have been harvesting some Mint and putting it in my dehydrator. I have had a few cups of tea with just straight mint it is pretty good. I don't have enough of the other stuff yet to really harvest (except sage and rosemary).