[creeklady2000]

I have been growing more herbs and mints this year , i love tea!! and i drink alot of it in winter and fall ,, do any of you make your own mixes with different herbs and mints?? if so care to share what you make . Right now i am drying, balsam,colonial mint,lemon balm,chocolate mint, and i am going to pick rasberry leaves today off our plants to dry as well i have tried to grow camomile with out much luck,, what kinds do you grow???

 

[brosil]

We drink lots of apple mint but not much else in herbals.

 

[moonwolf]

I have made mint tea and tea from blueberry leaves.

 

[Oma2three]

I dry Sage leaves which we use for a sore throat and drink it with honey in it.Also dry Thyme for coughs ,and drink it with honey as a tea.

 

[halfpint]

I mostly do lemon balm and mint teas, but don't usually mix them.

 

[chickenista]

I like red clover and bee balm in the winter.. throw in a horehound leave if I am coughy.
I love stinging nettle and mint tea (unsweetened) in the heat of summer.

 

[saritamae]

I do lots of mints, and this year I'm experimenting with pineapple sage. I also use red clover and raspberry leaf. This is only my second year making tea so I'm still pretty new at this.

 

[CuriousWanderer]

I love herbal teas! I usually stick to a mint base if I mix. Mint and lemon balm is good. Chocolate mint and lavender before bed if I don't feel like chamomile. I also do a red raspberry leaf tea to help with my uterus issue.

 

[collegeboundgal]

persimmon leaf makes a good tea as well.

 

[big rockpile]

Sassafras

big rockpile

 

[gweny]

Raspberry, valerian, and chamomile for cramps. I add a bit of honey too.
Mostly I just drink chamomile.
If you are having problems growing it than you are likely just giving it to much attention. I just dumped a pack of seeds in a dry sunny spot and walked away (after 2 years of trying to start from seed in doors, soil testing / prep and amendments). Ignoring it and barely watering it seems to do the trick. Now that it has reseeded itself I can't get rid of it!

 

[creeklady2000]

thank you for the advice and what you do i am going to pick raspberry leaves today from my plants and dry them , i figure i spend way to much on box teas in the winter and i am looking for way to cut that cost and i love growing my herbs so that is a bonus ,, ys i know what you mean about to much attention we though a bunch of mint plants out of the garden pathways and it is thriving in the compost pile lol,, i think i will try to dry some of my purple sage as well good idea for that ,, do you store yours in a dark container??

 

[chickenista]

Try to store the dried leaves as whole as possible.
If you crumble them up small they oxide more and lose their everything much faster.

And a note..herbal teas are yummy, but can have effects as a lot of them are also used medicinally.
-lemon balm can increase hypothyroidism and should be taken with care.
-don't drink raspberry tea in the early stages of pregnancy.
-blackberry tea is great for diarrhea, but can be hard on the liver if you drink it too often and can interfere with the absorption of some vitamins and minerals

Avoid mint tea if you are nursing as it can dry up the milk flow. So can lemon balm and sage teas.

 

[Vahomesteaders]

We do lots of chamomile and mint tea. I also do ginseng that grows wild here. Next we are going to stay growing velarian and aswagandah tea. Love those. We drink a lot of tea fir medical and pleasure. Gonna grow a ton more next year.

 

[creeklady2000]

I am well aware of some of the medical issues i have read about herbs for many years and i am very careful about what i drink but thank you for the heads up. I said i drink alot but i should have said what that was i drink a cup or two everyday after coffee in the am , I like something hot to drink during the day but i dont want the sugar with other things and i am not a huge fan of using chemicle's in my drink either so i am trying a few new things ,,, but would like to have certain herbs put away for certain things like winter colds sore throat and other things as well , so i am doing lot's more reseach on the subject and i find it all very facinating to read about as well.

 

[Lindonell]

Is it possible to make green tea?

 

[TnMtngirl]

Can tea be made using ginseng leaves?

 

[motdaugrnds]

My favorite tea of late has been Passion Flower. I have a whole feed sack full of both the flowers as well as the leaves that have been dried; and creating a tea from this has kept my nerves well balanced thru this year's ordeals. Also, it is nice and sweet so needs no additives.

I have some mints growing nicely (chocolate, peppermint, orange, ginger) but have not made any teas out of them yet as I'm not real sure how to use them or what their side effects might be. Any experiences about these would be eagerly accepted.

 

[Vahomesteaders]

My favorite tea of late has been Passion Flower. I have a whole feed sack full of both the flowers as well as the leaves that have been dried; and creating a tea from this has kept my nerves well balanced thru this year's ordeals. Also, it is nice and sweet so needs no additives.

I have some mints growing nicely (chocolate, peppermint, orange, ginger) but have not made any teas out of them yet as I'm not real sure how to use them or what their side effects might be. Any experiences about these would be eagerly accepted.

Little to no side effects. Great for the stomach and digestion. Mint can be a little odd a stimulate so don't drink before bed. It can also cause vivid dreams but that's pretty rare for most. It mixes well with the passion flower.

 

[Bellyman]

We have a small patch of apple mint which we've used to make tea all spring and summer. There hasn't really been enough to try to preserve it but we sure do enjoy it. Made with a little stevia (can be just a few sprigs off of a stevia plant placed in with the tea leaves while they steep) it's sweet enough for me. I don't like how awfully sweet premade teas like you'd buy in the store are. Way, way too sweet. Just a little sweetness is all I need.

The only other thing I've done is to add some green tea leaves to the mix while steeping. It's a different flavor, still good, but different.