Health, Living Naturally, Ranch Life

DIY Blending Your Own Tea

November 4, 2018

Making your own tea and blending herbs can be confusing as well as intimidating. Personally, it took me a few months to feel confident but over time…it all really doesn’t matter -just so it tastes good to you. Yep, that’s right…just don’t worry about it! Tea blending is all in what you love, taste, and feel. That’s it! Begin by having some kind of journal so you can write down the tea blends you tried. You can make a note or use faces…I love using those emoji faces! Kinds of Teas, Herbs, Spices, and Essential Oils (just a few of the most popular and flavorful) Base Tea: Black, White, Roboos, Green, Oolong, Fruit, Macha Add a dash: Ginger, Orange Peel, Lemon Peel, Mints, Cinnamon, Clove, Cayenne Pepper Aroma delight: One drop of essential oil like orange, peppermint, spearmint, cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, lemon Flower Herbs: Elder Flower, Hibiscus, Rose Petal, Rose Hips, Lavender Medicinal Herbs: (Top herbs to have on hand especially cold and flu season) Ginger, Elderberry, garlic, Marshmallow, Elder Flower, Echinacea, Goldenseal, Yarrow, Dandelion leaf or Root Here are a few tips that I hope you will find helpful in your journey of tea blending. Once you find the group of herbs you like, make a label naming your new tea and put the ingredients of herbs on the label. Naming the most used herb first.

Make a cup of a few teas and have a taste test.

Tip 1: Fighting an illness:Taste-of-Herbs-Flavor-Wheel-Packet

Look at the link above even print it out to help you.
Find how your feeling or what you’re trying to fight.
Pick 3 herbs based on the chart. Blend only a cup of the herbs. Use 1 tsp for the herb that is needed to be the strongest. The other 2 use 1/2 tsp, and if one is a mint use only a sprinkle.

Once you have a blend you like, make up a bigger mason jar of the blend, adding your ingredients and name it, like cold/flu, cough, tummy, headache… Tip 2. Base tea leaves: Using one of these is making a caffeinated tea. Yet, it may be a wonderful blend to play with. When you go to order the tea leaves, Starwest is wonderful at giving you the info behind each one as well as the flavor. A tip in itself! Especially with these based teas. Once you have had a cup of the base tea add an herb you like- for example green tea with rose petals, rose hips, ginger, and orange. Again only make a small batch, giving you one to three cups so if you don’t like it you won’t waste your herbs. (If I make a cup I that is too pungent I will put it in my dinner some how…like when I am simmering meat I add the tea to water…I feel better when I don’t waste!) Tip 3.

Blend 2 herbs. Pick a flower or medicinal herb. Pick one dash and an aroma delight.
Only make one cup of tea using a 2 tsp of your choice herb and ½ tsp of your dash, brew and you’re ready to drink your cup add your drop of essential oil.

If you like this blend, write it down in your tea blend booklet.

Tip 4: (click on the Starwest link to get the herbs and spices you need even tea bags) Top herbs to have on hand all the time would be ones I love yes but also to help fight an oncoming cold or flu.

Elderberry both berry and the flower (I make a syrup to keep in the fridge all year round!)
Golden Seal, Yarrow, and Echinacea, (not the best tasting but sure powerful in helping aid in fevers, coughs, and upper respiratory)
Ginger and orange peel, and rose hips (gotta have flavor…these are not only medicinal but packed with flavor)
The above spices can be substituted for essential oils only one drop per cup. peppermint, ginger, clove bud, lemon, or orange

Lastly, when brewing your tea make sure to brew for at least 10-15 minutes. I know it may seem like a long wait, but it is important to let the herb steam through. Also, cover your mixed herb while it is brewing. Most tea strainers (Starwest has a wonderful one) do not have a cover so I use a lid of a mason jar. Enjoy blending and experimenting with your teas and spices. The joy of blending is feeling free enough to stretch your imagination and enjoy the smell and taste of your OWN blend. If you want to give your new tea as a gift…I love putting them in a mason jar and I made cute quilted bag but you can gift wrap yours with a tea strainer attached. Another opportunity to be creative!