There is something very beautiful and rewarding in making your own tea. Whether you buy herbs or grow your own, experimenting with different herbs, flowers, flavors, smells and colors, will allow you to discover the wonderful health and nutritious benefits these plants have to offer our bodies. I assure you that once you start blending your own teas and start doing your own research, your eyes will be open to the wonderful, nourishing gifts that herbs have hidden for us to discover. Think about what you are putting into your body, and how many health benefits homemade tea has to offer. You are literally nourishing your body from the inside out.
I enjoy harvesting the gentle, sweet smelling rose petals off the wild rose bushes that grow in my yard and along the creek. Living out here in the mountains, I observe the wildlife, watching what they eat and what they favor or dislike. For many years now, a certain cow moose has devoured my wild rose hips before winter. I have discovered that she does this out of instinct to nourish her nursing calf through her milk. That in of itself, tells me that even certain animals know what mother nature has to offer in the healing benefits from certain plants. How much more can we as humans learn by doing our own research, consuming herbs for ourselves, reap the health benefits from herbs?
As for adding other ingredients and herbs to this tea, I like to keep it simple. I want tea full of vitamin C, has immune and digestive support, has a mild and refreshing flavor, is organic, and is easy to make.
This tea is mellow, light, refreshing, and hydrating. It has a light, subtle, floral, minty flavor.
The rose I chose for this blend is The Woods' Rose (Rosa Woodsii), a native Montana rose bush. The Woods' Rose is a delicate, sweet smelling rose. Explore and look for native roses in your area that have not been treated or sprayed with pesticides to use in your own homemade tea. The best time to harvest rose petals is early in the spring when they have abundant blooms. Their delicate petals easily
blow away with the wind, so harvest them when it is calm outside. The best time to harvest the petals is in the mid-morning after the dew has evaporated. The petals should be a bright pink and free of bug bites.
Carefully pick the petals from the base of the rose, then gently rinse them off. Next, air dry them on a mesh tray, or a netted sieve. The air needs to evenly distribute around the petals, and the petals need to be kept away from direct sunlight. Toss the petals around every day until dry. This can take up to a week. You can keep the dried petals in an air tight jar for up to six months.
There are so many health benefits that rose petals have to offer. Rose petals are high in anti-oxidants, have relaxing effects, soothe anxiety and tension, reduces the symptoms of inflammation, and aids digestion.
Mojito Mint (mentha x villosa) is a perennial herb. I grow this fragrant herb in my garden and harvest it frequently for my teas. It has a mild mint flavor, a cross between peppermint and spearmint. It is fragrant and pleasing to the senses. It is also high in anti-oxidants, soothes and eases digestion, aids the
immune system, helps soothe nasal decongestion, and helps relieve headaches.
Cut healthy, fresh leaves from the plant and gently wash them to remove any dirt or insects. Drain the leaves and carefully pat them dry. Air dry them on a mesh tray , or a netted sieve, until completely dry. They should be crisp and crumbly feeling. You can crush or crumble the leaves and then keep them in an air tight jar for up to six months.
The third ingredient to this high in vitamin C tea is dried orange peel. Save those orange peels! After you have washed the peels, you can dehydrate them in a dehydrator, or spread them onto parchment paper onto a baking sheet, and place them into the oven, at 200 degrees for 20-30 minutes, until they are hard
and curly. Remove them from the oven, let them cool completely, then store in an airtight jar for up to six months. Orange peel is high in vitamin C and is also a digestive aid.
To make the tea blend, combine:
3 cups of dried roes petal
1 cup of mojito mint
2 tablespoons of orange peel into a jar
For a cup of of tea, infuse 1 tablespoon of the herbal blend into 8-12 ounces of hot water and steep for 5 minutes. If you want to drink it cold, once the tea has cooled from the hot infusion, just simply add some ice to your cup.
Keep it simple and relish the wonderful health benefits of making your own tea.
Disclaimer:
I am not a doctor, nor do I diagnose or treat people. While I do seek scientific confirmation of the safety and effectiveness of the herbs and natural remedies that I use, remember that using herbs and natural remedies are a personal choice. The information that I share on my blogs are not intended to diagnose, treat or prevent disease. All things on these blogs are my opinions and shared knowledge, based on my research or the research of others. Also, if you have a medical condition, are taking pharmaceutical drugs, or are pregnant, please consult with your physician prior to taking herbs or attempting natural remedies.
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