Make your own tea: The best herbs for your tea

I have been making my own tea for 2 years. I'll give you a great recipe for a homemade tea blend that tastes great.

You can easily make tea yourself - no need to buy expensive tea in the supermarket. Homemade tastes best!

If you are quick, you can still collect a few good herbs. In my mix for making your own tea, however, there are many different herbs that grow throughout the year.

You can, however, gather some great herbs this year for next year's tea blend.

Attention when collecting tea herbs!

My first tip: Really only collect the herbs you are sure about.

Whenever I go for a hike or a walk, I always have a small bag in my pocket. If a herb catches my eye, it is picked immediately.

This way you can transport the herbs home unharmed to make your own tea: Put them in a plastic bag. When you are done collecting, blow air into the bag and tie it tightly. This way your herbs are protected and can't get squished.

What you need to collect tea herbs

• A bag without holes
• A basket or backpack
• possibly a knife or scissors
• Google or this post :)

Never, really never, should you take herbs with you that are unknown to you. If you want to learn more about them, you can take part in herbal tours or treat yourself to a lesson with a herbalist. You will learn a lot and you can be sure that you won't get anything wrong.

In the meantime, you can buy dried herbs from some pharmacies and stores and mix them in.

Very many herbs can be used in a homemade herb tower pull on the balcony or in the garden.

What do I have to pay attention to when I want to dry herbs for making tea myself?

If you want your tea to be really delicious, then you need to be sure that all the ingredients 100 %ig dry. Otherwise, they will begin to mold and infect everyone else with it.

There are three ways to dry them, either in the oven, dehydrator or in the sun. For herbs to dry, they need heat and ideally a little sun. I like to use my winter garden in the summer to dry flowers and herbs.

If you don't have time to dry them right now, you should know how to fresh herbs properly stored. Only then you can get the healthy nutrients.

Herbs dry in the sun

Putting the herbs in the blazing sun all day is not a good idea. Because then the taste is lost. 2-3 hours of sun per day is ideal. In the sun they can be dried only on dry and warm days.

When I come home from my walk, I put the herbs I have collected on Baking paper and an old Baking tray. And then it's off to the window or outdoors.

You have to make sure you lay them apart so they can dry properly. That's how I leave them for a few days.

Of course, this also works on the Balcony. If it's windy, though, your herbs could quickly run for the hills. Evening you need to bring the herbs indoors. Otherwise, the morning dew will make them damp again.

Oven and dehydrator

You are much more flexible with the oven or the drying machine.

Do you want them in the Oven dry, this is of course also no problem. At 30 ° to 40 ° your homemade tea needs about 3 hours. Depending on the herb may be more or less.

Always leave the oven open a little so that the moisture can escape. The best way to do this is to stick a cooking spoon in the door.

Making herbal tea yourself - always individual

When the herbs are dry, I put them in empty Jam jars and close them tightly. If your herbs were not properly dry, they will begin to mold. Let them dry in the sun one day too long rather than too short.

They are really dry when you can crumble them between your fingers.

The great advantage of separately stored herbs is that you can make yourself a different herbal tea every time. Depending on your mood, you can mix in more of one type and more of the other the next time.

If you keep the ingredients nice and separate, you can see how the number of different herbs grows until autumn. By the time it is autumn, I have collected a large number of different herbs and can then start mixing tea.

If you are interested in herbs, I can give you the book The Power of Herbs* recommend. It contains 350 recipes and ideas for herbs and wild herbs.

For example, how you can make herbal salt, herbal oil or creams from herbs. But also how you can turn weeds into recipes and experiences of over 30 herb women. I love this book!

Did you know that making your own tea bags is so easy?

What makes a good tea blend?

Are you a beginner? Then mix a maximum of 2 different herbs together. In the first step, you should taste how the individual varieties taste as tea. Then you can proceed step by step and will soon notice which harmonize well and which are better not mixed.

You can make tea blends that are primarily about taste or make a tea yourself that helps with certain ailments. Like sore throat, stomach ache or general malaise. But for a tea for discomfort you should have some knowledge.

Especially good for themselves can stand these herbs:

• Chamomile
• Sage
• Elderflower
• Mint, peppermint, lemon balm
• Lemon verbena
• Thyme - especially lemon thyme

Their flavor is so intense that they usually do not need a second ingredient.

Create a balanced mixture

If you want to make a tea blend, then you need to consider a few little things. A blend that really tastes good and brings full flavor to the cup consists of different ingredients that complement each other.

Ingeniously put together, it makes a delicious tea blend. I always try it in small quantities and note the amount. Until I then have the perfect blend, some time can pass.

Main herbsFirst, choose 1-2 main herbs. They form the largest part of the mixture. Most often you take peppermint for this. I like to use lemon balm because peppermint is too intense for me.

HerbsNow you decide on the herbs. These are often raspberry leaves, strawberry leaves, blackberry leaves, lemongrass, rosemary, yarrow, basil or similar.

FlowersHowever, what I like to mix in are dried flowers. Because my homemade tea should also have something to offer for the eye. What lends itself particularly well: Marigold, cornflower, violet, Rose petals*. Flowers also add flavor to the tea - I'm thinking here of elderflowers or Lime blossoms*.

Make cough drops from fresh herbs!

These are the best herbs to make tea yourself

I like this tea blend so much because it is a great mix of herbs and flowers. On the one hand, there are herbs in it, which Complaints help and on the other hand herbs that are great Flavor carrier are.

By the way, it came about like this: I collected many herbs in the garden, on the balcony and while hiking. Then I started to combine them.

Some were eliminated after that - the taste didn't fit so well. For this, others came again to it. Until I landed with this mixture :)

For 2 years now, I've been using this mix to make my own tea. You will also be thrilled with it. Tastes great and helps against coughs, sore throats and when feeling unwell. By the way, the order of this list says nothing about the mixing ratio.

If you have a taste for it, then you should get yourself a Buy dehydrators*. This allows herbs to be dried even when the sun is already too weak. You save energy in the machine and the herbs are also dried much more gently.

I recently got a taste for dehydrating. Now mushrooms, fruit, vegetables and herbs end up in the dehydrator. This works wonderfully and is thus almost eternally durable.

By the way: If you have collected too many herbs, then you can make from them quite simply make a herbal salt.

St. John's wort

The flowers of St. John's wort were used thousands of years ago as a Mood enhancer used.

St. John's wort has many active ingredients that affect our nervous system in very different ways.

It is particularly known for the substance dopamine, serotonin and norepinephrine. These messenger substances provide St. John's wort with a mood-lifting, anxiety-relieving and antidepressant effect.

Other substances in St. John's wort have a growth-inhibiting effect on bacteria. St. John's wort is also known for fast wound healing.

Nettle tea is really that healthy!

That St. John's wort has a positive influence on mood, I remember by the shape of the flowers. They remind me a little of the sun. Sun = summer = good mood :)

This is how you recognize St. John's wort:

The shape of the flowers and the color are almost unmistakable. The flower has 5 petals and is bright yellow. You can find them while hiking in forest clearings.

St. John's wort grows 30 to 70 cm high. It is a typical midsummer plant and can still grow until End September are collected.

For making tea I collect the flowers of St. John's wort when hiking, the herb is very often found at the edge of the forest or clearings.

Sage

A sage should not be missing in any garden and on any balcony. The plant is quite low-maintenance. I have not yet found any sage plants in the wild. I have a small sage plant on the balcony. It is very uncomplicated. Absolutely recommended :)

You can also use them wonderfully for cooking.

Sage is used in teas mainly because of its disinfecting Effect appreciated. It is the typical herb against cold and sore throat. Sage is also effective against flatulence and stomach problems.

When I make my own tea, I use the sage leaves. I pluck them off when they are nice and big and not yet brown.

But beware: If you want to make a balanced tea yourself, you should never get too much. Sage is extremely intense.

How to recognize sage

Sage has furry and quite soft green leaves. But there are a myriad of cultivars. But for the tea I use the very ordinary sage.

Sage flowers white, yellow and purple. If you want, you can pluck off a few blossoms and dry them. But I usually leave them for the bees - they love my sage. And every now and then a ladybug gets lost on the plant.

Tip: Take only a little sage. It is bitter!

Try using green oat tea as a detox miracle cure!

Lavender

Lavender brings color to our tea. The flowers are slightly purple even when dried. Lavender becomes a calming Effect said. It calms fears, worries and when you are troubled inside.

Once all the flowers are open, I cut the stalks. I dry them whole and later remove the stems.

I have lavender growing on my balcony. It smells great, attracts bees and is also beautiful to look at.

How to recognize lavender

Lavender has its peak in July and August. In nature you can recognize it by the fact that it is usually full of bees. They love the scent of lavender.

Lavender blooms beautiful purple. The fragrance is also unmistakable. On the long flower stalks are arranged continuously and circular flowers.

Melissa

Melissa calms Body and mind. At first glance, the herb reminds a little of nettle and mint.

Melissa has a calming and also antispasmodic effect. It helps against nervousness, insomnia and with stomach upsets.

For the tea I use lemon balm. I tear them off at the very bottom and hang them on a thread to dry.

It tastes sweet, refreshing and brings delicious flavor to the tea cup.

These teas help with nervousness and inner turmoil!

Violets

They add color to your tea blend. They are not said to have many great active ingredients. I just like it a little colorful. :)

You can find violets in the spring in meadows and forest edges. They come in many different shades of purple. For making tea myself, I steal the blossoms.

Also provide color in the tea mixture

• Mallow flowers
• Marigold flowers
• Cornflower
• Rose petals*
• Daisies
• Primroses

Lime blossoms

They are my absolute highlight and must not be missing in the winter. Lime blossoms* is used when Fever has and feels uncomfortable. The flowers make you sweat and feel warm.

I drink the tea but also so in between. I have never had a big sweat. But I get quite warm inside. In winter I am very often very cold. Since a linden blossom tea works wonders :)

How to recognize lime blossoms

As the name suggests, these are the flowers of the linden tree. In mid to late June you need to be quick and pluck a few blossoms from the tree.

Little Tip: Linden trees can be found in many parks.

You can recognize the linden tree by its heart-shaped leaves. The flowers by their heavenly fragrance.

Elderflower

Already thousands of years ago the effect of elderflower tea was known. It was recognized at that time that elderberry tea against Colds and also has an antipyretic effect.

Also, elderflower tea helps with anxiety and Depression. In addition, the small flowers taste super delicious. Elderflower tea generally builds the immune forces of the body. The tea flushes toxins and waste products from the body.

From May to June, the small flowers, which are full of vitamin C, unfold their full fragrance.

How to recognize elderflowers

The flowers of elderberry are divided into umbels. If you have ever drunk elderflower syrup: just as the syrup tastes, so smell the flowers :)

Elderberry flowers grow on a bush. Most often on the edge of the forest. The plant can grow up to 7 meters high.

For the tea I take the cones from the bush. Later I separate the umbels from the flowers.

Chamomile

Chamomile is probably the best known tea herb. It is the most popular Medicinal herb Europe, chamomile works anti-inflammatory, calms the Stomach and helps with anxiety disorders. Also flatulence, sore throat and Colds are treated with the chamomile.

Unfortunately, chamomile is very rarely found in the wild. Namely, it requires a loose soil and gravel. I often find it near newly built houses. Next year I would like to try to plant them myself.

How to recognize the chamomile

Chamomile flowers white and is striking yellow. If you know what chamomile tea tastes like, you will immediately recognize chamomile by its typical scent.

The plant grows between 15 and 50 cm high. The chamomile is in season from mid-May to June. But I have also found some in August.

I keep all dried herbs in separate jam jars. When I feel like a tea, I mix them depending on the complaint.

When I have a sore throat, I take more sage and more chamomile. For inner restlessness, lemon balm and lavender are the main ingredients in my tea.

Make tea yourself and give as a gift

A very great gift for Christmas and birthdays is self-mixed tea. I surprised my loved ones with it for the first time 2 years ago. It was very well received :)

I put a little of each herb in a jar or plastic bag for this. On top there's a nice bow.

Our conclusion

Making tea yourself is not witchcraft. You just need to consciously keep your eyes open throughout the year. If you have not found something, you can also buy some herbs dried in the pharmacy.

Good luck! :)

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