Herbal Teas
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Herb Teas

“There are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated
to the ceremony known as afternoon tea.”
~ Henry James

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Chamomile
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Herb Teas


Herbs: A Country
Garden Cookbook
© Rosalind Creasy and Carole Saville,
1995, Collins Publishers

“Because of Peter Rabbit and his run-in with Farmer MacGregor, chamomile is
the herb most associated with a tea believed to calm your nerves. It is true that apple-scented chamomile tea makes a tranquilizing herbal nightcap, but it also makes a pleasant afternoon pick-me-up brewed with a refreshing sprig of mint.
After the Boston Tea Party, when all the black tea available was floating in the
harbor, the colonists turned to herbal teas, promptly naming them liberty teas.
They brewed them from rosemary, lavender, thyme, sage, mint, and lemon balm.
You can repeat history by drinking these delightful brews.
Also known by the French term ‘tisane’, herb teas do not darken perceptibly as
they steep, so their strength must be gauged by taste rather than sight. To make
an herb tea, use 1 tablespoon fresh herbs or 1 teaspoon dried herbs for each cup
of boiling water. Rinse the teapot with boiling water and then add the herbs to
it. Pour boiling water over the herbs and allow them to steep for 3 to 5 minutes.
Strain and serve.
Taste additions to herb teas include honey and brown cane sugar crystals and
the juice of lemons, limes, oranges, strawberries or other fruits. Brandy, gin, or
liqueurs give teas a punch. Spices such as coriander, ginger, caraway, fennel,
cinnamon, cardamom or vanilla can be added to both hot and iced teas to create
sensational teatime drinks.”

Chamomile Tisane

“The flowers of both the annual German chamomile and the perennial Roman chamomile can be used to make this delicate and soothing apple-scented tisane.
The German variety, however, has the flavor edge. A sliced apple adds a soupçon
of flavor that compounds the apple taste of the herb blossoms. This mild tea is perfect served with buttery madeleines.”

2 tablespoons fresh chamomile flowers
2 cups boiling water
2 thin slices of Red Delicious apple
Honey or brown cane sugar crystals, to taste (optional)
2 thin, crescent-shaped slices Red Delicious
apple, for garnish (optional)

Rinse the chamomile flowers with cool water. Rinse a small ceramic teapot with boiling water. Add the thin apple slices to the pot and mash them with
a wooden pestle.
Add the chamomile flowers to the pot and pour in the boiling water. Cover and let steep for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the flavor suits you.
Strain into 2 warmed cups. If desired, add honey or sugar and garnish
each serving with a crescent-shaped apples slice. Serves 2.

Iced Spearmint Tea with Strawberry Nectar

“All the mints make refreshing iced teas. Fortunately, it is easy to have a large supply of all kinds of fresh and dried mint on hand, as all the varieties grow exuberantly. Strawberries color this spearmint tea crimson, but the cool green
taste of the herb comes through. To compensate for the melting ice, make an
extra 2 cups of the tea and freeze them in an ice-cube tray. Tea iced with the
cubes will remain as strong as when first poured.”

Sugar Syrup:
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup water
Zest of 1 orange, cut into strips

4 1/2 cups water
1/4 cup dried spearmint, or 3/4 cup fresh spearmint
1 cup sliced strawberries
1 cup strained freshly squeezed orange juice
Ice cubes
Fresh spearmint sprigs and strawberry slices,
for garnish (optional)

To make the sugar syrup, in a medium saucepan, combine the sugar, water and orange zest. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Remove from the heat and let cool. Pour the syrup through a fine-mesh sieve placed over
a bowl, pressing down on the orange zest with the back of a spoon to
extract as much of the flavorful oils as possible. Discard the zest and set
the syrup aside.
In a medium saucepan, bring the water to a boil, then remove from the
heat. Crumble the spearmint and add to the water; let steep for 5 minutes
to obtain a strong infusion. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve placed over
a large bowl. Discard the mint and let the infusion cool.
Meanwhile, place the strawberries in a fine-mesh sieve set over a medium bowl. With the back of a spoon, press the berries through the sieve, leaving the pulp and seeds behind. Scrape any purée clinging to the bottom of the sieve, and then add all the purée to the cooled infusion.
Add the orange juice and 1/2 cup of the sugar syrup to the tea and stir vigorously. Taste and add more sugar syrup as desired. (Store any re-
maining sugar in the refrigerator for when you make another batch of
tea.) Cover and refrigerate the tea until well chilled.
Just before serving, fill a large pitcher with ice and add the tea. Pour into chilled glasses. Garnish with a sprig of mint and a slice of strawberry, if desired. Serves 6.

French Lavender Lemonade

“This refreshing rosy-colored lemonade is perfumed with just a
hint of the sweetness and floral scent of French lavender.”

Lavender Infusion:
2 1/2 cups water
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/4 cup fresh French lavender leaves, coarsely chopped

2 1/2 cups water
1 cup strained freshly squeezed lemon juice
Granulated sugar, to taste
Ice cubes
6 to 8 sprigs of fresh lavender, for garnish

To make the lavender infusion, combine the water and sugar in a medium saucepan. Bring the water to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Add the lavender and remove from the heat. Cover and let the infusion cool to
room temperature. Strain and discard the lavender.
Pour the infusion into a glass pitcher and add the water and lemon juice.
Stir well, adding additional sugar if desired. Refrigerate until chilled. Just before serving, stir the lemonade again and fill the pitcher with ice. Pour
into chilled glasses and garnish each serving with a sprig of lavender.
Serves 6 to 8.
 

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