Mid-Winter Tea Thyme

What could be more comforting than a warm drink on a cold winter night? Instead of a mug of black tea, why not try an herbal tea? I would like to share a very brief introduction to Herbal Teas and a recipe for a hand blended tea that you can make at home.

What Exactly is an Herbal Tea?

An Herbal Tea is an infusion or combination of various parts of edible plants. People have made herbal teas for a very long time. Herbal teas have become more popular over the past few decades in part to their unique flavors and possible health benefits. Herbal teas started to gain in popularity as our lives became more stressful. True herbal teas are also a caffeine free alternative to black tea and coffee.

An Herbal Tea is technically not a tea since it is not made from leaves from the Camellia Sinensis plant. This plant (Camellia Sinensis) is where tea, such as black tea, green tea or white tea, actually comes from.

Mid Winter Tea Thyme Tea

When you are ready to brew your cup of herbal tea, you will need a tea ball (note: the tea ball pictured is actually bigger than what you would need for one serving. I couldn't find my smaller one!)

muslin bag to contain the tea blend while it is steeping in the mug or tea cup.

General Tips When Using Herbs

When making custom herbal tea blends, you usually will be using dried herbs. Dried herbs have a longer shelf life. If you want to make a small batch of herbal tea using fresh herbs, you can adjust the proportions with the following formula: Use twice as much fresh herb as you would dried herbs. For example, if the recipe calls for 2 cups of dried herb you would use 4 cups of fresh herb.

When working with fresh herbs, be sure to bruise the herb leaves by cutting or tearing them. This allows the essential oil of the herb to be released.  The essential oil is what give the flavor to the recipe.

Mid Winter Tea Thyme Blend ! 1 teaspoon per 8 oz hot water