Post by lew92 on Sept 29, 2018 8:13:04 GMT -5
A few years ago, I read that the flowers and bracts of linden were good for aiding dreamless, restful sleep. Until this year, though, I had never tried it. It really does work for me, so I harvested as much as I could easily reach. Next year, I'm going to take a ladder out to the tree and get a lot more.
If you Google linden flowers, then click on the Images tab, you'll get to see what they look like, along with the leaves of the tree, to make it more easily identified. I picked them while the flowers were still highly fragrant and the bracts and flowers dried quite quickly in the dehydrator. I use about a teaspoon of the combined parts per cup of tea. The bracts are a bit tough and don't crumble much when rubbed between the fingers, so I'm thinking of taking them out and buzzing them up in my little coffee grinder that I use for herbs and spices. Well cleaned first. Linden flower tea is slightly sweet, but otherwise has little flavor.
I am also drying rose and apple leaves to add to my herbal teas. Earlier this year, I read in a historical fiction novel a brief reference of people using rose leaves to extend their "China" tea during WWII. So I did some research and it turns out that rose leaves have tannins in them, which gives the mouthfeel of black tea, according to an article from Mother Earth News. Because apples are in the same family as roses and I have a lot more of them available, I have been harvesting apple leaves for tea making, too. There are medicinal qualities in apple leaves, too, and they are worth researching. Other than the slight astringency from the tannins, rose and apple leaves don't have much flavor to them.
Red raspberry leaf also makes a good tea and I have been harvesting a lot of it every year since I learned through this forum how good it is for the cows' edema in late pregnancy and the early days of freshening. They don't give much flavor to tea, but they do provide benefits for female health.
Lemony herbs that I grew this year are lemon balm and lemongrass. I just dug up my lemongrass yesterday to repot and hopefully get it to last through the winter. I cut the leaves cross-wise prior to drying in the food dehydrator, but had so many that my hand was cramping up. The rest went in a pail, standing on end, and it dried really nicely all on its own and stayed green. I have tried making bundles of it and hanging it to dry, but it all turned brown and dusty/crumbly. I love good accidental learning!
I'm hoping the lemon balm survives the winter and grows into a healthy stand. I've been trying it in different places in my yard and have failed thus far. This year, it is on the south side of a row of dense fir trees, so I have high hopes. Both lemongrass and lemon balm give wonderful lemon flavor, but they each have their own nuances. Lemon balm is supposed to help with migraine, though I discovered it after I grew out of the horrible headaches.
I also grow anise hyssop, which tastes like black licorice, and spearmint for herbal teas.
Edible flowers can add flavor to tea and I've found that anise hyssop flowers retain their nectar, even when dried, so they add natural sweetness to a cup of tea. No honey or sugar needed!
Spices such as ginger, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, black pepper (yes!), can be added to up the flavor range and have their own medicinal qualities. Citrus peel (remove the pith first) gives a bright burst to herbal teas and actually contains more vitamin C in them than the fruit, though I'm not sure how much comes through when using dried peel. I think it tastes like the concentrated fruit without the tartness (especially for lemons and limes).
When collecting herbs for eating, make sure that you only use those which have not been sprayed with chemicals. If they are low growing (where cats and dogs and wild canines can mark them) or if foliar spray (think diluted milk or manure tea) has been used on them, make sure to rinse them well prior to use/drying. Citrus peel should be scrubbed with hot soapy water, but make sure not to burst the oil (cells, glands?) when scrubbing.
Does anyone else have favorite herbal teas they grow and blend at home?
If you Google linden flowers, then click on the Images tab, you'll get to see what they look like, along with the leaves of the tree, to make it more easily identified. I picked them while the flowers were still highly fragrant and the bracts and flowers dried quite quickly in the dehydrator. I use about a teaspoon of the combined parts per cup of tea. The bracts are a bit tough and don't crumble much when rubbed between the fingers, so I'm thinking of taking them out and buzzing them up in my little coffee grinder that I use for herbs and spices. Well cleaned first. Linden flower tea is slightly sweet, but otherwise has little flavor.
I am also drying rose and apple leaves to add to my herbal teas. Earlier this year, I read in a historical fiction novel a brief reference of people using rose leaves to extend their "China" tea during WWII. So I did some research and it turns out that rose leaves have tannins in them, which gives the mouthfeel of black tea, according to an article from Mother Earth News. Because apples are in the same family as roses and I have a lot more of them available, I have been harvesting apple leaves for tea making, too. There are medicinal qualities in apple leaves, too, and they are worth researching. Other than the slight astringency from the tannins, rose and apple leaves don't have much flavor to them.
Red raspberry leaf also makes a good tea and I have been harvesting a lot of it every year since I learned through this forum how good it is for the cows' edema in late pregnancy and the early days of freshening. They don't give much flavor to tea, but they do provide benefits for female health.
Lemony herbs that I grew this year are lemon balm and lemongrass. I just dug up my lemongrass yesterday to repot and hopefully get it to last through the winter. I cut the leaves cross-wise prior to drying in the food dehydrator, but had so many that my hand was cramping up. The rest went in a pail, standing on end, and it dried really nicely all on its own and stayed green. I have tried making bundles of it and hanging it to dry, but it all turned brown and dusty/crumbly. I love good accidental learning!
I'm hoping the lemon balm survives the winter and grows into a healthy stand. I've been trying it in different places in my yard and have failed thus far. This year, it is on the south side of a row of dense fir trees, so I have high hopes. Both lemongrass and lemon balm give wonderful lemon flavor, but they each have their own nuances. Lemon balm is supposed to help with migraine, though I discovered it after I grew out of the horrible headaches.
I also grow anise hyssop, which tastes like black licorice, and spearmint for herbal teas.
Edible flowers can add flavor to tea and I've found that anise hyssop flowers retain their nectar, even when dried, so they add natural sweetness to a cup of tea. No honey or sugar needed!
Spices such as ginger, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, black pepper (yes!), can be added to up the flavor range and have their own medicinal qualities. Citrus peel (remove the pith first) gives a bright burst to herbal teas and actually contains more vitamin C in them than the fruit, though I'm not sure how much comes through when using dried peel. I think it tastes like the concentrated fruit without the tartness (especially for lemons and limes).
When collecting herbs for eating, make sure that you only use those which have not been sprayed with chemicals. If they are low growing (where cats and dogs and wild canines can mark them) or if foliar spray (think diluted milk or manure tea) has been used on them, make sure to rinse them well prior to use/drying. Citrus peel should be scrubbed with hot soapy water, but make sure not to burst the oil (cells, glands?) when scrubbing.
Does anyone else have favorite herbal teas they grow and blend at home?