DIY herbal tea blends are becoming wildly popular. Consuming them is considered by many to be somewhat trendy, while making unique DIY tea blends for health of your own seems to become an exciting lifestyle hobby. People assume that blending tea requires expensive herbs and professional experience. However, this is simply not the case. Tea blending is a craft nearly anyone can pick up, and it starts with the ingredients and instructions found in this guide.
Over 3,000 varieties of DIY tea blends for health are consumed worldwide, not including the countless creations made by blending different types of teas with various other flavors, even pure-roasted brown rice. Each of these teas can generally be grouped based on two things: oxidation and flavoring. Today, I’m excited to discuss in more detail the process of creating a delicious and effective homemade herbal teas. In the last year, I have really focused on my herbal teaching and blending skills with some help from friends in medicine making, brewing, and of course, traveling.
There are endless flavors and DIY tea blends for health benefits to explore with herbs, unique to a particular region or culture; people have been blending herbs in various forms and becoming experts with their local plants for centuries. In Costa Rica, teas and tonics were prepared with cacao husks, yucca flowers and root, mint, cinnamon, and a variety of other aromatic and flavorful herbs. Perhaps one of the most rewarding parts of herbal tea blending is the creativity involved with creating a blend that not only tastes individualistic to you but is calming and supportive to your body. With aroma, flavor, and actions for wellness, choose your herb energy, your preferred taste, and your wellness actions. So, the best way to discover your likes and your body’s affirmation for you of benefit is to make a lovely blend, sit comfortably, and sip.
In deciding what herbs to blend to make aromatic, flavorful tea herbs, it’s a smart move to understand your herbs will benefit your mind and body. Herbal teas can add a significant contribution to your water intake, not to mention many vitamins and minerals naturally included in herbs. Certain herbs can detoxify and calm inflammation in your body, too. Muscle tension, nausea, and gastrointestinal irritation can soothe with herbal teas, too. On top of that, antioxidant-containing herbal teas have cardiovascular benefits. Full of polyphenol, tea contains naturally occurring chemicals that can provide protection for such items as cancer, enhancing your body’s resistance to disease.
Most people will also realize that having a tea feels relaxing, in general. Stopping and taking a break to sit and have a cup of tea, a well-known practice of awareness, can make a big difference in a stressed individual. Certain herbs have actually proven to have a positive effect towards anxiety or mild depression symptoms, and can even contribute to a peaceful sleeping environment. Herbs such as peppermint, chamomile, and ginger have become so ubiquitous that many use them without realizing the specific medical value each can provide. Not all DIY tea blends for health with chamomile, for instance, are alike, and this will become apparent when you learn about the value of each of our herbs and plants that we use in our tea ingredients.
The tools you’ll need to make DIY tea blends for health:
– Grinder: for grinding herbs to make teas or flavorings.
– Mesh infuser: for making a cup of tea from whole herbs.
– Scale: for measuring herbs by weight for best results.
– Storage jars: to keep your teas fresh and readily available.
Ingredients for making DIY herbal tea blends:
Herbs to use: peppermint, chamomile, lemon balm, hibiscus, rose flowers, passionflower, holy basil, lemongrass, nettle leaf, licorice, fennel, oatstraw, apple chips, lemon peel, orange peel, oat tops, spearmint, rose, etc.
Flavors and ingredients to include: vanilla bean, cinnamon and other spices, fruit naturalesque, jasmine flowers, etc.
Quality ingredients and storage are important.
When you are choosing herbs, fruits, and spices, do your best to source the freshest, most aromatic ones you can. Also, consider whether you need them fresh or if you can save money using a product that has already been dried, such as apple chips, lemon peel, or orange peel. Not all dried herbs have the same potency as fresh, so you cannot replace a fresh sprig with dried in every case. Quality storage jars or glass containers are key to keeping your ingredients fresh and aromatic. The two most important elements, other than the herbs and spices themselves, are the tools you choose and the techniques you use for creating your homemade herbal teas. Here’s what you need to pull it off. As far as tea tools go, you can get by with as little as a mesh strainer and a large mixing bowl, and eventually a couple of tea storage containers.
Perhaps more than any other herbal product, the inspiration to make your own herbal tea recipes is influenced by your own unique tastes. Making new and interesting DIY tea blends for health is an art form, and there are countless possible combinations you can create from the herbs. But making your own tea is a little bit like making soup; creating a pleasing combination of flavors and aromas is mostly a matter of balancing them with each other. Developing your own herbal tea recipes should be considered a pleasurable activity, so use your artistic instincts when making your DIY tea blends for health. Of course, the herbs that you pair together in your herbal tea recipes might have therapeutic benefits, too. Now you will use that knowledge to create some unique combinations of herbal characteristics that you can match to your tastes, your moods, and your personal needs. As a recap, let’s revisit the assertive properties of the tea herbs discussed. By combining these properties in a recipe, you can design a blend that functions in the manner desired.
The combination of therapeutic properties of these herbs can influence the therapeutic purpose of a tea. For example, a tea can be designed for the general purpose of combating a cold, for relaxation and stress relief, or to aid with sleep. Or, you might choose to observe your energy levels after drinking some herbal teas, as some may seem a bit too relaxing or stimulating depending on the time of day or the amount of tea comfortably consumed. Remember that there is a matter of personal taste in herbal teas, too. Some properties, such as laxative or emetic compounds, will limit the amount of a particular herb that you can use in a recipe as well. Developing a single tea recipe can often be the result of a great deal of trial and error, and individuals might not always agree if a tea is successful. Blending and brewing tea is a personal form of expression and can be very rewarding. You will find that several recommended tea recipes or DIY tea blends for health are ideal to make in your own kitchen, based on the profiles of the various herbs outlined. These herbal tea recipes are to help you get started in making teas to alleviate a specific common complaint, or to satisfy a specific flavor or aroma craving. Feel free to alter them to suit your tastes or dietary needs. Be sure to write down your recipe, as it will help you to pinpoint exactly the right amount of herb for each desired therapeutic action. Feel free to get inspired by the following recipes, and use them as starting points for your own personal herbal tea recipes. Write down your herbal tea recipes and experiment until you perfect them, or combine whole ingredients in tea bags or in a jar as stated in the recipe. This is most enjoyable when you mix the teas, let them brew, and sit back and enjoy the beverage. Share the teas with friends, or even mix together and have a herbal tea party.
The best flavor and most potent herbs are important, but how you brew it is also taken into consideration. If you choose too high a temperature, you run the risk of boiling over the essential oils and flavors in your herbs. Go too low and you won’t extract the medicinal constituents. The type of brewing container, the quality of filtered water, and the length of time you leave it steeping can all make a difference in the flavor of the DIY tea blends for health. For me, a part of the tea ritual is in preparing and serving it. I prefer a stainless steel pot or French press for infusing my herbal teas, but I have a fondness for glass teapots, too. I even have a stainless steel and glass tea infuser that I simply place directly over a teacup when I’m fixing a tea for one. Filtered water: I use really fresh, well-filtered water. The quality of the water will affect the flavor of your tea. High mineral content can also lock in flavor for DIY tea blends for health. Teapots and infusers: metal or glass is best. Don’t use a tea ball infuser with that lovely herbal tea that took so much time to create. Water temperature: for most tender herbs and leaves, turn off the water just before it comes to a full boil. Higher temperatures can cause some herbs to taste too bitter. For roots and tougher stocks, bring the water to a full boil and then turn it down to a simmer for 5-20 minutes. Steeping time can totally make or break it in my opinion. Overall, the average time is 5-12 minutes. You will taste a difference between 5 and 10 minutes, particularly if the herbs are fresh and not commercially dried. Some herbalists don’t let their teas steep any longer than 5 minutes because they believe that is all it takes to fully infuse the herbal properties. I say, experiment and find your own perfect time.
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