Brew up a Cup of Tea

For Hot Tea Month, I decided I should share more about tea on my blog.  But first I think you should just brew some!

A cup of fragrant herb tea is a natural choice when you want to avoid caffeine. And best of all, you can grow a variety of wonderfully scented herbs and snip off a couple of sprigs whenever you want a comforting cup of tea. You can also dry them and keep them for winter use during cold season or to give as gifts.

Add them to your garden and it comes alive with their spicy scents and with appreciative wildlife. Bees, hummingbirds and butterflies love the flowers of many herbs. It’s a pleasure to rub the leaves and enjoy a whiff of all the different perfumes while working in the garden. Many will do well potted into containers for your porch or patio.

Some of my favorites are: lemon verbena, bee balm, chamomile, scented geraniums, catnip (aka, catmint), pineapple sage, and lemon balm. But you may enjoy a more savory flavor with marjoram, thyme, especially the flavored thymes, like lemon or orange, and Holy Basil.

Brewing Herbal Tea

To brew herb tea just add a few leaves or sprigs to your tea pot, or follow this basic method from Rodale’s Illustrated Encyclopedia of Herbs:

1. Use a non-metal tea pot to preserve the true flavors.

2. For hot tea use 2 tablespoons of fresh herbs or 1/2 tablespoon of dry per cup of water.

3. For iced tea use 3 tablespoons of fresh herbs or 1 1/2 tablespoon of dry per cup of water (to allow for ice cubes).

4. Bring water to a boil, then pour over the herbs in the tea pot; cover to steep.

5. Steep for at least 5 minutes, test for taste, steep longer if desired.

Serve with honey, lemon or orange slices, or sprigs of fresh herbs. I like to add a dab of honey to both hot and iced tea. For iced tea add the honey before chilling the tea so it will dissolve.

Teapot Therapy

The pleasant ritual of brewing tea and enjoying a couple of cups from my teapot is very soothing. If you don’t have a teapot you can brew your tea right in your cup, just cover it while it’s steeping and strain out the herbs by pouring it into another cup to drink. Then keep an eye out at garage sales or pottery sales for interesting teapots to collect and enjoy a daily herbal tea ritual.

Five Benefits of Herbal Tea

Whether you want to shed some few pounds or simply desire to have good heath, herbal tea is definitely good for you. Herbal tea is a great substitute if you find drinking mineral water plain. Make sure you drink five glasses every day to relish all the benefits. Here are five top reasons  (one for each cup of tea) why you should drink herbal tea.

1. Great for weight loss

Herbal tea has been known to help in losing weight. This is a popular topic, reason being that teas can actually help in weight loss as they increase the body’s metabolism thus improving your blood circulation, cholesterol level and ultimately enhances cardiovascular health.

2. Prevents Cancer

People who drink herbal tea are less susceptible to lung cancer and other common diseases. Believe it or not, research indicates that herbal tea helps to treat stroke, heart ailments and even certain cancers.  But it could also be the lifestyle those that drink tea tend to adopt?!

3. Cures stomach ailments

If you suffer from frequent stomach ailments, try drinking at least a cup of tea every day after your meals. Herbal tea reduces the acids in the stomach and therefore digestion takes place ably.  Ginger and any of the mints can quiet digestive ailments.

4. Enhances the immune system

According to recent scientific studies, herbal teal strengthens the body’s immune system to ensure you are not prone to flu and other lung diseases. With a strong immune system, your body now has the ability to repair and regenerate the damage cells rapidly.  Echinacea is said to be a marginal assist with this, but germ fighters like lemon grass, thyme and sage will certain help.  And a bit of extra Vitamin C you get from parsley and rosehips cannot hurt either.

5. Reduces stress

When your work and lifestyle seems stressful, drink one cup of tea. It is relaxing and therefore very effective at minimizing stress levels.  Lavender and chamomile will both help your body calm down in stressful situations.

On the other hand, herbal tea has been known to interfere with medication, so always consult your physician. For instance, it prevents proper absorption of iron in the gut. Herbal tea is also considered an expensive habit, especially if you become addicted, like me – it could lead to large gardens and tea pot collections and many other bad habits.

Lemon Scones, Lemon Tea and Lemon Curd!

This time of year I start thinking about tea and scones and so in celebration of Hot Tea month.  You get the makings of a perfect tea party!  Tea, scones and lemon curd.  Enjoy!

Lemon Scones with Sour Lemon Glaze

These flaky lemon scones, drizzled with a tangy lemon icing are delicious hot, but I enjoy mine at room temperature the following day so the lemon flavor is at its best.

Makes 8 to 10 scones depending on size.

2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 cup (1 stick) cold butter, cut
1 1/2 teaspoons lemon zest (about one lemon)
2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1 egg

Icing:

3/4 cup confectioner's sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

 Directions:

1. In a large mixing bowl, measure the sugar and blend in the lemon zest.  Work the zest into the sugar with your fingers until the entire mixture becomes aromatic.
2. Then whisk together the flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder. 
3. Cut in the butter.
4. In a separate bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, cream, and egg.
5. Stir egg mixture into dry ingredients, just until a dough starts to form. Knead a couple times until the dough holds together.
6. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and gently press dough into a circle, about an inch thick. 
7. Cut into 8 to 10 wedges.
8. Place scones on an ungreased baking sheet, not touching each other, and bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes, or until edges are lightly browned. 
9. Remove from oven and let rest on the sheet for 5 minutes.
10. Prepare the icing by mixing the powdered sugar with enough lemon juice to make a drizzling consistency. 
11. Place scones on a wire rack. Drizzle or brush icing over warm scones.

Lemon Herbal Tea
  This is a kin to my popular herb tea Zesty Lemon, featuring fun lemon herbs.

1 Tbls. Lemon Balm or Lemon Verbena
1 Tbls. lemon peel
1/2 Tbls. lemon grass

Use 2 tsp. per cup of water and let steep for 5 to 8 minutes.  The tea will be very light in color, but the flavor will be great!

Lemon Curd

2 cups sugar

12 large egg yolks, beaten and strained

1 cup lemon juice

1 cup (2 sticks) butter, unsalted at room temperature

2 Tbls. grated lemon peel

Combine sugar and egg yolks in a medium saucepan.  Gradually stir in lemon juice.  Cook, stirring constantly over low heat, until mixture coats the back of a spoon and the temperature registers 168 degrees F. on a candy thermometer.  Do not allow to boil.

Remove from heat and whisk mixture until slightly cooled.  Stir in butter, 1 Tbls. at a time, and add lemon peel.  While it is still warm, pour mixture into sterilized jars, cover tightly and refrigerate until ready to use.

You might also like to see the Lemon Poppy Seed Cake that we posted back in December 2012.

Hurricane Recovery Tea

We were only mildly effected in Chicagoland by Hurricane Sandy.  We had a few days of fierce winds with biting cold that made frost in air that was not actually cold enough for it.  But I know on the east coast things were rougher.

So take a moment thank the heavens you are still here and enjoy this tea which is formulated to relieve stress and relax tension.

Mellow Mood Tea

This tea is made with the most palatable of the calming herbs. Blended together, they'll defuse stress and anxiety and promote sound sleep.

1 tsp. chamomile flowers

1 tsp. lavender spikes

1 tsp. kava leaves

1 tsp. lemon balm leaves

1 tsp. marjoram

1 spray valerian flowers

1 quart water

Directions:

In a large saucepan, steep the chamomile, lavender, kava, lemon balm, marjoram, and valerian to taste in the freshly boiled water.  Strain out the plant material. Drink the tea hot or cool.  Drink  as often as needed, refrigerating any left over for later use.

Update: My freind Tina from the Essential Herbal Blog has posted some places where you can help if you are interested.  Here is the link to her posting: http://theessentialherbal.blogspot.com/2012/11/just-waiting-for-sun.html

Talking Tea

Just the other day I actually went to the trouble of blending a batch of tea just for me.  I find that now that I am making so many more items for sale (internet business for the Backyard Patch has been good recently!) I rarely blend something solely for my own use.  I had just dried some Lemon verbena and the freshly dried leaves made me crave some Zesty Lemon Tea.  In the process of making and drinking tea, I grabbed a book off the shelf and found this poem about tea:

The 1st cup caresses my lips.
The 2nd shatters my lonely sadness.
The 3rd sparks my intellect.
The 4th flushes out grievances.
The 5th purifies my every cell.
The 6th connects me with the divine.
The 7th prepares me for paradise.

- Lu Tong, Chinese poet, 798-835 

Hold on. Aren't Lu Tong's seven cups of tea overdoing it? Not really. Ishi Khosla, clinical nutritionist and director, Whole Foods, says that even up to eight cups a day is fine. Typically, however, she recommends three to four cups, for that is enough to provide you the great benefits found in tea.

"It's got antioxidants, and its goodness provides protection against heart disease and cancer. It also fights stomach infections and improves brain function, besides boosting the mind and de-stressing you," she adds.  

Now I have always had a sensativity to caffien so if I want to sleep at night those 7 cups better be mostly caffien-free hrerbal teas, but putting htat asside for a moment, there are many virtues of green and black tea.

Green and black tea come from the same tea plant, Camellia sinensis. The leaves are simply processed differently, and that is the only difference.  

Tea speeds up the body's metabolic rate and for an average-weight person, drinking normal amounts of tea could burn off an extra 70 calories a day. That's what 12 minutes of walking would usually achieve.

Both forms of tea are high sources of antioxidants, with research suggesting that they have upto 10 times polyphenols, which are usually present in fruits and vegetables. Polyphenols are a type of antioxidants. These wonder nutrients scavenge for cell-damaging free radicals in the body and detoxify them.

In that sense, tea packs in more punch than a vitamin pill. It also lowers your cholesterol levels and speeds up the recovery of heart cells after an attack. Tea is good news for the middle-aged. Its antioxidants keep you looking radiant and young; it is hydrating, and so long as you don't make it extra calorific with spoonfuls of sugar and dollops of cream, it could be the perfect substitute for water. Hydrated skins never look wrinkled, so that should be incentive enough to drink tea — especially if you are not the type to drink enough water in its natural form.
Another boon for the 40-plus — tea cuts the risk of rheumatoid arthritis and could even keep you safe from Alzheimer's as it boosts brain functions. Most people can't get out of bed without a hot cup of tea — which is really fine and is a good habit, as tea is a good friend for life. So, drink up!

Hot Tea Enjoyment - Why Tea Reduces Stress

Another in the continuing series on Drinking Hot Tea, this time we address why tea is good for us and makes us feel better.

Recently my husband and I have been adding a cup of tea to our end of day ritual.  He cuts up some fruit and makes an herbal tea which we enjoy while unwinding before bed.  I have chosen a tea with Holy Basil in it to help calm the mind and aid in relaxation.

The fact tea makes you feel better is almost a cliché. But all clichés start from somewhere. The starting place for tea has to do with the fact it makes you feel better in so many different ways.

• You drink tea when you are sick (Physical)
• You offer tea to someone who is sad (Emotional)
• You drink tea to calm down (Psychological)

So why do so many people believe that tea makes you feel better and are they right?

How Tea Reduces Stress

There is an amino acid in tea called theanine. There are numerous studies showing that people who take theanine supplements consistently have lower levels of stress. And when you combine theanine with caffeine, it helps to boost your brain activity as well as your mood.

It is this boost in mood and brain activity that gives us this sense of relaxation and well being that only tea can provide. Theanine is only found in tea and a very rare species of mushrooms that people do not regularly eat. So, if you are into getting your supplements naturally, tea is the only common way to get a good dose of theanine.

There is also just something about hot drinks when you are sick that is irreplaceable. If you are stuffy, they help you breathe better. If you have a sore throat, the heat helps to soothe it. This reason we all like hot drinks when we are not feeling well. Just like Grandma's chicken soup, hot drinks are one of those old fashioned remedies that always seem to help.

Antioxidant Power
Antioxidants: These protect us from the effects of aging, pollution, and too much sun. That’s why tea may bolster your immune system. Black and green teas contain potent polyphenols, giving them a high ranking along with certain super fruits and vegetables in the Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) score. ORAC measures the antioxidant potential of plant-based foods called phytochemicals.

When we are sick our immune systems need a bit of a boost, especially at the onset of a cold. Tea is packed with antioxidants that help our immune systems fight off different viruses that love to make us feel terrible. In addition, theanine has been shown to help boost our white blood cell count, which is another way to prevent illness.

Green Tea is believed to be the highest in antioxidants due to the curing process which holds those in rather than removing them as fermenting can in black tea.  Green Teas have been identified as the best source of a group of antioxidants called catechins. Catechins are more powerful than vitamins C and E in halting oxidative damage to cells and appear to have other disease-fighting properties. Studies have found an association between consuming green tea and a reduced risk for several cancers, including, skin, breast, lung, colon, esophageal and bladder, according to Harvard Women's Health Watch

Also if you drink herbal tea various herbs have different levels of antioxidant and free-radial diminishing properties. Fruit-based herbal teas contain antioxidants that are found naturally in fruit and therefore have some of the disease-fighting properties found in green, white and black teas. Additionally, peppermint tea demonstrated strong antioxidant and antitumor properties and the potential as an allergy remedy.  And who doesn’t want relief from allergies, especially this time of year.

In conclusion
After years of drinking and producing teas, I now realize all of the amazing benefits that I have been taking for granted in daily life which begins and ends with a cup of tea.  Due to the almost magical amino acid, theanine, tea actually is proven to elevate mood, fight colds and make you feel better. So here is to happy tea drinking and the amazing health it provides.  Please enjoy tea – everyday!

If you would like to try a black, green or herbal tea, please check out the links or visit our website: http://www.backyardpatch.com/ .  We have just begun marketing our loose teas in tins for better preservation of flavor and healthful properties.

Brewing Tea - Hot Tea Enjoyment #3

On February 8th, I introduced a list of 7 suggestions for introducing or enjoying tea in all its forms both those made from herbs and those made with Camellia sinensis.   In this post, I will focus on item #3.

If you want to see the original list of 7 see this post: http://herbal-life-style.blogspot.com/2011/02/hot-tea-enjoyment.html   or

Suggestion #2 which posted on 2/24/11 http://herbal-life-style.blogspot.com/2011/02/loose-herbal-tea-hot-tea-enjoyment.html

3. Learn how to brew the best tea. It’s not hard, but there are variations in time, temperature, and brewing equipment that can make a big difference in the quality of tea.

Now brewing tea is an important aspect of tea. You can easily turn the best, most quality tea into dishwater if you do not brew it correctly.  Just like a burned meal, you can overbrew your tea, which is called “oversteeping.”  It may seem confusing at first, but Black, green and Herbal teas are all brewed differently.

Brewing Traditional Tea

When you place your black tea in the hot water, this is called "steeping." As the tea steeps, it releases tiny particles called "tannins." It is these tannins that give tea its astringency.

As the tea steeps, tannins continually flow from the leaves. Tannins are not necessarily a bad thing as they are what make tea exceptionally healthy and they are prized by people who like a brisk cup of tea. But, like most things, you want to keep tannins at a moderate level. 

Have you ever had a really sour grape or a cup of tea that makes your gums dry up?  Well, that is caused by... you guessed it, tannins! This can be avoided by simply steeping your tea for the proper amount of time. Each tea has its own ideal steep time, but as a general rule you should steep your tea as follows:

- Small leaves like English Breakfast and Irish Breakfast and Assam teas should steep 3 minutes.

- Medium leaves of Ceylon Breakfast, Orange Pekoe should be brewed 4 minutes

- Large leaves like Oolongs, Jasmine, and Earl grey should brew 5 to 6 minutes. Or as My friend suggests 2 minutes, several times.

If you want stronger tea, add more tealeaves, not longer time steeping.  Never steep longer than 6 minutes, or you will reach the place of oversteeping.

If using tea bags, always steep them a shorter period of time, because they are comprised of lower grade tea, which brews quickly.

When brewing Black tea (and Herbal Tea) the water needs to be boiling.  If you don't use water that is hot enough, then you will never get it to taste right no matter how long you steep it for. 

Black tea has certain chemical compounds, or flavonoids, that green and white teas do not have. These compounds are not released unless the water temperature is near boiling.

Once you have brought cool water to the boiling point, in a non-aluminum kettle, warm your tea pot.  Place one teaspoon of tea for each cup plus one for the pot into the teapot.  You can place that tea in a strainer, infuser, tea ball or coffee filtered.  You want to stop the water just as it reaches boiling so it does not lose oxygen, then immediately pour it over the tea leaves. 

Brewing Green Tea

- Green Tea is like medium leaf black tea and should be steeped for 3 minutes

Green Tea does not need boiling water. In the most basic sense it is because green tea is not fermented as long as black tea. It is in this fermentation process that black tea produces the extra flavonoids that need the boiling water to extract. Which is why you steep green tea by stopping the water just before it reaches boiling point, then let it sit for 2 minutes before you pour it over the tea leaves.

Brewing Herbal Tea

Herbal tea can contain leaves, seeds, roots and fruits or flowers of herbs.  When you take these items and steep them in hot water it releases the essential or volatile oils of those plant materials into the water. The drinking of that water provides you with the taste enjoyment as well as the healing properties of those volatile oils.

There are two ways to create an herbal tea.  Tea by definition is a drink which includes Camellia sinensis -- real tea.  Herbal teas which do not contain this plant are actually known as tisanes.  You can make a tisane using one of two methods:

1. Infusion – using just boiled water poured over herbs in a warmed tea pot or tea cup.  The herbs are then allowed to steep for 3 to 10 minutes, depending on the herb or your personal taste.
2. Decoction – Used more with roots, seeds, and bark which need to be boiled to release their active ingredients.  Generally you add the herbs once the water has reached boiling, reduce the heat and simmer in the pan uncovered for about 10 to 20 minutes.  This boiling away of the water concentrates the herb’s flavor and potency.

Other tips for brewing:

Using an infuser – if using an infuser, you must leave lots of room for the herbs to move freely and release their oils into the water.  For large pots it is sometimes better to let the herbs float in the water and strain them as you pour into the cup or a separate tea pot for serving.

When using dried roots, seeds and barks they are sometimes crushed before brewing.

When sweetening herbal tea use honey instead of sugar as the sugar will mask the herbal flavors, while honey will enhance it.

For added flavor consider adding a little lemon and/or honey. Yum!

Loose Herbal Tea - Hot Tea Enjoyment Series #2

On February 8th, I introduced a list of 7 suggestions for introducing or enjoying tea in all its forms both those made from herbs and those made with Camellia sinensis.  

In this post, I will focus on item #2. (If you want to see the original list of 7 see this post: http://herbal-life-style.blogspot.com/2011/02/hot-tea-enjoyment.html)

2.  Buy loose tea instead of bags. Loose tea creates a bolder, fuller flavor because it doesn’t constrict the leaves like bags do. 

Suddenly, tea is everywhere.  In grocery stores, tea sections suddenly have swollen to accommodate more brands and varieties. There is more tea out there now than I ever imaged was possible when I first began designing herbal tea blends in the 1990s.

According to tea blogger, David Ramsay, the big action is in loose leaf tea, which generally is of the best quality. Bagged tea has advantages, but it's generally the cheaper bits.  So those who really want to enjoy the flavor of tea or herbal tea need to try loose tea.

"It's like wine. You can buy your $6 bottle versus a very nice French wine. Actually, the tea business is marketing itself that way."

Tea cycles in popularity.  When I first started making herbal tea, you could not buy much if any at the grocery.  What you could find was chamomile tea bags or peppermint tea bags, but no teas with blends of herbs.  It was that reason I began growing and blending herbs all those years ago.

What makes me happy at this time is that my firm belief that there is just something about a good cup of tea, seems to be catching on.  Now instead of just wanting herbal tea for its medicinal properties which was the first wave of interest I saw in my business, people are just want to enjoy tea – Good tea.

We have to overcome years of stereotypes that the only people who drink tea are elderly women of British ancestry.  However, their tea was usually black tea, only sometimes flavored with herbal oils, like Earl Grey.  Now you can find imaginative tea flavors, which appeal to young people, making Tea more popular.

Some people buy for the taste, some for the perceived health benefits. But although tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world, it is not quite that popular in the U.S. as yet.

If you didn't come from a tea drinking family, like I did, then the path to sipping it often begins with a sore throat and the belief that herbal teas have special medicinal properties (they do, by the way!)  It is this sampling that results in becoming hooked forever.

Now it is people like Dr. Oz who will mention teas and create a massive desire by the public to try it.  I believe whatever it takes to create converts is a good thing because I want everyone to enjoy tea as much as I do!

Many people argue that Herbal Tea has no favor, but I argue back that you just have not tried the correct blends of Herbal Teas.  So, if you want to try some flavorful as well as soothing loose tea, the Backyard Patch makes more than 22 varieties of caffeine-free herbal teas and another dozen or more herb blended green teas and herb flavored black teas. All of which can be found on our website and in our e-bay and etsy stores.

Hot Tea Enjoyment

January was Hot Tea Month, and that got me to thinking that I have always loved tea, in fact it was why I started to grow herbs, because I love tea flavored with herbs.  Now Herb Tea is technically not tea at all, but rather an tisane made by steeping herbs, but since we drink it much the same way, I will group it together with regular tea which can include white, green or black all of which come from the plant Camellia sinensis.

As a purveyor of herbal and herb-infused green and black teas, I have some tips to offer for enjoying tea, both for those who have drunk tea for years, and those who are just beginning to enjoy its nuances:

 7 Tea Enjoyment Suggestions





Backyard Patch Teatime Herbal Tea



 1. Try a new type of tea. There are many variations beyond traditional black or green tea, including caffeine-free herbal blends (tisanes) or rooibos from South Africa.

2. Buy loose tea instead of bags. Loose tea creates a bolder, fuller flavor because it doesn’t constrict the leaves like bags do.
I am going to do posts on each of these 7 suggestions with information or recipes so that you can begin to enjoy tea, especially those infused with the flavor of herbs.

3. Learn how to brew the best tea. It’s not hard, but there are variations in time, temperature, and brewing equipment that can make a big difference in the quality of tea.

4. Understand how to store tea. Use opaque food-safe containers with a sealed lid to avoid exposure to light, heat, moisture, and air. (No glass containers)

5. Experiment with tea in other drinks, such as lattes, cider, cocoa or as Chai.  Tea can also be used as an ingredient in recipes from desserts to main dishes.

6. Host a tea tasting with friends. Try several different flavors and compare notes. Or hold an actual tea and serve scones and treats with your tea selections.

7. Put brewed tea leaves to good use. Sprinkle them on plants, add to a compost pile or cook with them!

Most people have heard that drinking tea (particularly green tea) is good for you, but they don’t do it because they have memories of less-than-pleasant tea experiences. However, once someone begins to explore all of the options out there, one can find what works for them in flavor, richness and strength.

Until then, I recommend you take advantage of suggestion number one and try a new tea.   The Backyard Patch offers caffeine-free herbal teas, herb flavored black teas and herb blended green teas, as well as Chai blends that combine tea, herbs and spices.