The Basics for Making Healing Herbal Teas at Home for Everyone ~ INCLUDING CHILDREN AND BABIES

KITCHEN HERBOLOGY

 How to make your own cup of delicious herbal tea that is 

warming, healing and easy to  

make.

The basics:

~ Don't boil the soft/yin parts of the herb: the flowers and soft leaves.

~ Do not boil any herb that is powdered. Add it to the tea bag after boiling is done, while the tea is steeping.

~ Boil the hard/yang parts of the herb: the stems, roots and berries (to release and activate the healing properties).

~ Steep your tea: steep means to keep covered and sit for 15-20 minutes before drinking. You can put the saucer on top of the tea cup to steep it.

~ While boiling herbs - always keep the pot covered. When your blend contains yin/flowers and yang/roots mixed together, drop the tea bag in boiling water for 5min (covered) - remove from flame and let steep for 15-20min before drinking.  Use 're-usable' cotton tea bags. Uncovered, the therapeutic properties will escape; covered, they rise with the steam but then fall back into the water.

I've selected a few herbs from three common groups of healing herbs. You can pick two or three herbs to make a nice cup of tea that is also calming and healing.  Choose one or two from one or all three groups.

DO NOT SWEETEN WITH SUGAR.  USE RAW HONEY.  'Sugar(s)' kill the therapeutic properties of the herbs.

NOTE:

pt = part, that could be 1oz or 1 lb - depending on how much of the formula you want to end up with. 1/2 pt = 1/2 ounce or 1/2 pound. 1/4 pt = 1/4 ounce or 1/4 pound.  

FOR EXAMPLE: the first blend: 1pt chamomile, 1/4 pt schizandra and 1/2pt St. Johnswort ~ in ounces = 1 3/4 ounces of the blend.  If you want to make more to last longer than just a few cups of tea, increase your "part" to equal maybe 4 oz. Then you'd have 7oz (almost a 1/2 pound) of your blend. 

Store your new formulas in glass jars (use labels with herbs contained in each formula). Simply wash out and save your food jars.  That's how I started many years ago.

Calming Herbs: hops, lemon balm, valerian*, lavender, red clover, catnip, 

St. Johnswort, schizandra**, motherwort, skullcap, chamomile

Suggested blend: chamomile (1pt), schizandra (1/4 pt), St. Johnswort (1/2 pt) - mix together - take 1-2 tsps per cup boiling water for desired strength/taste.

Herbs that break up chest congestion: coltsfoot, mullein, plantain leaves (not the banana), eucalyptus, lungwort, chaparral*, elecampane*, peppermint, orange peel

Suggested blend: eucalpytus (1pt), coltsfoot (1/2pt), orange peel (1/4pt) - mix together - take 1-2 tsps per cup boiling water for desired strength/taste.

Blood circulation /heart herbs: motherwort, hawthorn berries***, cayenne, garlic

Suggested blend: red clover (1pt), hawthorn berries (1/4 pt), St. Johnswort (1/2 pt) - mix together - take 1-2 tsps per cup boiling water to taste.

TIPS

~ Next time you eat an orange, save the peel, let it air dry on a white paper towel (also cover to keep off dust while drying), and jar for future use in teas.

~ To make a pot of tea (1-2qts) add 6-8tsp of desired blend and steep as usual. 

~ Look up each of the herbs you choose; they each have so very, many, good health benefits.

~ DAILY use of herb teas can begin to shift ANY ailment you suffer from, and begin to heal your body. (If you can't handle the taste, make the same formula into capsules!)

~ CREATE YOUR OWN HERBAL HONEY - Simply take any formula and add it to a jar of honey.  Voilla!!!

~ FOR CHILDREN: Use your mints PLUS St. Johnswort to calm children. It

For sleep, I would use any of the  mints (1pt) with a small amount  (1/4pt) of hops

could be their daily morning cup of tea.  

(1 part mint, 1/4 part St. Johnswort; increase

 the St. Johnswort for desired strength) You can also use any of the herbs

 that break up mucus congestion during the

 cold/flu season.Suggested blend: Lemon balm 1pt, coltsfoot 1pt, peppermint 2pts, wild cherry bark 1pt. ~ mix together - take 1 tsp per cup boiling water to taste; then let them add a piece of the dried orange peel (while steeping) to float in the tea while they drink it.

NOTE: Herbs, for the most part, are NOT flavorful.  Very few are "tasty." They were created to heal, not stimulate the pallet.  So use smaller amounts of the general healing herbs, and larger amounts of the mints to enhance the flavor.  Add raw honey to sweeten.

___________________

*   Very  

strong taste (not so pleasant)

**  Balances the 5 elements

*** 

May be contraindicated if you take heart medication. Please consult your physician 

     before use.

Join our FREE Monthly HEALING MARKETPLACE every 1st Saturday 

(Healers welcome) and a 1-hr $10 Workshop on the Basics 

of Making Herbal Formulas (see Newsletter for more 

details and location).

You can Sign up for NEWSLETTER here. You can also subscribe to this Blog

~ simply submit your email address above ~ so you can receive every Post

directly to your Inbox. ALSO, don't forget to share your favorite

Posts with your Framily members.