Month: April 2023

How To Have Fresh Herbal Tea And Save Money

Fans of herbal teas agree that fresh herbs make the very best tea. When herbal teas are purchased from a store not only is the freshness sacrificed, but some herbs are quite expensive. The only solution is to grow your own tea garden. You will enjoy fresh tea and save some money. Sound like too much work? It turns out, growing an herbal tea garden is not only simple but can really be a fun project.

Herbs can be grown year round and require very little space. Whether you live in an apartment or a house, these little plants can be grown. They can thrive indoors or outdoors. Most herbs do require a lot of light. I have had great success with peppermint and lemon verbena herbs in separate pots inside the house near a large window.

Before you rush out and buy herb seeds or seedlings, give some thought to the herbal teas you enjoy or those you want to try. Growing your own tea garden is a great way to experiment. There are many excellent books available that can guide you in this process. Learn how the various herbs can be used and the specific planting and growing instructions for each variety.

Whether the herbs are grown inside or outdoors, each herb needs its own space. If the herbs are grown too close to each other, the taste of each variety can be significantly changed. There are also herbs that are a little more aggressive and will take over other plants if they are not given adequate space.

From personal experience (lesson learned the hard way), it is important to label the herbs so you know what you planted and where it was planted; this is especially true if you plant several varieties of herbs. My first herbal garden was a little too ambitious! Different herbs have their own unique growing instructions and a simple label will save a lot of frustration.

In addition to the great books available on growing herbs, you might get some excellent assistance at the local nursery when you purchase the seeds or seedlings.

Growing an herbal tea garden is a win-win endeavor. You will enjoy delicious fresh herbal tea and, as a bonus, you will save some money. The cost of the seeds, pots and potting soil is much less than the price of herbal tea purchased from a store.…

Gourmet Tea Bags

Tea is one of the world’s most popular beverages. Many people are discovering what the world of gourmet tea has to offer. Everywhere from the neighborhood grocery store to fine restaurants is offering a selection of gourmet tea bags.

While shopping for gourmet tea you will come across the names for different kinds and may wonder what the differences are. Black, green and white tea all come from the same plant. Black tea is made from leaves that have been dried and then fermented. Green tea is made from leaves that have been dried and steamed rather than fermented. White tea is made from very young leaves that develop before the buds on the plant open.

Though commonly referred to and sold as teas, herbals infusions come from various other plants such as mint, catnip, or chamomile. Gourmet tea bags are sold for these as well.

In order to enjoy the best possible flavor from gourmet tea, it is important to brew it properly. Experts sometimes disagree on the fine points, but there are main steps to brewing that will be effective for any kind of tea.

The first step in brewing tea is to heat water. Ideally the water should be just below the boiling point. A recommended method is to start with cold water, bring it to a boil and then let it sit for a short time, no longer than a minute. If you use water that is too hot it will burn the leaves. Water that is not hot enough will cause the brewed tea to lack flavor.

Pour a small amount of water into the pot or cup you will be using to steep the tea. Swirl it around for a bit and then pour the water out. This warms the pot.

The next step is to put the tea in. If you are using gourmet tea bags, the correct amount is already taken care of. Use one gourmet tea bag per cup. If you are using loose tea leaves, use one teaspoonful per cup. Some like to add one for the pot. This seems to be a matter of personal preference.

How long to let it steep for the depends on what kind of tea you are using. Green tea takes about one to two minutes. Black tea should be steeped from three to five minutes. White tea should be steeped for from four to five minutes. Steeping for too long will lead to a bitter taste.

One of the keys to successful tea brewing is freshness of the tea. Experts recommend getting your gourmet tea from a specialty retailer to make sure that the tea leaves have been handled with proper care and are in the best condition of freshness.…