Helpful information
Timing: All year around
Where to do it: Indoors
Garden space: Large garden, small garden, balcony, indoor space
A nice cup of tea is an important part of many people’s routine. This guide looks at how to make our own herbal teas and the many benefits.
- You can grow and harvest your own herbs to make your herbal tea. Making use of what you've nurtured is very rewarding
- There are potential health and wellbeing benefits offered by different herbs
- Whatever your space, you can grow herbs. A windowsill is as good as a garden
Pots of herbs
Mint (e.g., Morrocan mint, Peppermint, Spearmint)
Mint tea is fresh and aromatic. Spearmint has a stronger taste than peppermint.
Lemon Verbena
This makes a lemony, light and refreshing tea. The plant grows slowly.
Lemon balm
Tastes similar to lemon verbena and is a good alternative. The plant grows prolifically.
Rosemary
Rosemary teas have a distinct taste and are strongly aromatic. If you use rosemary, use one 5cm sprig per person as this tea has a robust flavour.
Camomile
Makes a slightly aromatic tea.
Thyme
Makes a tea with a robust flavour.
Note: If you are thinking of making sage tea, please read up about it first. In small concentrations it may have some benefits. It can also be toxic if taken in larger amounts because of the chemicals it contains.
Essential items
- A variety of fresh herbs (grown yourself or from the supermarket)
- Several cafetières. You could use glass tissanières/herbal tea pots if you have them
- Scissors
- Boiling water
- Cups
Optional items
- Pens and paper (if rating different varieties)
Step 1. Scrunch the herb leaves
Take a good bunch of each herb and ‘scrunch’ the leaves a little. This will help to release their essential oils.
Step 2. Cover with boiling water
Put the bunches into different tissanières or cafetières. Add enough boiling water to cover the herbs.
Step 3. Leave to stew
Let the herb leaves stew for five to 10 minutes. Keep the lids on the pots to prevent the oils from evaporating in the steam.
Step 4. Pour
Carefully pour your stewed herbal tea into a cup. It will be very hot to start with, so give it time to cool.
Suggested extra activity
If you are enjoying your herbal tea with someone else, you could make more than one flavour and decide which is your favourite.
Rate each one for smell, taste, aftertaste and whether it makes a pleasant alternative to water or 'normal'. You could use a scale from one to five for each point. Compare the total scores for each herbal tea and decide the favourite.
A cafetiere of herbal tea
Fun fact
Herbal teas could more accurately be called infusions or tisanes. Tea in the ‘true’ sense is made using the leaves of the evergreen shrub Camellia sinensis.
Related content
Herb-infused oils
Herb-infused oils are a great way to add flavour to cooking or to use as a dip. Follow our guide to create your own.
