Herbal Tea: The French Alternative
Have you given up on herbal teas because they taste more like the paper of the tea bags than the herbs?
Well Jackie French may have the answer to your problem. Herbs lose their freshness much faster than ordinary tea leaves. So if you want good herbal tea, Jackie recommends you purchase a tea ball or tea infuser, and fill it with fresh herbs from the garden.
Best herbs for herbal tea:
Jackie’s favourites are:
* lemon mint
* lemon balm
* lemon verbena, which is good for indigestion and one of the few herbal teas most men like.
Other soothing teas can be made with:
* chamomile flowers
* bergamot
* ginger mint
* apple mint and peppermint (make sure to use true peppermint, not culinary mint, which tastes just like mint sauce).
All of these herbs are available from nurseries are are easy to grow in the ground or in pots.
Making the tea
All you do is fill the tea ball with herbs, or a combination of herbs, like lemon mint and chamomile. Add a little orange peel, cinnamon bark or even apple peel to taste. Pour boiling water into your cup and then dunk the tea ball, just like an ordinary tea bag. Allow to steep for three minutes, remove the tea ball and sip. This is perfect for a cup of tea for one person.
If you’re making more than one, you can use the same herbs steeped in a teapot. Just add the herbs to the teapot (or strainer inside the pot if your teapot has one) add boiling water & allow the tea to steep for 3-5 mins and pour into cups to enjoy.
Further information:
Tea balls and infusers come in a variety of styles and sizes, and are made of stainless steel or mesh. They’re available from specialty kitchen shops, supermarkets and department stores. Prices range from about $2.50 to $25.