Homegrown Herbal Tea

[digitS']

Enough for 1 cup, that was all of the anise hyssop that I dared harvest for a cup of herbal tea with the addition of lemon verbena from the greenhouse.

The plant was the most vigorous of 2024 and is being joined by others in a return for this season. Additionally, I recovered some volunteers from self-seeding and have them in small pots on the greenhouse bench.

Protected growing for the subtropical lemon verbena has meant that several sandwich bags have already been harvested and are in the freezer. Those two plants in their big pots were moved to a shady area of the garden, yesterday.

The temperate anise hyssop outdoors has to play catch-up with the verbena . Soon, I will be able to enjoy both together from the kettle and not just 1 cup a week.

Steve

 

[digitS']

This morning my experiment with herbal tea involves making use of several mints that have been growing in the yard for years. Usually, I pay little attention to them but vegetable garden expansion is now threatening their locations. Importantly, I have found a use for the spearmint, enjoying it in the licorice root, orange zest & stevia blend. Homegrown is considerably better than store-bought and there's plenty dried and bagged on a kitchen shelf .

This morning, I am trying *apple mint* as a substitute for the spearmint. I already have something of a love/hate relationship with apple mint. The fragrance of the fresh is absolutely delightful . The invasiveness of the plant seriously tests my tolerance for it!

I have tried it dried as a tea and was disappointed by its loss of flavor. Perhaps, just doubling the amount used would prove worthwhile. This morning, the apple mint flavor will have the licorice, orange and the stevia to compete with/compliment it. Let's try ... the contents of the cup has cooled enough ...

Hey, tasty stuff! From the moment I put my nose over the steaming cup, I easily detect a difference from the spearmint. Fruity, yes but in the mouth it is almost candy-like . Hmm, I wonder if this might serve as a preferred blend? Best not be hasty, Steve — you don't want to expand the apple mint's domain and then regret it! There's a kettle full and a zip-lock bag of the blend to try before decisions might be made.

Well, tomorrow — Mojito mint!

Steve

 

[ducks4you]

I remember an Illini FS that used to sell plants in a garden center each spring. I Swear they carried about 9 kinds of mint. Can't find even the chocolate mint that I have growing everywhere in my yard, to purchase.
I did see Apple Mint and Pineapple Mint for sale at that now defunct store--they only carry equipment for farmers, now--wish I had picked up the Apple Mint.
Pretty pricey, now, $6-$10/plant:

Apple Mint

Apple mint is an attractive herb used for culinary, ornamental and medicinal purposes. Apple Mint can grow up to 3 feet.

maplesnmore.com

 

[digitS']

All of our exotic mints may have come from Richter's, in eastern Canada. We don't have many exotics but Richter's sells 20 types of mints altho several are variations of Spearmint.

They are all about $7US/each. Shipping is expensive but if'n you are buying several things, it ain't too bad. We would often buy a flat of this or that and 1 or 2 more plants didn't make much difference in totals.

"Banana mint?!" Whoa ... I'm not sure about that one .