Camellia sinensis - ordinary tea (black, green or white). Something a little different in your garden - if you have a suitable climate, of course.

Please remember that ALL herbal teas are medicines. They should not be used as beverages (though I break my own rule with Tea - I make sure never to have more than 2 cups per day, however, very weak). Please check each of the herbs you make tea from, to see what side effects and interactions with other herbs or drugs they might have, and which ailments they are intended to treat.

Children should never be allowed to have herbal teas. Their immature bodies do not always react in the same ways to medications as adults. Under expert supervision, one teaspoon of a herbal tea is a daily dosage for a child under 12. One cup of herbal tea is a daily dosage for an adult.

I saw your pic on another thread. Do you have any idea just how BIG all those herbs are going to be, and how far they'll spread?? That planter is a fraction of the size you'll need for the mint alone.

Hi Daisy-
Yes, I realize the Herbs will soon outgrow the planter. The idea is to transplant the Herbs you like into your garden. Most of these I took from my own Gardens. The Peppermint is in a seperate pot within the planter, so it won't overrun the rest. I don't think ordinary tea will overwinter here- I'm in Michigan, USA.

Tasymo;
Lemon grass makes a delicious tea by itself, and it really improves the taste of regular tea.
If you can not get lemon grass at a nursery, it might be available in some grocery stores in the produce dept. Just make sure that the lemon grass has a part of the crown. Plant it in some moist soil (bury the crown), keep it in the shade, and wait. The leaves will turn yellow at first, but eventually it will sprout--water ONLY when the soil is getting dry, and until it shows new growth, then water regularly.
It can be brought indoors for the winter. Just water sparingly, and put it by a south facing window.

Kathy - I love your idea and believe I'm going to have to steal it! ;^>

Catnip makes a great tea, is easy to grow, and would probably be welcomed by all your giftees with kitties.

Anise Hyssop makes a nice licorice-y tea and is also super-easy to grow from seed.

Sage makes a tasty tea when a bit of lemon peel and whole cloves or a chunk of cinnamon bark are steeped with it. I've also tossed in a piece of crystallized ginger and let it melt and that's a real treat.

I've heard that basil makes an interesting tea, but haven't tried it.

If you need more German Chamomile seeds let me know, I've got scads just-harvested ("Bona").

tosser....the sage is a GREAT idea. This morning after reading your post, I steeped a few leaves in my "tea ball" along with some lemon balm in my regular herbal tea, and it REALLY adds just a nice hint of sage flavor. I love it.

I also like putting some crystallized ginger in the teapot to melt. Adds a really great flavor.

I haven't tried a basil tea yet, but I love the taste of basil and might try steeping a little of it.

I'm big on keeping simple syrups in the refrigerator to sweeten my teas with. I've made a rosemary simple syrup that was VERY good and basil for lemonade. And I always keep a lemon simple syrup on hand.

My mother was British and BIG on her hot tea. She wasn't into herbal teas. Just English. For her it was water right off the boil and cream, that's it. She LOVED her hot tea and drank it all day long. I never really got into hot teas when she was alive, but I can't help but think she's smiles now when I make a fresh pot. :-) I'd give anything right now to share a cup with her.

Basil syrup in lemonade...interesting. The more I think about it the better it sounds. I've absolutely got to try this. Thanks for the cool idea!

I too keep fruit-flavored simple syrups in the fridge, but I haven't tried herbal ones. I think I'll give some a try.

And, please do listen to Daisy's caution about drinking herbal teas.... she' right you know.

tosser....if you love basil, you will love basil simple syrup and what it does for lemonade, and even hot tea! As I said...rosemary is another great one to keep on hand. I always have the fruit SS's around too, but love making the herbal ones.

Thanks for the ideas Folks! I never would have thought to use Sage in tea. It sounds great with a bit of spice and lemon! I enjoy an occasional cup of tea, not even once a day but maybe a couple times a week, so I think I'll be safe. "Moderation in all things" has always been my motto. Can anyone tell me the best way to harvest and use rose hips for tea? I like the taste from prepared store brand herbal teas, but have never used my own rose hips. I'd also like to learn more about the simple syrups some of you mentioned. Thanks again! Kathy

For the rosehips, pick hips when ripe, before the first frost and use either fresh or dried. Remove the seeds from the ripe hips in a bowl of water and discard any which float. Seeds contain irritating hairs, and these must be removed.

Rosehip Syrup: Add 1 cup rosehips to 1.5 cups water, cover and simmer for 15 minutes, then leave for 24 hours. Strain, boil and add 2 tablespoons lemon juice per 600ml liquid. Use 2 teaspoons daily to supply an adult with Vitamin C. Keep refrigerated.

To make a herbal syrup: Dissolve 1.5kg brown sugar in 600ml boiling water. Boil the water again until a thick, syrupy consistency is obtained, then add the herbs. Honey may be used instead of brown sugar. A standard dosage is 5-10ml three times a day. Store for up to 6 months.

A herbal tea is made in one of 2 ways, depending on which part(s) of the plant you are using:

An infusion:
An infusion is made from softer parts of the plant - the leaves, stems and flowers. Pour boiling water over the herb and leave for 5-10 minutes, as in making ordinary tea. While steeping, the container should be tightly covered. Usual quantities are 15-30g of herb to 600ml water. Strain off the liquid and discard the solid matter. To make one cup, use about a teaspoon of the herb. Usual dosage is 500ml per day divided into 3-4 doses. Do not store an infusion for longer than 24 hours.

A decoction:
This method is suitable for bark, roots and seeds. Allow about 30g of the herb to 600ml water. Pour the water over the herb, soak for 10-15 minutes. Bring to the boil and simmer for 10-15 minutes. Cool for 10-15 minutes. Strain off the liquid through a cloth or fine sieve and discard the solid matter. A standard dose is the same as for an infusion. May be stored for up to 48 hours.

You would make a decoction with rosehips. An infusion will give you a much weaker brew. Use 5-10 hips per cup.

Thank you, Daisy. Great instructions. I'll definitely try using my own rosehips once they ripen.

I'm a big fan of lemon balm-pineapple sage tea. Yummmmm

My recipe for simple syrup:

A 2:1 ratio. Start with twice as much sugar as water. Depending on what you plan to store it in, start with 2 cups sugar, to 1 cup water. Four cups of sugar and two cups of water will fill a 32-oz. container to the top when finishing your simple syrup.

Over low heat, stir until sugar is no longer laying on the bottom on the pan and mixture is cloudy. Increase heat to medium/high and bring to a boil, giving it a stir with a wooden spoon occasionally. Boil for 3 minutes. Mixture will now be perfectly clear and of a thin, syrupy consistency.

Remove from heat.

While still VERY hot add:

Citrus zest or rind...If using zest, drop thin strips in hot mixture, allow to steep until mixture is barely lukewarm. Strain through a seive and store in bottle in refrigerator. If using rind (for instance, by using a vegetable peeler), be careful not to get any of the pith (the white) of the fruit with the rind. Crush rind with the palm of your hand on flat surface to release oils and drop into the hot syrup mixture. Follow as above.

For herbs....basil and sage, for instance....take several large leaves (I find 4-5 are enough) and roll up and crush with the palm of your hand to release to oils (bruise). Mint will vary, depending on type and it's potency. Your nose will tell you. Drop into hot mixture. Steep until barely lukewarm and remove whole leaves. Store in bottle in refrigerator.

Rosemary...leave on stems, crush stem (again, to release oils), drop into mixture, same as above.

Thymes are also best kept on the stem, because of their small leaves. Just be sure to bruise the stem to crush to herb to release it's oil.

Some people use a 1:1 ratio with sugar and water, and I've tried it, but find it to be more of a "simple water" than I do syrup. Also, the 2:1 ratio seems to take less to sweeten beverages, be it a single glass, or an entire pitcher or pot. The 2:1 ratio will become a even thicker when allowed to get cold in the refrigerator, but dissolve instantly in cold or hot beverages.

When the ODD occurrence presents itself and I find I don't have lemons or oranges in the house for citrus SS, I use lemon or orange oil. 1/4 tsp. = 1 tbs. fresh zest. I use even less, finding the culinary lemon and orange oils to be intense in flavor. A little goes a long way. And they are just as good as the real thing. Not lemon or orange juice, but the culinary oils.

Whatever you do, don't boil your zest/rind or herbs with the syrup. It brings out the bitterness and the result won't be pleasant. Gently coaxing out the flavor by steeping and being patient is always the way to go and will always reward you with a flavorful syrup. :-)

The amount of zest or herbs you would use actually depends on your taste. I find one large lemon or orange is fine with my 4 cups to 2 cups ratio, and provides the simple syrup with more than enough flavor. After all, you want a hint of the flavor, not an overwhelming one. The beverage is the star of the show, the syrup is just a sweetener, an accompaniment.

Like a lemonade flavored with basil simple syrup. You want the tang of the lemon to shine through with just a hint of basil.

I find 4-5 leaves of a healthy, potent basil or sage is just fine. A couple healthy stalks of rosemary will do you well, also. Pick a nice bouquet of thyme if using it. In my experience, it takes a little more to get the job done. As I said, mint will depend on type and potency, but I've found I never have to overwhelm the pot with any single ingredient to get the flavor out of it, if it's fresh and healthy. Trust your nose and tastebuds....but don't burn yourself.

When making simple syrup, it's always a good idea to have a bowl of ice water nearby, in case of any accidental splashing or accidents that may occur. This stuff is H-O-T and WILL burn your skin on contact and it sticks!

I use the 2:1 formula, as well, and always make simple syrup with white granulated sugar (used brown once and thought it was godawful). Still can't believe I never thought of using basil with lemonade!

I wish I could take credit for the basil-lemonade, but I saw it on the Food Network. Giada de Laurentiis made it. I have many favorites on that network but she's at the top of the list, so I had to try it. And loved it. (She's the one who inspired me to plant an herb garden).

Yeah, the brown sugar SS is just horrible. It's that molasses-like quality that it has. As much as they say white sugar isn't good for us, there's no substitute for it when making a SS.

Lemme know how you like the lemonade. :-)