How To Dry Herbs To Make Herbal Tea

When growing in your garden, you have the freedom to grow the plants you will use and get the most benefit. I drink more tea than I eat vegetables, so I decided to create a tea garden using some pots. My tea garden has been much more successful than my vegetable growing. In this post, I share how to dry herbs to make herbal tea, and I will answer some common herbal tea questions.  

There is nothing like picking your homegrown mint from the garden and making a fresh brew. Also, you can harvest your herbs and dry them for later. You can experiment with mixing different dried herbs to create your unique blend. 

Last year, I started planting plants that are also perfect for making herbal tea. I have experimented with making herbal tea, and here is what I have learnt one year later. 

If you are like me and have a small garden, then get creative and use wall space. Some of my herbs are in pots, and I display them in a wall feature in my garden. It is easier to move them into a shed or greenhouse in the winter months. 

Choosing The Perfect Plants For Your Tea Garden

At the moment, here are some plants I have in my tea garden. 

Lemon Balm 

Heuchera

Sage

Calamintha

Chamomile

Verbena

Fennel

Echinacea

Mint

Lavender

Lavender, Echinacea, Verbena and Fennel can grow quite large. When this happens, you can transplant them into larger pots or create a flower bed. These plants are also perennial and come back each year. 

Not only can the plants above be used for tea, but they also flower in your garden and look beautiful throughout Summer. If you are like me and grow wonky carrots, maybe try growing some tea instead. 

Many of the plants you seen in last years post have since been potted on to larger pots and flowers beds within the garden.

How To Dry Herbs To Make Herbal Tea

The best time to pick flowers from your garden is around mid-morning when the dew has dried, but before the harsh sun dries the oils within your plant.

There are many ways to dry your flowers. I will share tips for air drying. Other methods include using a dehydrator, a microwave and an oven. However, the air-dry way is free, and anyone can do it. 

Gather your flowers that you would like to dry and wash the flowers thoroughly. It is better to dry flowers from your garden over shop-bought flowers, as these can have pesticides. 

Remove any foliage from the stems of the flowers. Take a small piece of rope and tie the bunch of flowers together tightly so that they don’t open up. Hang the flower stems facing up for drying. Place the flowers bunches in direct sunlight, in a greenhouse or hanging above a window in your home is perfect. Rotate the bunches, so all of them dry up. 

Other Air Dry Methods

Another method is to remove the flower heads from the stems. Remove the flower heads you want to dry, and place them on a tray. You can make DIY herb drying racks for drying your flowers. 

How long the flowers take to dry out depends on two things, temperature and humidity. The less humidity in your air, the quicker your herbs will dry. Warm and dry is best.

Check your herbs often. The herbs should crumble and break easily in your hands when dry. 

When your herbs and flowers are completely dried out, you can store them in an airtight container. Check the container for condensation, as condensation can lead to mould growth. If you notice condensation, remove the flowers and allow them to dry some more. 

Herbal teas include various vitamins that are great for fighting off diseases and infections. However, keep in mind that if you’re consuming herbal tea that you created at home, it should be consumed in reasonable amounts and should not be overdone. Like all things, balance.

Can you put flowers in tea? 

You’ll be delighted to know that you can use both fresh and dried flowers in your tea. Flower tea has various health benefits, reduced stress and anxiety, as well as anti-ageing properties. 

Most people prefer dried flowers in tea instead of fresh ones as they’re easier to use and already available in a storage jar, saving time. 

If you plan to consume flower tea on a regular basis, it is recommended that you grow flowers at home and do not purchase flowers from a florist or a nursery as those flowers are often treated by chemicals to improve their life. 

Flowers with pesticides can be harmful, so thoroughly wash the petals and let them dry a bit before adding them to your tea to avoid health risks and allergies.

How Do You Make Tea From Flowers? 

If you want to make one cup of tea, you can use either fresh or dried flowers, whatever you prefer. Add one tablespoon of flowers in boiling water and wait for a while until the flavour sinks in. 

If you want a strong flavour, let the tea brew for a long time, or if you don’t like a strong flavour, you can brew the tea for a less amount of time. For additional flavour, you can also squeeze a little bit of lemon and add it to your tea for enhanced taste. 

This tea infuser will come in handy, or you can use a tea strainer.

Is It Safe To Make Your Own Herbal Tea? 

It is a good idea to make your herbal tea at home as it will be 100% natural without any chemicals and preservatives. 

If you make your herbal tea, it will be of the finest quality, have high nutritional value, and a unique fresh taste, and the best part is that you will be able to customize the blends and taste according to your likes and dislikes. 

However, keep in mind that if you’re consuming herbal tea that is made at home or purchased from the market, it should be consumed in reasonable amounts and should not be overdone. 

Can I Drink Herbal Tea Every Day?

Even though many people consume 3 to 4 cups of herbal tea daily, this might not work out for everyone. 

You must maintain a balance and limit your daily consumption as increased intake can lead to various side effects such as headaches and disruptive sleep.

Is Herbal Tea Healthy?

Herbal tea includes various vitamins that are great for fighting off diseases and infections. It also reduces the risks of chronic disease. 

Some of the best flavoured and effective herbal teas include ginger, elderberry, and Echinacea. 

I have a bad tea habit. I consume way too much. Also, I add sugar to my regular tea, so I try to have a herbal tea in between to balance this out during my day. 

Like most things in life, you can overdo it. If you notice anything unusual during the drying process or have any reaction. Discontinue use immediately. Also, that applies to shop-bought herbal tea too. 

• How to make a herbal tea garden
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• How To Turn A Divan Bed Into A Garden Bar

Have fun trying to grow your tea garden. Also, these plants double up like beautiful flowers too. So, have fun growing and harvesting your tea. 

Let me know if you have dried herbs to make tea. Please share any issues you came across and how you overcame them in the comments below. Thanks for reading, Catherine.