herb teas

• • notes

This is simply a list of some of the main ingredients I use myself or supply for making herb teas. This may be in the form of material that is freshly picked, frozen or dried.

‘Herb Tea’ basically means any flavoured warm/hot drink where you put the plant material into water and drink it. Usually this also just means not made with black tea (dried and fermented Camellia sinensis leaves).

This can be simply suffusing the water with a flavour or making it into almost a ‘green smoothie’ style with a huge amount of plant material in it.

herb_tea

Aside from the obvious fresh and dried forms, many ingredients can be frozen which maintains the taste and immediacy of the flavour for use at any time of the year. Freezing in small blocks or cubes is a good way to prepare some of these items. These can be either whole, cut up or put into a blender and then arranged in serving sized units.

These can make excellent flavour additions to a meal and add the equivalent  of a whole new dimension to a meal or simply be enjoyed as a ‘palette’ cleanser or mouth wash to help other tastes develop when you eat. Adding a small cup of a suitably flavoured ‘tea’ can change a whole meal experience.

There are many ‘herbs’ or plants that have various odd chemical effects on your body and you should check carefully before indulging in some of them.

Teas & Tissanes – infusions and decoctions…

Plant Common name Usable parts Preparation Notes
Agastache foeniculum Anise Hyssop Leaf Fresh or dried leaf Mid Spring, Summer & early Autumn
Aloysia triphylla Lemon Verbena Leaf Fresh or dried leaf Mid Spring till late Autumn
Anethum graveolens Dill Leaf and Seeds Fresh or dried leaf and seed All year – break mid winter
Apium graveolens Celery – red stem Leaf Fresh or dried leaf All year
Arctium lappa Burdock Root Roasted root All year
Calamintha nepeta Lesser calamint – (Field Balm) Leaf Fresh or dried leaf All year – break mid winter
Calamintha officinalis Calamint Leaf Fresh or dried leaf All year – break mid winter
Calendula arvensis Calendula – wild Flower Fresh and dried flower petals Spring, Summer & Autumn
Calendula officinalis Calendula officinalis Flower Fresh and dried flower petals Spring, Summer & Autumn
Camelia sinensis Green Tea Leaf Fresh or dried leaf All year
Citrus – various Citrus Peel & flesh Fresh or dried Peel and syrup All year
Coriandrum sativum Coriander Seeds Fresh and dried seeds All year
Curcuma longa Turmeric Root Fresh or dried root All year
Cymbopogon citratus Lemon grass Leaf Stalk Fresh and dried stalk All year – break mid winter
Foeniculum vulgare Fennel Leaf and Seeds Fresh or dried leaf and seed All year
Fragaria × ananassa Strawberry Leaf and fruit Fresh or dried leaf and fruit Mid Spring, Summer & Autumn
Helianthus annuus Sunflower Ground seed Dry and grind seed Autumn
Hordeum vulgare Barley – 2 row & 6 row Seed Fresh or dried seed Summer & Autumn
Hyssopus officinalis Hyssop Leaf Fresh or dried leaf Summer & Autumn
Lavandula angustifola Lavender Leaf and flower Fresh or dried leaf and flower Summer & Autumn
Matricaria chamomilla Chamomile Leaf Fresh or dried leaf Summer & Autumn
Medicago sativa Alfalfa – Lucerne Leaf Fresh leaf Summer & Autumn
Melissa officinalis Lemon Balm Leaf Fresh or dried leaf Early spring till late Autumn
Mentha × gracilis Ginger mint Leaf Fresh or dried leaf Mid Spring till late Autumn
Mentha × piperita Peppermint black Leaf Fresh or dried leaf Mid Spring till late Autumn
Mentha × piperita Peppermint white Leaf Fresh or dried leaf Mid Spring till late Autumn
Mentha citrata Citrus or Orange mint Leaf Fresh or dried leaf Mid Spring till late Autumn
Mentha niliaca Egyptian mint Leaf Fresh or dried leaf Mid Spring till late Autumn
Mentha spicata Spearmint Leaf Fresh or dried leaf Mid Spring till late Autumn
Monarda didyma Bee Balm Leaf Fresh or dried leaf Spring, Summer & Autumn
Nepeta cataria Catnip Leaf Fresh or dried leaf All year – break mid winter
Ocimum basilicum & spp Basil Leaf & flower Fresh or dried leaf Summer & Autumn
Olea europaea Olive Leaf Fresh or dried leaf All year
Origanum majorana Majoram Leaf Fresh or dried leaf All year
Origanum vulgare Origano Leaf Fresh or dried leaf All year
Origanum vulgare v hirtum Origano – greek Leaf Fresh or dried leaf – better dried with flowers All year
Passiflora edulis Passionflower Leaf and fruit Fresh or dried leaf and fruit All year
Pelargonium graveolens Rose Geranium Leaf & flower Fresh or dried leaf and flower All year
Petroselinum crispum Parsley Leaf Fresh or dried leaf All year
Pimpinella anisum Anise Leaf and Seeds Fresh or dried leaf and seed Summer & Autumn
Rosa spp – mainly Rosa rugosa Rose Petals and hips Fresh and dried petals and hips Summer & Autumn
Rosmarinus officinalis Rosemary Leaf and flower Fresh or dried leaf All year
Rubus spp Raspberry Leaf and fruit Fresh or dried leaf and fruit Spirng, Summer and Autumn
Salvia officinalis Sage Leaf Fresh or dried leaf Summer & Autumn
Sambucus nigra & canadensis Elderberry Fruit Fresh or dried berry Summer & Autumn
Stellaria media Chickweed Leaf Fresh or dried leaf All year
Stevia Stevia Leaf Fresh or dried leaf Spring, Summer & Autumn
Tanacetum balsamita Costmary Leaf Fresh or dried leaf Summer & Autumn
Taraxacum spp Dandelion Root Roasted root All year
Thymus spp Thyme – various Leaf Fresh or dried leaf All year
Trifolium pratense Red Clover Leaf Fresh or dried leaf – caution anticoagulant All year
Trifolium repens White Clover Leaf Fresh or dried leaf – better pre cooked All year
Trigonella foenum-graecum Fenugreek Leaf and Seeds Fresh or dried leaf and seed All year – break mid winter
Urtica Dioca Nettle – stinging Leaf Fresh or dried leaf Summer & Autumn
Zingiber mioga Myoga ginger Root Fresh or dried root & flower buds All year
Zingiber officinale Ginger Root Fresh or dried root All year
Australian natives
Alpinia caerulea Native ginger Root Fresh or dried root All year
Backhousia citriodora Lemon Myrtle Leaf Fresh or dried leaf All year
Backhousia myrtifolia Cinnamon Myrtle Leaf Fresh or dried leaf All year
Leptospermum petersonii Lemon scented tea tree Leaf Fresh or dried leaf All year
Mentha australis Australian River mint Leaf Fresh or dried leaf Mid Spring till late Autumn
Ocimum tenuiflorum Natve thyme Leaf Fresh or dried leaf All year
Prostanthera – spp Mint bush – various Leaf Fresh or dried leaf All year
Prostanthera incisa Mint Bush – cut leaf Leaf Fresh or dried leaf All year
Prostanthera rotundifolia Mint bush – round Leaf Fresh or dried leaf All year
Syzygium anisatum Anise Myrtle Leaf Fresh or dried leaf All year
Syzygium australe Brush cherry Fruit Fresh and dried fruit Variable
Syzygium luehmanii Riberry Fruit Fresh and dried fruit Variable
Syzygium smithii Lillipilli Fruit Fresh and dried fruit Late summer & Autumn

Stevia leaf and Sugarcane stalks are available for sweeteners most of the year.