Do you like tea in the morning? My routine usually calls for two cups of coffee when I wake up and a pot of tea a couple hours later.
I know. It sounds like I should just sleep longer, but I enjoy the warm ritual.
I had been drinking plain tea until I stopped in at the Sahara Cafe in Manitou Springs, a place where your cup of sage tea is never empty. Drinking this lightly sweetened, fragrant tea gave me ideas.
I already had bags of herbs I had bought from Venetucci Farm last summer and dried. Why not make tea from them?
You might be wondering how I dried them. If you don’t live here, I should let you know that I treat the dry climate in Colorado Springs as a natural resource. You can dry anything by just letting it sit out! I’ve seen sheets dry within 20 minutes of being put on the laundry line and I can cleanly sweep up chicken droppings with a broom an hour after they were deposited on the backyard patio. It’s really no trouble at all to dry herbs. Tie them, hang them up and they take care of the rest themselves!
Dried Rosemary and Sage
Adding to the appeal of making tea, I found some information on the medicinal properties of herbs in the most authoritative source I can think of … the seed catalog. It said sage is a nerve tonic and rosemary is good for circulation. Since my fingers and toes get cold in the winter, I thought I’d see if it helps keep them warm.
I pulled out some dried rosemary and sage and crumbled it with my fingers.
Crumbled herbs
I put the crumbled herbs in the little tea basket, but you could just as easily put it in a tea ball or bag. You can even put it straight into the water and then strain it out before drinking the tea. I put the little bag of black tea right into the pot too. You could make it without the black tea, but then it’s more like an herbal infusion. The black tea adds some depth to the flavor.
Let it steep for five to ten minutes. You’re trying to strike a balance between letting the herbs steep long enough and letting the teabag steep too long.
I like to add a teaspoon of sugar, but it’s good unsweetened too.
If you try it, let me know if your circulation improves. I think mine did, or maybe it just helps to hold a cup of hot tea. Either way, I’ll order the seeds for spring.
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Sounds tasty! I’ll have to make some.
I’d suggest splurging on some real, loose black tea, as well.
What a fun discovery! I like combining herbals with green or black loose leaf teas too. It does give it more flavor. I cook very often with sage and rosemary, but have not drank it as tea. I do know they are both good for many things though. I have bushes of sage growing in my flower beds and some are well over 15 years old! They are great plants and look beautiful when blooming. I have to overwinter Rosemary or buy it new every year. I am growing cuttings from Rosemary on my windowsill so I can plant them in spring. Thanks for your post…love your cast iron teapot too!
Thanks! I love that teapot too. I’m jealous of your sage bushes. I wonder if I could get them to grow here in Colorado.