Herbal Beverages

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A PERFECT CUP OF HERBAL TEA

Pick 2 T. fresh herbs or 1 to 2 tsp. of dried herbs per cup of tea.

Bruise herbs with a wooden spoon and pour boiling water over the

bruised herbs in the teapot. Cover and let steep for about 15-20 min.

Combine any of the following to make your own special herb brew:

Yarrow, Hyssop, Lemon Verbena, Calendula, German Chamomile, Clove

Pinks, Licorice, Horehound, Lemon Balm, Mints, Beebalm, Catnip,

Basil, Mountain Mint, Pineapple Sage, Betony, Stevia, Thymes and

Lavender.

ENGLISH ROSE TEA

1/2 cup dried red rose petals

2 tablespoons dried lemon balm

1 tablespoon dried rosemary

Mix well. Use 1 teaspoon for each cup.

Rosemary Lemonade

2 sprigs of fresh rosemary

1/4 cup sugar

1 cup water

1 can frozen lemonade concentrate

Add 2 sprigs rosemary, sugar and 1 cup water in a saucepan, bring to

a simmer and cook for 10 minutes.

Set aside to cool, remove rosemary. In a pitcher, mix lemonade

concentrate with 3 cans of water. Add the cooled rosemary, sugar

mixture. Serve over ice, garnished with the remaining rosemary.

Fennel Milk

1 T. Honey

1 t. fennel seed

1 quart milk

Blend warm milk with honey and crushed fennel seed. Strain. Serve hot

or cold

Rosemary Fizz

2 T. Rosemary crushed

3 T sugar ½ cup water

8 oz can apricot nectar

1 qt ginger ale

½ c lime juice

Simmer sugar, water and rosemary leaves with a pinch of salt for 2

minutes. Cool and strain in a tall chilled pitcher mix apricot nectar

with ginger ale and lime juice. Fill 8 glasses with ice and pour in

the juices. Garnish with twists of lime. rind.

ORANGE or EAU-de-COLOGNE MINT TEA

2 cups dried orange mint leaves

8 teaspoons china tea

1 teaspoon ground cloves

1 cup dried calendula petals

1 tablespoon dried orange rind

1 tablespoon dried lemon rind

This mixture can be stored in airtight containers for some time.

POTPOURRI TEA

1 cup good black tea

1/2 cup dried rose petals

2 tablespoons dried jasmine flowers

1 tablespoon dried orange peel, freshly grated

1 tablespoon cassia bark, crumbled

3 sticks cinnamon bark, crumbled

4 whole star anise

1 tablespoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon whole cloves, freshly pounded

Mix all ingredients in a mixing bowl with your hands. Store in

airtight tins. Use one heaped tablespoon per pot.

LAVENDER MINT TEA PUNCH

6 teaspoons dried mint

6 cups boiling water

1 tablespoon dried lavender blossoms

1 liter ginger ale

1 cup purple grape juice

ice cubes with fresh mint leaf frozen in each

Brew the mint in the water in a teapot for ten minutes. Add the

lavender blossoms to the pot. Allow tea to cool. Strain the tea and

add the ginger ale, grape juice and ice cubes. If serving in a punch

bowl, float lavender buds and mint sprigs on top.

CHAI TEA BASE (to prepare six servings).

4 T. whole spices.

½ cup dark brown sugar or honey

4 cups water

Remove from heat. Stir in: 2 T black tea or 3 T rooiboos

Bring to boil, simmer 15 minutes, strain. You can refrigerate this

base up to a week. To serve, heat the base, add 1/4 to ½ to an equal

amount of heated milk, (you may preheat milk 5 minutes in microwave -

it foams). Stir well; serve with a sprinkle of cardamom.

CHAI TEA for 20-24 servings

3 ½ ounces mixed whole chai spices (about 1 cup)

1 ½ ounces black tea (about ½ cup)

3-4 quarts water

1 ½ cup brown sugar

Brew and strain using one of the three methods discussed above, stir

in: 2 quarts whole milk, scalded.

ROSE PETAL TEA

2 cups freshly picked petals of dark red roses

1 litter water

honey

Place washed petals in a teapot. Pour in the boiling water, cover and

leave the tea to brew for 10 minutes. Serve this tea hot or iced,

with honey to enhance the delicate taste.

SPARKING ROSEMARY PUNCH

2 handfuls of rosemary sprigs

2 cups water

1 liter ginger ale,

chilled ½ gal orange pineapple juice

Combine rosemary and water in a saucepan and bring to a boil,

stirring. Simmer for 5 minutes. Cover and allow to cool. Strain out

the rosemary. Combine with the orange pineapple juice and stir well.

Refrigerate until ready to use. Then combine with the ginger ale.

HERBAL HONEY

Place a fresh washed leaf of your favorite herb in a small sterilized

glass jar. Warm honey, and pour it over the herb leaf. Cap jar

tightly, and allow about 24 hours for the flavor of the herb to

permeate the honey. Serve as a sweetener for tea.

MINT JULEP

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon water

Crushed ice 6 large fresh spearmint leaves

2 ounces Kentucky bourbon Fresh Mint Sprig

Put the sugar, water and mint leaves in the bottom of a glass. Mash

with a spoon until the sugar is dissolved and the essence of mint is

extracted. Fill the glass with ice. When frost forms on the outside,

slowly pour in the bourbon, letting it trickle through the ice, then

stir. Garnish with a sprig of mint. (very important, for the

fragrance influences the palate).

STRAWBERRY LAVENDER LEMONADE

21/2 cups water

11/2 cups sugar

6 large strawberries, hulled

1/4 cup lavender leaves, chopped -OR- 1 Tablespoon dried lavender

flowers

21/2 cups distilled water

21/4 cups lemon juice

1/2 cup sugar, optional

Fresh lavender flowers for garnish

The original recipe calls for hibiscus flowers and suggested

strawberries as a substitute. Note: It may not be necessary to use

distilled water in most locations.

In medium saucepan, combine 2+1/2 cups water, sugar and hibiscus

flowers (or hulled strawberries). Bring to a boil, stirring to

dissolve sugar. Reduce heat. Simmer 5 minutes to extract pink to

extract pink from flowers. Remove from heat. Stir in lavender leaves.

Cover and cool. Strain cooled herb liquid into large pitcher or jar

(if using

strawberries, gently press juice from berries). Add remaining 2+1/2

cups water

and lemon juice. Stir well. Add 1/2 cup more sugar, if desired. Just

before serving, add ice cubes. Pour into chilled glasses. Garnish

with lavender flowers.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings.

GINGER COOLER

Based on a Shaker recipe, this ginger

cooler is made to quench thirsts while

working in the hay fields.

1/4 cup sugar 1/4 cup honey 2 cups water

1/2 cup coarsely grated fresh ginger (no need to peel)

14 inch sprig fresh rosemary

2 cups fresh lemon balm sprigs

1 cup fresh spearmint sprigs

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/2 cup frozen orange juice concentrate

1 quart sparkling mineral water or club soda, chilled

Garnish: lemon balm or mint sprigs

Bring the sugar, honey, 2 cups water, the

ginger, and rosemary to a boil in a 2

quart saucepan.

Add the lemon balm and mint sprigs, cover

and remove from the heat.

Let the mixture steep for 30 minutes.

Strain the syrup into a pitcher and stir

in the lemon juice and orange juice concentrate.

Refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.

Right before serving, stir in the sparkling

water or club soda.

Garnish each glass with a sprig of lemon balm

or mint. Makes 1 1/2 quarts.

LAVENDER LEMONADE

1 pint water

1 oz lavender flowers (wt.)

8 oz sugar (wt.)

Juice of 4 lemons. Pour boiling water over the lavender flowers and

allow to infuse for 20 minutes. Then add sugar and lemon juice, and

chill. Store in the fridge. To make, mix about 1 part of the syrup to

4 parts water, serve on ice.

In a saucepan combine 1 lb. (450 g) sugar, 1 cup

(2.4 dl) water and 1/4 tsp. citric acid.

Heat the mixture and stir until the sugar is dissolved.

Allow to simmer on reduced heat for 15 minutes.

MOCK CHAMPAGNE

1 gallon water

1 ½ pounds sugar

1 juicy lemon

4 large elder-flower heads

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

Warm a little of the water, then stir in the sugar until it has

dissolved. Leave to cool. Squeeze the juice from the lemon, then cut

the peel into four pieces, discarding the pith. Put the flowers into

a large non-metallic container, add the lemon juice and pieces of

lemon peel, the sweetened water, remaining water, and the vinegar.

Strain off the liquid and pour into clean screw-top bottles. Leave

for 6 days, by which time it should he effervescent. If it is not,

leave for up to another 4 days.

MAY WINE PUNCH

Ingredients needed:

15 sweet woodruff sprigs

1 1/2 quarts of Rhine or Moselle wine

1 pint strawberries

1 pint raspberries

1/2 cup super fine sugar

1 quart soda water

Edible flowers (violets or pansies)

Place woodruff sprigs on a non-greased cookie sheet in a 200-degree

preheated oven for 5 minutes. Remove the sprigs from the oven and

place in a pitcher that has a lid. Add the wine to the sprigs, cover

tightly and refrigerate overnight. Wash the strawberries and

raspberries, remove all stems, and cut strawberries in half. Place

the berries in a bowl, sprinkle with the sugar, cover and refrigerate

overnight. Strain the wine (removing the woodruff sprigs); add the

berries and soda water. Serve in chilled wine glasses.