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Post by Coolkat on Sept 2, 2016 11:05:30 GMT -8
I'm not much of a tea drinker. Although I drink it once in a while. 3 years ago on a 4 day hike I knew I had more than enough fuel on me and I thought I'd try to make some wild wintergreen tea since I really like chewing on wintergreen leaves. Keep in mind I really don't have a clue how tea is made/dried etc. It was random thought that didn't work so well. Below is a picture of my attempt. I boiled it for a while and tasted. It was pretty nasty actually so I boiled it a while longer but it didn't change the taste. I guess plants used for tea have to be dried first? Don't laugh too hard at my failed experiment
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Post by tipiwalter on Sept 2, 2016 11:53:43 GMT -8
I like to gather stinging nettle leaves as I hike and brew up a rich nettle tea for my morning tea. Add a little honey and it's great---
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T4
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Post by T4 on Sept 2, 2016 11:55:48 GMT -8
From some of the recipes I've seen for other teas, you need to dry the leaves first, then roast them for a bit in an oven, then crush them up. Once all that is done, you can put them in a cup, pour hot water over them then let it seep for a few minutes.
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Post by ecocentric on Sept 2, 2016 15:11:22 GMT -8
Spearmint and peppermint work fine, from fresh leaves. Most of the mints should be fine, monarda (bee balm or wild bergamot) also has a number of medicinal properties including antiseptic, and relief from flatulence. I make a soup with stinging nettle.
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sarbar
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Post by sarbar on Sept 2, 2016 19:05:14 GMT -8
No, you can use fresh just fine - but water can be wonky with some leaves - especially if they have oils, which don't steep well So keep trying with things you know to be safe!
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Post by Coolkat on Sept 3, 2016 8:04:23 GMT -8
No, you can use fresh just fine - but water can be wonky with some leaves - especially if they have oils, which don't steep well So keep trying with things you know to be safe! Well this is good to know. I'll try it again sometime then.
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Post by ecocentric on Sept 3, 2016 14:06:17 GMT -8
Wintergreen has a thick, waxy cuticle. Muddling (crushing) them good first, might release more of the aromatic oils.
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Post by Coolkat on Sept 3, 2016 16:11:40 GMT -8
Good idea.. thanks! All I did was rip them up.
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echo
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Post by echo on Sept 3, 2016 17:04:04 GMT -8
Around here we have a tree, Oregon myrtle, a laurel / bay relative and the old loggers used to boil the leaves for tea, I've done it and liked it but it is very peppery and my family all hated it, one son said it burned his throat. I also use the leaves in soup and marinara sauce. My grandma grew up in rural, northern Illinois in the depression and made catnip tea, which I also love. I'm sure someone told me they made blackberry leaves into tea but I've never tried that.
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Post by Coolkat on Sept 3, 2016 18:08:07 GMT -8
I like to gather stinging nettle leaves Tipi, that is one plant I never would have thought would make a good tea. Does it actually taste good or do you do simply because it's "good" for you?
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Post by ecocentric on Sept 3, 2016 18:18:03 GMT -8
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BigLoad
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Post by BigLoad on Sept 3, 2016 18:46:44 GMT -8
I like to gather stinging nettle leaves Tipi, that is one plant I never would have thought would make a good tea. Does it actually taste good or do you do simply because it's "good" for you? People have been consuming (and wearing) nettles for at least 5,000 years, probably more like twice that long.
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Post by Coolkat on Sept 3, 2016 18:55:16 GMT -8
I guess that's my learning "something new" for today
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rebeccad
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Post by rebeccad on Sept 3, 2016 21:29:43 GMT -8
When I was a kid my mom would harvest a bit of Hudson's Bay tea whenever we were over on the Olympic peninsula. I'm not sure exactly what it was, though. I've made tea from mint, and from rose hips (with limited success on that one). Mostly, I like real tea
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Post by tipiwalter on Sept 4, 2016 5:51:11 GMT -8
Tipi, that is one plant I never would have thought would make a good tea. Does it actually taste good or do you do simply because it's "good" for you? It's very good and "grassy" tasting and mild and wonderful with added honey. An ancient Buddhist named Milarepa lived in the mountains of India and lived on cooked nettles, as folklore says.
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