An excellent way to experience the variety of edible, medicinal herbs available today is through a foray into herbal tea making. Herbal tea making allows us to enjoy hundreds of precious and abundant plants we might not otherwise include in our diets. Some common herbal tea ingredients, such as peppermint, are used in cooking, but most medicinal herbs are neglected because they do not naturally pair well with food. The best way to introduce a wide range of new plants into your life is through making your own, personalized herbal infusions. The cost is low, and the variety of blends is truly endless.

Before we stray too far into the garden, a word on accuracy: herbal teas are not actually "teas" at all. The term "tea" is reserved for the Camellia sinensis plant, which produces the leaves that create what we call green tea, oolong tea, white tea, etc. Herbal "teas" are simply plant material soaked in water. They are frequently called infusions or tisanes, and in some instances, decoctions. While this technicality may seem irrelevant, if you find yourself discussing herbal "teas" with, say, a black tea aficionado, you may find yourself on the receiving end of a disapproving gaze. For our purposes, let's dispense with the term "tea" and replace it with its rightful, and equally beautiful, name infusion.

It is tempting to dismiss the idea of making your own herbal infusions when you can choose from fifty pre-made herbals at just about any grocery store nowadays. BUT! Remember the abundance of nature we get so excited about earlier? Commercial herbals do not reflect the true rainbow of medicinal and edible plants and herbs available to modern infusion drinkers. Most of these blends do not include hundreds of healing and tasty herbs that can easily be bought in bulk, either online or at a local apothecary or health food store. Ever consider tossing lemon verbena in your hot water? Rose petals? How about juniper berries? An enormous variety of plants in endless combinations makes herbal infusion making a creative and healing endeavor.

Infusions and tisanes are made when the soft sections of plants - flowers, stems and leaves - are brewed in hot water. These herbs can be set in a brewing basket in a cup or allowed to infuse in a French press. If you want to use herbs that come from the tougher parts of the plant, such as the roots, berries or bark, let these herbs simmer on the stove for fifteen minutes so that their medicinal and gastronomic qualities stand the best chance of coming out. Always cover your infusions and decoctions when they are brewing to ensure essential oils are not lost in the cooking process. If you want to drink your herbs later, or over the course of a few days, most herbs will stay viable for 72 hours if they are refrigerated.

Opinions on brewing strengths and the amount of herb to use vary widely. Be loose with your measurements and brew times -- you never know what new delicacy might emerge by allowing the herbs to sit longer than expected or by doubling the strength of an ingredient. A basic rule of thumb: herbal teas intensify with increased brewing time, and therefore more phytochemicals are infused in your tea, so if you LOVE peppermint, feel free to let it sit for thirty minutes. If, however, you don't enjoy the rush of mountain air peppermint carries into your belly, reduce the brew time and herb amount. Some herbs become bitter if brewed too long, while others release delicious tastes that cannot be found if they only briefly sit in the water. Another thing to remember: the healing potential of herbal infusions increases when the plant is allowed to brew at least fifteen minutes. If you're worried about your tea becoming cold, brew the infusion strong and fill your mug with half infusion/half hot water.

Venturing into herbal infusion making is an inexpensive and nourishing experiment in creativity. There are hundreds of herbs available and many reliable resources for finding the medicinal qualities of these herbs. Each herb has a distinctive taste and lends a different note to the infusion, as well as its own healing qualities. It is sufficient to start with ten or twelve herbs, a brewing basket, a mug you adore and maybe a few jars to keep your herbs fresh.

A grocery list for your starter kit for making your tea blends at home: lemon balm, peppermint, ginger root, chamomile flowers, lavender, nettles, hibiscus, lemongrass, rose hips and licorice. It's nice to keep several plant varieties on hand for those special occasions. And if there are different plant parts avalable, you might pick more than one (nettle roots and leaves, for example). Using sweet plants is a great way to add a little extra something to your blends, and plants like Stevia and Licorice also have positive effects on the blood sugar.

The beauty of herbal infusion making is that your creations are indicative of what you enjoy, what works best with your system and health concerns and what is available at the time. If you've always wanted to try coltsfoot or blue vervain, do so. There is no wrong way to make an herbal infusion, and, in fact, discovering your own blends can empower you to widen your appreciation and understanding of herbology, botany and horticulture. Rather than merely dropping a commercial tea bag into a cup of water, consider making "tea time" a moment of healing and creativity. You won't see you "cuppa" the same way ever again!

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