Making herbal tea

Even though making tea is easy and everybody knows it I wanted to write something about it because there are some rules which maybe important but they don't need to be strictly followed.

Proper way to make tea

Proper way to make a tea would be to heat the water (in tea pot, some other pot, etc.) until it boiles. Meanwhile put the herbs in something made from china or glass. When the water boiles, pour it over the herbs, stir with a spoon and cover. Water can be heated in metal pots, but tea shouldn't be made in it. I don't know way.

This is good but doing so you'll have a lot of dishes to wash and that can be irritating if you often make tea.

My way of making tea

I put water to boil in a small metal pot. When  it boiles I remove it from fire, add herbs in it, stir it and cover with small plate. I don't wash my tea making equipment every time I make tea, I just rinse it with water and leave it for next time.

Sometimes I think that I should make tea in ceramic pot, but I never do.

Cover and strain

How ever you make your tea, it is important to cover it.

I strain my tea after 2 min if the herb is dry and if it's fresh after 30 seconds. That is a recepie from Maria Treben. Some people leave it for 5, 10 or 15 minutes. That is also good. Hip tea and lime have better taste if they are strained after 10-15 min.

Latin names of herbs

To know latin name of the herb helps in finding the herb you are looking for. Herbs have many different names so that sometimes can be confusing to find the right herb, buy it or read about it.

         For example you are looking for birdweed and can't find it because in the book you are looking in birdweed isn't mentioned or it is mentioned as one of the names of Common Knotgrass. But if you are looking for birdweed (Polygonum aviculare) this will narrow down your search and help you find just the herb you are looking for.

         It is not necessary to learn this names by heart, just compare them on packages, books or web. That way you can be sure you are reading about or buying the right herb.

         If you are not familiar with latin names they are the ones after the name of the herb in brackets for example:

Camomile (Matricaria chamomilla),

Nettle (Urtica dioica),

Marigold (Calendula officinalis),

Mistletoe (Viscum album),

St.John's Wort (Hypericium perforatum),

Yarrow (Achillea millefolium).

Common Wood Sorrel

Description

Common Wood Sorrel (Oxalis acetosella) has light green leaves and white flowers. Grows in deciduous and coniferous forests.

Tea

Common Wood Sorrel is only used fresh. As a tea it helps with: heartburn, liver and digestive disorders, hepatitis B, kidney inflammation, skin rash and worms.

In case of heartburn, liver and digestive disorders drink  2 cups of cooled tea a day.

In case of hepatitis B, kidney inflammation, skin rash and worms drink 2 cups of tea a day.

Making Common Wood Sorrel tea

Pour ½ l of boiled water on 1 tablespoon of fresh leaves, stir and cover. Strain after 30 seconds.

Fresh juice

Folk medicine recommends fresh  Common Wood Sorrel juice for early stages of stomach cancer, cancerous internal and external ulcers and swellings. Wash the leaves and squeeze them or put in a juicer.

Drink every hour 3-5 drops of fresh juice diluted in water or herbal tea. For cancerous external ulcers apply juice directly on ulcers.

Fresh juice also helps with Parkinson's disease, in that case drink every hour 3-5 drops of fresh juice diluted in yarrow tea (Achillea millefolium). For the exteral use massage the spine.

Follow the rules for dosages and dilutions strictly.

Common mallow

Common mallow tea helps with inflammations of the mucus membranes, like: gastritis, inflammation of the bladder mucus, stomach and intestinal canal, oral cavity, gastric ulcer, intestinal ulcer (duodenal ulcer).

It is also recommended for pulmonary and bronchial catarrh, cough, hoarseness, throat inflammation, tonsillitis, dry mouth, pulmonary emphysema, malignant diseases of the throat.

Tea is made from leaves, stems and flowers (it is best to use fresh herb, but dry is also good).

Put 1 teaspoon of herbs in 1 cup of cold water. Leave during the night. In the morning warm it a bit and strain.

In case of malignant diseases of the throat drink 4 cups of tea, sip by sip during the day. Make another 6-8 cups of tea and use it for gargling. Tea used for drinking and gargling can be made and warmed together and put in aThermos bottle. During the night put warm compress on the affected area. Take dregs of tea warm it with little bit of water, add barley flour, mix it together. Put it on a linen cloth and while it's still warm on a the affected area.

Common mallow can be used externally for dry eyes (bath and compress with warm common mallow tea), face allergies (washing with warm tea), for curing wounds and ulcers on the swollen hands and feet when they are consequence of the broken or inflammed veins (bath for hands and feet), broken ankle (bath for feet).

Bath for hands and feet

Put 2 handfuls of common mallow in 5 l of cold water, leave over night. Next day heat it together. Temperature should be hot but not to hot, one thet you can stand.

Bath should last for 20 min, and it can be used again for 2 more times (warm it before use).

For swollen sore feet with wounds  with bath for feet use also fresh plantain (Plantago lanceolata) leaves. Wash the plantain and still wet leaves put on the wound.

Marjoram

Marjoram as a herbal remedy is used for troubles with stomach, bowles and bile. It also helps with nerve diseases, allergies and cold with coughs.

Marjoram is a well known spice for pasta, potatoes, wine and etc. can be planted in the garden or pot whether you want to use it as a cure or spice. It is rather easy to find and buy its seeds or small plants for planting.

For tea put 1 teaspoon in a cup of boiled water, stir and cover. After 2 minutes (or if you prefer 5 or 10 minutes) strain it. Some people recommend 2 tablespoons to leave for 5 minutes.

Yarrow – herbal remedy for female reproductive system

Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) is a very good herbal remedy for female reproductive system. It heals conditions like: myoms, inflammation of the ovaries, menstrual problems (irregular menstruation, lack of menstruation, etc.),problems with uterus. Helps with menopause.

     Can be used as a tea or a sitting bath or combined.

     To make tea, take one teaspoon of herbs and put it in one cup of boiled water. Leave it covered for 2 minutes (if herbs are dried) or 30 seconds (if herbs are fresh), strain it. Drink one, two or more cups a day.

     For sitting bath, pour warm water in a bath-tub (basin or something like that), add herbal tea, than sit in it for like 20 minutes. Water should go over the kidneys (heart must be out of the water). You can use that water for two more times. To make tea (for bath), take 100g of herbs (whole plant), soak it in cold water during the night. Next day warm it till it boiles, strain and pour in to water for bathing.

     Instead of sitting bath you can use tea (made for drinking) for rinsing external reproductive organs.

HERBAL TEA FOR ENERGY

   To lift your energy level, drink every morning herbal tea of rosemary, thyme and sage.

   Make one cup of every herb, use their leaves.

   Preparation: put one teaspoon or tablespoon (depends on your taste) of herbs in one cup of boiled water. Cover it and leave for 5-15 minutes, than strain it.

   Sweeten the tea with rosemery honey. Therapy should last for 10 days.

Herbal medicine - sage

        Sage (Salvia officinalis) is a herb used as a remedy since ancient times, it growes 30-70 cm high, has purple flowers and greyish-green leaves. Name salvia in latin means that it saves, cures.

        Often sage is used in cooking meals adding flavour to meat, pasta, etc.

        As a remedy it is used to purify blood, and so gives strength to the whole body. Some say if you drink sage tea every day that than is very hard to get sick. Drinking sage tea several times a day can prevent stroke, is good for cramps ( menstrual), it clears respiratory organs and stomach from mucus, is good for digestion, appetite, diarrhoea.

        Has a good affect on liver and problems relating to it. It is used for diseases of spinal cerebral, gland problems and trembling limbs.

        Fresh leaves can be put on insect bites to relese pain or iching.

        I found it very good for tooth ache and other dental problems. For this take some tea in your mouth and hold it in for a while then spit and repeat at least once more. After few hours you can repeat this process if necessary. In some cases this helps almost instantly.

It is also good for sore throat drinking it or rinsing  the throat and then spiting.

Making sage tea

To make tea in one cup (2dl) of boiled water put one teaspoon of dry sage, stir and leave it covered for 2 minutes, or half a minute if you are using fresh leaves, than strain it.

For some diseases one needs to drink tea several times a day for some period of time to see a result, sometimes sip by sip. Drinking tea sip by sip means that you make tea,  then drink a sip and after some time ( 15-30 minutes, or so) take another, and repeat this until you run out of tea. This can be done with one cup of tea or more (2-4 cups) depending on the disease for witch you are drinking it.

It is best to drink fresh tea, not to hot and not to „old“.

Herbs are an excelent way to give strength to your body and mind they cure some diseases and with others they reduce the symptoms. Take this gift of nature because of it chemical content, or a godsent, or looking at everything as one; what ever of this reasons are valid to you.