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Tea for Two

January 4, 2010 @ 16:36 By Gavin Webber 20 Comments

As part of the 100 mile diet challenge, I have had to look for a beverage substitute.  I could just drink tap water (which I do), but what is the fun in that.  As I have pledged to give up coffee, it is tea that will be the bevy of choice.

I have had two Chamomile bushes growing in the garden for about 5 months now, and all full of flower heads.  So this morning I bit the bullet and made my own Chamomile tea.

I did a bit of research and found that you can use fresh or dried flowers for the tea.  I chose fresh and picked about 20 flower heads for a 3 cup plunger.  This is what they look like close up.
And in the pot;
I boiled up the water and poured it on.  It went a light brown colour as does store bought flower heads. So far, so good I reckoned.  It looked and smelled like refreshing chamomile tea.
I didn’t add any sugar, and upon first taste it was very nice, however a slight bitter taste crept onto the palate afterwards.  I believe it is from leaving too much stem on the flower as the sap of the plant tastes bitter, as I discovered.  Next batch I will remove as much stem as I can and give it another try to see if I can get rid of the slight bitterness.  Other than that, I drank the entire pot over the course of an hour, and have suffered no ill effects.  Nice and refreshing.
I have tried mint now as well, as I have swags of it growing in pots.  Might have to plant some more cuttings from the original bush to keep up with supply because it is so nice to drink!  Much better than the Chamomile.  About 10 tips rubbed together slightly in the palm of your hand then into the plunger with boiling water as above.  It is very refreshing cold, as an iced tea as well. 

Sage can also be used as tea, and I have done so before to ward off a cold and a sore throat, so sage tea is on the cards.  Today I bought two pretty ordinary looking Camellia sinensis (normal tea) in my local nursery.  I am going to plant one in the perennial garden bed near the side gate and one on the other side near the chook house.  Should have green tea in about a month once they settle in.

I do miss the sugar as I normally take two in tea, but hopefully will hunt down some Stevia very soon to satisfy my sweet tooth.

Wish me luck.

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Related

Filed Under: 160km Diet, Food miles

← Day 3 – 160 Km Diet Eating Locally at the Co-op →

About Gavin Webber

Gavin Webber's daily goal is to live a more sustainable lifestyle, in an effort to reduce his family's environmental footprint so we can all make a difference for our children & future generations to come.

Learn more about him here and connect with him on Twitter, Facebook, and Google+.

Comments

  1. Rick says

    January 4, 2010 at 17:21

    Found your blog under the tag Gardening. Mmm, that looks delicious! I will try it too! Great blog, mate! Keep it up.

    Reply
  2. belinda says

    January 4, 2010 at 17:59

    Good Luck,

    I personally prefer mint most of the time. One of my little pleasures on a hot day is to make up a 2L container of spearmint tea and drink it all day from the fridge.

    Kind Regards
    Belinda

    Reply
  3. Toria says

    January 4, 2010 at 18:00

    I really should try making my own tea – I love peppermint tea, I have peppermint going mad in the yard, you’d think I’d put the two together & make a fresh tea :-).

    A few others to consider trying – pineapple sage & lemon verbena. Both of them grow like crazy in my yard & both smell wonderful.

    I just looked up my herb guide to confirm that those two I mentioned would be okay as teas (they are), & noticed it suggested a blend of chamomile & apple mint.

    Reply
  4. belinda says

    January 4, 2010 at 18:00

    Oh,

    Diggers, st Erth, usually stocks stevia plants in case you are looking for seedlings rather than seed.

    Kind Regards
    Belinda

    Reply
  5. dixiebelle says

    January 4, 2010 at 19:04

    I tried some stevia powder and it had too much of an aftertaste for me! Maybe fresh is different? I am buying local honey from a work colleague, so I really should be using it wherever possible instead of sugar…

    Reply
  6. Barbara says

    January 4, 2010 at 20:10

    I found stevia plants in at
    either Bunnings or Mitre 10 (can’t
    remember which!) here in Adelaide
    so you could try either of
    those in Melbourne. My plant
    was decimated by snails though.

    Reply
  7. LashyLashla says

    January 4, 2010 at 21:09

    Bunnings in Ballarat had stevia recently. There is a big bunnings in Melton isnt there? Im sure they could order some in for you

    Reply
  8. Subtropical Happiness take 2 says

    January 4, 2010 at 20:14

    Hey Gavin go for it mate. Watching eagerly to see your progress.

    Reply
  9. Kate says

    January 4, 2010 at 23:33

    Hi Gavin, my favourite teas from the garden are lemon verbena…. which is a hardy,pretty,semi-deciduous bush, and peppermint…. also semi-deciduous. You can grow a tea bush of your own for green tea (Camellia sinensis sinensis).

    Personally I think it is fine to drink coffee and buy a few spices and bananas.But good luck and happy new year to you and your family.

    Reply
  10. K says

    January 4, 2010 at 23:55

    Sounds like a great start! I’m dind something similar this year, but not the real “100 mile” diet.

    One question I have – what about spices? Vanilla, cinnamon, cloves, etc. Do you allow yourself “cheats”, or do you just not use these?

    Reply
  11. K says

    January 5, 2010 at 00:08

    . That should be “doing”, not “dind”. And this is why I won’t be giving up coffee 😉

    Reply
  12. Tree Huggin Momma says

    January 5, 2010 at 01:47

    I am also a fan of the Honey in place of tea (as I can get Honey Locally), but I was wondering if you looked into Beet Sugar? I saw it recently at my coop and it tasted like regular sugar. I also don’t care for Stevia (to sweet and has an after taste – but as the other comment stated maybe the fresh leaves will be different).

    Reply
  13. Tulipwood says

    January 5, 2010 at 09:10

    We have lemon myrtle and aniseed myrtle growing – both make great tea. Don’t offer your sage tea to any mothers breastfeeding their children will you – it’s known as a breastmilk suppressant.

    Reply
  14. TechChik says

    January 5, 2010 at 12:19

    Chamomile tea is an antifungal as well, and it’s great for preventing damping off in your seedlings. Just make plain chamomile tea as usual, let it cool to room temperature, and water your seedlings with it.

    Reply
  15. Aussiemade says

    January 6, 2010 at 04:31

    gavin do you have any dandelions in your garden, dig up the roots and make dandelion tea.

    Raspberry leaf tea or strawberry tea is not too bad either.

    I too have given up coffee, and tried one cup (have not had any for 10 weeks now) made me nauseous. arrgh.

    Ginger beer, maybe? or ginger not grown locally?

    Thank good ness I can grow garlic I would miss that little bulb in my life.

    Reply
  16. Patrick Kelso says

    January 6, 2010 at 10:32

    I’m a big fan of backyard tea, my favourite is lemon grass and mint. The lemon grass grows nicely in the shade of our passionfruit and is hardy enough to survive numerous visits with the kitchen shears.

    Reply
  17. Deb says

    January 7, 2010 at 19:17

    A thick slice of lemon squeezed into boiling water and then dropped into the mug is yummy.

    Reply
  18. yodasmith says

    January 9, 2010 at 12:15

    I use SweetLeaf Stevia! It has 0 calories, 0 carbs, and a 0 glycemic index. I love using their chocolate flavor lquid stevia in heated milk with a little cinnamon. I think it tastes like hot chocolate! The English toffee flavor is good on ham as well!

    Reply
  19. Darren (Green Change) says

    January 9, 2010 at 22:13

    Fresh coriander leaves make a nice tea as well.

    Reply
  20. Crunchie's Mum says

    January 14, 2010 at 11:23

    Fresh, young stevia leaves do not have an after taste but the older leaves do. Stevia can be a little challenging to grow, the snails love it, it dies back each winter but shoots again in spring and the seeds are so small and light they blow away in the slightest breeze. Mine was grown from seed but I would recommend buying a seedling if possible. I haven’t tried drying the leaves, I just eat the very young leaves as I pass the plant in the garden – very sweet.

    Reply

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About Gavin Webber

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An Ordinary Australian Man Who Has A Green Epiphany Whilst Watching A Documentary, Gets a Hybrid Car, Plants A Large Organic Vegetable Garden, Goes Totally Solar, Lowers Consumption, Feeds Composts Bins and Worms, Harvests Rainwater, Raises Chickens, Makes Cheese and Soap, and Eats Locally. All In The Effort To Reduce Our Family's Carbon Footprint So We Can Start Making A Difference For Our Children & Future Generations To Come.

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