Warm Winter Spice Tea - Herbal tea formula #10 in a series (Caffeine-Free) - Perfect for this time of year

Time for Tea

Warm Winter Spice Tea


This is the tenth in a series of herbal tea recipes I created and have posted on this blog. I hope you enjoy them all.

Warm Winter Spice Tea: This caffeine-free tea has a nice roasted flavor with the perfect touch of spice. It will warm you up and chase away the winter chill beautifully. The dandelion root and spices used are good for the digestion. It is grain-free too and can be used as a healthy coffee substitute.



WARM WINTER SPICE TEA Formula:

2.00 ounces Roasted Dandelion Root
0.50 ounces Cinnamon Bark Chips
0.50 ounces Dried Ginger Root Chips
0.50 ounces Hulled (decorticated) Cardamom Seeds
0.50 ounces Star Anise Pods
2 to 4 drops Cardamom Essential Oil



Method:

Crush the herbs and spices a bit in a mortar & pestle or blend 1 to 2 seconds in a seed mill.
Place the tea blend in a small glass jar with an air-tight lid.
Drop the cardamom essential oil onto the tea blend, seal jar tightly, and shake well.
Let the flavors blend in the tightly sealed jar for a time, before brewing into a tea.

Store air-tight in a cool dark place.



To Brew Herbal Tea:

Bring purified water to a boil in a stove-top kettle.
Place 1 to 2 teaspoons desired loose leaf herbal tea blend into a cup.
Pour about 1 cup boiling water over the herbs and cover the cup.
Allow to steep 5 minutes.
Strain and sweeten if desired.
Enjoy!


Sun Tea Preparation:

Fill a 1/2-gallon jar with purified water.
Fill a reusable tea bag with desired herbal tea formula (or pour herbs in jar and just strain out later).
Set the jar outside in the sunshine for 6 hours or so.
Chill the tea.


Tips:

You may use a bamboo tea strainer or Tea-ball to make straining your teas a snap.

At our house, we use a French coffee press to make bigger batches of tea - it works great!

Enjoy this herbal blend hot or iced.

Enjoy a cup on cold winter mornings and evenings to chase away the winter chill. They also help chase away colds and are so comforting. Try adding a squeeze of lemon and raw honey when serving. Or make it sugar-free by sweetening with Stevia Glycerite (recipe on this blog). About 4 drops Stevia Glycerite is all you need to sweeten your mug of herbal tea! We find that a cup of hot herbal tea helps us relax before bedtime.

During the heat of summer, try brewing as a sun tea, and then serve chilled with some Stevia Glycerite to lightly sweeten, maybe a splash of lemon or lime and lots of ice. Iced herbal tea makes a great thirst quencher and is so much better for your family than sugar-filled sodas, and such.

To your health,

Leila