Drinks made from plants, fruits, flowers and roots are conventionally divided into two types. These are medicinal teas and those that are suitable for consumption every day. In the first case, herbal preparations consisting of several types of raw materials can be used. Their action is aimed at solving health problems. They are used as directed by a doctor. The so-called aromatic plants can be brewed daily, since they do not have a systemic effect. Their healing properties are poorly expressed.

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  List of useful herbs

  The most popular among herbal teas in Russia is fireweed. It also has another name - ivan tea. Differs in a tonic, restorative effect. The list of herbs and plants that have a healing effect includes others:

  • st. John's wort;
  • primrose;
  • strawberries;
  • tricolor violet;
  • anise;
  • lingonberry;
  • bear ears;
  • tansy;
  • thyme;
  • chamomile;
  • black elderberry;
  • sagebrush.

  A fragrant tea drink that can be used on a daily basis is prepared with the addition of oregano, currant leaves, linden, clover, mint, sage, heather, lavender.

  Healthy tea is made not only from plants and their buds. Bark of trees, roots, fruits are suitable for this purpose. They contain many biologically active components. Herbal tea usually contains fruits of plants such as blueberries, rose hips, apple trees, cranberries, plums, and mountain ash. Burdock and dandelion use roots, and bird cherry, oak, buckthorn - bark. Medicinal raw materials can be bought at a pharmacy or collected by hand.

  Before adding dried fruits to tea, grind them in a mortar. Only then can they be transferred to a teapot and filled with boiling water. This tea is suitable for daily use, as it contains a large amount of antioxidants, vitamins, pectin.

  Blooming Sally

  Ivan tea is a drink that has practically no contraindications. To cook it properly, you need to rinse the kettle with boiling water. Then you need to pour 600 ml of boiling water into it, add 10 g of grass and close the container. Let it brew for about 10 minutes, stir.

  There are several other recipes. Cold cooking method, 1 tsp. Ivan-tea, you need to pour 1 liter of water at room temperature. Then you should cover the composition with a lid and leave for 12 hours. You can drink this tea with milk. For this, 1 tsp. fireweed need to be poured with a glass of boiling milk. Then you need to leave the mixture for 10 minutes, after which it can be consumed. It is better to drink Ivan tea freshly brewed.

  

  Ivan tea helps with headaches, insomnia, as well as diseases of the genitourinary system

  These recipes are the prevention of pathologies of the nervous system. If a person is already sick, he should use other proportions:

  • For headaches, a feeling of discomfort in the stomach and insomnia, brew 20 g of fireweed herb 200 ml of boiling water. Leave for 2 hours and filter. Take 1 tbsp before meals. l. With a ready-made broth, you can gargle with pharyngitis.
  • With cystitis and other diseases of the genitourinary system, 10 g of leaves are crushed and 200 ml of boiling water are poured. Leave to infuse for 2 hours, filter. Drink a third of a glass before meals.
  • For insomnia, it is suggested to prepare tea in a thermos. 20 g of tea leaves are poured into 0.5 l of hot water, left for 10 hours. Take three times a day for half a glass.

  Ivan tea can be collected with your own hands. In early May, the tops of young shoots are used. Throughout the summer, flower brushes are suitable for the preparation of medicinal raw materials. Beans appearing on lower branches in August should not be used. For this reason, the collection of Ivan-tea is carried out strictly before their ripening.

  

  • Strictly observe the mode of taking the drink.
  • Don't expect immediate results.
  • If necessary, undergo several courses of treatment until the symptoms of the disease completely disappear.
  • Follow a special diet. It excludes products that neutralize the effect of the herbal components of the drink.

  

  Monastic tea is of different composition and helps against many diseases.

  Brewing rules:

  • 5 g of the collection is poured over 200 ml of boiling water.
  • Leave the drink to infuse for 15 minutes. The container is not closed, since it is necessary to provide the mixture with free access of oxygen.
  • Medicinal raw materials are brewed in a cup, thermos or coffee turk.

  If a cup is used, the monastery collection is prepared like ordinary tea - it is poured over with boiling water and insisted. In a Turk, a drink is made like coffee. To do this, it is poured with cold water, brought to a boil, removed from the stove and cooled. If you want to prepare a drink for reusable use, you can use a thermos. For this, the required amount of herbs is placed in a container, poured with boiling water in the required proportion, covered (not too tightly) and allowed to brew. After that, the thermos is sealed to keep the drink warm for a long time.

  

  During pregnancy

  There are several types of herbal teas that are allowed for pregnant women:

  • Crimson. Strengthens the walls of the uterus, increases their elasticity. You can use this drink throughout the entire waiting period for the child. Raspberry leaf helps prevent respiratory viral infections, strengthens the gums. Contraindications apply to women who have chronic constipation, since the plant has astringent properties.
  • Currant. Serves as the prevention of vitamin deficiency. Stimulates the production of hemoglobin. Relieves excessive stress on the kidneys, activates the adrenal cortex. Supports the woman's immunity. The drink contains many beneficial compounds, including minerals (copper, silver, sulfur). Promotes the prevention of cardiovascular diseases and diabetes. Do not drink it for women with an increased level of stomach acidity and increased blood clotting.
  • Rosehip. Its properties are similar to currant tea. It strengthens the immune system, protects against viruses, supplies the body with ascorbic acid and minerals, including phosphorus and iron. Rosehip fruits are contraindicated for people with diseases of the blood, heart and kidneys.
  • Lingonberry. Relieves puffiness, has a choleretic and diuretic effect. Prevents depression, eliminates muscle spasms. Contains vitamins A and E in large quantities, normalizes the level of hemoglobin. It is a natural remedy for the treatment of impaired intestinal motility. Lingonberries should not be used for gastritis with high acidity. It is contraindicated in people with reduced blood clotting and arterial hypotension.

  For men

  There are herbal teas that are an aphrodisiac, that is, they affect the level of sex hormones, increase the production of serotonin and increase the sensitivity of the sexual zones. This effect is possessed by ginger, hibiscus, vanilla, cinnamon, thyme, raspberry. Men should not drink tea with lemon balm, as well as mint. They lower testosterone levels, which directly affects potency.

  There are special fees for men's health, consisting of several components. The most popular of them are Chinese lemongrass, calamus root, cloves, St. John's wort, nettle, dill, bergamot.

  Recipes to improve potency

  The simplest drink is prepared as follows:

  • Peel the ginger root, cut off a 20 cm long piece and grind it. Squeeze out the juice.
  • They heat the water to +75 degrees, rinse the cup or kettle with boiling water.
  • Raw materials are brewed. After 5 minutes, add a slice of lemon and ginger juice to a cup.

  This tea fights the initial manifestations of impotence in men. You can drink this drink in the morning, afternoon and evening. It is undesirable to use it for men who periodically suffer from insomnia.

  Linden tea is effective. Prepare it as follows:

  • Put several linden inflorescences in a teapot or cup.
  • Boil water, allow it to cool slightly and pour medicinal raw materials with it.
  • Insist 5 minutes under a closed lid, filter.
  • Add a spoonful of honey and take it throughout the day.

  Linden tea relieves inflammation, heals hemorrhoids and prostatitis. These conditions also provoke sexual weakness.

  To maintain male strength, you can prepare thyme tea. 10 g of herbs are placed in a thermos. 1 liter of water is boiled and cooled to +90 degrees, medicinal raw materials are poured and left overnight. Filter in the morning. It is taken 4 times a day in equal portions. The course of treatment with such a drink is 2 weeks or more.

  Several herbs can be used at the same time. Stinging nettle and St. John's wort go well. When brewing such tea, it is allowed to add several dried hawthorn fruits, sugar or honey to the ingredients. Pharmacies sell ready-made drinks for men. There is a special type of monastery tea that enhances sexual function. It contains lingonberry leaves, fennel, chamomile, thyme, calendula, ginseng and oregano. These components relieve spasms, increase potency, improve blood circulation and smooth out the effects of stress.

  Soothing compounds

  An herbal soothing tea is designed to fight insomnia, irritability, anxiety and nervousness. It does not contain caffeine, so it can be consumed before bed. It is also allowed for people suffering from arterial hypertension.

  The ingredients of the drink are plants with a sedative effect. These include chamomile, lavender, mint, lemon balm, linden flowers, currant leaves, jasmine, ivan tea. Oregano and thyme are also popular treatments for stress and sleep problems.

  With nervous excitement

  Mix 5 g of leaves of water trefoil and mint, 1 tsp. hops and the same amount of valerian root. 20 g of the composition is poured into 400 ml of boiling water. Insist for 20 minutes and filter.

  Take half a glass twice a day. To combat insomnia, drink directly at night.

  For headache

  Headache caused by nervous tension is treated with the following composition. Mix 3 parts of mint leaves, 4 parts of valerian root, 1 part of chamomile inflorescences and 2 parts of fennel fruits. Add to them 1 part of the flowers of the May lily of the valley and pour 200 ml of boiling water 1 tsp. finished composition.

  Insist 2 hours in a thermos and filter. Drink one glass throughout the day.

  For insomnia

  6 g of valerian root is mixed with 9 g of chamomile flowers. Add 15 caraway seeds and chop. Pour 0.5 liters of boiling water and leave for 20 minutes.

  Take 2 weeks for half a glass. Drink in the morning and evening (before bedtime) and on an empty stomach.

  From irritability

  Mix 1 part lemon balm and 2 parts perforated St. John's wort with 1 part lavender flowers, 1 part orange leaves. 30 g of the finished composition is poured into 1 liter of boiling water, insisted in a thermos for 3 hours.

  Strain and take one glass 4 times a day for 30 days.

  In childhood

  In pediatrics, herbal and flower teas are used as a natural medicine with antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and sedative effects. Individual plants are used to treat the liver and gallbladder, kidneys and urinary system in general.

  The most popular types of teas:

  • Lime. Allowed for use in children from 6 months. It is an effective diaphoretic for colds and flu. To prepare it, pour 200 ml of boiling water 10 g of flowers and leave for 15 minutes. Strain and give to children three times a day (between meals).
  • From thyme. The only contraindication to taking such a drink is individual intolerance. It is useful for children suffering from colic and abdominal pain. The plant relieves the symptoms of dysbiosis, and in some cases is effective even against worms. Tea made on its basis is useful for mental strain. Thyme relieves cough for colds and flu. To prepare a healing drink, 200 ml of boiling water is poured over dry grass, kept in a water bath for 10 minutes. Then they insist for 20 minutes, filter.
  • Mint. Allowed for children from a year and older. Effectively fights flatulence. To prepare such a drink, 5 g of mint leaves are poured into 200 ml of boiling water. Insist 5 minutes, covered with a lid. Filter and give 3 tsp.
  • From cumin. Prescribed to children from 2 years old. 5 g of seeds are poured over 200 ml of boiling water. Leave for 15 minutes to infuse.
  • From plantain. Allowed for admission to young children. It has antibacterial, anti-inflammatory effects. It is used for pharyngitis and other pathologies of the upper respiratory tract. To make tea, pour 400 ml of water 10 g of leaves, boil for 15 minutes in a water bath, filter.
  • Crimson. It is used in children from 6 months. Infusion of raspberry leaves softens the throat, lowers body temperature. For its preparation 1 tsp. fresh or dried raw materials are poured with a glass of boiling water and infused for 20 minutes, after which they are filtered.
  • Nettle. You can prepare such tea for a child from 6 months. The drink strengthens the immune system and helps with anemia. To prepare it, pour a glass of boiling water over the dry leaves of the plant and insist under the lid for 15 minutes, filter.

  With nervous disorders

  If the child suffers from nightmares, unreasonable fear and tension of the nervous system, you can make a soothing tea for him. Several popular recipes:

  • Mix 20 g of dry mint leaves and valerian root, add 10 g of hop flowers. Pour 400 ml of boiling water, leave for 20 minutes and cool. This tea is given to a child 4 times a day for 1 tbsp. l. The course is 3 days.
  • Mix in 2 tsp. wheatgrass, licorice and dry marshmallow root. Add to them 5 g of chamomile and fennel flowers, pour 400 ml of boiling water. They put it on the stove, boil it. Keep on fire for 20 minutes, insist. After cooling, the broth is filtered. Give before feeding the child 1 tsp. such a drink.
  • Mix in 1 tbsp. l. lemon balm and chamomile inflorescences. Pour 250 ml of water, boil. Turn off the heat and leave the mixture to cool. Children are given this tea before bedtime for 60 g.

  Provence herbs can be added to regular tea to help protect against stress and keep you in a good mood. These include rosemary, thyme, basil, peppermint, sage, marjoram, savory, and oregano.

  With pancreatitis

  Herbal teas support the work of the pancreas during exacerbations of pancreatitis. They consist of components that have anti-inflammatory, choleretic effects and normalize the peristalsis of the gastrointestinal tract. Commonly used:

  • Chamomile. Relieves spasm in the muscles of the pancreas, reducing pain. Protects the mucous membrane of the gastrointestinal tract from the aggressive effects of bile and hydrochloric acid. The plant can be used not only in the form of tea, but also to make infusions from it, as well as add it to other herbal preparations. For example, you can mix dry chamomile flowers with regular black tea. After that, you need to brew the components with boiling water, insist. The plant goes well with the immortelle. To make tea from these herbs, equal parts of the ingredients are poured with water and kept in a water bath for 30 minutes. You can take the finished drink after a meal, having filtered it in advance.
  • Peppermint. Like chamomile, it relieves spasms. It soothes attacks of pancreatitis, but people with low blood pressure should be careful. Mint is brewed like regular tea. It is possible to use the herb as one of the collection components.
  • Yarrow. Its beneficial properties are expressed in the fact that it relieves inflammation, promotes the removal of stagnant bile. Equally effective in chronic pancreatitis and cholecystitis. A medicinal drink is prepared by boiling the herb for 15 minutes.

  When pancreatitis is used and fees. The following composition is effective: mint, string, elecampane. These components are taken in the same quantity. The total volume of finished raw materials must be at least 3 tbsp. l. The mixture is poured with boiling water and put on low heat for 3 minutes. The ready-made broth is drunk 2 times a day, 60 ml each before meals. It is good to combine St. John's wort, chamomile and mint. By mixing these components in the same amount, you can add a little tea leaves to them. It is recommended to drink 100 ml of this tea before meals.

  Slimming

  There are many herbal formulations for weight loss. Among them, diuretics and laxatives are the most popular. However, they can provoke health problems. At home, it is better to make such a drink with your own hands. For this, rosehip infusion is suitable. 20 berries are poured into 1.5 liters of hot water, insisted overnight. Rosehip has a mild diuretic effect that does not harm the body. The berry is a source of vitamin C.

  Another popular cleansing tea for weight loss is made on the basis of senna leaves. 1 tbsp. l. dry raw materials are poured into 200 ml of water and cooked over low heat for 5 minutes. Then leave for 15 minutes, filter through cheesecloth. They drink throughout the week every 2 hours and after the last meal. The amount of tea for one dose is increased gradually. First, drink a third of the glass and observe the reaction of the body. If there are no side effects, over time, increase the amount to a whole glass.

  Drainage teas

  They have almost the same properties as diuretic drinks. However, they act softer and do not remove useful compounds with excess water. Several herbal teas options:

  • With calendula. To 10 g of dry raw materials add 200 ml of hot water. Insist 25 minutes, take 100 ml three times a day before meals.
  • With a mother and stepmother. Pour 200 boiling water 20 g of the dried plant. Brew, leave for an hour, putting in a warm place. Drink 2 times a day for 1 tbsp. l. - in the morning (before meals) and just before bedtime.
  • With strawberries. 20 g of crushed leaves are poured with 200 ml of boiling water. You can put some berries in your tea. Brew and leave for several hours. Ready tea is drunk throughout the day.
  • With birch leaves. You can use both dry and fresh raw materials. Pour 200 ml of boiling water 7 leaves, brew and insist for several hours. Drink in small sips throughout the day. A little honey is added to the finished drink, otherwise its taste will seem bitter.
  • With currant leaves. The algorithm for preparing such a drink is similar to the previous recipe.

  With chamomile

  Of all natural remedies, chamomile is the most effective for weight loss. Tea is prepared on its basis in this way: 2 tsp. dried flowers are poured with a glass of boiled water, cooled to +90 degrees. Insist 5 minutes. Drink 20 minutes before meals and one more time before bedtime. Chamomile not only allows you to lose several pounds per month, but also relieves stress and anxiety.

  Ivan tea for weight loss

  Helps in the fight against excess fat deposits. Better to brew it in a ceramic or glass vessel. For 1 liter of hot water take 1 tbsp. l. dry leaves. Insist for half an hour, stir and pour into a cup.

  For weight loss, the daily dose is 2 liters per day.

  These include flax and sesame seeds, marshmallow root. They can be steamed with boiling water or filled with hot water overnight.

Of all the drinks known to mankind, tea is considered the most noble. It does not cause intoxication, it refreshes, and the most sophisticated connoisseurs admire the exquisite tastes of its various varieties. In a broad sense, tea can be called any drink prepared by steeping leaves, herbs, pieces of fruit or berries in boiling water. This drink was originally used as a medicine. Depending on the plant raw materials, the properties of tea and its intended purpose changed. This article will discuss the methods of collecting and preparing tea raw materials, methods of brewing tea, its blends, indications and contraindications for the use of this drink.

What plant leaves

Almost all cultivated garden plants are suitable for collecting leaves and then brewing them. This raw material does not contain theine and caffeine, but it gives tannins, sugars and vitamins to the boiling water, strengthening the immune system and stimulating digestion.

First of all, pay attention to the foliage of fruit and fruit trees. These include quince, apple, chokeberry, cherry, red cherry, pear, plum, sea buckthorn.

Tea from such foliage turns out to be fragrant and with a lot of tannins. It invigorates, tones, has an immunomodulatory effect. This drink softens the mucous membranes, thins the blood.
The second group includes raw materials from deciduous trees. These are maple, linden, walnut. Not everyone will like this tea, but its benefits are undeniable. The drink strengthens the walls of blood vessels, cleanses the liver, and prevents the occurrence of age-related heart problems. It is recommended to drink it for people who are exhausted by a long illness, those who suffer from overwork.
The third group is foliage from berry and nut bushes.This group includes red and black currants, raspberries, blackberries, hazel, dogwood, rose hips, gooseberries, blackthorns. A real vitamin bomb, a drink made from shrub leaves is useful for hypovitaminosis. It improves the health of the oral cavity, increases the tone of blood vessels, has a slight astringent effect and produces a cleansing effect.
The last group, leaves of herbs and berries, includes the well-known mint, lemon balm, strawberries, strawberries, chamomile, dandelion. Such teas help with disorders of the nervous system. They have a calming effect, eliminate sleep problems, and quickly quench thirst.

Did you know? Teais an oriental drink, and its homeland is China. The exact origin of the tea remains unknown. There is a version according to which the Chinese Emperor Shen was resting at lunchtime under a camellia tree when his servant brought him a cup of boiling water. Several camellia leaves accidentally fell into the cup. Out of curiosity, the emperor decided to try this gift of nature, and he liked the taste of the drink so much that the emperor ordered to treat it exclusively to him ever since. It happened presumably in the 2700s BC. Camellia leaf tea is still prepared today.- this is known to all of us black and green tea.

When to collect

Leaves of plants reach their peak at the time of flowering, so be guided by it. The collection time for different climatic zones will differ in this case. On average, the collection starts in April and ends on the twentieth of July. Plan your gathering for the first half of the day. Do it in clear weather immediately after the dew has dried.
In April-May, collect raw materials from all trees - fruit, fruit and berry and simple deciduous. The younger the leaves, the more they will contain tannins, which cause a pleasant pronounced taste. The harvest time for shrubs and berry leaves begins in early June and lasts until early July.

Important! In rainy weather, you should not collect raw materials for homemade tea. Foliage accumulates a large amount of moisture and becomes too fragile after drying or deteriorates during fermentation.

Be sure to leave some of the leaves on the bush so that the plant can recover after harvest and give fruit. Collect herbs throughout July as they begin to bloom. Even if you plan on preparing a tea mixture, collect the raw materials in separate bags or pouches. Each plant needs a separate treatment.

How to dry

Drying in the open air will take from a week to two, depending on the raw material.Before starting drying, you need to cut cuttings from the leaves, as they worsen the quality of the raw materials, and sort out the green mass, removing all damaged leaves. The drying room must be dry, warm and well ventilated.
Spread sheets of clean paper on a flat surface. Newspaper will not work, as printing ink gives off toxic substances. Spread the prepared leaves over it with an even thin layer.

Stir the leaves every day, swap the sheets so that the raw material dries evenly. Do not leave the leaves unattended for too long so that mold does not attack them. To check if the product is ready, you need to bend several large leaves across the line of the central vein. If there is a distinct crunching sound, the tea leaves can be stored.

Video: how to dry currant leaves for tea at home Another drying method involves the use of an oven. This method is suitable for those who do not have enough time or space to dry the leaves in the traditional way. Preheat the oven to +100 ° C.

Important! Avoid direct sunlight on the raw materials you are drying. Under their influence, essential oils evaporate, the final product becomes tasteless and loses its rich color.

Line a baking sheet with parchment and spread the leaves on it in one layer. Leave the oven door a quarter open. Dry the leaves at this temperature for an hour and a half, and then reduce the temperature by half and dry them until tender (30-40 minutes). Please note that some of the nutrients are lost during such processing.

Fermentation

This method of preparing tea leaves improves the taste of the tea. The juiciest and cleanest leaves are selected for him. Before fermentation, they should be cleaned of dust and fine debris, but not rinsed with water, so as not to disturb the natural microflora.
Leaves harvested in the early ripeness phase lend themselves better to fermentation and give the final product a richer flavor. Fermentation begins as soon as the green mass is rolled and leafy juice emerges on the surface.

Did you know? Green and black tea are prepared from the same leaves. The difference in taste and appearance of these teas is due to the different processing methods of the raw materials. For the production of black tea, raw materials are curled and fermented, while green tea is simply dried and dried. Based on this, it can be argued that green tea- the drink is more natural and healthy, although many people like a more pronounced "black" taste.

The raw material is pre-dried, twisted through a meat grinder or twisted by hand and tightly placed in a container. It can be an enamel pot or a food grade plastic bucket. Tamp the green mass with clean hands until a layer 7-10 cm high is obtained.
Put a clean ceramic plate on top and press it down with oppression (a brick or a kilogram pack of cereals will do). Cover the container with a kitchen towel and leave the mixture to ferment for 6-8 hours at a temperature of + 23-25 \u200b\u200b° C. If the temperature is lower, fermentation will not start, if it is higher, the deciduous mass will deteriorate.

The finished mass must be chopped with kitchen scissors, if you did not pass it through a meat grinder before fermentation. The pre-shredded sheets will themselves break up into small lumps. The fermented tea leaves must be spread evenly over a baking sheet covered with parchment and dried in the oven for an hour and a half at a temperature of + 60 ° C.

Video: Fermentation of currant leaf

Twisting

Before sending the leaves for fermentation, you need to destroy their structure and release juices to the surface. For this, twisting in a meat grinder and twisting by hand are suitable. The second method will take more time, but the tea will end up being refined leafy rather than granular.

Important! If you don't have time to keep an eye on the withering, spread the foliage in a thin layer on a towel and roll it up. Place a towel in an enamel pot and place it in a warm place. The raw materials folded in this way will dry up in five to six hours instead of the usual twelve.

If you are using a meat grinder, then set a coarse mesh on it, otherwise the granules will disintegrate into small particles when dried. If you plan to roll the leaves by hand, then take 7-10 leaves, folded in an even pile, and roll them with effort between your palms. You will get an even, tight roll. Treat the remaining leaves in the same way.

Withering

This is a preparatory stage that allows you to remove excess moisture from the green mass.At this stage, chlorophyll begins to break down, the concentration of essential oils and tannins increases, which will give the tea a rich taste. Spread a cotton tea towel on your work surface, spread the leaves overlapped on it, and let them dry for 10-12 hours.

Did you know? The tea leaf, as well as the tradition of brewing tea, entered Europe along with other oriental goods through Portugal. It was this country on the edge of Europe that once paved the sea trade route to China and began to import outlandish varieties of this drink. Remarkably, the most "tea" country in Europe, England, had no idea how to handle tea leaves. When the camellia leaves first came to the chefs of the royal family, they added them to meat salad and without a shadow of a doubt served them to the royal table.

If the humidity outside is high, it can take up to a day to wither. Determining the readiness of raw materials is simple: fold one of the large leaves in half. If it crunches, then leave the mass to dry out for a while. If the body of the leaf is pliable, then you can proceed to the next cooking stage.

Making tea from the leaves

You can brew only one type of leaves, or you can make a tea mixture. Boil water in a kettle until bubbles appear, pour it into the teapot, add tea leaves at the rate of 1 tsp. leaves in 250 ml of water. Cover the teapot with a lid and leave to infuse for 5-7 minutes. There is no need to dilute such an infusion with water, but if the infusion is too strong, dilute it in a cup with warm water in a 1: 1 ratio.

Recipes

There are many herbal teas and leaf teas, but there are some particularly popular recipes among them.

It is made from raw fireweed, also known as Koporye tea. Its unique taste properties are due to the long fermentation process (up to 48 hours) and the high juiciness of the raw materials.

Ingredients:

• ivan tea leaves - 2 tsp;
• hot water - 0.5 l.

Preparation:

Pour the tea leaves into the teapot, pour boiling water over it and close the teapot tightly with a lid. Leave the tea leaves to infuse for ten minutes. Strain through a strainer. This infusion can be drunk with dried fruits, homemade cakes and honey.

To make experimenting easier, start mixing two or three flavors. When you figure out which leaves give the best flavor in the blend, move on to four- and five-part blends.

Important! Before twisting, the withered mass can be put in the refrigerator for an hour and a half, and then let it thaw. The mass processed in this way will give a lot of juice, and the fermentation process will be more intense.

Ingredients:

• mint leaves - 2 tsp;
• strawberry leaves - 0.5 tsp;
• raspberry leaves - 1 tsp;
• apple leaves - 1 tsp;
• hot water - 1 liter.

Preparation:

Pour boiling water into a teapot. Add the mint and leave, covered for one minute. Add raspberry and apple leaves and soak under the lid for two minutes. Add strawberry leaves, brew for another two minutes. Strain the resulting infusion, dilute with hot water in a 1: 1 ratio before use.

From rosehip leaves

This tea tastes best when chilled. In addition, it is better to insist it not on boiling water, but on hot water in order to preserve vitamin C and get the maximum benefit.

Ingredients:

• rosehip leaves - 5 tsp;
• hot water - 1 liter.

Preparation:

Pour the tea leaves into the teapot. Pour in hot water and leave under the lid for half an hour. Strain through a strainer, cool and serve with dried fruit.

Contraindications and harm

For all its benefits, leafy teas have a number of contraindications.Infusions with thyme, nettle and maple should be used with caution by nursing and pregnant women. People with a tendency to allergic reactions should beware of dogwood and rose hips.

Did you know? Down tod from the beginning of the 20th century, all tea was sold in cans. A lucky chance changed the situation. One American tea supplier named Sullivan began packing the tea leaves in small silk bags to save on tin packaging. One of Sullivan's clients accidentally dropped such a bag into a teapot of boiling water and saw that the tea leaves were infused even through a silk cloth. So, in 1903, a patent appeared for the use of tea bags.

For those who suffer from a weak stomach, it is not recommended to consume teas based on walnut, hazel and chokeberry too often. If you plan to give tea from the leaves to a small child, consult a pediatrician so as not to harm the baby.

Storage

First of all, make sure that the storage container is minimally permeable to air. In a relatively sealed package, the infusion will retain its properties longer. Suitable for this purpose are porcelain and ceramic dishes with tight-fitting sealed lids, polypropylene bags with a string fastener along the top edge.

If you plan to store small portions of different infusions, place them in separate paper bags and close them in a large, airtight bag. The room in which you will store teas should be dry, warm (+ 18-20 ° C) and dark. Once every three months, take out your supplies and air them by pouring them into new bags.
Tea made from the leaves of garden plants is a guaranteed quality product that you can prepare yourself. Choose the plants from which you will collect raw materials, prepare the leaves in the early maturity phase, carefully sort them and dry or ferment for the best taste.

Store the tea leaves in a suitable environment for maximum flavor and health benefits. Drink a cup of healthy homemade tea every day and then you will remain healthy even during the winter period of hypovitaminosis.

As you know, everything new is well forgotten old. This expression perfectly fits the topic of today's article. Herbal, fruit and flower teas are growing in popularity, and it's not just fashion. Very often, those who are seriously concerned about their health, abandon traditional tea and coffee and switch to herbal teas. The motivation is simple: the "regular" tea is high in caffeine and tannin - substances that excite the nervous system. In addition, few people follow the instructions of tea masters and brew tea leaves correctly - alas, a brew that has stood for 2-3 days is not at all uncommon in our kitchens, and such tea cannot be called tasty and healthy. And children can be given tea only after 2-3 years.

Good old herbal teas are another matter. It was them that our ancestors drank some 500 years ago, before real tea appeared in our country. Strictly speaking, an infusion or decoction of herbs, roots or flowers should not be called tea, because it is not prepared from leaves of a tea bush. But we won't be too picky.

Herbal teas are very different: vitamin, medicinal, cooling or, conversely, warming, aromatic and not very, but in any case they are all useful. And most importantly, you yourself can collect and compose your own unique tea, you just need to know several important rules. Going for the right grass, remember that nature is very vulnerable - do not pull out everything, leave a part of the grass at the collection site for its renewal. When collecting leaves (strawberries, raspberries, drupes, blackberries), cut off only a few leaves from a branch, and they must be collected fully unfolded. When collecting flowering plants such as mint, St. John's wort, thyme, oregano, always leave some plants with flowers for the seeds to ripen. Flowers of jasmine, rose hips, lindens should only be picked in full bloom. Pick berries and fruits fully ripe. The best time for harvesting raw materials is the beginning of flowering or full flowering of the plant. You need to collect the grass in dry weather, immediately after the dew has melted.

Drying herbs is also a science. The collected herbs are dried in a shaded room (under a canopy, in the attic or in a well-ventilated room) until completely dry. Never let the grass rot. Do not use blackened grass!

... Herbs containing essential oils (oregano, calamus, thyme, etc.) should be dried slowly, at a temperature of 30-35 ° C. This is to prevent the essential oil from evaporating.
... Herbs containing glucosides (tansy, mint, adonis, St. John's wort, coltsfoot) are dried in a dryer at a temperature of 50-60 ° C.
... Fruits (rose hips, black currants, barberry, mountain ash), containing a lot of vitamin C, are dried in a dryer at a temperature of 80-90 ° C.

You need to store the finished raw materials in paper or linen bags, away from strong-smelling products, preferably each type separately. Fragrant herbs can be stored in glass or ceramic jars with tight-fitting lids. On each bag or jar, be sure to attach a label with the name of the herb and the time of collection. The shelf life of leaves, flowers and herbs is 1-2 years, fruits and berries - 3-4 years, bark and rhizomes - 2-3 years.

Another important skill in preparing herbal teas is collecting a bouquet of herbs. You can, of course, make tea from any one herb, but who would refuse the opportunity to conjure over a teapot? If you are using aromatic herbs (mint, lemon balm, oregano, thyme, etc.), then it is advisable to include only one of them in the mixture. Otherwise, the scents can destroy each other or, even worse, merge into an unpleasant smell. Therefore, the best option may be to mix several neutral herbs with one aromatic one.

You also need to know how to make herbal tea. If you are making tea from flowers, then they need to be brewed in a large porcelain teapot with water boiled with a "white key" and let it brew for 5-10 minutes. Leaves can also be boiled with boiling water, or you can boil for 3-5 minutes, but many useful substances will disappear. Dry berries must be crushed before brewing, pour boiling water and let it brew for 5-10 minutes. The roots, bark and rough parts of plants are finely cut, put in cold water, brought to a boil and boiled for 10 minutes, then allowed to brew for 10-15 minutes. Properly brewed herbal tea has a wonderful aroma, rich taste and bright color, and is also just a storehouse of useful substances. You can even say that herbal teas can be considered a food product, because they contain a huge amount of biologically active substances: enzymes, vitamins, organic acids, micro- and macroelements, etc.

All herbal teas can be roughly divided into vitamin and medicinal. As the name implies, vitamin herbal teas can be safely drunk all year round as much and whenever you want, but with medicinal teas you need to be careful. These teas are prescribed by doctors, and you can drink them for a limited time. The herbs that make up medicinal tea may have contraindications for some diseases.

In the morning, you can drink a tonic vitamin tea, consisting of strawberry leaves, angelica, lemongrass, lavender, clover leaves and flowers, lovage, etc.
... In the evening, on the contrary, you need to drink soothing herbal teas - St. John's wort, raspberry leaves, peppermint, lemon balm, chamomile, willow tea, cherry leaves, primrose, etc.
... In winter and early spring, it is good to prepare multivitamin herbal teas from raspberry, black currant, blackberry, nettle, carrot, barberry, rosehip, sea buckthorn, mountain ash leaves.
... But in summer it is best to drink tea from fresh herbs and leaves - this is the best time for "live" vitamins.

Here are some sample recipes for collecting vitamin herbal teas.

Lingonberry: 2 g of heather flowers, 2 g of rosehip leaves, 10 g of strawberry leaves.

Rowanberry: 30 g of rowan berries, 5 g of raspberries, 2 g of currant leaves.

Strawberry: 10 g of strawberry leaves, 2 g of mint, 2 g of St. John's wort.

Primrose tea: 5 g of primrose leaves, 5 g of St. John's wort.

Honey rosehip tea: 20 g rose hips, 15 g honey, 5 g lemon juice.

Vitamin: 20 g of rose hips, 10 g of rowan fruits, 5 g of oregano leaves.

General strengthening: 3 g of strawberry leaves, 3 g of blackberry leaves, 3 g of black currant leaves, 10 g of thyme, 10 g of St. John's wort. 1 tbsp brew the mixture with 200 ml of boiling water and leave for 10 minutes.

General strengthening number 2: 6 g rose hips, 6 g sea buckthorn fruits, 2 g centaury herb, 2 g licorice root, 3 g dandelion root, 20 g honey.

General strengthening number 3: 30 g of rose hips, 20 g of blueberries, 10 g of bird cherry, 30 g of nettle leaves. 1 tbsp brew the mixture with 200 ml of boiling water and cook for 10 minutes, leave for 1 hour. Drink with honey.

General strengthening number 4: 30 g of rose hips, 10 g of lingonberry leaves, 30 g of nettle, honey. 1 tbsp pour 400 ml of boiling water into the mixture, cook for 10 minutes, insist in a thermos for 2 hours. Drink hot. This tea is contraindicated for constipation.

Medicinal herbal teas are used only on the recommendation of a doctor and under his supervision. Doses and the number of herbs in the collection of medicinal teas are not strictly required, it depends on the state of health and your well-being, they can be reduced, but you should not increase them. Unlike vitamin teas, which can be drunk at any time of the day or night, medicinal herbal teas are consumed 20-30 minutes before meals. The prepared tea can be stored in the refrigerator for 2-3 days. Usually, medicinal teas are prepared in a water bath. For this, the dishes with the collection filled with boiled water are placed in a bowl with weakly boiling water and boiled. Infusions are prepared in a water bath for 15 minutes, decoctions - 30 minutes. Then the medicinal tea is removed from the heat and insisted: infusions - 10-15 minutes, decoctions - 30 minutes. After that, the resulting tea is drained, the remaining raw materials are squeezed out and all the liquid is filtered through cheesecloth. Then the finished medicinal tea is added with boiled water to the original volume.

The judicious use of natural remedies will help relieve your condition and get rid of the ailment. However, one should not self-medicate, exceed the indicated doses of herbs, and use unknown herbs. This is fraught with poisoning!

Here are some recipes for medicinal teas.

Diuretic tea: 5 g sainfoin, 5 g St. John's wort, 5 g black currant leaves.

Blueberry tea (for colitis): 2 g of blueberries, 2 g of chamomile flowers, 2 g of peppermint, 2 g of nettle leaves.

Diaphoretic tea: 10 g of raspberries, 10 g of linden flowers. 1 tbsp brew mixture 2 stack. boiling water, leave for 5 minutes, drink hot.

Healing tea for colds: 10 g of chamomile flowers, 10 g of linden flowers, 10 g of black elderberry, 10 g of peppermint. 1 tbsp mix the mixture with a glass of boiling water, wrap for 30 minutes, drain. Drink hot.

Breast tea: 40 g of coltsfoot leaves, 30 g of plantain leaf, 30 g of licorice root. 1 tbsp brew mixture 2 stack. boiling water. Insist 30 minutes, drain. Drink 2 tbsp. every 3 hours. This tea helps to get rid of phlegm in the lungs.

Warming tea: 10 g ginger, 10 g cinnamon, 10 g cloves. 1 tsp brew the mixture with 200 ml of boiling water, insist a little. Ginger improves blood circulation, has antiseptic, expectorant, stimulating properties. This tea is very distinctive and harsh.

Soothing tea: 10 g of lemon balm leaves, 10 g of veronica leaves, 30 g of strawberry leaves, 40 g of hawthorn fruits. 1 tbsp brew the mixture with 250 ml of boiling water, leave for 5-7 minutes. Drink with honey.

Soothing Tea # 2: 30 g of strawberry leaves, 20 g of peppermint, 40 g of hawthorn fruit. The mixture is prepared in the same way as in the previous recipe.

Soothing Tea # 3: 10 g of peppermint, 10 g of lemon balm, 10 g of valerian root, 10 g of leaves and flowers of prickly tartar. 1 tbsp pour 200 ml of boiling water into the mixture, leave for 30 minutes, drain. Drink half a glass 3 times a day.

Soothing Tea # 4: 10 g of peppermint, 10 g of motherwort, 10 g of valerian root, 10 g of hops. The mixture is brewed and taken in the same way as in the previous recipe.

Separately, it must be said about herbal teas for weight loss. Such teas gradually restore metabolism, promote the breakdown of fat, and remove toxins. Of course, you will not achieve a miraculous instant effect, but by taking herbal tea for weight loss for a long time, you will significantly improve the general condition of the body.

Slimming Multivitamin Tea: 30 g buckthorn bark, 10 g dandelion root, 10 g parsley, 10 g peppermint. 1 tbsp pour 200 ml of boiling water into the mixture for 15 minutes. Take 2 tbsp. in the morning on an empty stomach for 2 months.

Rowanberry Slimming Tea: 70 g of rowan berries, 30 g of nettle or rosehip leaves. 1 tbsp pour 400 ml of boiling water into the mixture for 10 minutes, leave for 4 hours, drain. Take half a glass between meals 3 times a day.

Blackberry Slimming Tea: 80 g of blackberry leaves, 10 g of birch leaves, 10 g of coltsfoot leaves. Pour the whole mixture with boiling water in a ratio of 1:20, leave for 15 minutes. Take 1 stack. before breakfast and lunch.

Buckthorn bark slimming tea: 30 g buckthorn bark, 20 g peppermint leaves, 30 g nettle leaves, 10 g calamus root. 1 tbsp pour 300 ml of boiling water into the mixture, leave for 4 hours, drain. Take half a glass 3 times a day 30 minutes before meals.

Be careful! Slimming teas are contraindicated in case of exacerbation of gastrointestinal diseases, general weakening of the body, urolithiasis, as well as during pregnancy and feeding.

And finally, a few words about the benefits and dangers of herbal tea during pregnancy. The safety issue of herbal teas during pregnancy is quite controversial. Experienced herbalists claim that some of them can have a beneficial effect on the course of pregnancy and the condition of the fetus, but contraindications are also known. For example, chamomile tea can be drunk, but a little and infrequently - no more than one cup a day, but with the threat of miscarriage, this dose can be fatal. Teas containing ginseng, marsh mint, Voronets, Chernobyl, rusty elm, fennel, licorice (or licorice), fenugreek, sage, hops and wormwood are generally forbidden to drink during pregnancy. These herbs can tone the uterus and cause miscarriage. If you don't know exactly what the effect of a particular herb on uterine activity is, it's best not to risk it.

For pregnant women, vitamin herbal teas can be a good solution.

Vitamin tea for pregnant women: 10 g of rose hips, 10 g of black currant fruits. 1 tbsp pour 400 ml of boiling water over the mixture. Insist 40 minutes in a sealed container. Take half a glass 3-4 times a day.

Vitamin tea for pregnant women # 2: 10 g of rose hips, 10 g of raspberry leaves, 10 g of currant leaves, 10 g of lingonberry leaves. 2 tbsp collection, pour 200 ml of boiling water, boil for 10 minutes, insist for 45 minutes. Drink half a glass 2 times a day.

Vitamin tea for pregnant women # 3: 10 g of rose hips, 10 g of rowan fruits. 2 tbsp pour 600 ml of boiling water into the mixture, boil for 3 minutes, leave for 30 minutes. Take half a glass 3-4 times a day.

As for the kids, any vitamin herbal teas can be given to them, only, of course, diluting them by about half.

Have a nice tea!

Larisa Shuftaykina

People have known the healing properties of herbal teas for a long time. They were used not only to treat ailments, but also as a prophylaxis, increase vitality, and general health promotion. In addition, unlike chemical medicines, herbal teas are a completely natural product that has a pleasant taste and wonderful aroma.

Herbal teas

Herbal teas, tinctures, decoctions - all these drinks have come to us from ancient times. Already in those days, their beneficial properties were used by people with might and main. Then each housewife was a little witch and knew what herbal teas can be drunk. All natural gifts were used: roots, herbs, berries.

From time immemorial, herbal preparations were prepared, which relieved fatigue, toned up in the morning hours, helped to fall asleep at a late hour. Medicinal teas relieved of diseases, restored the supply of vitamins and useful microelements in the body. The best herbal teas are still used by people today.

Properties of herbal teas

How is herbal tea useful? Recipes (you can easily brew any tea at home) are varied not only in their content, but also in their intended purpose. In addition to herbs, the collection may include various healing components: fruits, roots, kidneys. Sometimes traditional tea is also added to herbal teas. Fees can contain up to ten components.

Herbal teas for tea are usually divided according to their effect on:

1. Medicinal.
2. Preventive.
3. Toning.
4. Calming.
5. Vitamin.

Ready-made herbal teas can be purchased at any pharmacy and supermarket. However, it is hardly worth relying on their quality, because no one can guarantee that they are made from natural and environmentally friendly raw materials. Since in our daily life we \u200b\u200bconsume a lot of unnatural foods that are harmful to the body, we need natural herbs with all their beneficial properties to maintain health.

The best option is to pick all the necessary plants yourself. The preparation itself is a very interesting and exciting process that will bring you many pleasant moments of unity with nature. You just need to know the rules by which herbs are harvested.

In conditions of living in a metropolis and lack of time, not everyone will be able to allocate time to collect plants. Then you can advise to buy all the necessary herbs on the market, as a rule, there are grandmothers selling ready-made plants.

How to make tea?

We would like to note right away that only one plant is brewed for medicinal purposes. Then the finished drink will have a targeted effect. And prefabricated tea will have a whole spectrum of medicinal effects, since it will contain a large amount of biologically active substances that are found in different plants. At the same time, our unique organisms independently select the necessary elements from the entire presented complex and send them for processing into metabolic processes.

As a rule, herbal tea contains general strengthening and immunostimulating components. Most importantly, they are caffeine-free, so drinks can also be given to children.

The main components of teas

What is included in herbal tea? You can come up with a wide variety of recipes at home. However, first you need to figure out which components are used in different situations.

So, let's list the most commonly used ingredients:

1. Flowers of oregano, chamomile, linden, etc.
2. Raspberry, mint, currant, strawberry leaves.
3. Herb lemon balm, oregano, sage, thyme, valerian, St. John's wort.
4. Fruits of raspberry, hawthorn, sea buckthorn, currant, blackberry, mountain ash.

We emphasize once again that these are not all components, there are actually a lot of them. It is good to add various spices to the collection, they give an exquisite taste and aroma, and also bring in additional vitamins. For such purposes, you can use cinnamon, vanilla, pepper, cloves.

Healing tea

You need to understand that any medicinal herbal tea (recipes at home can be invented and modified) does not have an instant effect. After all, this is not a pill, and therefore it takes some time. However, regular use of it will help to cope with the problem. Herbal teas for every day (we will give recipes in the article) will help to establish processes inside the body:

1. Savory and licorice are added to the tea to relieve stress.
2. For colds, wormwood, sage, licorice root help well.
3. If you are prone to depression, you should regularly use St. John's wort, ginseng, rosemary.
4. If you are concerned about stomach pains, then dandelion flowers and dill are added to the tea.
5. Tea with valerian, hop cones, chamomile, lemon balm, verbena helps to cope with sleep disorders.
6. If you get annoyed at the slightest excuse, have a tea with valerian and lavender.
7. For relaxation and tranquility, you should use a drink made from lemon balm, hops, strawberry herb.
8. Motherwort will help with heart problems.
9. Linden tea (useful properties and contraindications will be discussed below) has a wide range of qualities - antiseptic, choleretic, expectorant, diaphoretic, diuretic action.
10. Mint, thyme, and sage can help with frequent headaches.

You can add grated ginger to any of the listed fees. It enhances the anti-inflammatory, expectorant, stimulating effect of tea on the body.

Multivitamin herbal teas for every day

The recipes for such teas are not complicated, but the benefits from them are very great. They can be prepared based on fruits and berries. Herbal and are a storehouse of vitamins. Most of the nutrients are found in rose hips. They also use mountain ash, blackberries, strawberries, black and red currants, and sea buckthorn for the preparation of decoctions. Not only healthy, but also delicious herbal teas are obtained by adding aromatic herbs: oregano.

To get a multivitamin drink, all ingredients are put in equal parts. Such a drink is brewed according to the general rules. In the cold season, tea is drunk warm with the addition of honey and ginger. In summer, all decoctions and infusions can be consumed cold with the addition of ice. Such drinks tone up well in the heat.

Strawberry tea: strawberry leaves (10 g), St. John's wort (2 g), mint (2 g) are poured with a glass of boiling water. The drink is infused for ten minutes.

Heather heather (2 g), rosehip leaf (2 g), strawberry leaves (10 g) pour a glass of boiling water. Insist from five to ten minutes.

Mountain ash tea: dried rowan berries (30 g), raspberries (5 g), currant leaves (2 g). Infuse for five to ten minutes and use as a brew.

Toning fees

Toning teas are suitable for daily use; they not only taste good, but also have a positive effect on the body. The collection includes juniper, hawthorn, black currant, mountain ash, rose hips, oregano, blueberries, St. John's wort, calamus, mallow, lamb, valerian, calendula, mountain arnica, fireweed, coltsfoot, blueberries, plantain, drupe and badan.

Such fees should be consumed hot in winter, and chilled in summer. Well quench thirst and invigorate cold teas with a slice of lemon or zest, raspberry and blackberry leaves. In hot weather, mint can be added to green tea.

How to choose a delicious drink?

It's no secret that any herbal tea tastes bitter. Therefore, you must independently choose for yourself such a collection that will suit your taste. As a rule, one plant dominates in the collection, and the rest only harmoniously complement it, emphasizing the taste.

Compositions are always obtained according to the scheme: spices + fragrant herb + leaves of a berry plant. Cinnamon, vanilla, anise, cloves, star anise are usually used as spices. All these ingredients are in perfect harmony and open in a very special way when citrus fruits are added to the tea.

What nuances should you know about teas?

How different herbal tea can be! Recipes at home can be used in a variety of ways. They will help diversify your usual menu, even if it is not about food, but about drinks.

At home, you can make herbal teas from the following ingredients:

1. Orange slices, cinnamon, raspberry leaves.
2. Lemon slices, star anise, mint.
3. Cloves, lemon balm, sage,
4. Lemon zest, oregano, thyme.
5. Strawberry and cherry leaves, vanilla stick.

It is best to store all tea components in paper bags or cloth bags, but not more than two years. But the roots can lie for three years. Over time, herbs lose their taste, smell and all useful trace elements.

Crushed citrus zest should be added to green or black tea in advance (for example, a couple of weeks). In a sealed container, orange peels will give their scent to the tea petals. As a result, you get a fragrant drink without artificial flavors.

I would like to note that you should not use the same collection for a long time. The human body has such a feature as addiction. Herbs in this sense are no exception. Over time, the habitual collection may not have the desired effect. Therefore, it is better to alternate tinctures.

Lime tea

The largest amount of nutrients is found in lime flowers. Essential oils and flavonoids are the main medicinal components. Linden blossom destroys bacteria in the human body, reduces fever, and removes phlegm.

For colds and flu, tinctures are used. For cramps, rheumatism, kidney disease, gallbladder, stomach and intestines, colds and fever, take two to three glasses a day. The drink is prepared as follows: several tablespoons of linden flowers are poured with a glass of hot water.

Linden tea (useful properties and contraindications are given in the article) has a sedative effect on the nervous system, significantly reduces blood viscosity. The flower drink has completely unique properties. It contains a large amount of vitamins and other medicinal components. In addition, this tea is very pleasant to the taste and has a strong aroma.

Linden drink is used for hypertension, inflammatory diseases of the stomach and intestines, cystitis, pyelonephritis, urolithiasis.

As for the contraindications to the use of linden blossom, there are not so many of them. Still, it should be remembered that the broth has medicinal properties. Linden increases the body's defenses and has a diaphoretic effect. Therefore, tea puts a strain on the heart. People with heart disease should not indulge in this drink every day.

Herbal tea is brewed in the same way as green or black, but there are some nuances. As a rule, a tablespoon of the collection is put on two hundred grams of water. Brew a drink in a teapot, wrapping it in a towel. You can also use a thermos. In it, the tea will turn out to be stronger and richer.

The brewing process itself lasts:

1. Three minutes if we brew leaves and flowers.
2. Five minutes for seeds and leaves.
3. The buds and roots are brewed for ten minutes.

Strain the finished drink.

Healing recipes

Herbal cough tea: a teaspoon of mint is poured with a glass of boiling water and infused for ten minutes. Take up to five times a day.

Fortifying drink: black currant leaves (1 part), raspberries (1 part), oregano herb (1 part), berry leaves (3 parts).

Soothing (1 part), mint leaves (1 part), hawthorn (1 part fruits and leaves), lemon balm (1 part).

Raspberry leaves (1 part), strawberries (1 part), nettle and blackberry (one part each), apple peel (1/2 part).

Fortifying infusions, multivitamins and soothing ones can be drunk as regular tea after meals three times a day, or in smaller quantities. For example, soothing before bed, and vitamin in the morning.

Drink for neuralgia and back pain: thyme (1 part), black elderberry fruit (1 part), linden blossom (2 parts). Tea is drunk in a long course up to four times a day (3 glasses).

Tea for gastritis and stomach ulcers: badan (1 part), mint (2 parts), chamomile (1 part), sage (2 parts), St. John's wort (2 parts), thyme (1 part). You should drink up to three glasses per day.

Are there any contraindications to the use of herbal teas?

People prone to allergic reactions should be aware that the drink can trigger an allergic attack. Therefore, when using the new collection for the first time, drink quite a bit of it and make sure there are no side effects.

Most often, with an allergy to herbal preparations, dry and irritated skin, a small rash appear. Edema may appear much less frequently. In general, people with bronchial asthma should treat herbal teas with great care.

At the first manifestations of allergies, you should stop using the herbal drink and take Suprastin or Tavegil.

Medicinal teas should only be consumed after consulting a doctor or as directed by a herbalist. The fact is that any herb, in addition to a beneficial effect, can have a negative effect on the body. Therefore, you should not self-medicate, so as not to aggravate your health.

If you still choose your own collection, then before using it, carefully study the indications and contraindications for the use of each individual component.

Hello dear readers and friends!

I remember how we used to be a big family in the summer at the dacha drinking tea from garden leaves. We collected the leaves of all fruit and berry crops growing on our site, brewed them in a large teapot and enjoyed. We could have drunk several mugs, because it was so delicious! And even more so in the heat and after working in the beds.

Now I have a slightly different life, but I still love tea made from fresh leaves of garden plants and often drink tea in summer. Here, however, I don’t harvest leaves for the winter, perhaps mint, but in vain. I want to rectify this situation, I will stock up on fruit and berry leaves with you.

On winter evenings with frost and winds, they will just come in handy. We will brew currant or raspberry leaves in a porcelain teapot and remember the summer, and at the same time we will treat a cold.

From the leaves of which garden plants tea is prepared

Ordinary tea in the country can perfectly replace raspberry, strawberry, currant, apple and cherry leaves.

Most often they are used. You can also brew tea from the leaves and berries of wild rose, hawthorn, strawberry, blackberry, lingonberry, mountain ash, as well as willow tea, mint, lemon balm, birch, nettle, dandelions, teas from fruit leaves.

While natural tea containing theine and caffeine invigorates or soothes, almost all garden leaf teas do not contain such stimulants. But on the other hand, they contain protein, sugar and fats, therefore they are very nutritious, in addition, they have healing power and a pleasant aroma.

If you drink tea from garden leaves more often in summer and winter, and the cost of buying regular tea will decrease, and the tea will be varied, tasty and healthy, unlike, which you absolutely should not drink!

Tea from strawberry leaves is obtained with a very pleasant aroma, and most importantly, very useful, as it contains vitamin C, as well as tea from black currant leaves - fragrant and very tasty.

Tea made from black currant leaves is useful for gastritis, colds.

Tea made from birch, blackberry and lingonberry leaves stimulates the excretion of urine from the body.

Tea with nettle leaves cleanses the blood, improves liver and kidney function, and is useful for anemia.

Raspberry leaves are lovely.

Decoction of clover flowers restores body cells, and tea with clover smells like honey!

Ivan tea strengthens the immune system, helps with insomnia and headaches.

Be sure to plant mint in your area. Mint helps to treat neuroses and angina pectoris, has a choleretic, sedative and analgesic effect. Tea with mint leaves helps with headaches, lowers blood pressure, and stimulates the heart. Mint tea will invigorate in the morning and relax in the evening.

Dried mint can be folded into a beautiful bag (sachet), hung over the head of the bed and you will forget about insomnia forever.

Mint can be added to tea made from any garden leaves for flavoring, since not all leaves have a very pronounced tasty aroma, and mint just compensates for this deficiency.

If roses grow in your garden, collect and dry their petals, the rose greatly ennobles the tea and gives it a delicate aroma.

When to collect leaves for tea

Leaves, flowers and stems of plants are most valuable at the beginning of flowering. At this time, it is better to collect them for tea.

Since the flowering time for all plants is different, we can collect it all summer.

Birch, currant, cherry, strawberry, lingonberry leaves are harvested in May-June.

In June - July it will be possible to collect leaves and flowers of raspberries, blackberries, thyme, clover, and willow-herb.

And the time for collecting flowers of calendula, mint, chamomile is July-August.

The collection of leaves for tea should be carried out in the morning after the dew is gone.

You should not collect the leaves of different plants in one pile, even if later you are going to make them tea collections.

Collect and dry each plant separately.

How to dry tea leaves

There is no need to wash the leaves.

Drying leaves for tea is very simple: spread them on paper or cloth in a thin layer (up to 4 cm) and place them in the shade under a canopy. Leaves should not be in direct sunlight, otherwise they will lose their color and aroma.

When the leaves are twisted, they are turned over and mixed from time to time so that they do not cake and sour.

Dry leaves are cut into small pieces (tea leaves) and slightly dried in the shade or fried in the oven.

Fried leaves darken and, when brewed, give a more appetizing and aromatic infusion.

The leaves can also be dried rolled into a tube. Tea made from such leaves is especially delicious. I learned how to do it.

To do this, the leaves are slightly dried in the shade, then rolled into tubes, covered with a damp cloth (towel, burlap) and left for 3-10 hours. During this time, a fermentation process takes place, which contributes to a particularly rich aromatization of the leaves.

The folded leaves are dried in the shade with the obligatory access of air. They are put in a wooden or clay container for storage, paper boxes or bags, glass jars, which are well closed and impervious to moisture and air.

How to make leaf tea

Fresh or dried leaves can be used alone or in mixtures.

You can add garden leaves when brewing black or green tea. This is what I most often do and love. Very convenient and every time the tea tastes different.

Tea is prepared at the rate of 1 teaspoon of dry leaves per 1 glass of water.

They put the water to boil and watch it. As soon as it clogs with a white key (bubbles appear), turn off the water, pour it into a cup and pour tea from dry leaves so that it is completely immersed in water. Close with a lid and leave for 3-5 minutes.

In the summer, I especially do not measure the number of leaves, I take two fresh leaves of different fruits and berries one at a time and brew them with boiling water in a teapot.

And I do it from berries. Sheer pleasure and pleasure!

Leaf tea recipes

In principle, the above technology is suitable for brewing almost all leaves. But you can also experiment, make blends, brew tea in a thermos. Here are some leaf tea recipes.

Rosehip leaf tea

For making tea, not only leaves, but also twigs and rose hips are suitable. We brew a pinch of dry leaves and branches with a glass of boiling water, leave for 5 minutes, add a teaspoon to the aromatic drink, just not sugar!

Black tea with raspberries and currant leaves

Take 1 teaspoon of black long tea, dried raspberries, black currant leaves, oregano. We brew one spoonful of the collection with a glass of boiling water.

Tea made from black currant leaves, blueberries and drupes

Brew three tablespoons of the collection with half a liter of water in a thermos. Leave to brew for 2 hours.

This tea is well absorbed by the stomach, it cleanses the body of toxins, lowers cholesterol and blood sugar, heals the kidneys, utilities, anemia, acute respiratory infections.

Blend of garden leaves and herbs

It is even more interesting to make tea from a mixture of different leaves and herbs. It turns out to be especially aromatic and doubly and even triple useful.

Leaves of several plants are used for blending. Pick them up to your liking. But, if there is no experience, at first it is better to take no more than 4-5 components, you can start making tea from 2-3 types of leaves.

Before making tea from the leaves, they are collected and mixed, put in a jar and allowed to make friends with each other for 3 days.

Pour 2-3 tablespoons of dry leaves into a teapot, pour boiling water and let it brew for 10-15 minutes.

It is possible to infuse tea from fruit and berry leaves longer, while the healing properties will increase significantly. But, so that the tea does not cool down during its long-term aging, it is convenient to brew it in a thermos. Although such tea can be drunk cold. Both hot and cold tea made from garden leaves are great