Summer is a Great Time to Dry Herbs & Make a Cold, Cough, & Flu Tea for the Fall!

                                    How I Got Into Making My Own Tea

      This is an update of something I posted a few years ago.  I have added about twelve more herbs to this tea, and so I wanted to let anyone else know what they can do with those beautiful medicinal herbs and spices that they are growing!   

    Over twenty years ago I lived next door to a horticulturist who had a flower shop in downtown Seattle.  Eventually she made both her front and backyards into different types of flower gardens.  When her fight with a brain tumor was almost at an end, she told me I could dig up any of the plants I wanted.  Besides some beautiful perennial plants,  I chose some lemon balm, peppermint, feverfew, sweet woodruff, and a daisy. 

      A few years after planting them, I wondered couldn't I dry this peppermint and make my own tea?!  So that began a summer hobby that I've had for many years.  Every year I'd pick a few more to research and start drying.  It was fun researching about the plants that I had gotten from her and from the nursery.  It's surprising that many of them had medicinal benefits.  It was also interesting to find out that many of the herbs I grow for spices like oregano, sage, thyme, rosemary, and marjoram are great for fighting the common cold and soothing a cough. 

        About ten years ago a dear friend named Rose, whose Chinese recipes I've shared on this blog, gave me some rose bushes when she moved to Illinois.  I was really surprised to find out that certain roses can be dried and some of them have both antibacterial and antiviral properties. I grow organically and so a few years ago I thought let me check and see if there's anything in the strawberry and raspberry leaves in my garden, and I was surprised to find they contain a wealth of botanical compounds great for maintaining health. 

   So because in the Northwest we have a pretty rugged winter, I began putting together all the herbs that treat  colds, coughs, and flu and I put them in jars and made labels for them.  Over the years I've given them to my family and friends as gifts.   Every summer I enjoy cutting and drying herbs so I can mix up a fresh batch of this tea. 

HERBS & FLOWERS FOR COLD, COUGH & FLU TEA

 

Click on the link below on how to dry herbs for more details but basically herbs are placed on racks, cardboard, or paper towels or plates for about two weeks.  They should be dry to the touch and easy to rub off into a jar or bowl.



(1) Calendula:  Reduces a fever, soothes a sore throat, stimulates the immune system, flavonoids prevent infection and inflammation. 

 

(2)  Daisy:  Colds, cough, bronchitis and reduces a fever.

(3)  Dandelion leaf:  Antibacterial and antiviral properties.  Make sure you pick these in the woods or a clearing where there are no pesticides. 
  

(4)  Feverfew:  Use for wheezing and coughs.  Also an energizing herb.   Pain reliever; helps with asthma, fever, and sinus congestion. I usually dry it in vases.

 

(5) Lavender:  Helps relieve headaches and nervous exhaustion common when ill.
 
(6) Lemon Balm:  The tannins and polyphenols in lemon balm extracts have antibacterial & antiviral effects.  Used in treatment of colds, flu, and cold sores. Contains eugenol a natural pain reliever. 
 

(7) Nettle:  Colds, bronchitis, stimulates the lymphatic system. (I pick these from a nearby forest.)

 

(8) Rose:  Antibacterial and antiviral, clears lungs, flushes toxins and soothes a sore throat.

 

 
(9) Yarrow:  Contains antiseptic qualities that fight bacteria.  Good for colds, flu, and fever.  Helps detoxify the body  Good for soothing a sore throat. 

Update July 15, 2023 - Over the past few years I have continued to research herbs that are good for colds, cough, and flu.  Yesterday I was putting together a batch of herbs that I dried and I had about 22 of them! Besides the 9 listed here, you can also dry on racks or cardboard the following herbs that I've learned in recent years also help tackle colds and coughs: 

1.  Peppermint  - antibacterial/viral

2.  Raspberry leaves  -  an immune system booster

3.  Sweet woodruff  -  antibacterial/viral/fungal

4.  Lavender - good for the common cold and coughs

5.  Sage  - antibacterial/viral/fungal

6.  Oregano - antibacterial/viral/fungal and an immune system booster!

7.  Hyssop - for the common cold, bronchitis, and a fever reducer

8.  Catnip Mint - antibacterial/viral and good for coughs

9.   Rosemary - Good for respiratory problems and an immune system booster!

10. Chamomile - good for the common cold

11.  Bronze Fennel - Good for congestion

12. Red clover blossoms - Good for a bad cough

13. Marjoram - Antimicrobial, good for common cold and coughs

14.  English ivy - Congestion and bronchitis

     Have fun doing some of your own research and make your own brew! The strong flavor of peppermint and lavender generally masks the stronger tones of oregano and sage. 

    Many of these herbs can also be steeped in extra virgin olive oil, grapeseed oil, or almond oil and made into an infused oil. Check some of the links below for things I've made and go online and check other websites!   Have fun!!

 

Other Blogs on Making Herbal or Flower Teas:
How to Dry Herbs to Make Your Own Herbal Teas
How to Brew a Cup of Medicinal Herb Tea
How to Make Your Own Lavender Oil & Tea
How To Dry Roses & Make Your Own Rose Tea, Rose Oil & Rose Water
Make Your Own Home Made Remedies - How to Make Calendula Tea, Calendula Oil & Salve
Make Your Own Home Made Remedies - Peppermint Tea & Oil
How To Make Your Own Strawberry Leaf Tea
Did You Know That Salad Burnet Can be Made into Tea?
Make Your Own Home Made Remedies - What Can You Do With the Feverfew in Your Garden?

About Making Your Own Spices:
 How to Dry Herbs to Spice Up Your Cooking

Other Things You Can Do with Herbs:
 How To Dry Roses & Make Your Own Rose Tea, Rose Oil & Rose Water
How to Make Calendula Tea, Calendula Oil & Salve
Make Your Own Home Made Remedies - Peppermint Tea & Oil
Grandma's Recipe for Dandelion Honey

 

It's That Time of Year Again - Why Not Make Your Own Cold, Cough & Flu Brew?

               How I Got Into Making My Own Tea

      Twenty years ago I lived next door to a horticulturist who had a flower shop in downtown Seattle.  Eventually she made both her front and backyards into different types of flower gardens.  When her fight with a brain tumor was almost at an end, she told me I could dig up any of the plants I wanted.  Besides some beautiful perennial plants,  I chose some lemon balm, peppermint, feverfew, sweet woodruff, and daisy. 

      A few years after planting them, I began doing some research to check out  their medicinal benefits.  I learned how to dry peppermint and lemon balm.  Over the years I researched some of the other plants I got from her garden like daisies and sweet woodruff, and I found out that they were also great for colds and coughs.  Then I found out that certain roses can be dried and some of them have both antibacterial and antiviral properties. So because in the Northwest we have a rugged winter, I began  putting together all the herbs that treat  colds, coughs, and flu and I made them for my family and gave them also as gifts.  Every year since then I have dried herbs and medicinal flowers so I could make a fresh batch of this tea. 

HERBS & FLOWERS FOR COLD, COUGH & FLU TEA

 

Click on the link below on how to dry herbs for more details but basically herbs are placed on racks, cardboard, or paper towels or plates for about two weeks.  They should be dry to the touch and easy to rub off into a jar or bowl.



(1) Calendula:  Reduces a fever, soothes a sore throat, stimulates the immune system, flavonoids prevent infection and inflammation. 

 

(2)  Daisy:  Colds, cough, bronchitis and reduces a fever.

(3)  Dandelion leaf:  Antibacterial and antiviral properties.  Make sure you pick these in the woods or a clearing where there are no pesticides. 
  

(4)  Feverfew:  Use for wheezing and coughs.  Also an energizing herb.   Pain reliever; helps with asthma, fever, and sinus congestion. I usually dry it in vases.

 

(5) Lavender:  Helps relieve headaches and nervous exhaustion common when ill.
 
(6) Lemon Balm:  The tannins and polyphenols in lemon balm extracts have antibacterial & antiviral effects.  Used in treatment of colds, flu, and cold sores. Contains eugenol a natural pain reliever. 
 

(7) Nettle:  Colds, bronchitis, stimulates the lymphatic system. (I pick these from a nearby forest.)

 

(8) Rose:  Antibacterial and antiviral, clears lungs, flushes toxins and soothes a sore throat.

 

 
(9) Yarrow:  Contains antiseptic qualities that fight bacteria.  Good for colds, flu, and fever.  Helps detoxify the body  Good for soothing a sore throat. 

Update July 15, 2023 - Over the past few years I have continued to research herbs that are good for colds, cough, and flu.  Yesterday I was putting together a batch of herbs that I dried and I had about 22 of them! Besides the 9 listed here, you can also dry on racks or cardboard the following herbs that I've learned in recent years also help tackle colds and coughs: 

1.  Peppermint  - antibacterial/viral

2.  Raspberry leaves  -  an immune system booster

3.  Sweet woodruff  -  antibacterial/viral/fungal

4.  Lavender - good for the common cold and coughs

5.  Sage  - antibacterial/viral/fungal

6.  Oregano - antibacterial/viral/fungal and an immune system booster!

7.  Hyssop - for the common cold, bronchitis, and a fever reducer

8.  Catnip Mint - antibacterial/viral and good for coughs

9.   Rosemary - Good for respiratory problems and an immune system booster!

10. Chamomile - good for the common cold

11.  Bronze Fennel - Good for congestion

12. Red clover blossoms - Good for a bad cough

13. Marjoram - Antimicrobial, good for common cold and coughs

14.  English ivy - Congestion and bronchitis

Have fun doing some of your own research and make your own brew! The strong flavor of peppermint and lavender generally masks the stronger tones of oregano and sage. 

 

Other Blogs on Making Herbal or Flower Teas:
How to Dry Herbs to Make Your Own Herbal Teas
How to Brew a Cup of Medicinal Herb Tea
How to Make Your Own Lavender Oil & Tea
How To Dry Roses & Make Your Own Rose Tea, Rose Oil & Rose Water
Make Your Own Home Made Remedies - How to Make Calendula Tea, Calendula Oil & Salve
Make Your Own Home Made Remedies - Peppermint Tea & Oil
How To Make Your Own Strawberry Leaf Tea
Did You Know That Salad Burnet Can be Made into Tea?
Make Your Own Home Made Remedies - What Can You Do With the Feverfew in Your Garden?

About Making Your Own Spices:
 How to Dry Herbs to Spice Up Your Cooking

Other Things You Can Do with Herbs:
 How To Dry Roses & Make Your Own Rose Tea, Rose Oil & Rose Water
How to Make Calendula Tea, Calendula Oil & Salve
Make Your Own Home Made Remedies - Peppermint Tea & Oil
Grandma's Recipe for Dandelion Honey

 

Make Your Own Home Made Remedies - What Can You Do With the Feverfew in Your Garden?

    For 12 years I lived next to a horticulturist who owned a flower shop in downtown Seattle. Whenever we were both in the yard, she would notice things in my flower beds and give me advice like putting soapy water in a spray bottle would kill all aphids on my lupines without having to use a pesticide.  I've used that one over and over on all kinds of plants.She also told me that if I would prune my roses, they would keep blooming. I've done that with my floribundas and sometimes I'll get three blooms! 

 Over time she transformed both her front and backyards into two different kinds of gardens--all I remember is that one of them was an English garden, ahhh it was so beautiful! This dear neighbor died from cancer, but before her death she asked me to take whatever plants I wanted in memory of her.  I chose many and feverfew was one of them. 

I found out years later that this beautiful herb which looks much like a dwarf daisy is full of medicinal properties.  So like I did with the peppermint and lemon balm that I had also dug up from her garden that day, I researched it. 

Here's what I found out:

1.  It's an energizing herb and  helps our body deal with inflammation.

2.  For the respiratory system - It helps with fever hence the name!  I also helps treat asthma, wheezing coughs, and sinusitis.

3.  For the stomach - It aids in digestion and alleviates stomach aches.

4.  For the circulatory system - It reduces blood pressure.

5.  For muscles & joints - It helps with muscle spasms, neuralgia, rheumatism, arthritis, and sciatica.  I found out that it contains allicin what aspirin is made of so it's great for all kinds of aches and pains. 

6.  Headaches - Feverfew is commonly used for headaches and migraines.  It can also be used to treat vertigo. 

How to Dry Feverfew: 

(1)  You can simply cut the feverfew and put it in a vase without water and let it dry naturally.  It's good to let it sit out for about 2 weeks to ensure that there's no moisture left in the herb. 

(2)  Then just use your fingers to remove both the flowers and the leaves into a large bowl.

(3)  Put in a glass jar and label.

Brewing Up a Cup of Medicinal Tea:   Put 1-2 teaspoons of your dried tea into a metal tea holder or use a French press and place it into the hot water.  Put a plate over the top to keep the essential oils from evaporating, and let it steep for about 10 minutes.  

Other Blogs on Making Herbal or Flower Teas:
How to Dry Herbs to Make Your Own Herbal Teas
How to Brew  a Cup of Medicinal Herb Tea
How to Make Your Own Lavender Oil & Tea
How To Dry Roses & Make Your Own Rose Tea, Rose Oil & Rose Water
How to Make Calendula Tea, Calendula Oil & Salve
More on How to Make Your Own Herbal Teas & Peppermint Oil
How To Make Your Own Strawberry Leaf Tea
Did You Know That Salad Burnet Can be Made into Tea?

About Making Your Own Spices:
 How to Dry Herbs to Spice Up Your Cooking

Other Things You Can Do with Herbs:
 How To Dry Roses & Make Your Own Rose Tea, Rose Oil & Rose Water
How to Make Calendula Tea, Calendula Oil & Salve
More on How to Make Your Own Herbal Teas & Peppermint Oil
Grandma's Recipe for Dandelion Honey

Note:  I grow and dry herbs as a gardening project.  Be sure to check with a medical professional if you are pregnant, on medication or have any questions or concerns. 

Did You Know That Salad Burnet Can Be Made Into a Tea?

     For 16 years I've been growing herbs.  I have several pots of peppermint, spearmint, lemon balm, feverfew, lavender, and catmint.  Near my sliding door I have a metal shelf for baskets of outdoor toys, and on the top shelf is a planter box my husband made for me that holds most of my kitchen spices. 

    For roughly 12 years I've dried these herbs to make teas and seasonings for cooking.  This spring I bought a new herb--salad burnet.  I thought it was just going to only be good for throwing into salads.  I was surprised when I did a Google on burnet that it had so many benefits.  Here's the ones that stood out to me the most:

    (1)  It's a spring tonic
    (2)  It strengthens the heart and circulatory system
    (3)  Reduces a fever
    (4)  Good for bone health
    (5)  Lowers LDL 
    (6)  Contains antioxidants
    (7)  Works as a natural anti-inflammatory


Other Blogs on Making Herbs for Spices or Flower Teas:

How to Dry Herbs to Spice Up Your Cooking

How to Dry Herbs to Make Your Own Herbal Teas
How to Dry Herbs to Spice Up Your Cooking!
How to Brew  a Cup of Medicinal Herb Tea
How to Make Your Own Lavender Oil & Tea
How To Dry Roses & Make Your Own Rose Tea, Rose Oil & Rose Water
How to Make Calendula Tea, Calendula Oil & Salve
More on How to Make Your Own Herbal Teas & Peppermint Oil
How To Make Your Own Strawberry Leaf Tea

Note:  I grow and dry herbs as a gardening project.  Be sure to check with a medical professional if you are pregnant, on medication or have any questions or concerns. 

Grandma's Recipe For Dandelion Honey

    Aren't dandelions weeds? That's what I thought for years. Several years ago I learned that dandelion leaves made a good tea for liver detox.  So I started drying it along with my peppermint, lemon balm, feverfew, calendula, roses, and lavender for teas and the rosemary, basil, and oregano for cooking.  But that's as far as I went.    

My grandmother's home in Pennsylvania

   When I visited my aunt in Kansas in 2010, I went through all my grandmother's recipes.  What's this recipe in my grandma's recipe box for dandelion jelly? It interested me that my grandmother would make a jelly from things I thought were just weeds--so I wrote it down and thought maybe sometime I'd make it just for fun.

Grandma B's Dandelion Jelly

Pick dandelions:  In the morning pick 4 cups of dandelion blossoms without stems.

Prepare jelly:  Boil the blossoms with 4 cups of water for 3 minutes.  Drain off the liquid.  Then add  1 package of pectin,  1 t of lemon juice, and 4 1/2 cups of sugar.  Boil for about 3 minutes. 

     It made me laugh when she wrote at the bottom of her recipe card dandelion jelly tastes like honey.  I thought with 4 1/2 cups of sugar it better! Needless to say for  the past 4 years that recipe just sat in my recipe binder.

    That is until I went to a farmer's market with my daughter this spring and there on a table was a recipe for dandelion honey.  What interested more than anything was the information they gave about all of vitamins and minerals dandelions contain!  And it only called for half the sugar!

    Who would have thought. Most of the time I'm yanking dandelions out of the yard and throwing them into my compost bin.  And by the way most of my dandelions grow near my compost bins and in my grassy alley!  So they're organic on top of it!  So far this year I've made three batches of dandelion honey.  

When I made it a few weeks ago with some of my grandkids, I canned it in small half pint jars.  By the way I've don this twice with my grandkids, and they have all loved doing it!  Must be something about making food out "weeds" in the yard!  The recipe below is a combination of these two recipes!  And yesterday I did some searches on dandelions, and in the  section below called Health Benefits of Dandelions you can click on those links and learn more about them.

Grandma's Dandelion Honey 

1.  Pick dandelions: Pick a bunch of dandelion heads in the morning when they're open. You will need 4 cups for this recipe.

2.  Simmer dandelions:

(1)  Place 4 cups of dandelion flowers in a pan.

(2)  Add 3 cut up lemons (I have just used 1 cut up lemon and it works very well.)

(3)  Simmer for 30 minutes.

(4)  Turn off stove, leave covered, and let  them steep overnight.

3.  Strain dandelions in the morning - Put a bowl under the strainer:
 Strain through a cheesecloth or I just used my small strainer.  Press the dandelions into the strainer to squeeze out all the liquid.

4.  Make the dandelion honey:
(1)  Pour the strained dandelion liquid into a small saucepan and bring it to a boil. 
(2)  Slowly stir in 2  1/8 cups of sugar (I just do 2 cups--and what a difference from my grandmother's old fashioned recipe!)
Note:  If you want to make this a bit thicker, then add 1/2 package of pectin like my grandmother used to do. After working with it, I have found that this is just the right amount to give it more of that honey consistency and not make it turn into a jelly (that is unless you want it to and if you do, then add the whole package!)
(3) Simmer for  1 1/2 hours.  Make sure the mixture does not turn dark because that means it's going to taste like burnt Carmel!

5.  Pour the honey into clean jars and refrigerate.  (or you can it!)

6.  Canning the dandelion honey:
I've done a lot of canning, and I was making blueberry jam when I was working on this honey so I washed up some of the half pint jars, filled them with hot water until they were ready.  And then when the dandelion honey was done, I ladled it into the jars, put on hot lids, and stuck it in the canner for 5 minutes.  Click on the link if you want to see some of my directions for canning jam.

When two of my grandkids did a sleepover, they helped me on the last stage of this dandelion honey and we put it in our tea. You can see my oldest granddaughter in the picture above stirring the sugar into the strained dandelion liquid. She thought it was pretty cool and asked for a jar to take home.

Health Benefits of Dandelions



Today I checked out some sites  that talked about  the health benefits of dandelions.  I was wondering about this because of the information  I read on the above sheet from the Farmer's Market that highlighted the nutrients in the  dandelion flowers. I was a bit skeptical, like really?

   On one site the gal humorously wondered why people were throwing pesticides on dandelions when they are so full of nutritional benefits, and who decided that the dandelion was an ugly weed instead of an herb anyway?? 

   I've known for years that dandelion leaves are helpful for detoxifying the liver, but I learned on Nutrition and You and Organic Facts that they do so much more than that! They point out a few precautions that some people's skin might be sensitive so just take a little to see how your body responds.

And if after reading that, you want to know how to dry dandelion flowers and leaves to make your own tea, you can find that information on Garden Guides.

Other jam posts you can check out on this blog:

Making Low Sugar Blackberry Jam
How to Make Low Sugar Raspberry Jam
Homemade Apple Butter
Triple Berry Low Sugar Jam
How to Make & Can Your Own Blueberry Jam
Just Like Grandma's Homemade Low Sugar Strawberry Jam

Other canning posts you can check out on this blog:

Making & Canning Applesauce  
Tasty Countertop Pickles - Naturally Fermented Without Vinegar!