Wintertime warmth - memories from summer - dried

It is a chilly one out there today, and it will likely be chilly again tomorrow. Oh winter. As much as I really try to love this time of year - when things get blanketed in white, when kids dress up in rolly polly snowsuits to go out and play, when baking something in the oven just seems like a must, and tumbling down a hill on a toboggan seems an ageless kidish delight - I still struggle with winter. I miss going outside for a quick walk because it's too hot inside, riding my bike without suiting up in layers. Though there is a homey, cozy feeling that I grow to love in winter, I think my favourite part of winter, is seeing winter melt away to spring. I do love the transition of the seasons. But were not there quite yet!

And so, I drink tea. Warming right to the core, I love breathing in the hot mist of a warm cuppa something refreshing, something soothing, something delicious, something healthful, something healing. Most of all, I love enjoying tea from the garden. Herbs and flowers that seem to be out of control in the height of summertime (oh that creepy mint!) I am so very thankful come January when I am able to enjoy them.

During the spring planting of my backyard garden in Toronto, one of my roommates who shortly after moved out, planted a tea garden! I was excited at this prospect, and loved seeing the chamomile, orange mint, lemon balm, calendula and lavender get planted (oh and the sunflowers, which got amazingly tall and attracted such beautiful bumbly bees!) The tea garden looked beautiful as it grew and grew. Pretty soon, it was time to start harvesting, and hanging the herbs to dry for teas.

On a dry day, preferably not the day after a rainstorm, I'd cut the herb or flower or stem at a reasonable spot at the base of the stem, never taking the whole plant, and tie a small bunch together with some twine. I'd hang it upside down in our sunroom from nails that I tacked into the wall (any dryish spot should work, garages and closed in porches seem to be good). Because I knew where the plants were coming from and what was put on it (i.e. no herbicides, but maybe some unknown raccoon pee? eek!) I've never bothered washing my herbs before hanging to dry. I let the herb dry until it's completely crispy, and then I take it outside and crush it off of it's stem with my hands, and store it in a jar until it's tea time! My most abundantly dried herbs this past summer for tea were mint (which has a tendency to be invasive, so it was great to cut it back on a regular basis), raspberry leaf, and sage. Yum!

It's been fun to have a few herbs to mix together to find a flavour and feeling that suits my mood.

My favourite tea mix thus far from the garden:

-peppermint (calms the stomach and helps with gas and bloating, a source of magnesium, folate, calcium, iron, B2)

-lemon balm (known digestive aid, relaxing and calming, anti-oxidant rich herb)

-stinging nettle (this one I got from one of my farmers at the market, I haven't gone out to harvest this one from places around the city, as it is commonly found. I'm still a little scared of the stinging bit... it's rich in vitamins A, C, iron, potassium, manganese and calcium, and is often used to soothe sore muscles and joints, and urinary tract issues)

-raspberry leaf (rich in vitamins C, A, E, B complex, calcium and phosphorus; known for settling nauseated stomachs, diarrhea, menstrual cramps)

Break up and Mix herbs in equal ratios, pack tightly into a tea ball or other loose leaf tea contraption, and let steep for as long as you can, I always leave my tea ball in as I drink. Play with the ratios for different tastes, health benefits, and moods.

Other things that I dried from my backyard garden this past summer for teas were dandelion root, sage, chamomile, and lavender. I also dried some thyme, rosemary, hot peppers, onion and bean seeds quite successfully. Next summer I want to wander to some places in and around the city with my Newcomb's flower guide and hunt for some burdock (quite common and easily found - you may know the plant as containing pesky burs, it's best harvested in the fall time for it's root that has many health benefits), rose petals, rosehips, cedar tips and stinging nettle for tea purposes. Ohhh wild drinkables (and wild edibles...more to come on that later) how I love thee. Do you dry anything from your neighbourhood or garden for tea?

Tea is wonderful when it's cold outside, and I want to stay warm, to the core, to the soul. There's nothing like a big mug of garden tea, and a blanket to make winter feel a lot warmer, as dreams of summer sunshine come flowing back to me.