Spell Crafts - Make your Own Herbal Teas II

This series of articles is divided into four parts:
Part I - Using tea potions
Part II - Choosing and preparing ingredients
Part III - Storing your tea mixtures
Part IV - Getting started with some recipes

The Least You Should Know:
* Prepare your teas ahead of time so they are ready when needed.
* When you drink a tea potion, your body absorbs the potion's magic, making it radiate from you.
* Always use dried (rather than fresh) plant material to make your tea.
* Storing dried tea blends is easy and convenient; however, remember to keep tea in a cool, dark place with as little air contact as possible.

Copyright © 2006 Kerri Connor
(This is part two of a four part series)

So Many Herbs. So Little Time

Probably the hardest part about making a tea is deciding what to put in it, because there are dozens of herbs and plants you can choose from.

Finding Your Focus

Begin by focusing on your intent and then narrowing down the field of available plants and herbs to those that correspond with your intent.

Use the list in the Herbal Correspondence section to find different herbs and plants you can use that fit with your focus. This will eliminate a lot of herbs, but you might still be left with a number to choose from.

What Do Your Taste Buds Have to Say?

You can eliminate more choices by getting rid of anything with a scent or taste you are not terribly fond of. I recommend taking a day and taste testing different herbs. Because this can be a big undertaking, spend one day just working on whether or not you like the taste or smell. If you don't like the taste of something, you probably aren't going to want to use it in any of your potable potions! Keep a list of herbs that you like and don't like so you have an easy guide to refer to.

After you've sorted herbs into "yummy" and "yuck" categories, you can begin working on blending them to come up with flavor combinations. Be prepared for some trial and error. But don't worry-if you don't feel like experimenting on your own, you can try some of the basic recipes at the end of this chapter.

Savor the flavor

If you haven't made your own teas before, I suggest starting with just two or three different herbs. As you become more practiced and familiar with the tastes of the herbs and how they complement one another, you can experiment by combining more kinds together.

Not only do you need to experiment with the types of herbs you use, but also the amounts. In a calming tea you might want to use lavender and bergamot. You can mix equal amounts of these two herbs, or try one part lavender to two parts bergamot, or vice versa. Ifyou like the flavor of one herb more than another, add a little more of it to your mixture. Remember that it's your potion, and you get to make the rules!

Always make sure you measure out your ammmts and write everything down. If you end up loving a particular blend, you'll want to know how you made it! Keep a journal of the combinations you have tried with a note on whether you liked it or not. This is just as important for teas you don't care for as it is for teas you do. If you make a tea and don't like it, you don't want to make the same one again by mistake!

Mix It Up

The first step in the physical preparation of your teas is to combine dried plant material to create the mixture you want. You can do this ahead of time so you always have some on hand.

Actually, I recommend setting aside a day when you are in the mood to do some magical work and making up a variety of tea mixtures to store for later use. Make teas you know you will use often, such as those for sleep, calmness, and relaxation; maintaining good health; and healing.

You should only use dried herbs in your teas, not fresh. If you grow herbs yourself, you will need to dry them and crush them just a little bit, but not too finely, before adding them to your preparations.

If you use an electric grinder, you will only need to pulse it a couple of times to get the desired effect.

Measure each ingredient into a bowl large enough to hold your tea mixture. Mix the ingredients very thoroughly, and then store with one of the methods we will go over a little later in this chapter.

You should only use dried herbs in your teas, not fresh. If you grow herbs yourself, you will need to dry them and crush them just a little bit, but not too finely, before adding them to your preparations.

If you use an electric grinder, you will only need to pulse it a couple of times to get the desired effect.

Measure each ingredient into a bowl large enough to hold your tea mixture. Mix the ingredients very thoroughly, and then store with one of the methods we will go over a little later in this chapter.

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Make Your Own Tempting Herbal Teas - II

Choosing and preparing ingredients.

This Spell Craft, Plus Lots More:

The Pocket Idiot's Guide to Potions by Kerri Connor.

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RESOURCES

DESERT WIND COVEN