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HERB TEAS

Among the most popular herbal preparations are the herb teas. They are simple to make and can be brewed and enjoyed whenever the mood strikes you for exotic flavored refreshment. If you put the herbs for teas into simple jars or bottles they can make attractive gift items.

In years past, herbal teas seem to have had a much greater role in everyday living. They were not only popular for their flavor, but were taken quite often medicinally to cure coughs, sore throats, fevers, and headaches.

Preparing an herbal tea is easy, but you'll have to experiment a bit to get the right strength for your taste. Begin by trying about a teaspoon of the dried herb-a little more if you are brewing from fresh herbs-for every serving (about 6 ounces) of tea. (The herbs can be crushed first to help release their flavor.) You can put the herb directly into the teapot or into a tea ball; then, boil the necessary amount of water and pour it into the pot in which the herbs have been placed. The pot should be pre, heated with boiling water.

Generally, teas should steep not less than 10 minutes; if they are steeped too long, however, they may become bitter. If you want a stronger flavor after trying the amount of herbs recommended above, use more herbs rather than steeping them longer.

The teas are usually best if milk or cream is not added.

A few can be sweetened with a little sugar or honey and lemon, but before adding a sweetener, taste the brew first to see if you like it just the way it is.

The taste of various herb teas is one thing that few people will agree upon: Many teas are flavorful; some are strong and medicinal; and all are nearly impossible to describe in a few words. A few of the more popular ones are brewed from chamomile, lemon verbena, mint, rose hips, rosemary, and thyme, but when it comes right down to it, you can brew a tea from almost any of the culinary herbs you choose. Health and specialty food stores often have a wide selection of herbal teas, so if you aren't growing an herb that you'd like to make a tea from you often can buy it already prepared for brewing.

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