WINTER TEA BLEND

Recipes

Nov 16

Written By Kristi Reed

SEPTEMBER 9, 2021

A grounding and nourishing winter tea with elderberry and rose hips.

RECIPES

A commitment to slow living, seasonal cooking and mindful consumption.

WINTER TEA BLEND

Winters can be long and brutal here in Montana. We spend a lot of evenings sipping tea and keeping the fire going. When pulling herbs from the pantry to make a tea blend, we always go for the roots. There is something really grounding about the roots, and knowing that we harvested the dandelion and burdock in the spring gives us hope for the season ahead.

We like to mix elderberries and rose hips into the blend for their immune-supportive qualities. The kiddos help harvest them on our fall hikes and love the idea of drinking tea from herbs they picked by hand. To top it off, I sprinkle some rose petals in at the end, because we can all use a little extra love in the winter.

Ingredients

1 part dried, chopped dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) root
1 part dried, chopped burdock (Arctium lappa) root
½ part chopped or powdered dried ginger (Zingiber officinale) rhizome
1 part dried elder (Sambucus canadensis or S. nigra) berry
1 part dried rose (Rosa spp.) hip
½ part dried rose (Rosa spp.) petal

how to prepare

Determine how much tea blend you would like to make, and then assign your “parts” accordingly (see page 16 of the Herbal Academy Ebook for more detailed instructions).

Combine all of the herbs except the rose petals and mix well. If you're making a bulk batch, transfer the blend to a storage container, label, and store in a cool, dark location.
To brew a batch, add 4.5 tablespoons of the tea blend to a saucepan with 32 fluid ounces (1 quart) of water.
Slowly bring to a boil and let simmer for 20-30 minutes.
Turn off the heat, add ½ tablespoon of rose petals to the pot, cover, and let sit for another 5 minutes.
Strain the plant material from the liquid, sweeten if desired, and enjoy!