Recipe: Mint Oswego Summer Tea

Recipe: Mint Oswego Summer Tea

This is what I have growing in my deck garden.
Tea from these aromatic plants is cooling, healing, and used to treat anxiety and stress.
Bee Balm is bergamot, that distinctive flavor in Earl Grey tea.
Enjoy!

bee balm
lavender
mojito mint, apple mint
russian sage

How to Make Summer Tea

Ingredients
Mint leaves
Bee Balm leaves
Lavender flowers and leaves
Sage leaves

Proportion75% mint; 25% bee balm, lavender, & Russian sage.
The body of this tea is mint but bee balm, lavender, and sage leaves are so intensely flavorful, you don’t need much of each.

Brewing
Steep in a teapot for 15′. Most freshly gathered teas need 10′-15′. After, decant them into another pitcher or teapot to keep the flavor from becoming bitter. (Sometimes I forget and it brews for an hour. Ha! It is still delicious.)

Iced
Ice it for afternoon consumption during the heat of the day. It is caffeine-free so won’t your disturb sleep. In fact, it helps assure a smooth sleep.

Benefits

Benefits of mint tea: Mint has antibacterial and antiviral properties (immune system support), supports mental clarity, eases indigestion and nausea, has antioxidant properties, and soothes headaches.

Benefits of lavender tea: Lavender induces calm, reduces inflammation, boosts the immune system, detoxifies the body, supports digestive health, aids respiratory health, and improves sleep.

Benefits of Bee Balm (Oswego) tea: Bee Balm (yes, it is bergamot, that distinctive flavor in Earl Grey tea!) is a nervine used to treat anxiety and stress. Its antispasmodic properties help relieve menstrual cramps,muscle pain, fever discomfort, chills, headaches, and coughs.

 

Benefits of Russian Sage:  Russian sage is actually a member of the mint family. Add it in small quantities for reducing nausea, fever.

painting by Berke Ince