Herbal Tea: 5 Reasons to Ditch the Tea Bags

Herbal Tea: 5 Reasons to Ditch the Tea Bags

I'm not here to tell you to stop drinking tea. I love tea, and I think it's a great way to get your herbs in. Water is a universal solvent, and a powerful one when everything is done correctly. 

What I am here to do is tell you to stop using those little, paper tea bags. There are multiple reasons for this...

1. There isn't enough plant material in the tea bags to actually effect anything. If you're looking for healing properties in your tea, you're not going to find it in those little bags. There just isn't enough plant material in them.

2. Who knows the quality of those herbs?! What color are they actually? Color and smell can tell us a lot about the potency of the dry herbs. When the herbs are dried and processed into those little bags, a lot of the volatile oils that contain the sought after properties are lost. 

3. Stop drinking out of plastic. For so many reasons. I won't go deep here. But suffice it to say, plastic is not good for you or the environment. 

4. Water temperature! This one is important, especially if you're using delicate herbs like chamomile or lavender (I'm looking at you, Sleepytime Tea). Water that's too hot will make your tea bitter and increase astringency. Basically, it'll taste bad. Use cooler water for delicate flowers and berries or a shorter brew time, and hotter water/longer brew for heartier herbs and roots.

There are so many little nuances, and that is the point of this post. There isn't necessarily right and wrong, but if you are looking to get more than a tasty beverage out of your tea bag, there is a better way to approach this. There is an art to it, it should be a little ritual. A quiet time to take a moment of rest and peace, and give thanks for the wonder that is your body and this life.   


So there you have it! Four reasons to ditch those little paper tea bags and brew your own herbal tea at home with fresh herbs. Not only will your tea taste better, but you'll also be doing yourself a favor by avoiding plastic and getting more of the balancing and healing properties from the plants themselves!  

Love to drink tea? Check out our blended teas here.


2022 Lilac Hydrosol and Harvest

2022 Lilac Hydrosol and Harvest
The spiral year comes round again, marked by the seasons and the harvests they bring.  This time of year, the air is filled with the delicate, floral scent of our dear Lilacs.  Purple, white, pink, she shows up in many different forms.  

This is our second year distilling Lilacs and as the heat hit the blooms and the most volatile floral notes hit the air, a smile creeps into my heart.  This is what I live for.  This intimate knowing of these beautiful flowers.  

The steam distillation produces a concentrated water called Hydrosol. This hydrosol can be used in SO many different ways; you can use Lilac hydrosol on torn tissues, cuts, athletes foot, vaginal tearing after birth, as an additive to baths, for rashes, add it to muffins or any other baked goods...the list goes on and on.  

I think sometimes we forget the fact that the plants that we know and love are also really useful to keep in and growing around the home.
 
Here at Herbellion (interested in checking out what we have in stock? go here), we use hydrosols in lotions, as bath teas, and as toner & room sprays.  

You can get pretty creative when using hydrosols.  How would you want to use Lilac Hydrosol??