Today’s column should be the last installment in our long look at growing “tea” plants in northern gardens. While we could quite conceivably continue on with this theme for quite a while, there are a myriad other interesting topics also vying for attention. Perhaps at some point down the road we can come back and take a little closer look at a few of the special plants that didn’t quite get their due attention over the past few columns.

Before getting too far into this week’s look at herbal teas, I do want to make one very important point. A large number of people grow and consume herbal tea plants for any number of perceived health reasons. While the science on the topic is inconclusive, there is every possibility that many of these plants are every bit as useful as they are hyped up to be. There is also the possibility that some of them aren’t. It has also been demonstrated that some of these home “remedies” are downright dangerous. As I’ve said many times before, just because you read something on the Internet, it doesn’t make it true. Pregnant women in particular should be cautious of many herbal tea plants as should anyone on prescription medications. As always, when in doubt consult your physician before using any herbal products for self medication or health improvement. I do realize that many of these plants have been used for centuries as “medicine” but it’s also true that the average human lifespan during that period could be measured in a few short decades. Common “wisdoms” are often anything but.

The great difficulty inherent in living in the north is having an available supply of plant material to use for teas throughout the winter. A huge number of herbal tea plants are simply not winter hardy while the rest sleep deep under a snowy blanket for half the year. Many plants that are used in herbal teas can be over-wintered on a warm sunny windowsill. The difficulty here is that even though these plants may survive indoors quite easily, they are generally in a fairly dormant state due to cooler temperatures and diminishing day length. If you harvest leaves from these plants with any regularity it is unlikely that they can grow quickly enough to keep up with you. For this reason, the vast majority of herbal tea material is dried over the course of the summer and fall and then stored for later winter use.

Drying plant material for teas is actually a very easy process. While you can have a little more control over the process by using ovens, microwaves or food dehydrators, you can also get quite satisfactory results by simply hanging bundles of herbs in cool dry areas with good airflow. Once enough moisture has been removed from plant cells they are not susceptible to moulds and fungi in storage. These microorganisms can be exceptionally dangerous so any tea materials that do show signs of contamination should be immediately discarded. Properly dried herbal teas can be stored in airtight containers in a dark location for months with little deterioration in quality. Once new plants have grown and been harvested the following year it is a simple process to toss out the old and replace with the new.

Plant material being collected for either fresh tea or for drying will be at its peak early in the morning as soon as the dew has evaporated. Trying to dry dewy plants usually leads to mould while drying plants harvested later during hot periods of the day results in less flavourful teas. Bunches of herbs can be tied loosely and hung where there is good air movement or they can be laid on screens, again with good air movement. Once the leaves or flowers are dry and crackly, they can be stored in airtight containers and stored in a dark place. If you are drying berries or rosehips for winter teas, use of a dehydrator or oven can speed the process up and avoid potential moulds. Any plant material being stored for herbal teas should be stripped from stems before going into storage. When you are ready to try a cup of tea on a cool autumn night, the brewing process is pretty simply. About a tablespoon of plant material is needed to brew a terrific flavoured tea. Using a tea ball to hold the tea leaves results in a much “cleaner” brew but having a few leaves in your tea isn’t going to hurt anything either. Many teas such as mint or chamomile can easily stand on their own but making combinations of herbs is where the tea brewing process becomes even more fun and adventurous. Combining dried blueberries with raspberry leaves and a hint of mint or chamomile one night and then changing over to dried rose petals with a touch of lemon verbena the next will help ensure that your winter bedtime brew never becomes boring or repetitious. Your imagination is the only limiting factor here. Happy brewing.