How to Make Flower Tea

Flowers are beautiful to look at but they have many other uses as well. Quite a few flowers are used to make herbal teas. Whether used alone, mixed with other flowers or mixed with a tea base such as black or green tea, making flower tea isn't that hard. Though there are quite a few flowers that are used to make tea, some of the more popular choices are rose, hibiscus, chamomile, jasmine and chrysanthemum. Dried flowers are used to make the tea and you should be able to find a vast assortment to choose from at your local health food store.

Things You'll Need

Tea pot Pot or saucepan Cup Dried flowers Boiling water Cheesecloth tea bag

Instructions

1. Boil one cup of water for every serving in a pot or saucepan.

2. Place 1 tsp. of dried flowers into your cup or teapot. If you prefer not to have loose flowers in your tea, place the dried flowers inside of a cheesecloth teabag before steeping it. Add more flowers if you desire a tea that is stronger.

3. Pour the boiling water into your cup or teapot, covering the dried flowers.

4
Allow the tea to steep for approximately 5 to 10 minutes. You can remove the flowers, if you wish, after the steeping process.

Tips & Warnings

Add loose or bagged green or black tea with your flowers when you place them into the cup for a different flavor. Try mixing several flowers together to achieve a more exotic tasting tea. Make an iced tea by chilling your flower tea once it has steeped. Add sugar or honey for a sweet treat.

Source: http://www.ehow.com/how_5137526_make-flower-tea.html

Types of Flower Tea

Herbal tea is an umbrella term that encompasses dried herbs, edible flowers and spices. Edible flowers, have been used to brew teas since ancient times, in places like Asia, North Africa and the Mediterranean. Floral infusions are fragrant and are noted for their various medicinal purposes, according to "The Essence of Herbal and Floral Teas" by Mary El-Baz. From digestion to relaxation, jasmine, chamomile, chrysanthemum and hibiscus can be used to address various health issues.

Jasmine Tea
Jasmine is a night-blooming flower cultivated during the morning, while the blooms are closed. The flowers are mixed with green or white tea leaves, and kept in a cool place until night fall. When they open, the regular tea leaves absorb the fragrance of the jasmine, through the release of the bloom's oils. The amount of times the green tea is infused with these fragrant oils determines the grade of tea: two or three times are enough for cheaper grades, while high-grade teas can require up to seven infusions. The result is a tea high in antioxidants and vitamin C, and it can also help soothe the digestive system.

Hibiscus Tea
Though hibiscus flowers originate in East Africa, they can also be grown in hot and humid climates, such as the Caribbean. The part of the flower used to make the tea are its calyx (the outer flower petals), which are kept whole and dried. An infusion is made by soaking the petals by themselves, or with black tea, in hot water. The infusion produces a tart tea that can be sweetened with sugar or honey. Natural hibiscus tea has a deep red color and is high in antioxidants. It can also be used as a diuretic and has been linked to reducing blood volume, thus reducing blood pressure.

Chrysanthemum
A tea popular in China, chrysanthemum tea is made from dried flowers that are harvested and stored in glass jars. The tea is made by placing the flowers into a teapot filled with boiling water, and allowing them to steep. Because it is common in China to continually refill the teapot after the tea is consumed, the color of the infusion can range from a light to deep yellow. The tea has an astringent and antiseptic quality, thus it can be used to strengthen the liver and gallbladder.

Chamomile
Derived from the Greek word that means "green apple", chamomile got its name due to its apple-like fragrance. The most popular chamomile plants available are the German and Roman varieties, which are slightly different in size, but produce a similar flower. The blossoms are normally harvested as soon as they open, as younger flowers can help produce a stronger tea. The flowers are dried quickly, crumbled and stored in a glass jar. Making the tea requires infusing the flowers in boiling hot water, until the water is yellow in color. Chamomile tea can be taken to aid sleeplessness, but is also sometimes used to relieve nasal stuffiness.

Source: http://www.ehow.com/info_8507769_types-flower-tea.html