As Summer winds down and Fall arrives we switch to our Fall and Winter Seasonal Teas. This particular tea is going to be among them. For the commercial blend (which will be caffeine-free) we have altered the recipe just a bit, but I wanted to share kinda how a recipe starts with me. I first created this blend back in 2010 and shared it here on the blog. Since then it has been sitting in a folder of teas to make and market, but I never developed it. This year I decided it was time.A lot of the time I make a tea with fresh ingredients first to see if I enjoy it, then craft dry ingredients and make it again to see if the flavor changes dramatically. At that point, I play with the ingredients adding and subtracting until I get the flavor I want. When I create a blend that has the same flavor in numerous batches, I know I have perfected it. If the flavor changes in different batches, I go back to playing with the ingredients until the flavor is consistent.Harvest Tea
4 tsp dried apple pieces, chopped in small pieces1 Tbls hibiscus flowers1 Tbls rooibos or black tea1 Tbls rose hips1 Tbls allspice berries4 tsp wintergreen leaves (substitute spearmint, but not
peppermint)1 tsp Currants or dried cranberries3 inches of cinnamon stick or 1 Tbls ground cinnamon
Combine dry ingredients in a glass jar. Shake well to blend. Store away from light for up to a year. Use 1 heaping
teaspoon per cup of hot water. Steep for 5 minutes and sweeten only with honey.This tea has cranberries which are great for inflammation because of their antioxidant properties and cinnamon helps with blood sugar regulation, as well as digestive issues. Perfect after a heavy meal like Thanksgiving.Enjoy this tea if you make it yourself, or you can enjoy this and other teas we have selected for the winter season. If you have been enjoying the Summer Teas, those will be available only until the end of September, so get those soon, or you have to wait until next year.
