People’s love and admiration for thyme is nothing new. serpyllum) are popular in many herbal supplements. citriodorus) are used for cooking, while Spanish thyme ( T. Each variety has unique flavors and applications for cooking, oils, medicines, or decoration. Thanks to its ease of cultivation and growth, there are over 300 varieties of thyme in existence today. They hybridize easily and grow quickly in sunny areas with well-drained soil. Thyme is an evergreen herb that blooms with small white, pink, and purple flowers. While this herb will liven up your cooking, thyme may also help expel harmful organisms from your body and support your mental and physical health. Native to the Southern Mediterranean regions, this perennial herb is now grown around the world for its culinary and therapeutic uses. Thyme belongs to the genus Thymus which is part of the mint family and closely related to oregano - another powerful herb. This versatile herb blends well with a myriad of flavors and is packed full of health-promoting compounds, vitamins, antioxidants, and other nutrients. Sip your thyme tea and then take another stroll through your garden.There are few things a sprig of thyme won’t make immensely better. For an all-herbal tea, steep 8-10 minutes. If you added jasmine tea, steep for 5-7 minutes. Add Thyme to the TeapotĬover the teapot (or French press, or mug), and let it steep. Start by adding the thyme (fresh or dried) to a teapot. If you're shopping for a teapot, check out this ceramic teapot set. If you've got a mug with a lid (like this ceramic tea infuser cup), use it. If you use a mug instead of a teapot, make sure to cover the mug so that your water doesn't get cold before the tea finishes steeping. This recipe is written for a teapot (or French press), but you can make smaller batches of the tea using a tea ball and a mug. You can also wander through your garden and snip off a few of your favorite herbs to add to the teapot. My favorite versions are thyme with some loose-leaf jasmine tea mixed in and thyme with fennel seeds. This tea is delicious with thyme and only thyme, but I like to switch things up. One of the beautiful things about making your own tea is that you can mix the ingredients any way you want to. Thyme Jasmine Tea, Spiced Thyme Tea, + More Variations Once it's dry, brush the leaves off the stems and store them for later. I like to tie my herbs in bundles with twine, and then hang them upside down in a window for a few days. If it smells like nothing, your tea will taste like. The dried thyme should have a strong scent. If you're using dried thyme, make sure to smell the dried herbs before making tea. I actually prefer dried thyme for this tea, because dried thyme has a stronger flavor profile. If you use fresh thyme, your tea will be slightly milder than with dried thyme. Should I Use Fresh or Dried Thyme for Tea? When thyme is in flower, it has dense, terminal clusters of purple flowers.įor more help identifying wild thyme and other edible herbs, I recommend Newcomb's Wildflower Guide. Thyme is a prostrate plant, meaning it tends to creep along as ground cover instead of growing tall and vertical. Wild Thyme (Thymus serpyllum) grows in the summer, has opposite leaves that grow in pairs, are oblong or egg-shaped, and are ¼" - ½" long. If, however, you plan to harvest wild thyme, here's what to look for. Identifying Wild Thymeĭid you grow thyme from seed or buy thyme seedlings from a plant nursery? Then you probably don't need help identifying the plant! Its perceived health benefits are probably partially due to the fact that it's a warm herbal tea, and warm liquid feels amazing on a sore throat.Įven so, since allergy season is in full swing, I decided to give thyme tea a chance to soothe my seasonal allergy-induced sore throat. Thyme tea is also a folk remedy for sore throats, bronchitis, and basically any type of aggravated, inflamed throat issues. Want more tea ideas? Check out this guide to herbal teas. Instead, I've been drinking this herbal thyme tea on repeat. Sadly, my cat destroyed this year's catnip within a few days, so my plans for more catnip tea are on hold. I love making fresh mint tea, but this year I wanted to try a few different types of herbal tea. Maybe I'll make us chocolate mint ice cream and mint juleps soon!Īs the herbs kept growing, I got even more excited. Next came the mint, and we've been enjoying mint infused water, mint simple syrup, and mint lemonade. This year, my chives came up first, and I made chive blossom vinegar and chive butter. Plus, try versions of the tea with other herbs, spices, or tea.Įach summer, as the herbs in my garden begin to flourish, I start clipping them back little by little.Īs soon as I'm able to use fresh herbs in my kitchen, I feel like summer is here. Love herbal tea? Learn how to make thyme tea using either fresh or dried thyme. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
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