Thursday, June 12, 2014

Tea

    Every year we would traipse out to the woods to where huge amounts of peppermint tea was growing beside the creek. We would gather pails full and take it back to the house, after it was washed and all the damaged leaves removed we would spread it out on muslin fabric we had spread on our guest room bed and floor. Once it was thoroughly dried we would put it in containers and store it in the pantry to be used until the next summer when fresh peppermint would grow.

  We would watch for mallow plants growing at the edge of the garden or sprouting up beside the house. The leaves and flowers were gathered and dried, and the little cheeses nibbled on immediately as a fun treat. During the winter months if someone had a bad cold we would make tea from it and then use the tea leaves as a poultice.

  The flowers from the Heal-all plants were gathered where they grew in patches in our yard. These were dried and used to make tea to treat sore throat.

  The worst tea we gathered was bone set tea. Always kept on hand in case someone were to break a bone and would need to drink the tea to aid the healing process. When I broke my ankle, one cup of that dreadful tasting brew was all I managed to to drink, before deciding to allow it to heal at what ever pace it wanted to.

  My grandmother knew what plants to gather and what they were good for, when we went to visit her there was always an assortment of teas in various stages of drying that had to be moved before we could go to bed. Everything from horsetail, stinging nettle, comfrey, and red raspberry leaves she gathered for health reasons, to the applemint, balsam, and peppermint she gathered to drink simply because she loved tea.

  I don't go searching for tea any longer, but this summer I might since the children have expressed an interest in doing so. 

16 comments:

  1. How FUN and very interesting !!! I do grow lots of herbs and peppermint to put in my hot or cold tea !!! But, truthfully I just grow them to intermingle with everything else I grow, for the fragrances that come with herbs !! NOTHING beats the smell of them coming through the open doors and windows !!! SUMMER is here !!! Loving it !!! Happy day to you my friend xo

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    1. I like raising my own herbs for cooking, and tea made from freshly gathered peppermint is my favorite.

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  2. I just can't imagine not growing some herbs and gathering others. I use them in cooking, baking, tea making, making salves, soap making and sweet (candy) making. Even when I had a tiny yard in London, I grew some on my window silland went out to the countryside for others.
    Do most people in the States buy them now?

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    1. Making salves is something that I want to learn how to do, soaps too. I still enjoy using fresh herbs. I simply don't go searching for all things for these natural remedies that no one wants to use any way.

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  3. In reading Amish fiction I see them refer to "meadow tea", is that mint tea of some kind?
    I wish I liked mint tea but it tastes too much like liquid toothpaste... ;-)

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    1. Sorry, I don't know what they refer to as meadow tea in the "Amish" fiction books.

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  4. Wish I could go with you and your family; I learn best by participating, not looking at pictures in a book, and wild herbs may prove to be a blessing, should one be stuck out in the woods without a Walgreens.

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    1. I do think wild herbs can be great, our children want to study plants so I'm wanting to teach them what little I know.

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  5. We had to drink bone set tea when we got sick. My dad was a big believer in it's properties. Oh, how I hated it. I don't think I could ever bring myself to make my children drink it.

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    1. Our children have never had to taste it either. Dreadful tasting stuff!

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  6. Most of the teas from your childhood sound delicious, but the bone we tea gives me pause. It doesn't sound good at all. Such wonderful memories you have of your Grandmother teaching you these things.
    Blessings,
    Betsy

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    1. I am glad I have those memories of gathering tea with my grandmother!

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  7. Such an interesting post. =) I am growing chamomile this year. I will see how it goes. ;) Blessings and Sunshine, Valerie

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  8. Since you were so kind to read & leave comments on my recent blog post, I thought I'd visit you :-) I love peppermint and used to have it growing in my garden until the crazy thing took over. It grows like a weed - lol. I also have echenacia (purple cone flower) growing. I like to cut the flower & bring it indoors as it lasts a long time in a floral arrangement.
    We have much in common with you being former Amish and I being a "mom" to many former Amish - but as you know most of my experiences are with Swartzies. Thanks again for visiting me and do come back again!

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    1. I never tried raising Echinacea, but it looks so pretty!

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Thank you so much for taking time to comment. I love hearing your thoughts.