i n t r o d u c t i o n

herbal tea blending

 COPYRIGHT & PERMISSIONS
Copyright © 2016 by Dani Otteson. All rights reserved.

You are welcome to print a copy of this document for your personal use.
Other than that, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored, or
transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical,
photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise, except as permitted
under Section 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act,
without the prior written permission of the author. Requests to the author
and publisher for permission should be addressed to the following
email: dani@milkweedherbarium.com.

Limitation of liability/disclaimer of warranty:

It is recommended that you consult with a qualified healthcare

practitioner before using herbal products, particularly if you are
pregnant, nursing, or on any medications. This information is for
education purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or cure
any disease.
Hello!

Thanks for checking out my tea blending eBook! I’m Dani –

Community Herbalist, natural products specialist, and herbal tea
blender extraordinaire.

I teach classes and workshops in

herbal medicine, and blend my own
line of punk rock-inspired medicinal
teas. My goal in blending my tea line
was to create accessible, great-
tasting medicinals for people don’t
even necessarily like to drink tea. And
also to incorporate punk rock
references into said tea blends. So far
as I can tell, IT’S WORKING!

I feel extremely lucky for the opportunity to share my passions for

herbs and learning with people from all walks of life, and I hope you
enjoy this introduction to herbal tea blending!

xo,
dani O.

PS: My punk-inspired
Non Conformi-Tea blends are
available for purchase at
milkweedherbarium.com/shop
:)

 p r e p a r a t i o n o f
m e d i c i n a l h e r b a l t e a

Medicinal herbal tea blends are made slightly differently than your
typical black or green tea; 1 Tablespoon of herb per cup of water is
standard. It’s easiest to make tea by the quart, and conveniently,
dosage of medicinal teas is 2-4 cups daily. Here are some specifics:

INFUSION – To steep herbs in recently boiled water. Used for more

fragile parts of the plant (flowers & leaves)
1. Boil 1 quart of water. Turn off heat
2. Add 4-6 Tbsp. of herb (or tea blend)
3. Steep covered 15 minutes to overnight. The longer you infuse,
the stronger your tea will be.
4. Strain and drink. Refrigerate the remaining portion and reheat as
necessary. Drink within 24 hours of preparation.

DECOCTION – To simmer the plant gently. Used for more dense

plant material (roots, berries, & bark)
1. Boil 1 quart of water
2. Add 4-6 Tbsp. of herb (or tea blend)
3. Gently simmer for 15-20 minutes. You can allow herbs to steep
up to overnight after decocting for stronger tea.
4. Strain and drink. Refrigerate the remaining portion and reheat as
necessary. Drink within 24 hours of preparation.

For preparation of blends that contain both leafy and dense plant
material, you have several options.
A. Tea blends can be prepared in 2 parts; decoct appropriate herbs
first. Turn off heat and add herbs for infusion. Infuse for 15 minutes.
B. Follow the directions for a decoction. Turn off the heat after
simmering and add a little more of your tea blend and let it steep 15
minutes.
C. Prepare the blend as an infusion. This will result in a weaker tea

 b l e n d i n g b a s i c s

Now for the fun part; blending. There are a lot of different ways to
blend tea. The tea blends I make are crafted with specific goals for
health and wellbeing in mind. Blends can also be made based on
flavors or themes. Below are my personal Top 20 Herbs for
blending teas, and a great place to start on your tea blending
adventures. I’ve grouped them in categories, and included
information about flavor and medicinal benefits to give you some
clues for combinations and proportions.

A few tips to turn you into a master tea blender:

1. Having a supply of herbs at your disposal gives you the most

creative freedom when you are blending. Consider containers
to store your ingredients - make sure that they are air-tight
and stored away from direct light and extreme temperatures.
2. Try each herb individually to get to know the tastes and
aromas you are working with. Smell your herbs before and as
you’re blending.
3. Keep notes. Write down your recipes, and taste them all. If it’s
awesome, you’ll know how to reproduce it. If it’s not, you’ll 7
have a framework to tweak until it’s perfect.

4. I recommend breaking up flowers and other large or dense

items by hand – this way they can be more evenly dispersed in
your blend.

5. There really is no wrong way to blend tea. This method just

gives you somewhere to start, and will generally help you
balance flavors and learn some things about medicinal herbs.
Play around and find what you like best :)

” c a k e - f r o s t i n g - s p r i n k l e ”

Over the years, I’ve heard time and time again from students that
it’s difficult to know where to start on the quest to create a well-
balanced, kick-ass medicinal tea blend. So, I know this metaphor
sounds silly – it was invented by the cupcake baker in me. BUT the
method it illustrates totally works, and it makes tea blending a snap
- especially in the beginning. If nothing else, here’s a little inspiration
to get you blending. I have also included a key point or two about
each herb listed, just to get you started. You can find more info
about medicinal herbs at milkweedherbarium.com/blog, and of
course in MH’s class offerings :)

Down to business. My “cake-frosting-sprinkle” metaphor works like

this:

Sprinkles = flavor
enhancement &
decoration

Frosting = most
of the flavor

Cake = base/
neutral
“Cake” herbs make up the bulk of your blend. Herbs in this category
are generally mild in flavor, and offer the bulk of the nutritional
content (believe me, I understand that cake is not particularly
nutritious. Probably more nutritious than frosting or sprinkles
though!?)

cake herbs
Nettle High in minerals, helps to alkalinize the system. Helpful for allergies

Oat Straw Helpful for those who are anxious or fatigued. Also mineral-rich

Skullcap Soothes tension & depression; helps pain & headaches

Violet High in minerals, soothes stress with heart palpitations. An important

ally during grief

Linden Cardiovascular issues related to stress. Eases migraine headaches.

Red Clover High in minerals and alkalinizing for blood. A helpful herb for the
undernourished and those recovering from ill health

“Frosting” herbs provide the majority of the blend’s flavor.

frosting herbs
Chamomile Calming and digestive. Especially effective for those who hold stress
in their belly. Tastes similar to apple, but gets bitter quickly if steeped
longer than 15 min

Lemon Balm Wonderful support for blues during times of transition. Also supports
the immune system. Sweet and lemony flavor. Contraindicated for
hypothyroid.

Peppermint/ Spearmint Relaxing effects on digestive system; nausea. Peppermint gets bitter
quickly if steeped longer than 15 min

Rose Opens the energetic heart. Helpful for anxiety, nerves, depression

Holy Basil Uplifting, but not stimulating – relaxing, but not sedating. Helps the
body adapt to stress. Sweet and peppery flavor

Elderberry Supreme immune tonic – great for cold & flu season

Damiana Aphrodisiac, helpful for nervous depression (people who get nervous
about sex). Peppery and pungent flavor
“Sprinkle” herbs provide further depth of flavor and sometimes a
decorative element (aka: they make your tea pretty)! They are
generally used in smaller amounts. Some of them have very strong
flavors, while others add more in color than flavor.

sprinkle herbs
Anise Aromatic, digestive. Very strong flavor

Calendula Antifungal, lymph mover. Light honey flavor

Cinnamon Aromatic, digestive. Slows heavy menstrual bleeding

Ginger Aromatic, digestive. Great for nausea.

Licorice Soothing and moisturizing for all tissues; helps the body adapt to
stress. Very sweet flavor. Contraindicated for high blood pressure.

Lavender Digestive. Calming nervine, but too much can be stimulating. Strong
flavor, gets bitter very quickly.

Rosehips High in vitamin C and bioflavinoids. Tangy flavor.

When I first started blending, I would blend just enough to make a
quart (1/4 cup of herbs total). This requires a little bit of
mathematical strategizing, but the plus side is that you can try your
blend out and make sure you like it without making a large amount.
Here are some conversions if you decide to go that route:

1/4 cup = 4 tablespoons

1 tablespoon = 3 teaspoons

EXAMPLE: If you only wanted to make 1/4 cup of your blend, you
could use proportions of 2 tablespoons cake, 5 teaspoons
frosting, 1 teaspoon sprinkle – all of those measurements can be
further divided to accommodate multiple herbs from each
category (In this example, your 5 teaspoons of frosting could be
made up of 3 tsp. peppermint and 2 tsp. chamomile, for
instance).

If you want to get extra-super fancy, these are a few extra-super

fancy additions you can make to your blend.

extras
Honey Local honey, Infused or straight up makes a wonderful sweetener

Herbal Syrup Give your tea a concentrated punch by adding a syrup (think
elderberry)

Toasted Nuts Roots, barks, and spices can also be toasted to bring out flavor.

Dehydrated Fruit Dehydrated works better than dried, as fruits prepared this way tend
to be more flavorful and less gummy

Chocolate Shavings Need I say more?

Flavor Extracts Toss tea with a few drops of extract (like vanilla) and allow to dry
completely before packaging
 gifting

A custom-crafted tea blend makes a great gift. Here are some ways
to transform your blends into presentable little tokens of affection.
1. Mason jars
2. Tins
3. Thrifted sugar jars
4. Fancy mailing envelopes
5. Cellophane bags tied with ribbon
6. Organza bags

Maybe it’s the retail merchandiser in me, but I also feel compelled
to suggest some awesome companion items for gifted tea. Any of
these would make an excellent pair:
1. Tea infuser
2. Strainer
3. Mugs
4. Teapot or kettle
5. Honey
6. Cookies
7. An awesome book

I hope that you now realize your power as an herbal tea-blending

bad-ass, for it is present and totally righteous. 

notes:


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