3 Cozy Tea Mixes for February: Loose Leaf Tea Recipes
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Are you a fan of tea, Dear Reader? I have loved building up herbal tea blends for years. Writing about various herbs and tea making was actually how I first started this blog many moons ago! It has been some time since I delved into the world of working with herbs in my kitchen, or at least writing about it, and I am excited to begin this year by returning to my blogging roots.
In this post, I’ll be sharing 3 cozy tea mixes that are sure to warm you up as we finish out these last weeks of winter! There is truly nothing as calming to warm you up on a chilly day as a warm cup of tea and a sweet treat. These teas have a variety of unique flavors and are absolutely delicious. I hope that you love making these delicious tea blends to help you relax and unwind this week.
ingredients for making tea blends:
To make your own cozy herbal tea mixes at home, the process is really rather simple! Of course, to begin you will need to get your hands on some various ingredients. To make your own homemade tea blends, you will need:
Loose Leaf Tea. The base of all tea blends will need to have some variety of tea leaves, such as black tea, green tea, white tea, or oolong. You can research which type of tea will work best for the flavor palette you are trying to achieve!
Dried Flowers and Herbs. There are various dried flowers and herbs that can be used for brewing homemade tea like lavender, chamomile, mint, etc. Of course, you need to be cautious and research which ingredients are safe to consume. Some herbs and flowers are not good for those with health conditions, young children, or if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.
Dried Spices. Spices can bring excellent flavor and warmth to tea! Adding spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, allspice, or cardamom really add depth to your brew.
Dried Fruit. If you enjoy a little bit of brightness to your tea, try adding some dried fruit like orange peel, lemon peel, cranberries, strawberries, etc.
how to build tea blends:
To build your own herbal tea blends at home, you will want to follow a few key steps. This process is not a one-size-fits all, and you may have to do some experimenting before you find the right balance of ingredients to your tea.
What is your flavor? For most people, creating a tea blend comes from a desire to achieve a certain flavor. Perhaps you want something that is light and fruity. Or maybe you are looking for a blend that is warm, rich, and chocolatey. Begin by first asking yourself what kind of tea you are wanting to drink!
Begin with a Base Ingredient. This is typically the type of tea you are starting with. Black teas tend to pair better with richer ingredients like spices, chocolate, coffee, and citrus. For a lighter tea, a green tea is great base to pair with fruit, dried flowers, and other herbs like mint (do not let children drink mint tea as it is too high in menthol). Other base ingredients could be the main flavor you want to bring out such as coffee, chocolate, lavender, or rose.
Add Supporting Ingredients. Once you have found your base ingredient, then it is time to begin adding in other ingredients that will compliment your base. For a rose tea, you might include other flowers like chamomile or lavender. Perhaps you think rose would taste best with some citrus fruit or even green tea and strawberries. The combinations are endless!
how to brew loose leaf tea:
To brew a cozy homemade loose leaf tea blend at home, there are some general rules to follow depending on the ingredients in your tea blend:
Begin with Filtered Water. If you can, filtered water tastes the best when brewing tea at home. The water you are using can affect the taste of your tea, but this is not a necessary step to make an excellent cup! Bring the water to a boil over the stove in a small saucepan or a kettle.
Place the Tea into the Kettle. Once the water has just started to boil, scoop your tea into your kettle. A good rule of thumb for measuring how much tea to use is around 1 teaspoon of tea per 8 oz (240 ml) water. Then, close the lid to let the tea steep. The amount of time the tea needs to steep will depend on the type of tea that it is.
Green and White Teas: 2-3 minutes
Black Teas: 3-5 minutes
Oolong: 4-8 minutes
Herbal and Floral Teas: 8-10 minutes
Strain the Tea. If you are using a kettle, you can simply serve the tea into your cup of choice. If you would like to use a tea pot, you will transfer the brewed tea to the tea pot and then serve.
blue moon tea:
This tea blend is bright and lovely. I named this blend Blue Moon tea because of the beautiful black background paired with the blue petals of the cornflower (bachelor’s buttons, c. cyanus) that we grew in the garden last summer.
4 tbsp (8 g) oolong tea
2 tbsp (4 g) cocoa shells
2 tbsp (4 g) cornflower petals
2 tbsp (2 g) calendula petals
1 tbsp (8 g) dried orange peel
Mix all of the ingredients together in a small bowl. To brew, use 1 teaspoon of mix per 8 oz (240 ml) hot water.
cocoa spiced coffee tea:
The Cocoa Spiced Coffee Tea is a lovely alternative to a cup of coffee, though the beans are still in this mix! I love to drink this when I need a little break from straight coffee (which I love) and it has some incredible full bodied flavor from the combination of cocoa shells and spices.
4 tbsp (8 g) oolong tea
2 tbsp (4 g) cocoa shells
2 tbsp (4 g) cinnamon stick, crushed
2 tbsp (4 g) coffee beans, crushed
1 tbsp (4 g) dried ginger, chopped
1 vanilla bean, chopped
3 to 4 whole star anise, or 1 tbsp (3 g) crushed star anise
Mix all of the ingredients together in a small bowl. To brew, use 1 teaspoon of mix per 8 oz (240 ml) hot water.
rosie orange daydream tea:
For a fresh and fruity blend, you will love this Rosie Orange Daydream Tea blend! This homemade loose leaf tea blend combines delicious green tea with hints of citrus, rose, chamomile, and calendula flower petals. It’s the perfect welcome to spring and wonderful for a refreshing cuppa!
4 tbsp (8 g) green tea
3 tbsp (6 g) dried rose petals
2 tbsp (4 g) calendula petals
2 tbsp (4 g) chamomile flowers
1 tbsp (4 g) dried orange peel
2 tsp dried ginger, chopped
1 tsp dried rose hips, crushed
Mix all of the ingredients together in a small bowl. To brew, use 1 teaspoon of mix per 8 oz (240 ml) hot water.
storing loose leaf teas:
Each of these mixes leaves you with enough tea to make about 6 to 8 cups. If you would like to store your homemade tea blends for later use, then you are in luck! Most homemade tea blends will last on your pantry shelves for years, which makes them an excellent prep-ahead treat or even a gift for someone.
Keep loose leaf tea blends in an airtight container at room temperature. They are best kept out of direct sunlight so that they do not lose flavor, color, or their beneficial properties. A dry, cool place like a pantry cabinet is ideal.
I love to store my herbal tea blends and various herbal ingredients in Ball® Canning Jars.
where to purchase herbal ingredients:
There are various places to purchase herbal ingredients. I have personally always loved shopping from Mountain Rose Herbs. I especially appreciate their transparency with the safety of the herbs that they sell, letting you know if they are unsafe for certain medical conditions, children, and pregnancy/breastfeeding.
It’s not always possible for everyone, but it’s always a good idea to try and source herbs from places that are grown organically and sourced ethically. Personally, I try my best to just grow my own!
final thoughts:
I hope that you enjoy making these 3 Cozy Tea Mixes to celebrate the end of February! Whether you try my mixes or create your own, it is my wish that you feel comforted and peaceful as you enter your weekend. No matter the season, I love to wind down after a long day with a steaming mug of tea. It’s the perfect way to relax you before bed. Learning how to make your own homemade tea blends is so easy, and it’s a wonderful hobby to begin!
xoxo Kayla
