Make Your Own Tummy Soothing Herbal Tea
 
 
A fragrant and soothing herbal tea (tisane) created to support digestive comfort & vitality
Author:
Recipe type: DIY
Ingredients
  • Small Batch:
  • ½ cup crumbled dry mint leaves (you'll need at least 1 cup full leaf dry mint from 2 cups fresh)
  • 2 Tbsp dehydrated ginger root pieces
  • 1 Tbsp crushed fennel seed (mortar & pestle or spice blender) just enough to open and release oil/fragrance
  • 1 Tbsp dehydrated pink grapefruit pieces
  • Regular Batch:
  • 1 cup crumbled dry mint leaves (you'll need at least 2 cups full leaf dry mint from 4 cups fresh)
  • ¼ cup dehydrated ginger root pieces
  • 2 Tbsp crushed fennel seed (mortar & pestle or spice blender) just enough to open and release oil/fragrance
  • 2 Tbsp dehydrated pink grapefruit pieces
  • Tea Water Ratio: 2 round tsp herbal tea per 1 cup hot water ~ 5-7 minute steeping time
Instructions
  1. prepping the mint: if you're using fresh mint from your garden/trusted place, a gentle shake/dusting over the sink is what i usually do (if you prefer, you can rinse/wash and dry your mint, just be very gentle and make sure the mint is fully dry after) --
  2. air drying the mint: spread the fresh mint out on a working surface and gather the ends (stems) together as though you were making a bouquet -- use a rubber band to secure the ends together and then attach a sturdy string around the rubber band (make sure the string is long enough to be able to hang) -- find a suitable location in your home away from direct sunlight (and dog/cat hair :) to hang your mint bouquet upside down by attaching to pole (i use a closet with door that closes) -- it's best if the mint is not touching anything - ie: not leaning against a wall/clothes etc.-- allow your mint to dry fully and completely (you want it to crumble easily) - this should take about 2 weeks. When the mint is bone dry, carefully remove the bouquet and return to a working surface to detach & crumble leaves into small pieces (note: this should be very easy when leaves are bone dry) -- don't worry about the odd little stem etc. in the mix, all good.
  3. dehydrating the ginger: no need to peel the ginger! using a mandoline, shave off very thin disks of ginger and then lay them out flat on a parchment covered tray to dehydrate (see pic) in oven (215F) or dehydrator (190F) for about 20-30 minutes -- the disks will start to curl as they dry a bit like chips (see pic) - remove and allow them to sit for 5 minutes before breaking up into smaller pieces. If you don't have a mandoline, try using a veg peeler.
  4. dehydrating the grapefruit: using a knife, carefully slice the grapefruit into roughly ⅛" round slices and then cut each slice into little triangles for dehydrating (see pic) best as possible, try to keep the thickness of the segments uniform -- spread the grapefruit segments out onto piece of parchment (see pic) and dehydrate in oven (215F) or dehydrator (190F) for approximately 2 hours flipping halfway through. Remove from oven/dehydrator and allow dehydrated grapefruit to sit for 5 minutes before breaking into small pieces (see pic).
  5. grinding the fennel seed: using a mortar & pestle (or spice blender) grind the fennel seeds just enough to break them open and release their oils/aroma (you're not going for powder).
  6. Once you have all of your ingredients ready to go, combine them together (small batch or regular) in a mixing bowl.
  7. storage: It's important to store your herbal tea right away in a well sealed container to lock in freshness, texture & flavor (don't leave the mixture - or any individual dehydrated ingredient - out in the open air) - place the sealed tea in a cool dry spot away from direct sunlight. I use mason jars for this (handy, inexpensive + excellent sealing function) and store in a closed kitchen cupboard.
  8. service: to make the tea, place an infuser basket in a cup -- add 2 round tsp of tea (or to taste) to the basket and pour 1 cup hot water over top -- allow the tisane to steep in the water for 5-7 minutes before enjoying with a drizzle of honey if you wish.
Recipe by Inspired Edibles at https://www.inspirededibles.ca/2023/02/tummy-soothing-tea.html