Invigorating Basil Tea
It's been raining heavily in Saint Lucia, and basil tea is comforting and of course healthy; although I do enjoy all types of tea and it's a norm to have cocoa tea on rainy days, I opted for homegrown basil this week.
Fresh basil is known to be full of anti-oxidants, anti-bacterial properties, and Vitamin K.
The plant’s leaves are the main component of the flavorful pesto sauce and are used fresh in salads, sandwiches, and many other recipes. Drying Basil: Drying basil is an easy way to save the delicious leaves and are generally three to four times stronger than the fresh herb.
Harvesting tip: For drying It is better to harvest in the morning just after the dew has air-dried the leaves.
There are two quick and effective methods of drying basil:
Bind them together in small bunches to hang dry, then lace a paper bag with holes around the bundles. Hang the drying basil in a dimly lit room with low humidity and warm temperatures; the bag will catch dry bits of the leaves as they fall off.
You can also dry basil in a food dehydrator. Lay each leaf in a single layer on the racks and allow them to dry in the machine until completely crisp. Facial steam: Did you know a facial steam with dried basil leaves can help alleviate a headache?
Try this: Add a tablespoon of dried basil leaves to 2 cups of boiling water in a large pot.
Carefully lean over the pot, cover head with a towel and breathe in the steam for
5-10 minutes until headache starts to subside.
Gardening: Do you have a home garden? If you do, let me know what beautiful things you are
growing there, and if you don’t, what are you waiting for? You can do it; a green
thumb is simply a state of mind, find your inner zen and soon you will see that whatever you touch blooms.
Basil tea: Making homemade basil tea is a super easy and handy way to get more of this herb into your diet. It can give you a boost for the day or help you calm down at night.
What You'll Need For Fresh: (makes 1 cup)
2-3 leaves of fresh basil (thoroughly washed)
1 cup of hot water
Honey/sugar/maple syrup as you desire. I prefer without any sugar.
Directions:
Boil the water in a kettle.
Chop the basil (stalks and all) or gently mash basil.
Add the chopped leaves to the teapot and and fill with boiling water.
Give everything a quick stir and let steep for about 5-7 minutes.
After steeping, give another quick stir.
Finally, strain into your cups. Enjoy.
What's steeping in your neck of the woods?