Summer has started here in Texas, and around the rest of the Northern Hemisphere. It's time for cooling beverages to ease the effects of the summer heat. After a morning out in the garden harvesting, pruning, weeding, mowing or even just doing some hand watering, a cool glass of tea is so refreshing.

There are as many recipes for herbal tea or, more properly, a tisane or infusion, as there are people who make tea. "Tea", by definition, is the brew from the Camellia sinesis plant. Green tea is made from the steamed and dried leaves, while black tea (the form most commonly drunk in the west) is made from leaves that have been fermented and then dried. Tea contains polyphenols. These are antioxidants that help to protect the body against heart diseases, stroke and cancer. Camellia sinensis is certainly considered an herb due to its usefulness and medicinal qualities, even though we usually just call it "tea". And, of course, we call other herbal brews "tea" as well.

Some like to start with green tea and add herbs for extra flavor and goodness. Or, start with black tea and add bold herbs such as mint or lemon balm. What ever your preference, tea is a flavorful, healthful and low calorie way to enjoy your fresh or dried herbs.

Botanical Print of Peppermint, Mentha piperita

I generally use fresh herbs for tea because I have them pretty much year-round in my Texas garden. Any of the numerous varieties of mint, of course, is always a favorite, as is lemon balm or lemon verbena. Mint and lemon just go so well together. Other lemon-y herbs that go well in tea are lemon basil, lemon thyme and even lemon catnip, for a soothing, calming tea. Each gives a distinctive, yet lemon, flavor to tea.

Other herbs I like to add to my tea include a little fennel because I like the licorice flavor, chamomile flowers or even the leaves when they're in season in my garden and hibiscus flower. Many people are familiar with Red Zinger Tea from Celestial Seasonings. Red Zinger gets its "zing" from two types of hibiscus flowers, according to the information on the Celestial Seasonings website. Another variety of hibiscus that's often used in tea is Hibiscus sabdariffa, known as Jamaica or Roselle. Even the grocery store in my little town sells Jamaica flowers in the produce department. I thought I was the only one buying them, until I learned my part-time helper was buying them for tea, too! What a coincidence!

Dried Hibiscus sabdariffa Flowers

Fresh Hibiscus sabdariffa Flower

I recently did some reading on H. sabdariffa and learned more about its properties. Aside from making a gorgeous cranberry red tea, tea made from H. sabdariffa flowers seems to help in lowering high blood pressure. According to Nile Valley Herbs, a tea company based in Austin, TX, besides lowering high blood pressure and high cholesterol, this healthful hibiscus beverage has several characteristics that make it much more valuable than conventional teas:

Whatever your taste in tea, summer is an excellent time to enjoy the refreshing and health benefits of iced herbal tea. If you like a sweeter tea and have access to fresh Stevia leaves, a leaf or two in a cup of hot water while brewing the tea will release the sweetness from the leaf. For a gallon of sun tea, I use about a 3 - 4 inch sprig of Stevia in the jar. Honey or Agave Nectar are also a natural way to sweeten your tea. Most sweeteners dissolve best in hot or warm water, so sweeten your tea while it's hot, then pour over ice or chill in the refrigerator.

As with all herbs, some precaution must be observed. Herbs, by nature, are potent. That's why we use them as medicine. Some people cannot take certain herbs due to allergies, prescription medication or even a chronic condition. Before introducing a new herb, even in a tea, to your diet, read up on it and make sure it's OK for you to ingest. That said, unless you are taking what's considered a "medicinal dose" of tea, an occasional glass or cup of tea most often will give you no adverse reactions.

Below, please see some delicious tea recipes from The Herb Companion Magazine.

QUOTE FOR THE MONTH

It is the greatest of all mistakes to do nothing because you can only do a little. -Sydney Smith, writer and clergyman (1771-1845)