How do you harvest tea?

Question:

Answers:
Any gardener growing herbs using no pesticides in the garden or on the windowsill has an instant "tea chest." Almost all culinary herbs can be used to make teas. Experiment to discover your favorites.

Snip fresh herbs from a plant at any time for a quick cup. Rub the fresh leaves lightly between the fingers before placing them in the cup to help release more taste. Larger-leaved herbs, like cardamom, can be torn into two or three pieces.

The richest flavors come from tea leaves that are gently bruised on all sides by the hot water. Placing the herbs loose in the cup will give the herbs the chance to dance around in the water and release their volatile oils. If you make your own tea bags, be sure to only fill them half full to allow for as much swishing room as possible.

Dried herbs should be milled gently between the fingers or, for stiffer herbs like rosemary or lavender, in a designated grinder at the time of making tea.

To harvest and dry large amounts to be stored, target the plant for a mass cutting when it looks really fresh (with no yellowing or dying leaves) and vibrant. This is usually right before or several weeks after bloom. Cutting the plant back after it flowers will help regenerate the plant and cause it to produce more yummy leaves. Flowers can also be used fresh or dried.

After your leaves are harvested, make sure to wash them carefully and then dry them thoroughly. When properly dried, they should crumble crisply between your fingers. If they are not completely dry when you store them away, they will mold and have to be discarded.

It is easiest to harvest herb stems and tie them in small bunches which can hang upside down to dry. Don't let them hang longer than necessary before sealing them away in a glass jar out of the light. Label your jars with the name of the herb and the time of harvest. After six months, you will want to give the herbs the sniff test to see if they are still worthy to grace your cup.

Dried herbs can also be frozen in zippered bags with the air squeezed out. If space allows, wait to crumble the herbs off the stems until you are going to use them. They will retain more oils within the unbroken leaves and stay fresh longer.