Our lemon verbena plants are doing great this year. We have two big plants near the main house, and lots of smaller plants which have been propagated by cuttings throughout the forest. The smell of the leaves alone is a great reason to find a way to have it in your home garden – sweet, lemony goodness!
The leaves can be used to brighten up rice and bean dishes, as an infusion in oil, vinegar, or even vodka, or, the best way, in my opinion: tea!
I’ve made tea with lemon verbena alone, but this combination of ingredients has become my favorite tea to sip on after meals. The jamaica (hibiscus, in English) is rich in vitamin C, the lemon verbena relieves stress, and the ginger aids digestion – making it the perfect after dinner drink.
You can use cheese cloth as I have done in this recipe, or you can simply strain the tea into a new pot.
INGREDIENTS
- 1 handful dried jamaica, or hibiscus flowers
- 1 handful fresh lemon verbena leaves, torn
- 2 T chopped fresh ginger
- 6 c. water
- honey, if desired
DIRECTIONS
- Combine herbs and fold into a cheesecloth – secure with string.
- Bring 6 cups of water to boil. Remove from heat, and add the bundle of herbs.
- Let steep for 5 minutes, remove herbs and serve! Offer honey if you desire, although I like this tea just the way it is – tart! This serves 6 people one cup of tea.