Straight from Mrs. Rabbit to Your Teacup: How to Make the Best Cup of Chamomile Tea
Life can be unpredictable and stressful, even for the smallest of us. Happily, we have herbs to lend us a hand when we most need it. Chamomile is one of these herbs that is simple to turn to and yet can be powerful in its soothing.
In fact, chamomile can help ease the woes after a terrible day, like a warm hug in a mug. In The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter, Mrs. Rabbit deftly uses these lovely flowers to comfort Peter after his harrowing day. She knows how to brew up a cup.
Keep reading and you will soon be able to make a cup just like Peter’s wise mother, and you will find two other recipes below for easy additions to a cup of chamomile tea—one for incorporating lavender and another using mint. Combining these herbs with chamomile results in tasty brews with a little extra herbal goodness.
Chamomile Tea Brewing Tip:
Always cover your tea while it steeps! This helps to keep the aromatic compounds from the chamomile in your tea rather than allowing all of those tasty compounds to evaporate into the air.
Chamomile Flowers
Matricaria chamomilla L.
Chamomile is a wonderful, gentle nervine that eases restlessness and insomnia. Chamomile is used by herbalists to promote rest and for easing complaining and whining (Wood, 1997). It can help to relieve pain and irritation in the belly, being particularly useful for flatulence and indigestion, as well as stomach upset associated with nervousness and stress (McIntyre, 1996).
Make A Simple Cup of Chamomile Tea
Chamomile flowers are a delicious addition to teas and make a tasty tea right on their own. This recipe is for one of the simplest teas you can make.
This recipe is enough to make one big 12 ounce mug of tea. Double the recipe to make enough to share with a friend!
Ingredients & Supplies
2 tablespoons chamomile flowers, dried
12 ounces of boiling water
Honey, optional
Lemon or orange, optional
Method
Place the chamomile flowers in a heat-proof container and carefully cover with the boiling water.
Cover the container.
Let the flowers steep for 5 to 10 minutes. Chamomile becomes bitter as it steeps so adjust your steeping time as needed.
Pour the tea through a strainer and into a mug.
If you wish, add honey and lemon or orange to taste.
Enjoy!
Lavender Blossoms
Lavandula angustifolia, Lavandula spp.
As a relaxing nervine with antidepressant action, lavender makes a lovely addition to herbal teas to help support a calm spirit and ease a troubled mind McIntyre, 1996). In small amounts, it adds an uplifting element that is kind of like a breezy, yet comforting friend coming to call.
Make A Super Calm Chamomile Tea With Lavender
If you are feeling particularly anxious, give this tea a try! Brew up a mug and take some time to sip it while breathing deeply in a quiet space.
This recipe is enough to make one big 12 ounce mug of tea. Double the recipe to make enough to share with a friend!
Ingredients & Supplies
1 tablespoon chamomile flowers, dried
1 teaspoon lavender blossoms, dried
12 ounces of boiling water
Honey, optional
Lemon or orange, optional
Method
Place the chamomile flowers and lavender blossoms in a heat-proof container and carefully cover with the boiling water.
Cover the container.
Let the herbs steep for 5 minutes. Chamomile and lavender become bitter as they steep so adjust your steeping time as needed.
Pour the tea through a strainer and into a mug.
If you wish, add honey and lemon or orange to taste.
Enjoy!
Spearmint & Peppermint Leaves
Mentha spp.
Spearmint and peppermint, of course, are tasty and familiar to most folks, and both of these mints blend wonderfully with chamomile. Generally, spearmint and peppermint are considered to have similar properties with spearmint being milder and a bit less "spicy" making it a favorite for children. Mints have antiseptic and carminative properties and are therefore used by herbalists for illnesses associated with digestive upset and uncomfortable bloating with gas (Groves, 2016). Note that peppermint can aggravate gastric reflux.
Make A Tummy Soothing Chamomile Tea
This tea is wonderful for soothing an upset stomach and even just to help support digestion after a big meal.
This recipe is enough to make one big 12 ounce mug of tea. Double the recipe to make enough to share with a friend!
Ingredients & Supplies
1 tablespoon chamomile flowers, dried
1 tablespoon mint leaves, dried
12 ounces of boiling water
Honey, optional
Method
Place the chamomile flowers and mint leaves in a heat-proof container and carefully cover with the boiling water.
Cover the container.
Let the herbs steep for 10 to 15 minutes. Chamomile becomes bitter as it steeps so adjust your steeping time as needed.
Pour the tea through a strainer and into a mug.
If you wish, add honey and lemon or orange to taste.
Enjoy!
Chamomile Safety & Note
Chamomile is in the Asteraceae family. Plants in this family such as ragweed can cause allergic reactions, and though rare, chamomile can also cause allergies in susceptible folks. Visit How to Use Herbal Preparations Wisely for further information about safety as well as how to use herbs with children.
There are two types of chamomile that are often referred to and the chamomile discussed in this post is German chamomile, not Roman Chamomile. Chamomile becomes bitter the longer it is infused in water. While the bitter flavor helps to stimulate digestion, it can be unpalatable for some folks. Experiment with infusing time, 3 to 5 minutes can be enough, especially for kids!
Wishing you the relieving calm and peace dear Peter likely felt cuddled up in his bed with a cup of soothing tea lovingly made just for him.
References
Groves, M.N. (2016). Body into balance: An herbal guide to holistic self-care. North Adams, MA: Storey Publishing.
McIntyre, A. (1996). Flower power. New York, NY: Henry Holt and Company, Inc.
Wood, M. (1997). The Book of Herbal Wisdom. Berkely, CA: North Atlantic Books.