# How to Harvest and Dry Herbs and Flowers For Tea

- Link: https://lifeandwork.blog/how-to-harvest-and-dry-herbs-and-flowers-for-tea/
- Published: 2026-07-06T21:23:31-05:00
- Author: Bert Swope

If you enjoy herbal teas, harvest and dry your own herbs to have on hand for making
delicious tea. Homegrown herbs tend to provide more flavorful and potency-packed
tea than store bought options.

Harvest chamomile flowers when their white petals have taken an inverted position
on the flower and before its blooms wilt or turn brown, and as early in the day 
as possible to ensure freshest results.

## Picking

Herbs differ from most vegetables in that they require little space for cultivation,
thriving just fine in patches of ground in your garden or potted containers on your
patio. Furthermore, herbs thrive indoors under grow lights – making them an excellent
crop to cultivate at home or greenhouse.

Harvesting the ideal leaves or flowers for tea can be an art, with each plant having
a distinctive flavor. Some herb leaves work best fresh while others taste best dried;
some offer refreshing grassiness while others feature floral or spicy notes. Steeping
time also plays a factor, along with ingredients like berries, lemon or honey added
into your cup.

When harvesting herbs, morning is the optimal time of day – after dew has dried 
off but before heat of the day has taken effect. Leafy herbs should typically be
cut back by about one third to ensure continued growth while flowers should be picked
just as their buds begin to open. Carefully wash herbs under cold water before shaking
them dry before using or drying in small bunches and hanging in an airy space out
of direct sunlight.

Dried mint and chamomile make delicious teas on their own, or can be combined with
lavender and stevia for unique combinations. Other popular choices are fennel, lemon
balm and nettle – there is truly no limit when it comes to creating the perfect 
blend!

## Washing

Before harvesting fresh or dried herbs, it is crucial that they are washed thoroughly
to remove insects, dirt and pollen that has accumulated on their leaves or stems,
and detect any possible signs of disease or damage to them. Furthermore, this provides
an opportunity to gain more knowledge about individual plant benefits, side effects
or interactions it might have with other species.

In general, spring and summer are the optimal times for harvesting herbs for tea;
at that time of year when plants are flourishing most vigorously, harvesting can
yield herbs with fuller flavors and aromas as well as no chemical residue that has
built up throughout the season. Ensuring your garden remains well maintained with
regular fertilization efforts and keeping out weeds will help ensure plants reach
their optimum state for tea harvesting.

When harvesting flowers for herbal tea, it’s essential that only the most aromatic
and delicate blooms are selected. Furthermore, any that may have been exposed to
pesticides or chemicals should also be avoided.

Once washed and dried, herbs and flowers should be placed on a screen or rack in
a cool and well-ventilated location to dry. Bunching them together increases drying
time considerably; as with all herbs it is advised that any signs of mold be monitored
closely during this process.

Once herbs and flowers have been dried, they can be used in many different ways 
to make tea. Most herbs can be added directly to boiling water and steeped for three
to five minutes for an herbal infusion; tea bags can also be filled with the herbs
to create quick beverages on-the-go.

## Hanging

Herbs and flowers make for delightful tea, both fresh and dried, as well as being
useful medicinally; for instance they can soothe an upset stomach and reduce pain,
and contain antioxidants that protect against disease while fighting inflammation.
It is thought that drinking herbal tea could lower cholesterol and blood pressure
levels – leading to less risk of heart attack or stroke.

To dry herbs properly, you will require a space that provides air circulation while
drying them – either hanging them from a hook or spreading them out on a flat surface.
To speed up this process, stripping leaves from stalks or gathering into bunches
can speed up drying times considerably; when tied with twine or string and hung 
in an ideal dark-ventilated environment they may take two weeks until fully dry –
be sure to check on them daily as this process could take much longer!

For optimal harvesting of herbs for drying purposes, select them early in the morning
once the dew has evaporated and before the heat of the day sets in. Although herbs
can be picked either before or after they flower, when they have reached their optimal
flavorful potential is best.

Building a simple herb drying screen by sewing together scrap fabric or an old tea
towel is a simple yet effective way to dry herbs quickly. If you have a small garden,
this project would make an excellent outdoor activity; otherwise it works equally
well in the kitchen or on protected outdoor space. Make sure that your frame can
hold the weight of hanging herbs; additionally sew corners of cloth securely onto
its frame to keep from sag!

## Drying

If you harvest a lot of herbs or flowers for tea, it’s advisable to dry them before
the weather turns cold in order to preserve their flavor and potency for winter 
use – particularly if combined with ingredients such as hibiscus and rose hips.

Herbs and flowers can be dried in various ways, but the most straightforward and
popular technique is hanging them in bunches in a dark room out of direct sunlight.
This works great for leafy herbs like basil or mint; however, this approach may 
cause woody stems (such as lavender or chamomile) to collapse, leading to loss of
flavor. Instead, consider drying these in a rack or wide woven basket instead, and
making sure it has sufficient air flow if you choose a rack method; you should check
them frequently and remove any that are becoming crispy or yellow-looking.

Or you could opt for dehydrators. They make drying herbs quickly and relatively 
easily; just be sure that your model supports low heat settings for the best experience.
It would also be wise to invest in small scissors so as to quickly clip leaves and
flowers without leaving gaps in your drying screen.

Garble your herbs for an enjoyable final step that produces crumbled, shredded, 
and ready-to-use herbs. A half-inch hardware cloth screen works best as this allows
the herbs to pass through into your bucket or bowl below.

## Storing

There are a multitude of complex factors that affect how long herbs and flowers 
last. Unfortunately, most of us lack the means or desire to precisely control for
all these factors – therefore achieving maximum herbal freshness requires more art
than science. Here are some general guidelines which should help ensure you achieve
the best results:

Herbs and flowers used for tea should be stored in an airtight container that keeps
out air and humidity; an ideal option would be a jar with a tight-fitting lid, though
any Ziploc bag should work. It’s important to keep the herbs as dry as possible 
in order to ensure their fragrance stays intact and remains fragrant.

If herbs stale and begin to yellow as part of the natural aging process, this does
not necessarily indicate they have gone bad; it could simply mean changing storage
conditions to colder temperatures away from potentially ethylene-producing food 
such as tomatoes, avocados or ripe bananas.

Make a quick, delicious cup of herbal tea easily: just combine one teaspoon or 1/
4 cup of dried herbs with boiling water in a mug, let sit for three to five minutes
and then enjoy!

If you want a stronger brew, increase the amount of dried herbs used per mug or 
pot by doubling or tripling their amount, before adding some sugar to sweeten to
your taste. Or for something refreshingly cool during hot weather days, add a few
ice cubes before the heat hits for an icy cool treat or use salt as an accentual
flavor enhancer by giving more depth to its taste and adding depth of flavor with
each spice and herb used.

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