Rosehip-hip-hip-hibiscus Herbal Tea

Such a pretty tea!  Hibiscus is one of my favourite herbs to infuse.  It's nice to look at, delicious to taste, and makes a super heart healthy drink, too.  Add in the rosehips, hawthorn berries, cloves, and orange peels, and we've got ourselves a winner! In need of some herbs? Find them in the shop!

Rosehip-Hip-Hip-Hibiscus tea is a healthful tea for several reasons.  Let's meet the cast:

Rosehips (Rosa spp.) are well known for their high vitamin C content.  Although this is true of fresh rosehips, it's unfortunate that much of the vitamin C is lost during the drying process.  However, some is better than none! A good quality vitamin C supplement or vitamin C rich foods would be a good addition to your health regimen if this is what you hope to achieve.  There is some information regarding rosehip benefits regarding heart health and seasonal sickness, but more research needs to be done.

Hibiscus (Hibiscus rosa-sinensis) is what turns the tea into that gorgeous pink colour.  Its flavour is a bit tart, but it's a pleasant taste most people love!  Not only is it eye candy, hibiscus is thought to be heart healthy, helping to lower blood pressure and aid in weight loss.   

Hawthorn (Craetagus spp.) might just be one of the best known and widely celebrated heart tonics out there.  Though it's thought that a tincture of the berry, leaf and blossom are the absolute best way to get everything out of the hawthorn tree, berries tend to be used the most in formulas.  Hawthorn berries have a safe, general action on the cardiovascular system, opening up heart vessels, strengthening and regulating the heartbeat, and balancing out blood pressure and cholesterol.

Clove and orange peel, though they are wonderful and beneficial on their own, are in such minute quantities here that they are mostly for taste.

Rosehip-Hip-Hip-Hibiscus Tea

Ingredients:
1 tsp rosehips (cut and sifted, seedless if possible)
1 tsp hawthorn berries 
1 tsp hibiscus blossoms
2 whole cloves
1 tsp orange zest, or to taste
squeeze of orange juice (optional)

​Need any herbs? Visit the shop!
​
Method:
1. Put all the ingredients into a small saucepan over medium-high heat. 
2. Add 1.5 cups of water.
3. Bring to a boil and simmer. You'll simmer it for about 15-20 minutes.
4. Keep an eye on the water level.  After about 15-20 minutes, the water level should have dropped to around 1 cup.  At this point, filter the decoction into your mug.  Sweeten to taste (I suggest honey! Yum!).  

​Enjoy!

One final note...the title of this blog is Rosehip-Hip-Hip-Hibiscus Tea.  This is a LIE! The process of simmering herbs to reduce the water is not a tea or infusion at all.  It's a decoction.  A decoction is mainly used with tough herb parts such as bark, twigs, seeds or hard berries like hawthorn.  It gets the absolute most out of the herbs in a way that an infusion simply couldn't.

** This is fun, right?! And that's all it is for now.  Information on the traditional uses and properties of herbs in this website are for educational use only, and are not to be mistaken for medical advice. Every attempt has been made for accuracy, but none is guaranteed. Many traditional uses and properties of herbs have not been validated by the FDA or Health Canada. If you have health issues, concerns, or questions, consult your health care practitioner. **

Here's more info:

https://www.anniesremedy.com/crataegus-monogyna-hawthorn-berry.php
​https://www.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-527/hawthorn
https://www.anniesremedy.com/hibiscus-sabdariffa.php
​https://www.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-839/rose-hip