Russian Tea for Cold and Flu Season

It was our first truly cold and snowy evening this season and I had made plans several days ago to visit my dear friend and neighbor.  I bundled up in my new sweater that I had just finished knitting, knowing that my friend, being an avid knitter herself would enjoy seeing my sweater.  A big part of me didn't feel like getting in my cold car, away from my family and the warmth of our wood stove, but it had been way too long that I had seen my friend and shared an evening of catching up.

So off I went, down the road, and I could tell she was waiting for me because her outdoor lights were on and they looked so beautiful with the snow falling down.  My friend lives in a magical home built of straw surrounded by gardens of herbs, flowers and vegetables.  I always love visiting her. It's one of those homes that nourishes the soul.  So I ran inside, careful not to step in the puddles of slush and she greeted me at the door and immediately took me over to her stove where she had a big pot of Russian tea brewing.

I had never had Russian tea, but it smelled wonderful and I couldn't wait to try it.  We settled into her cozy living room with our mugs of Russian tea.  My first sip just warmed my insides to my core.  It tasted so yummy and with a perfect blend of spices, just instantly relaxed me and I felt so deeply nourished.  We were so busy catching up for the rest of the evening that I left without asking for the recipe.  But VOILA!  The next morning, DIY Natural, had a recipe for Russian tea.  So I thought I'd share it with all of you.  I included the story of my visit with my neighbor because sometimes there's a warm drink or a delicious dessert that is part of a whole experience and the two just can't be separated.  Such was the case with my first experience of Russian Tea!  Enjoy!

Homemade Russian Tea Recipe

Ingredients

A note about ingredients: It can be difficult to find organic varieties of some of these juices. You’re likely to have better luck at a natural grocery store.

• 1 gallon + 2 cups of filtered water
• ½ tsp organic whole cloves
• ½ tsp organic ground cinnamon
• 4 bags of organic black tea
• 6 cups of organic orange juice
• 6 cups of organic pineapple juice, or one 46 oz can
• 4 cups of organic apple juice
• ½ cup of organic lemon juice
• Optional: ½ to 1 cup of organic cane sugar or other natural sweetener of your choice

Directions

1. Get out two pots – a large stock pot to start your water mixture, and a small one in which to brew your tea.
2. In the large pot, pour one gallon of water. Bring to a boil on high heat.
3. In the small pot, pour two cups of water and bring to a boil. Add the four tea bags and reduce heat to low. Let the tea bags steep as you wait for the large pot of water to boil.
4. When the large pot of water has come to a boil, add the ½ teaspoon of cinnamon and the ½ teaspoon of whole cloves. If you know for sure that you want to add sugar, this is a good time to add it. Once all of these ingredients are combined, pour in the tea that has been brewing.
5. Next, you’re going to start adding juices. It doesn’t matter what order in which you pour them – just get them all in and stir them well.
6. If you didn’t add sugar before, now you’ll need to taste the tea and make sure you’re happy with that decision. It’s good without sugar, but a little sour, and my family prefers it with half a cup of sugar added. If you do add sugar, stir well.
7. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and allow the tea to simmer for a few more minutes to make sure everything is fully combined. This also concentrates the taste more.

Storage

Keep in mind that this recipe will make just over two gallons of Russian tea. You’ll need to have a few large containers to hold it all. Store it in the refrigerator and reheat by the cup. The ingredients have a tendency to settle, so shake or stir well before serving.

Time for ROOTS!

I love collecting roots in the fall.  I typically collect burdock, dandelion, chicory, and yellow dock roots for making bitters.  But this year, seeing that my backyard was full of yellow dock, I decided to explore this plant a little more.  I like to see what's growing in my backyard because it often gives me a clue to what plant medicine I'm needing.  I believe that the plants you need most, grow the most prolifically right in arms reach.

So in researching yellow dock, I found it to be an excellent blood cleanser.  I've also experienced it being great at pulling toxins out of your intestines.  The other thing I learned is that it's very high in iron and if you tend to have heavy menstrual bleeding, it helps to make your flow more manageable.

Besides taking yellow dock internally, it's also great for external ailments.  This summer one of our chickens had a wound on its foot.  We first used lavender to fight bacteria and then we used comfrey to reduce the swelling.  It seemed to be working okay, but our friend Nicole who came to visit, mentioned that soaking the chicken's foot in an infusion of yellow dock might help.  I had never used it this way, but we thought we'd give it a try.  She had said that she experienced it helping someone with severe gangrene.  And sure enough, Nicole and Nora soaked the chicken's foot in an infusion of yellow dock root and the swelling reduced considerably.

I've collected several yellow dock roots this fall, washed them, chopped them and boiled them in water.  The infusion is almost black, full of iron.  I keep it in a mason jar in the refrigerator and drink about a half a cup a day.  It's funny when our bodies need something like an herbal infusion, it tastes good to us even though it's not necessarily a pleasant taste.  Enjoy the fall everyone!