Turn Kitchen Scraps and Leftover Spices Into Delicious Herbal Tea

The easiest, most forgiving and flexible way I’ve found to use up spices is to turn them into tisanes. I love drinking tea, but I have to cut off my caffeine intake pretty early in the day if I want to get to sleep at a decent hour. So in the afternoon, I help myself to a mix of spices, herbs, flowers, and citrus to make a non-caffeinated drink that fits my mood.

Making these potions has become second nature to me; in the back of my mind I’m always wondering what would be nice in my afternoon herbal tea. But when I share them with others, most are pleasantly surprised and say something along the lines of “I’ve never thought to do that.” It couldn’t be easier to make them, so easy that you don’t need much of a recipe to follow to make your own.

I don’t have a precise method and never use measurements, but a good starting ratio is 1 tablespoon plus 2 teaspoons of herbs/spices/flowers to 2 cups of boiling water. Let them steep for 3 to 5 minutes, see how you like the result, then adjust concentrations and steeping times accordingly.

I do my best to use organic herbs and spices, and if I’m adding citrus peel, I scrub the citrus before peeling. Also: if there’s a scraped vanilla pod anywhere near me, I will turn it into some kind of infusion. I keep a collection of them in a jar specifically for adding to these drinks.

It’s also worth keeping some spice notes in mind. Fennel, star anise, and licorice all add a nice natural sweetness, but they’re strong, so use them sparingly. Cinnamon is good for sweetness, too. For bright flavors, I reach for citrus peels, sumac, and rose hips. And for a dose of astringency, dried lime and hibiscus do wonders.

Here are some combinations I’m into: