Sage tea advice?

edinburgher

After some online research, I'd like to try sage tea for a minor health complaint and thought that I'd turn to the OS board for possible tips in preparing it/sourcing it (as my favourite source of traditional wisdom!)

If anyone uses it I'd appreciate thoughts on:

• Whether I'm better off using the dried herb (i.e. get the biggest tub of it I can find from Lidl and make it in a loose tea strainer thing (can't quite find the correct word!)), or whether it would be cheaper to buy specific sage tea bags from a health food supplier or similar?
• Any tips for brewing it
• Any good sources for bulk quantities of sage/sage tea bags (cheaper is better)

Thanking you in advance...

Lemon_Verbena

Hi Edinburgher

IMHO sage is the only herb that actually tastes better dried than fresh, although if you want to get the best out of it flavour and therapuetic wise its better fresh but can be really, really bitter if you're not used to the flavour. It's certainly a rather strong tasting tea, have you thought about using another herb for the same effect? Without knowing what complaint you want the sage for I can't suggest any. Worth noting that sage shouldn't be used by pregnant women or women that are breast feeding or by people who suffer from epileptic fits.

As for brewing put 1 heaped teaspoon of dried sage per person (2 tsps fresh) in a warmed pot (I use a cafetiere to make my herb teas) add freshly boiled water. Allow to steep for 4 minutes, you can leave it a little longer but no longer than 10 minutes then strain into mugs, sweeten with honey to take away some of the bitterness.

Pre-bought sage tea bags I'd steer clear of, mainly because you don't know how old the herb in the bags are and most of them have been on the shelves so long that they've lost their medicinal value. Not sure of a bulk source though as I grow my own. Blackcurrant sage makes a lovely hot drink especially if you add a shot of ribena to it

LV x

newlywed

I get loose leaf sage tea from https://www.allabouttea.co.uk. You can buy it in different size bags and it has a use by date printed on it.

I also get lavendar tea there to help me sleep.

You can also buy from there a little mesh thingy that sits in your cup to brew one cup at a time.

I like it, don't brew it too long or it goes quite dark and too bitter (I think).

LameWolf

I'd recommend loose leaves, brewed using one of these: http://www.whittard.co.uk/store/catalogue/Tea-&-Coffee-Equipment-P6000/Infusers-Strainers-&-Measures-SC6006/Long-Handled-Infuser-102905.raa

Can't recommend a source, as I too grow my own.

edinburgher

Worth noting that sage shouldn't be used by pregnant women or women that are breast feeding or by people who suffer from epileptic fits.

Thanks for that - I'm a guy and don't have epilepsy

I get loose leaf sage tea from https://www.allabouttea.co.uk. You can buy it in different size bags and it has a use by date printed on it.

Will need to check that out :T

I'd recommend loose leaves

That seems to be the consensus.

Thanks for all the input guys.