Homemade Lavender Tea

Homemade lavender tea!!  Forget about your noisy, busy routine and all the troubles of your day. Settle down with a book and a cup of relaxing lavender tea. This soothing cup of tea will taste and smell like your at the spa!

The light floral flavor and smell of this tea is so lovely. You can drink it hot or cold and it tastes fantastic sweetened with honey or lavender syrup.

After a recent trip to the Sequim Lavender Festival, we have been feeling inspired by all things lavender. This hot lavender tea has made it into my nightly ritual lately.

Lavender tea is a calming beverage that will help you wind down and relax. It is a sleep-inducing, stress relieving and an all-around relaxing drink.

Is all lavender culinary or edible?

Not all lavender is used for culinary purposes. Most lavender that you see in craft stores or in scented sachets is for ornamental, cosmetic, and aroma purposes. Some of it gets treated with pesticides. To avoid ingesting unwanted chemicals, make sure you buy or grow organic lavender.

Are all lavender plants the same species?

There are also several different species of lavender. Even though most lavender species are fine for using in food, certain species are more suitable for culinary purposes.

Lavandula angustifolia is more commonly known as English lavender and is the most popular type of lavender used in cooking. It has the sweetest aroma and flavor among all the lavender species and gives the most assertive lavender flavor.  This homemade lavender tea is an excellent example to enjoy both the aroma and flavor.

Lavendula stoechas, or French lavender is another common type of lavender but it is not suitable for culinary purposes. Not only does it have a more bitter flavor, but it contains camphor. I don’t know if it has enough camphor in it to get you sick but I don’t recommend using it in your food.

Homemade Lavender Tea:

It’s easy to make your own lavender tea. All you need is a small amount of dried lavender buds and hot water. We have found the best ratio is a tablespoon of lavender buds for two cups of water. However the length of time you let the lavender steep will have the biggest impact on the flavor of your tea.

Let the lavender buds steep for anywhere between 3 to 10 minutes. If you let it sit too long and it gets too strong then dilute it with a bit more hot water. However, if you do let it steep too long it will tend to pull out more bitter notes.

Serve your lavender tea with a splash of lemon and a dollop of honey. Then sit back, close your eyes, and imagine you’re being pampered at the spa.

Check out our video and see just how simple it is to make your own homemade lavender tea.

Tips for Great Tea

• Always use culinary grade lavender.
• Warm your cup up with a swirl of hot water before pouring your tea.
• Don’t use too much lavender or the tea will have a bitter flavor.
• Store extra tea in the fridge for 5 days. You can drink it ice cold too.
• If you want iced lavender tea, freeze some of the tea in ice cube trays so you don’t dilute the tea with regular ice cubes.

How to Dry Lavender for Tea

If you have fresh lavender, you can dry it at home to use in tea or other recipes like lavender syrup. You can either use your oven or a food dehydrator. If you have a food dehydrator then you are set. A food dehydrator has precise settings to regulate the temperature and moisture to optimal levels without fear of over-heating.

However, if you do not have a food dehydrator, you can use your oven. For best results, you will want your oven to maintain a temperature between 120°F and 160°F but it is ok if the temperature drops below 120°F. The best way to know if your oven is within the right temperature range is to place an oven thermometer inside the oven.

1. Set the oven between 120°F and 160°F. You will probably have to turn the oven on for a short period of time, then turn it off and keep the door closed.
2. Spread the lavender out in a single layer on a baking sheet.
3. Let the lavender remain in the warm oven for about 12 hours. Monitor the oven temperature and stir the lavender around periodically.

It will take longer than 12 hours to dry the lavender if the oven drops below 120°F.

More Lavender Recipes

If you like cooking with lavender, you might like this easy no-churn vanilla-lavender ice cream. We infused lavender in some cream. It gives ice cream an amazing and unique flavor.

Or you might want to try baking with lavender. This lavender cake recipe has made it to many weddings and birthdays. Try it for your next big celebration.

Want more lavender in your lavender tea? Try sweetening it with some lavender infused sugar.