Last year I was obsessed with tea. Any kind of tea. While looking through my Facebook feed, I came across a post that said redbud tree blossoms are good for tea. Huh? So, I then just HAD to find some redbud trees as the only one on our entire five acres just happened to die the previous winter.
I managed to collect just enough to make a quart of one of the most mild and lovely teas on the planet. And then began a year-long wait to get more, as they are only available for a week or so in the spring.
This year as soon as the redbuds started coming back to life, I began looking for some to pick. They had to be pesticide free, and I either had to find someone who had several trees or a public place where it’s not illegal to pick them. This is not as easy as it sounds! Although I live in the Ozarks and there a thousands of trees within just a few miles of my home, there are very few redbuds!
However, I’m a very persistent person when I want something, so I found a public park not too far from my home with several trees all ripe for the picking. You’d be surprised how many blossoms one tree makes, even just a small tree. However, I never pick very much from one tree. Between my husband and I, we picked about a gallon and a half of blossoms.
We brought them home. Steve cleaned them by placing them in a big bowl of water, picking out any sticks and leaves and bugs, and getting as much other debris as possible out of the blossoms. We then dehydrated them, and it made right at a half gallon of dried flower blossoms.
Since it turned cold again last night, and it’s been snowing today, this will probably be the only harvest for this year. But I figure it’ll make a couple of cups of tea every month, as long as I can exhibit some self-control. 🙂
Redbud Tea
- 1 cup loosely-packed, dried redbud blossoms
- 4 cups boiling water
- honey or sweetener of choice, to taste
- ice, if making iced tea
Place redbud blossoms in a heat-proof bowl. Pour boiling water over blossoms, and let steep for 15 to 20 minutes or until all the blossoms lose their pink color. (They will turn a light brown.) Strain through a fine sieve or cheesecloth.
If drinking tea hot, serve now with honey or other sweetener. If iced tea is desired, let tea cool to room temperature, then chill for several hours in the refrigerator. Add sweetener, if using, and serve over ice. Enjoy!
Just My Scattered Thoughts & Stuff 