Chamomile Tea Made Easy

Everybody knows how to make a cup of tea.

It's easy:
1. You take a tea bag out of a box.
2. Put the tea bag in a cup.
3. Pour hot water over it.
4. Take the tea bag out.
5. Put sugar or honey in the cup and stir (optional)
6. Enjoy.

But what not many people realize or remember is that herbal teas, like chamomile for example, need to steep for a few minutes to get the full benefits and flavor out of the leaves.

So let's go over it one more time:

1. Put tea bags into your cups. I will make two cups. I will drink one, and I will save the second one for later. Once it cools, I will pour the tea into ice cube trays and freeze. Those ice cubes will be great for some iced chamomile tea, the perfect drink on a hot sunny day – refreshing and healthy.

2. Pour hot water over the tea bags and let it steep for about 5 minutes. If you prefer stronger tasting chamomile tea, let it sit longer. I would love to use dried home-grown chamomile flowers, but I don't have any at the moment. So I use Celestial Seasonings, available at any grocery store.

3. Take the bags out of the tea. I plan to save the tea bags for some quick eye compress, so I didn't squeeze these bags out too much. I don't want them to dry out before I'm ready to use them.

4. Add some honey or sugar to taste. I prefer honey. I love the taste of it. It's healthy, and it brings back memories from my childhood. My father was a beekeeper. I have fond memories of the times he collected the honey and wax.

5. Finally, just sit back and enjoy a nice cup of chamomile tea. You can add lemon if you'd like, but for this tutorial I decided to leave it out.


You can enjoy a cup of chamomile tea any time of day, especially if you're stressed or agitated. Just keep in mind that it will relax you, so if you're not ready to slow down just yet, maybe you should hold off on making and drinking it until the evening. It makes for a great sleep aid, but it's good for many other things as well. My kitchen wouldn't be complete without a box of chamomile tea around.

When is your preferred time to drink chamomile tea?